Full Disclosure - I've been a Briggs & Riley (B&R) two-wheel suitcase user for the last 13 years, mostly for business travel with the occasional family vacation thrown in.
This was a Christmas present for my wife whose generic two-wheeled carry-on tended to tip over while stationary if not loaded just right. My only previous experience with Travelpro was a wheeled suiter that I think I used for a grand total of two times due to functionality issues (my poor choice vs. any specific issues with Travelpro design or quality).
To be clear B&R has been stellar, especially around their no questions asked repair warranty. I've had two different wheeled carry-ons and one 26 inch suitcase restored after airline/airport baggage handling destruction or B&R component failure. My two 28 inch suitcases lasted through several trips to Asia without any issue beyond cosmetic wear. I was willing to pay the price premium for the four current B&R pieces I have so that I didn't have to purchase anything in that size category again unless I wanted some feature/color upgrade - that is still my plan pending my comments below. Besides the price, the only other downside to B&R for me is that their pieces tend to be 1 - 3 lbs heavier than their competitors similarly sized bags which can be an issue, especially in Europe or Australia where the weight rules tend to be strictly enforced.
My wife didn't want a new carry-on and the amount of personal travel that we do wouldn't necessarily need the B&R durability that I needed for business travel. Nevertheless I vacillated between B&R and Travelpro domestic 21 inch carry-on spinners based on my previous experience with B&R. What convinced me to go with the Travelpro was:
a. The Platinum Elite wheeled luggage now seems to have a comprehensive warranty including airline induced damage as long as you register within the specified time period after purchase.
b. The Travelpro weighed 1.5 lbs less than the comparable B&R model.
c. The price of the Travelpro was a little over 60% less than the comparable B&R.
d. The Travelpro magnetically aligned wheels seemed like they would be a good feature to have if they functioned as advertised.
e. Wirecutter selected it as their top carry-on bag in a 2018 review.
We just returned from a holiday trip where my wife packed a significant portion of her clothes in the Travelpro and wheeled the bag around the LAX and Seatac airports. This one trip alone is making me seriously think about getting a spinner for myself despite my B&R strategy articulated above. The difference in the effort needed to carry my backpack on her spinner vs. on my 2 wheeled B&R was pretty stark, especially when I projected that onto some of the bigger airports I’ve had to cross to make connecting flights – your arm gets tired with the two wheeled suitcase when the computer backpack resting on it weighs 15 - 20 lbs and you have to walk a considerable distance.
Aside from the packing the capacity the magnetically aligned wheels seemed to work well for ease of movement in the crowds, all zippers functioned as they should when the bag was loaded, the adjustable height handle was used at a couple of different settings and she enjoyed the readily accessible outside pocket that easily held her 3 magazines and medium sized book. All in all the initial experience she had with the Travelpro was a good one. We didn’t use the bag in the expanded configuration (B&R has a better system and the Travelpro zipper expansion doesn't look to add much volume) nor the drop-in suiter, I doubt we’ll use the battery side pocket as intended and while having the telescoping handle rails inside the bag vs. outside (again B&R has a better system) is annoying for me personally my wife’s prior bag had the same configuration and she was used to it.
I’ll update this when I have any data on durability/reliability or warranty fulfillment (which is why I only gave it 4 stars). I hope this helps people who had the same questions I had when considering Travelpro Platinum vs. B&R and couldn't look at the Travelpro in person..
Add to your order
- NO ADDITIONAL COST: You pay $0 for repairs – parts, labor and shipping included.
- COVERAGE: Plans starts on the date of purchase. Stains, rips or tears and seam separation covered from day one. Defects in materials or workmanship covered after the manufacturer warranty expires.
- PRODUCT ELIGIBILITY: Products purchased in the last 30 days are eligible for coverage by the Plan.
- EASY CLAIMS PROCESS: File a claim anytime online or by phone. Most claims approved within minutes. If we can’t repair it, we’ll send you an Amazon e-gift card for the purchase price of your covered product or replace it.
