Grocery bags are great – for carrying groceries. Garbage bags are good – for garbage. Duffle bags are dandy if you’re going to the gym. But if you are planning a serious vacation or frequent business travel, invest in luggage that will protect your valuable belongings. Look for luggage that has adequate storage, luggage that is easy to move and luggage that is built to last.

If you are traveling by boat, train or airplane, keep in mind that not everyone loves your belongings as much as you do. Luggage can take a beating as it is moved from place to place by people who are hurrying to transfer loads of luggage headed to multiple destinations.

When you shop for luggage, ask sales representatives to help you compare price and quality. Pay close attention to:

• Frames
• Fabric
• Wheels
• Handles
• Size
• Storage compartments
• Locks
• Zippers and other fasteners

Luggage that looks good is not always built the best. Some manufacturers focus on appearance, others focus on quality and a few produce products that look good, feel good and last a long time.

Will it Last?

First and foremost, consider the way a piece of luggage is constructed. Many pieces of luggage feature zippers. Check out the quality of zippers. Are they plastic? Metal? Polyester coils? Do they easily zip and unzip? Are they self-repairing and how much pressure can they really take?

Get a zipper with a large pull to make it easy on your fingers. Also, look for taped seams. Quality seams should feature a strip of reinforcing cloth where the zipper and bag connect. Seams that fray are problematic for many reasons. This is where luggage starts to fall apart. When seams fray, they will eventually fray away and you will be left with gaping holes in areas that are traditionally stressed by over-packing and frequent use. These areas are particularly stressed when your luggage is bounced around in transit.

Check outside joints carefully too. Look for joints that are covered with durable material like leather, nylon piping and welts. Pay attention to the type of stitching on luggage. Look for any loops, poor-quality or uneven stitching as tell-tale signs of compromised quality. Lock stitching is a desirable method of stitching because it reinforces each stitch. Even if one stitch does break or tear, the others are independently knotted so they won’t fall apart or unravel. Check out other fasteners too, such as rivets, Velcro and screws. Metal and hard-plastic fasteners should be covered so rough edges won’t show and catch on other pieces of equipment, furniture and clothing.

Fine Frames Help Hold it all Together

You want a durable frame, sure. But you also want to be able to carry and easily move your luggage. Some products are better than others at accomplishing both purposes. Fiberglass frames are good because they are strong and light. Many outer car parts are built of fiberglass today because of its strong, durable and repairable qualities. Fiberglass absorbs shocks well and is just flexible enough to bend instead of break.

Some quality frames are also made of:

• Wood
• Aluminum
• Plastic

Materials are often combined to make the best use of products and their different properties. Heavy frames are hard on your body, especially if you are packing multiple pieces of luggage. Frames that are too light are less durable. Find out what the frame is made of and how the pieces are fastened together. Look for features especially designed to absorb the shock of hard knocks. As you shop for luggage and talk to different sales representatives, you will learn to identify quality brands and know which brands to avoid. Read consumer reports online by doing a search for “consumer reports luggage” or “(brand name) luggage consumer reports” or “complaints luggage manufacturers.”

The Great Cover-Up

Don’t be fooled by luggage that looks nice on the store shelf. Fabric can be used to dress up faulty or weak frames. No matter how pretty it is, the fabric that covers your luggage needs to be tough, cleanable and repairable.

Leather is a popular fabric used to cover fine-quality luggage. It certainly is tough. New leather smells great and feels good in your hands. It is also very expensive and quite heavy. It requires maintenance to keep it supple and soft. It gets scuffed up easily too.

Rest assured, not all leather is created equal. There are different grades of leather. Top-grain or full-grain leather is made from the outside of an animal hide. Leather splits are often used to make “leather” luggage, but they are less durable because they are made from the part of the hide that is torn off or split from the top layer. It’s not as expensive, but it’s not as tough as top grain leather and split leather won’t look as nice as top grain leather when it is heavily used. Granted, leather is a status symbol, but it is not necessarily the best choice for a smart shopper.

Some other fabric covers to consider are:

• Ballistic nylon
• Cordura nylon
• Fortrel EcoSpun
• Tweed
• Brocade

Remember, the heavier the fabric, the heavier your luggage will be. It’s important to find the right balance between weight and durability. Ask a sales representative about products applied to different types of fabric to make it stain-proof and easier to clean and less susceptible to water leakage.

Can You Handle It?

Imagine yourself racing through the airport, pulling your luggage along or juggling it in one arm while you pack other parcels in the other. Get luggage that will make you the most comfortable. If your luggage features wheels so it can be pulled along, make sure the handle is long enough to allow you to drag it without stooping over in a backbreaking style. If you plan to carry your luggage, look for handles that are ergonomically designed to feel good in your hand – you might be carrying this luggage a long way.

Handles should be firmly attached to the luggage’s solid frame with screws rather than rivets for easier repair. If handles extend, make sure they can be locked into place so they don’t kaleidoscope up and down while you are trying to walk along. If a handle flexes and bends when the luggage is empty, the problem will be magnified when fully loaded.

Make sure handles are strategically located so you can load your luggage at different angles. Look for strong, well-mounted straps that will allow you to carry your luggage in different positions. Shoulder straps should feature comfortable padding where you need it the most. The last thing you need is a nylon strap cutting into your sore shoulders as you race to catch a plane.

Rolling Along

Not all luggage features wheels. Some people prefer to carry their luggage – due, in part, to the unpredictable quality of wheels that tend to break, fall of and fail to roll along. Look for wheels that are spaced properly. Luggage that features four wheels will keep weight more evenly distributed and easier to pull. Wheels should be recessed into the bag’s frame just enough to protect it, but not so much that your bag’s cover drags the ground. Look for wheels that are durable. Check out the mechanism that allows the wheel to roll and find out how it is fastened to the bag. Make sure the wheels roll along smoothly.

Size

Get luggage that will realistically meet your packing needs. If you buy luggage that is too small and then you over pack it, you are placing stress on seams, frames, handles and wheels from the first time you use it. If you buy luggage that is too large, it will be needlessly heavy, awkward to handle and will allow your treasures to bounce around. If you plan to shop while on your trip, plan to leave some room in your luggage to bring home the goods you buy. You can also pack a foldable piece of luggage along for extra storage on the return trip. If you are going to invest in high-quality luggage, buy a set that will meet your many travel needs.