If you’re traveling home for the holidays, it’s time to give some thought to packing and for this, lightweight luggage is definitely best. If you are carrying presents that will add weight to your clothes, lightweight luggage is going to ease the burden on your allowance. Invest in a decent piece of lightweight luggage and you won’t just use it for the holidays but all year round.
1 Samsonite LIFT
You can usually expect decent quality from Samsonite but their signature pieces are hard shell, which always makes them heavier than fabric luggage. They have, however, introduced the L.I.F.T. range of lightweight luggage. LIFT stands for Lightweight Innovations for Travel. It has all the classic styling of Samsonite and comes in a range of colors, including this vibrant purple. The range of sizes is good too and there are also expandable pieces – especially handy for packing those holiday gifts! The 21” starts at something just over $100 depending on where you buy it from. All stockists of Samsonite will probably have this range and there are plenty of online retailers.
Frequently asked questions
2 Heys XCase Spinner
The Heys xCase Spinner is known as the world’s lightest spinner (a case with handles for vertical and horizontal carry). Measuring 21.5 inches and weighing just 5.9lbs, the xCase has been one of the most popular hard body pieces of luggage for years. It’s also very durable, being made from flexible polycarbonate, which interestingly is also used to make bullet proof glass. The xCase comes in a great range of colors that includes fire engine red and dusky pink, as well as the usual black and grey. It can be bought directly from Heys.com at $109.95.
3 Traveler’s Choice Freedom II
If you’re looking for lightweight luggage on a budget, I think this represents really excellent value. Currently on sale on Amazon at $119.09 AND free shipping, you get not just one piece but 3 pieces of lightweight luggage! All 3 pieces are spinner cases and are hard shell. The smallest is 21 inches and weighs 5.25 pounds, and I also love the fabulous color range. As well as the dusky rose pictured, it comes in apple green and arctic blue.
4 Antler Liquis
Ok, so you have $300 to spend on your new lightweight luggage, but what do you choose? I just love the look of the Liquis range from another of the great names in luggage – Antler. Those ripples inspired by waterfalls just say hey look at me, I’m a classy piece of luggage. It’s also a hard shell that is remarkably light. The 22 inch weighs in at just 4.4 pounds!
5 Olympia Rolling Sports Duffle Bag
There are some that say you should never choose light colors for your luggage – for obvious reasons – but I also think if you choose a light color at least it will stand out on the carousel, which is just one of the reasons I love the Rolling Sports Duffle Bag from Olympia. There are other great reasons too. If you want lots of compartments, this has 8 pockets. It’s light – the 29 inch weighs 6.6 pounds. It’s made from washable lightweight polyester and comes in various sizes and in other colors if pink is not for you. The range is available on Amazon.
6 Rimowa Salsa Air
Now, that is one good looking piece of luggage, isn’t it? And so it should be. This is definitely an investment piece at $475. I would want to make sure I don’t have to buy another again at that price, but it enjoys an excellent reputation so I guess we can trust in that. Jared Leto, Rooney Mara, Milla Jovovich, the Glee cast and Chris Martin and Gwyneth Paltrow have all been snapped with their German-made Rimowa Salsa Air pieces, so you’d be in good company. It comes in 3 hi-tech colors.
7 IT
If the most important thing for you in choosing lightweight luggage is the weight, there really is only one choice. This is the world’s lightest luggage! The 22 inch carry on weighs just 3.3 pounds – incredible! It’s not high on style but does that matter? It is very strong and gets high ratings in reviews. It is also affordable at around $63. You’ll find it at eBags.com
I think this list of lightweight luggage should give you some good ideas if you need to buy a new case for holiday travel. What’s most important to you when choosing luggage?
