Briggs & Riley Transcend

I am a travel writer and photographer for Gonomad.com. A good suitcase is a necessity for any  traveler, but for those of of us who drag them over the worlds rougher surfaces, it is a vital part of our travel tools and it had better function well.

My last trip was to South Korea, and Thailand. The folks at Briggs and Riley were kind enough to provide me with a Transcend 27’’ Large Expandable Spinner to road test.

Lets just say that I am hard on my equipment and treated it like most people treat a hotel or a rental car, I beat the hell of it. This is one well thought out and durable suitcase and it took everything that I could throw at it.

Briggs and Riley back up their bags with the confidence of a lifetime performance guarantee. If any thing, including gorilla airline bag handlers, damage the bag, they will fix it for free. It is to their advantage to make their bags tough.

Made from “Tuff-Lite’ fabric, the bag is water and abrasion resistant. The zippers are extra strong and self repairing. The four double spinner wheels are recessed and swivel and glide beautifully. When in the airport, or on sidewalks or out on the streets, the bag effortlessly glides along upright.

To get over curbs or on stairs, cobblestones or dirt roads, the weight of the bag shifts on to the larger rear wheel set for regular use and was still well balanced

The transcend has two very large front pockets, one that is perfect for a jacket. In the main compartment,  there is your typical mesh to hold down your shirts, but the larger inside lid compartments are separated for wet and dry storage, a nice touch.

One of the great advantages of Briggs and Riley is that the telescoping handle runs along the outside of the back of the bag and gives the main compartment  more room and a flat bottom for wrinkle free packing. The handle is plenty strong enough to handle the bags full weight, and to lash your carry on to as well. It extends and locks at three different heights. another really nice touch.

You cannot go wrong with this bag. The  dimensions are : 11″ x 20.5″ x 27″,  with a weight of  12.1 lbs. Add to that  3” of  expansion capability and there is more than enough room for extended trips. I highly recommend the Transcend and can’t wait to get out on the road with it again.

For more info on Briggs & Riley, go to:Briggs-Riley.com