carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

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island
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carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by island »

Need to get a new carry on and wheels are a must.
Would you recommend a 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard and why? My last had 2 wheels and I had no problems wheeling that.
I know the 4 wheel spinners are the latest and maneuver easily, but I've read they don't wheel well over carpet, get stuck in pavement cracks easier, can't walk as fast pushing it alongside, and surprising to read frequent travelers find them annoying because people using them take up too much room wheeling it alongside.
I guess I understand the latter, people in the grocery store or Costco pushing their cart from the side rather than standing behind at the handle drive me insane! :annoyed What is up with that?

Appreciate any opinions. Thanks.
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ResearchMed
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by ResearchMed »

island wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:20 pm Need to get a new carry on and wheels are a must.
Would you recommend a 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard and why? My last had 2 wheels and I had no problems wheeling that.
I know the 4 wheel spinners are the latest and maneuver easily, but I've read they don't wheel well over carpet, get stuck in pavement cracks easier, can't walk as fast pushing it alongside, and surprising to read frequent travelers find them annoying because people using them take up too much room wheeling it alongside.
I guess I understand the latter, people in the grocery store or Costco pushing their cart from the side rather than standing behind at the handle drive me insane! :annoyed What is up with that?

Appreciate any opinions. Thanks.
One reason to consider the 4 wheeled spinners is because it can go the wide way ("normal") or the narrow way, which is often needed on narrow airplane aisles these days.

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Bengineer
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by Bengineer »

We have both. I think the traditional rollaboards are more durable. Our spinners have smaller plastic swivel casters. I've replaced the casters that have failed on both types with "skate" wheels, which have good bearings, but the swivel part of the caster is cheap plastic. I expect one of the swivel casters to go missing at some point.

I think the spinners are more maneuverable as you stride through a crowded airport. You can tuck the spinner in behind you or out beside as works best. That said, the rollaboards work for me. I usually pull it directly behind me when forging through crowds.

RM has a good point - rolling edgeways down the aisle, particularly on the smaller planes.

My preference is for the traditional larger rollaboard and the smaller spinner.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by mhc »

my 4 wheel spinners can also be pulled like a 2 wheel rollaboard. I prefer the 4 wheel spinner. It stands up better when stationary, like waiting in line.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by livesoft »

We have every kind including no-wheels/backpack. They all work. The 4-wheels tend to be slightly smaller on the inside because external parts count in the total length. I've used the 4-wheeler as a 2-wheeler mostly. I also fear snapping off one of the wheels, but my spouse loves it.
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victw
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by victw »

I love our 4 wheel spinner. Super maneuverable. Just beware when you stop on inclines. It will go.

I can't speak to durability - we have not had it long enough.

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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by iamlucky13 »

We've got a couple spinner models. They are handy for standing in lines and fumbling to get ready for security screening, because a little nudge advances them along the line without even needed to tip them.

I've not had any complaints about sidewalk cracks or on carpet, but I don't roll them on 4 wheels for any distance more than a couple steps. Ours roll almost as well as 2 wheel suitcases when tipped onto 2 wheels.

But you sacrifice a little bit of internal room, and they wander off if left standing on a slanted curb or other uneven surface.

If all else were equal, I'd probably just go with a 2 wheel suitcase, but the 4-wheels seem to make up the bulk of the market now. We shopped briefly, found a suitcase we liked overall, and it happened to have 4-wheels, so we accepted that.

Regarding wheeling the bag down the aisle - I think the largest allowed size for carry-ons is 15.5" wide (a lot of airlines only "allow" 14" but don't police it closely). The legal minimum for aisle width is 15" below the armrest height (20" above the armrest height). It would be rare to see them that narrow in mainline aircraft, but more likely on regional aircraft. The 737 is one of the more cramped mainline aircraft, and I think the aisle is usually 18-20" depending on the seats the airline chooses.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by head gamez »

I'm in the market as well. My 12 month old Travel Pro Hard Side "spinner" didn't make it this year. Surprisingly, in the 350k miles it has flown in the last 12 months, the wheels were not the issue... it was the handle. As I waited at the gate in DFW for my "gate check" last week, the ramp worker placed it on the jetway and the handle flew forward about 5 feet. So I spent the next 4 flights tugging it around by one of the telescoping poles with no handle. Needles to say, I was surprised that the wheels were not the first thing to go.

Having said all that, I am going with a two wheeled hard side as its replacement. I found a nice one from Briggs and Riley that I am going to splurge on for about $400. I've found that the warranty from Travel Pro isn't that great as they aren't really offering up much help. I've read lots of good on the Briggs and Riley warranty. As I fly often, durability and warranty are important to me.

