Briggs & Riley Baseline 4 Wheel Expandable Suitcases

So a few years ago, I had congratulated myself on buying cheap, lightweight cabin and large spinners for my luggage. The wheels eventually wore down and the cases no longer spin with ease. 2 years ago, a friend introduced me to her Briggs Transcend luggage and I nearly had a nose bleed at the price. Fast forward, I now own the whole set from cabin through to extra large of special navy edition. The reason is I travel for work now and navigating from terminal to gate in multiple airports through delays and rushing means I can't have anything that slows me down, inconveniences me or will break down. The ballistic cover of the Baseline seems like it should withstand a blow or two. The sales guy in one of the shops jumped up and down on it to demonstrate how solid it was. The baseline has really convenient pockets which I always use either at last minute check in dramas or through security. It's a bit heavier than my previous sets of luggage, but in some instances, my wife and I have only had to take one case as they feature a decent expandable function. The zips etc are chrome and feel solid. You can tell they are quality and I'm hoping the lifetime guarantee means I'm done on luggage purchases for good. It hasn't been cheap. The medium case is good when I travel on my own for a week or so. The large can be adequate for my wife and I on a week of travel, provided that we get more than 23kg allowance. Check with airlines and work out if you can manage, as it's easy to go over if you've got electricals and shoes etc. One of the main benefits is the suit compartment and I've packed expensive tuxedos and suits for business trips and they've made it out the other side uncrumpled. I've packed in two suits and an evening dress(wifes) into the compartment without issue.

One word....brilliant! Loads of space. The compression system works a treat. Bag is expensive but will hold up for years and the guarantee is always nice knowing you have for the lifetime of bag, for any major non cosmetic issues (wheels/handles etc). Seriously impressed with this bag and the nylon ballistic material is tough, handle rock solid, wheels spin great (much prefer spinners for hand luggage). I’ve owned Tumi, samsonite, Rimowa and while the build quality on all has been good (newer samsonite and newer Tumi not so much these days) the Briggs bag wins hands down. Seen as I travel weekly this is a great addition to the collection.

Just did not meet my personal needs. Returned for alternative Briggs & Riley. Don’t let that put you off.

Good quality as you’d expect from Briggs and Riley. Could do with 1 or 2 more internal pockets. Fab expandable case. For those of you worried about the handle bars being outside... don’t worry... it’s good and durable.

This item is the real deal. Strong, light, sturdy and value for money. The lifetime guarantee is the kicker.

International travel, like the multi expansion section, quality build

Brilliant.

Smart, tough and thoughtful. Just a tad heavy.

I already have a Briggs & Riley carry-on, which I use regularly and am entirely satisfied with. So I turned to Briggs & Riley when in the market for a medium suitcase. I have used it twice already and like it for all the reasons I like the carry-on. Plus the medium has four wheels, which I like a lot. These suitcases cost more but you definitely get what you pay for, which means quality, solid construction, and sturdy material. Get one, you can't go wrong.

Well constructed, high quality, carry-on bag. External handle gives excellent flat interior for packing. The spinner wheels are perfect. Only used on one trip so far but expect it to last my lifetime. Rather expensive, but better than buying a new piece of luggage every 5 years or so.

Love this bag. So glad they guarantee it against airline damage. I’ve had so many bags that have been damaged at Pearson Airport and no repairs are covered with all other luggage company’s.

This is my first Briggs and Riley product. I bought this and the Tumi Voyaguer Super Leger to compare. At two pounds heavier, the sturdiness of this bag gives it the sense of being higher quality though my guess is the Tumi bag uses more advanced materials and would hold up similarly in all but the most extreme cases, i.e. baggage handlers. And unfortunately, if you travel enough, eventually, you will have to check the bag. In my comparison, I packed 5 days worth of clothes including 2 jeans, 2 slacks, 7 shirts, 2 cardigans, 2 sets of workout clothes, heels, short boots, flats, a swimsuit and coverup and my Tumi puffer jacket and I had room to spare. With the handles on the outside, packing was much easier and I was able to make the most out of the interior space. For fun, I put in and additional 10 sweaters and used the expansion feature. It worked like a charm though if you are a small woman, I recommend putting the bag on the ground before compressing it to get more leverage. I was particularly impressed by the ridgidness of the bag while expanded. After years of expanding spinners where the expansion is a cloth zipper that allows the two halves to wobble, this was a nice surprise and added to the sense of quality. I tried out the suiter with two blazers and a shift dress that is tough to pack. The dress was probably more wrinkled in the suiter but the wrinkles were not as deep as they are when I have to fold that dress. The suiter was easier to use than I would have guessed and after some practice, I think I can reduce the wrinkling. The clothes in this section did not take up significantly more space than they would have folded traditionally. My only two gripes about the bag are the wheels and the weight. Weight is just a factor of the sturdiness so I won’t elaborate. The wheels roll very well but they are two different sizes. The wheels along the back are larger than the ones in front which causes the bag to tip forward more easily, especially when loaded. This was B&D’s only mistake since this will cause the bag to tip away from the handles and be unwieldy in several situations. It isn’t worth a star but at these prices, perfection is expected. Overall, I’m probably going to keep this bag over the lighter, more elegant Tumi because of the baseline capacity, the ability to expand, the structure and the suiter.

Quite possibly, the finest piece of luggage I have ever owned. The quality is impeccable, the features are well thought out (especially the method for expanding the case), the wheels are the smoothest I have had on a case, and because the handles are outside, the space inside is exceptional.