Traveling can be exhausting. My Mom emphasized this when she took a work trip to 3 countries in the Asia-Pacific region. An aspect of travel that she finds most tiring is having to lug about heavy suitcases. While I can’t do much to make her actual work easier, I was certain that I could find some ultra lightweight luggage options for her to consider.
As my mother carries delicate items for her work, I decided on a hard sided suitcase as this would offer more protection. Most brands are made from a high density, impervious ABS/poly carbonate composite that can withstand a great deal of force despite being very thin (often not much more than 2.5 mm). Despite the strength and resistance of the materials used, the best brands offer very lightweight suitcases – some even up to 30% lighter than soft sided models.
I chose a pink suitcase (my mother’s favorite color is pink) with an exterior pocket that allows my mother to stow and have easy access to her boarding card, passport, iPod and reading materials. In the past you’d be hard pressed to find a hard suitcase design with an exterior pocket but this is slowly changing. The model I chose had dual ABS zippers.
I insisted on a design that rolls on four ball bearing spinning wheels that can rotate through 360 degrees. My mother won’t even have to tilt the suitcase to maneuver it, a feature that’s particularly handy in long queues. When she does want to tilt and roll she can use the 18 inch telescoping aluminum handle.
She took it for a test run on her last business trip and came back with rave reviews. She was impressed with the capacity and luxurious inner lining. The built in dividers and mesh pockets helped organize her belongings. She also felt secure in the knowledge that her belongings would be crushed in transit. When she came back from her business trip she certainly seemed less stressed. And I put that partly down to her new lightweight luggage.