The Spinner wheels take up quite a bit of space and this is my primary reason for going to a 2 wheeled version. I never check a bag, but often need 5 days worth of work clothes, dress shoes, and some workout clothes. I made it work in the spinner, but it was always extremely tight!
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by SmileyFace »

I prefer 2 wheels. With the 4 wheels your actual luggage space is smaller for the size of the bag (wheels stick out below bag - with 2 wheels they can inset the wheels and you have more packing space) and I find the 4
wheelers harder to bring with me through the streets of NYC or similar. The 2 bigger rollerblade wheels are simply more rugged.
I don't see much advantage to spinning or dragging it beside you and as far as the comment about airplane aisles- my luggage always fits easily down every aisle (and since it's a carry on it isn't that heavy anyway - I can just lift it up and carry it down an aisle ;)).
I have a 20" and a 22" - both with 2 wheels again now.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by Gnirk »

I find the 4 wheel spinners much easier on my back...I’m not dragging something behind me. And easier to walk with when you have a smaller bag on top of the 4 wheel than the 2 wheel.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by Cash »

The wheels have broken on every spinner I’ve had. Then it’s annoying to drag the rest of your trip. I’ve never had the wheels break on the 2 wheel, in-line models.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by student »

I also recommend a 4 wheel spinner but buy a better brand. Ebags makes pretty good bags and AMEX usually have discount code and you get free shipping with shoprunner, which is complimentary from AMEX.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by radiowave »

DaftInvestor wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2017 5:39 pm I prefer 2 wheels. With the 4 wheels your actual luggage space is smaller for the size of the bag (wheels stick out below bag - with 2 wheels they can inset the wheels and you have more packing space) and I find the 4
wheelers harder to bring with me through the streets of NYC or similar. The 2 bigger rollerblade wheels are simply more rugged.
I don't see much advantage to spinning or dragging it beside you and as far as the comment about airplane aisles- my luggage always fits easily down every aisle (and since it's a carry on it isn't that heavy anyway - I can just lift it up and carry it down an aisle ;)).
I have a 20" and a 22" - both with 2 wheels again now.
+1, in the airport either 2/4 will work well,4 wheel spinner a bit more stable and convenient, but when you get outside my 2 wheel 25 yr old Travel Pro suiter does very well. I could not imagine dragging 4 wheel through NYC (or Europe for that matter).

BTW, saw the post above about the new Travel Pro, the first thing that went on mine was the top handle which I use to grab up/down for the overhead bin. That was after 20+ years had the handles rebuilt and the Travel Pro is still going strong, wheels perfect, the old metal handle still works great. I'm very reluctant to get a new carryon. Guess I'll keep plugging away with my ragged old suiter :)
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Beehave
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by Beehave »

Four wheels. If you ever need to travel with two of them you can put them back to back and roll the pair pretty easily with one hand.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by Bacchus01 »

4 wheels. Will never go back to 2.

I can pack 7+ Days in a carryon. A little space loss is worth it for the convenience
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by dbr »

Almost everywhere we go involves some part of the trip towing suitcases on rough pavement or even paths. In that case a 2-wheeler with really sturdy wheels is essential. I don't envision a spinner ever working. Our travel gear can also be backpacked if necessary, but that is very rare.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by FrugalInvestor »

I also prefer 2-wheelers because of the extra space and ruggedness.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by TeamArgo »

I recently purchased a 4 wheeler to replace my old two wheeler. I love being able to turn it in any direction and moving it. As ResearchMed said in your first response, it comes in handy moving down the new, narrow plane aisles. I kept the two wheeler until after my first trip, and sent it to Goodwill right afterwards. I will never go back.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by tibbitts »

I greatly prefer two wheels for ruggedness and space. I wore the wheels off my 2-wheel bags after ten years or so (technically, the tires came off the wheels), but replaced them with better skate wheels for about $10 that will hopefully also last that long.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by ddurrett896 »

I prefer 2 wheels because they are protected. Luggage carriers throw bags around - 4 exposed wheels are exposed to break.
riverguy
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by riverguy »

4 wheel without a doubt. Maneuverability is a million times superior to two wheel.
badger42
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by badger42 »

Two wheels for ruggedness and durability. I would not want to deal with a 4-wheeler on the streets of NYC, DC, London, etc.

If you can't just carry it down the aisle of a plane, you should be checking your luggage anyway.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by canderson »

For a carryon: No wheels > 2 wheels > 4 wheels
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by Thesaints »

A 4-wheeler turns into a 2-wheeler on demand; just tilt it.
Its only disadvantages are: extra weight ceteris paribus, and when it rolls away by itself.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by Pajamas »

island wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:20 pm My last had 2 wheels and I had no problems wheeling that.
Then stick with four wheels. My latest bag has four wheels and while it maneuvers better down the aisle of the airplane, a two-wheeler is slightly better everywhere else and can be used as a stool when necessary. Most two-wheelers have sturdier wheels than the four-wheelers have, which is important if you do any distance on sidewalks.

Just make sure the actual outside dimensions are within the carry-on limits. Some bags are larger than they claim to be. I see people with what look like carry-on bags that won't fit in the overhead compartment with the door closed unless they are turned sideways and the flight attendants and other passengers don't appreciate that at all. Some U.S. airlines have slightly decreased allowable sizes and more closely check now that they are charging so many baggage fees. Some non-U.S. airlines have significantly smaller allowable carry-on sizes than U.S. airlines, so take that into account if you frequently fly internationally.

