That’s been the experience of far too many travelers when trying to over-stuff their suitcases. And it’s usually a formula for disaster. Over-stuffed bags are the primary cause of broken zippers – often at the most inopportune times. Briggs and Riley heard the curses and came to the rescue.
In what is without a doubt this year’s most innovative bag, the Baseline CX by Briggs & Riley, you’ll find a super simple answer to over-stuffing without damaging zippers or your mental health.
We all know the advantages of an expandable suitcase. In principal, you are supposed to load the suitcase to its unexpanded capacity and then as you travel and pick up souvenirs, you can unzip the additional capacity to bring home your new treasures. With an additional 5-8 cm (2 or 3 inches) of depth, you can really load a lot more whatever’s.
We also know the downside to that strategy, or the first time you try to throw that same bag in the overhead compartment on a plane, you’ll quickly discover the downside. When most expandable bags are expanded to their fullest capacity, they are just too thick for most airline overhead bins. Now you are in the unenviable position of needing to return to the plane door to gate check your bag. Not fun.
Briggs & Riley listened and has finally come out with a bag that solves the problem, simply and efficiently. In what they refer to as the “world’s lightest expansion/compression packing system”, they’ve come up with a unique bag expansion system. Flip two levers and slide the bag open to its fullest capacity. Load your contents and zip it closed effortlessly. Now, with one hand at top and one at bottom of the suitcase, merely push down.
A special ratcheting mechanism built into the expansion system allows the bag to close as far as possible and prevents it from expanding back up again. You’ve compressed your load without any strain on the zipper and with a little luck, your bag could be right back down to its original uncompressed size. Again, according to manufacturer’s calculations, you can easily expand your packing capacity by 25%. Brilliant.
In addition to the compression feature, there are a number of other things to like about this bag. The bag features a fold out suiter compartment that allows long dresses or suit coats to be folded up into the lid of the lid of the case. A zipper allows you to remove this section if not needed.
In the bottom of the case, a dual fold over mesh section allows you to secure loose clothing. In the lid of the suitcase is another zippered pocket for dirty clothes or other items.
The pull handle is double pole construction for best stability and is located on the outside of the bag, so you don’t lose any clothes carrying capacity. There’s also a great “Speed Thru” pocket located outside the bag in the handle area for your wallet, cellphone, keys, etc. when going through security. Two additional pockets on the front of the bag will handle tickets in the small one and even very large laptops in the larger one.
If that weren’t enough, Briggs & Riley is also known for their lifetime performance guarantee. Any damage, caused by anyone –including the airlines – will be fixed for free. Check them out in fine luggage stores or on the Web at http://www.briggs-riley.com/.