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From the manufacturer
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| Platinum Elite International Rollaboard | Platinum Elite International Spinner | Platinum Elite 22" Rollaboard | Platinum Elite 25" Spinner | Platinum Elite 29" Spinner | ||
| Weight | 7.4 lbs | 7.7 lbs | 7.7 lbs | 9.8 lbs | 11.5 lbs |
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| Maxlite 5 21" Expandable Carry-on Spinner | Maxlite 5 Carry-on Hardside Spinner | Maxlite 5 Expandable Carry-on Hardside Spinner | Crew Versapack Max Expandable Carry-on Spinner | Bold 21" Expandable Carry-on Spinner | ||
| Weight | 5.4 lbs | 5.4 lbs | 6.1 lbs | 8.0 lbs | 7.5 lbs | |
| Fabric | Polyester fabric with DuraGuard coating | 100% Polycarbonate hard shell | 100% Polycarbonate hard shell | High-density nylon fabric with DuraGuard coating | Rugged, high-density polyester fabric with water repellent coating | |
| Handle | PowerScope Lite handle | PowerScope lite handle | PowerScope lite handle | PowerScope airline- grade aluminum extension handle | Telescoping aircraft-grade aluminum handle | |
| Wheel Type | 4-wheel spinners | 4-wheel spinners | 4-wheel spinners | MagnaTrac spinner wheels | 8-wheel spinners | |
| Expandable | ✓ | No | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | |
| TSA Lock | No | ✓ | ✓ | No | No | |
| USB Port | No | No | No | ✓ | No | |
| Laptop Pocket | No | No | No | Laptops up to 17" | Tablet | |
| Suiter | No | No | No | Sold Separately | No |
Customer reviews
Travelpro Platinum Elite 21” - Is it Carry-On Size?
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2019
Travel-Pro claims that the suitcase is 23" tall. I measured it, and they are correct. It is 23"tall. They have a short animated video on Amazon showing this suitcase fitting into an airline test box that is clearly marked as 22". How do you fit a 23" suitcase into a 22" box? The numbers didn't add up to me, so I went to my local airport (Orlando - MCO). I usually fly United, so I went to their check-in area to find "the box". As you can see from my picture, it fits! How is this possible? I brought a tape measure and measured the box, and despite the labels, it was actually 23" long.Some notes: The other dimensions (14" and 9") on the box were correct, so your suitcase cannot be wider than 14" or deeper than 9". If you stuff the front pockets of the suitcase, it not fit anymore because it will be deeper than 9". I only tested one box from one airline. Your mileage may vary.
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2019
Images in this review
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2019
Size: Carry-On 21-InchColor: Shadow BlackVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2019
Some notes: The other dimensions (14" and 9") on the box were correct, so your suitcase cannot be wider than 14" or deeper than 9". If you stuff the front pockets of the suitcase, it not fit anymore because it will be deeper than 9". I only tested one box from one airline. Your mileage may vary.
Size: Carry-On 21-InchColor: Vintage GreyVerified Purchase
Travelpro Platinum Elite 21” - Is it Carry-On Size?
Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2019
Travel-Pro claims that the suitcase is 23" tall. I measured it, and they are correct. It is 23"tall. They have a short animated video on Amazon showing this suitcase fitting into an airline test box that is clearly marked as 22". How do you fit a 23" suitcase into a 22" box? The numbers didn't add up to me, so I went to my local airport (Orlando - MCO). I usually fly United, so I went to their check-in area to find "the box". As you can see from my picture, it fits! How is this possible? I brought a tape measure and measured the box, and despite the labels, it was actually 23" long.Reviewed in the United States on February 15, 2019
Some notes: The other dimensions (14" and 9") on the box were correct, so your suitcase cannot be wider than 14" or deeper than 9". If you stuff the front pockets of the suitcase, it not fit anymore because it will be deeper than 9". I only tested one box from one airline. Your mileage may vary.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on October 22, 2018
Size: Carry-On 21-InchColor: Rich EspressoVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
John Paul L. Finan
A fantastic carry-on: light weight, large, nice-looking, and super smooth
Reviewed in Canada on December 28, 2018Size: Carry-On 21-InchColor: Rich EspressoVerified Purchase
James B.
A touch too small
Reviewed in Canada on October 3, 2019Size: Carry-On 20-InchColor: Shadow BlackVerified Purchase
Simon Chambers
A great suitcase for medium to long term travel
Reviewed in Canada on March 4, 2020Size: Checked-Medium 25-InchColor: True NavyVerified Purchase
ALAIN MORIN
fonctionnel et bien construit
Reviewed in Canada on April 13, 2022Size: Checked-Medium 25-InchColor: Vintage GreyVerified Purchase
Marc Rodgers
Great travel companion
Reviewed in Canada on September 13, 2020Size: Checked-Medium 25-InchColor: True NavyVerified Purchase