
- Handles: It may sound obvious, but ensure that the handle on the case you choose is long enough. If not, you could be veering to the side as you walk through the airport. A good travel bag will also have a handle which locks down so that it doesn’t get damaged in transit.
- Wheels: Some veteran travellers simply wouldn’t leave home without having at least one wheeled bag in their luggage. Consider having one case with wheels and stacking other, smaller bags on top of it. You’ll be fully mobile and won’t need to spend time looking for that elusive luggage trolley in the departures hall. Recessed wheels are less likely to get damaged, while many experienced fliers swear by bigger, rubberised wheels which, similar to inline skates, have ball-bearings for added longevity and performance.
- Outer shell: Choose from three distinct kinds: hard or soft-sided and semi-soft sided.
- Zippers: You may not previously have given these much thought when buying bags and other travel accessories, but they’re more important than you realised! Newer, synthetic zippers made from coils can even self-repair when the slide is moved across the teeth. This can be a life-saver when you’re in a hurry and all your stuff is falling out everywhere.
- Pockets: It can be easy to forget how having several pockets on your case, inside and out, can be. Waterproof pockets are ideal for damp gym kit or swimwear.