Always make sure the bag you buy is hardy for frequent travel. PHOTO | FILE
What you need to know:
Suitcases are long gone from most, if not all, luggage shelves and shops, instead trolley and pulley bags have taken their place.
You should be thinking about practicality, durability and not so much about the current trend when entering a luggage shop.
Rarely do we own our luggage, most of borrow from friends and family when we have to travel. Well, it is holiday time, the people you were counting on to borrow from will probably be using theirs. It is time to buy your own luggage.
Buying luggage should not be done on impulse since it is usually about getting a different bag or bags that will serve you for a long time, or until they fall apart. You should be thinking about practicality, durability and not so much about the current trend when entering a luggage shop.
Having a basic idea of what you want is the best way avoid getting overwhelmed by the features offered by the different luggage makers. For example Samsonite, VIP, American Tourister, Delsey and Calton brands each comes at a different price points, accessories and features.
A 78cm Samsonite Pro Deluxe 3 cost Sh54,195. Why? Apart from its leather trimmings on the handles and base and the fabric being coasted with Teflon to make it water-resistant, the additional accessories include a suit carrier and a pouch for shoes.
The price differences can also be found in one brand even when the bag looks similar. Two similar 64cm trolley luggage from Delsey can either cost Sh11,495 or Sh18,995. With the former, you’ll be foregoing a stronger handle, double-zip (a security feature unique to the brand) reinforced base and a five-year warranty as opposed to three-warranty for the cheaper option.
Suitcases are long gone from most, if not all, luggage shelves and shops, instead trolley and pulley bags have taken their place.
According to Eunice Moraa - the shop assistant at Biba - Kaunda Street in Nairobi, the trolley bag comes with either four wheels that you can walk along with or two wheels that you can pull.
Leather and linen/wool have been replaced by nylon of different grades and polycarbonate as the main materials which makes the luggage strong, yet light and in some cases waterproof. A 50cm trolley polycarbonate bag weighs 2kg, making it ideal when flying. However, its disadvantage is that it comes in one-compartment.