I also try to stick to a moderate- or even low-priced bag. Expensive bags are a magnet for thieves and all luggage will eventually be damaged if you use it enough. Even if you find a brand that will actually honor a warranty for anything other than manufacturing defects, shipping the bag in for repairs is a lot of trouble and possibly expense and you probably won't get it back quickly. Some brands do have user-replaceable parts, but even companies like Briggs & Riley that might honor a warranty for damage or provide user-replaceable parts like wheels for a reasonable fee are so expensive in the first place that you are almost certainly better off buying three or four less expensive bags over time, instead. What do you do with an expensive bag when it is damaged early in a trip? You have to deal with the frustration of a broken bag as well as feeling like a chump for buying it in the first place. With a cheaper bag, you can just chuck it and buy a new one.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by edge »

Four wheel
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ResearchMed
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by ResearchMed »

Pajamas wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:40 pm
island wrote: Tue Dec 05, 2017 3:20 pm My last had 2 wheels and I had no problems wheeling that.
Then stick with four wheels. My latest bag has four wheels and while it maneuvers better down the aisle of the airplane, a two-wheeler is slightly better everywhere else and can be used as a stool when necessary. Most two-wheelers have sturdier wheels than the four-wheelers have, which is important if you do any distance on sidewalks.

Just make sure the actual outside dimensions are within the carry-on limits. Some bags are larger than they claim to be. I see people with what look like carry-on bags that won't fit in the overhead compartment with the door closed unless they are turned sideways and the flight attendants and other passengers don't appreciate that at all. Some U.S. airlines have slightly decreased allowable sizes and more closely check now that they are charging so many baggage fees. Some non-U.S. airlines have significantly smaller allowable carry-on sizes than U.S. airlines, so take that into account if you frequently fly internationally.

I also try to stick to a moderate- or even low-priced bag. Expensive bags are a magnet for thieves and all luggage will eventually be damaged if you use it enough. Even if you find a brand that will actually honor a warranty for anything other than manufacturing defects, shipping the bag in for repairs is a lot of trouble and possibly expense and you probably won't get it back quickly. Some brands do have user-replaceable parts, but even companies like Briggs & Riley that might honor a warranty for damage or provide user-replaceable parts like wheels for a reasonable fee are so expensive in the first place that you are almost certainly better off buying three or four less expensive bags over time, instead. What do you do with an expensive bag when it is damaged early in a trip? You have to deal with the frustration of a broken bag as well as feeling like a chump for buying it in the first place. With a cheaper bag, you can just chuck it and buy a new one.
We've been unpleasantly surprised, having carefully chosen bags that would fit the required dimension limits. And then some (eventually all?) airlines reduced the size restrictions. :annoyed

As for durability and repairs, we have Tumi shops in our area.
They'll take anything needing repairs and ship it out and get it back.
And one time when there was another trip planned soon, they just gave us a loaner. That was impressive.

But mostly, we'd prefer to have bags that don't break, given what could be serious inconvenience (as mentioned) while traveling.

As far as getting cheap bags, and just buying new ones if the old ones break, including during travel, there are times when we aren't near stores that have luggage, or we really don't have time except at night. So we've tried for "durable". So far, it's worked most of the time, enough that we'll keep this strategy for a while.

I don't like the new semi-hard sided poly carbonate (if that's the right term). They feel very flimsy.
I sort of miss the old, solid American Tourister. Those lasted for years, through some phenomenally harsh treatment/conditions.

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Pajamas
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by Pajamas »

ResearchMed wrote: Wed Dec 06, 2017 6:56 pm As far as getting cheap bags, and just buying new ones if the old ones break, including during travel, there are times when we aren't near stores that have luggage, or we really don't have time except at night. So we've tried for "durable". So far, it's worked most of the time, enough that we'll keep this strategy for a while.
Probably the most durable bag I ever had was one similar to this:

https://www.amazon.com/Travelers-Choice ... B001DWNGLO

Just a cheap, generic two-wheeler. Not a lot can go wrong with it.

I bought it at Sears twenty years when I was looking for a washing machine because it was $20. The plan was to use it one time, one way to take gifts to South America. However, it ended up getting a lot of use. I stopped using it because it was so ugly and dirty and scuffed up. Someone who moves a lot and doesn't have much stuff could buy several to use for moving boxes and storage.
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Re: carry on luggage, 4 wheel spinner or 2 wheel rollaboard?

Post by Marylander1 »

If you get a "smart bag" note you'll likely have to remove the battery when you check it, negating most of the "smart":
http://news.aa.com/press-releases/press ... mart-bags/

Other airlines will probably follow American Airlines' safety protocol rather than risk batteries starting a fire in the baggage hold.

-Marylander1
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