When you travel a lot for work and pleasure, you develop certain likes and dislikes with regard to your luggage. I like hard-sided bags that protect my stuff; I like spinner wheels that allow me the versatility to either pull my luggage behind me or roll it alongside me; and, most of all, I like the freedom to travel without a checked bag.
For years, I’ve searched for the perfect carry-on bag that checks all these boxes. A few have come close, but now one has risen to the top: the Briggs and Riley Sympatico International Carry-on Spinner with expansion-compression technology.
Briggs and Riley Sympatico International Carry-on Spinner CX 21″ Review
Price and Where to Buy: This hard-sided carry-on bag retails for $529 from the manufacturer; but is also available at Amazon.
How the Briggs and Riley Sympatico International Carry-on Spinner CX 21″ Rates:
Usefulness: 10/10. This sturdy lightweight carry-on suitcase would be a star simply for its smooth 360-degree maneuverability, attractive design, combo lock security with TSA key access, and nearly indestructible hard shell exterior. But it has a secret super power that puts it into rarified territory: expansion-compression technology.
Its unique CX “expansion-compression system” allows you to increase storage capacity by 22 percent and then compress the suitcase back down to its standard 9x14x21-inch size, which meets carry-on requirements for most domestic and international carriers.
In practical terms, this system allows you to either pack more into your carry-on bag from the outset of your trip, or save extra room for souvenirs and other purchases during your return travels, without having to check a larger bag.
Value: 9/10. Although its MSR price of $529 is hefty, you’re paying for a durable high-quality bag that’s more than meets the eye. If you travel frequently, you’ll make up the cost of the bag in no time with the airline bag fees you avoid.
Portability: 10/10. Most carry-ons these days conform to standard airline size requirements and can boast some degree of lightweight portability. What first attracted me to the Sympatico, though, was its low center of gravity and 360-degree maneuverability. This is a carry-on bag that won’t topple over and won’t fight back while you’re rolling through the airport.
Final Verdict
The Briggs and Riley Sympatico International Carry-on Spinner looks like a carry-on but acts like a full-fledged checked bag. Its impressive compression system is a game changer for hard-sided carry-on bags, and its smooth 360-degree maneuverability puts it at the top of the list for portability, too.
Editor’s Note: Reviews are based on usefulness, portability, and value. Some review products are sent to us free of charge and with no
The website maxtravelz.com is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
I moved to Spain about a year ago and at one of my first meals in Madrid, I saw a handsome young couple drinking some kind of unidentifiable light brown cocktail on ice with a wedge of orange and green olives. It was before noon and I was stumped. I had to know what it was. Vermouth, they told me.
Universal Orlando Resort has officially entered its super-villain era: The new Minion Land section of the theme park that opened today is dedicated to its mischievous yellow henchmen, with snack outposts along Illumination Avenue serving banana-flavored treats.
In the wake of Covid, travel insurance sales have spiked with the rebound in travel as people seek to protect their investments against flight delays and cancellations, extreme weather events and the persistence of the virus. But travel insurance is complicated with a range of benefits, inclusions and prices. Here’s what you need to know before you buy.
Landscapes as green and lovely as everyone says. Literary giants in Dublin; Titanic history in Belfast. A pint and good craic in a traditional pub. The lure of Celtic legends.
”Hong Kong is a photographer’s dream,” says Geraint Rowland. “It’s got impressive architecture and the busy streets teem with life, day and night.” The Wanderlust Travel Photo of the Year winner was blown away by the territory. As part of their dual-destination photo commission, the four winners of the UK’s biggest travel photography competition were first guided around Hong Kong and its many islands. They soon discovered there were plenty of opportunities to point their lenses, whether the neon skyscrapers, the old neighbourhoods from which the city evolved or one of the 260 outlying islands, whose slower pace of life, unusual wildlife and natural landscapes offer a contrast to that famous urban bustle.
With its white-sand beaches and sparkling turquoise seas framed by palm trees, lush greenery and soaring mountains, there could hardly be a more romantic destination than the Caribbean. Whether you want to snorkel with spectacular sea life, indulge in a moonlit dinner á deux, have your cares massaged away or lounge together in a private cabana, the Caribbean offers the ultimate idyllic couples’ escape.
Shoes can make or break your vacation, especially in winter when you have to contend with frozen toes and slippery sidewalks. That’s why a pair of warm winter boots can be a traveler’s best friend on cold-weather trips. The following boots are packable, lightweight, and comfortable enough to walk in for miles. I’ve also thrown in a few pairs of winter shoes that aren’t boots but are still worth adding to your cold-weather packing list.
Airline trade sources are reporting that the founder of JetBlue, David Neeleman, is getting ready to launch a new low-cost domestic airline. Neeleman is by far the world’s most proficient and successful airline-starter. The proposed airline, originally named Moxy (which is likely to change), will reportedly fly 60 Bombardier C300 jets on routes connecting secondary airports near major U.S. cities. The service could begin as early as 2020.
The latest study from J.D. Power proves something you might have already suspected: Air travelers aren’t too happy. The 2019 North America Airport Satisfaction Study found that travelers’ satisfaction with domestic airports plateaued this year amidst widespread delays and crowds. According to the findings, the halt in passenger satisfaction comes after several years of rapid growth.