For most of the last seven years, 2020 notwithstanding, I’ve been a digital nomad. I’ve been reviewing all types of gear for nearly 20 years. We subjected each suitcase to conditions and situations they would encounter during travel. It’s honestly shocking that all luggage manufacturers aren’t doing this. By mounting the carry handles off-center, Briggs & Riley rewards users of the Sympatico Large with a far more natural carrying position, allowing your arm to hang closer to your body while carrying the bag. While the quality of its carry handles was only average, the handle placing was brilliant. While its spinner wheels worked fine during testing, the Sympatico’s extendable handle was more wobbly than we would have liked, and it struggled with our obstacle course. Unfortunately, none of the pouches are waterproof, so you’ll need a toiletry bag. Inside of the 147.5-liter main compartment are several zippered pouches and mesh compression panels to help you fit your belongings. As with most of the luggage we tested, there’s a built-in zipper lock. (I hit it with a hammer, is what I’m saying, and it was fine). The Sympatico Large’s hard plastic shell is resistant to scratches, and it’s strong enough to withstand a few hits from a blunt object. It doesn’t maneuver as well as our main pick but, overall, it’s a great piece of luggage. We discuss the pros and cons of soft versus hard shell luggage below, but if you prefer the latter, the Briggs & Riley Sympatico Large Expandable Spinner is the way to go. ![]() While other bags made us wrestle the handle before we even started moving, the Platinum Elite glided with ease and was more nimble than most. Many suitcases we tested had poorly designed, wobbly handles that made navigation more difficult than necessary. High-quality spinner wheels, paired with a sturdy telescopic handle, made navigating our obstacle course a breeze. We were also pleased with the Platinum Elite’s maneuverability. And if you need more space for mementos, you can expand the Platinum Elite’s width by two additional inches at the pull of a zipper. Luckily, you can reduce that with the built-in organization aids, including a removable toiletry bag, or opt for additional packing cubes. The cavernous depths of the Platinum Elite’s main compartment can be overwhelming. This limits the number of large items that can fit into the main compartment, or causes the suitcase’s contents to spill out when you open it. Most of the other suitcases in this guide unzip in half. This means that you can use the entirety of the generous main storage space, rather than having it split down the middle. ![]() ![]() One of the Platinum Elite’s best features is that you access its main compartment by unzipping the front face, rather than the middle of the bag. It’s easily maneuverable, despite its size, and comes with desirable extras like TSA-approved lock-compatible zippers and a garment bag. This 143.5-liter suitcase performed well in tests and boasts several well-thought-out features. Our top pick, the Travelpro Platinum Elite 29 Inch Expandable Spinner, had a more premium feel than several of the more expensive options we tested.
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