I bought a Briggs & Riley ZDX (medium, four wheel suitcase). It’s got full expansion, which is rare in soft suitcases, and it’s not crazy heavy plus the warranty sounded great. Flew to Japan, am packing to leave first hotel and the expansion zipper failed with the suitcase expansion now being stuck open for rest of trip. Get home and try to warranty it—they want me to pay to ship it to them in NY. I’m in SF, their local repair center closed in 2020, neareSY one is in LA (so basically a flight away). Shipping will be like $100. I bitch and moan (politely) about this and say it’s ridiculous for a new suitcase—finally they relent, I think because their support center is about to end their day, and agree to cover my shipping. Of course I didn’t keep the box so that’s a headache but I ship it and get it it back 3+ weeks later, just in time for another trip. Now I’m in Germany, have taken one direct flight and a train to get there. I’m packing up to leave the hotel and realize the expansion zipper slider has gone completely AWOL. I’ve yet to try to argue with them to cover that repair but this bag has been a complete letdown and I’ve taken a Samsonite Pro carry on 20+ sometimes complex trips for comparison. So I don’t trust this suitcase to last at all, and their warranty is a pain given shipping a suitcase isn’t all that economical. If you look around flight attendants don’t use them much anymore. More on reddit.com

Not sure if you have Costco in the UK but you can get a good discount on certain Briggs & Riley items through Costco Next. Right now they have the Large Baseline Trunk Spinner for $649.99, and it’s originally $899.99. They rotate their offerings, so you could find the suitcase you’re looking for at a discount with some patience. You actually purchase it directly from B&R but through the Costco App, so it comes with the same warranty and everything. More on reddit.com

In 2009, I purchased two soft-sided two-wheeled Samsonite check in size suitcases. They cost me $90 each on sale. My son and I have used them every other year to travel to Istanbul. Also, my son uses the Samsonite when visiting my parents, about 4x a year. My fiance and I have used them 4x together for domestic travel. Even with the Samsonite costing twice as much now, I fail to see the added value of an $800 Briggs & Riley. Sometimes, the absolute best is unnecessary. More on reddit.com

Buy a plane ticket to Italy, go to Amalfi coast. Visit Sorrento. While there go to Mary's Shop Sorrento. They've been making bags from buffalo leather for five generations. Buy a solid duffel or their new leather luggage which has wheels and handle even. Get an aperol sprit and enjoy your time. Only gets better with age, that leather. Also while there take a ferry to Naples and get a umbrella for yourself from Mario Talarico. Making umbrellas for a long time too. Walk in the shop and it's like Harry Potter and the umbrella will choose you. More on reddit.com