Briggs & Riley Cabin Duffel Review - THE BEST airline carry-on, period. Get it before it’s gone!
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- čas přidán 24. 07. 2024
- Hey, friends! As requested by a number of you, here is a full and thorough review of my ALL TIME FAVORITE airline carry-on duffel bag, the Briggs & Riley Cabin Duffel! This fabulous bag is soon to be discontinued, so hurry and get yours now.
SHOP THIS BAG:
RECOMMENDED: Buy it ships and sold by Amazon:
www.amazon.com/Briggs-Riley-B...
OTHER STORES that have stock but that I personally don’t have any experience buying from and can’t vouch for:
www.urbantraveler.com/product...
www.columbialuggage.com/newpa...
luggagecenter.com/products/br...
travelstyleluggage.com/collec...
IF YOU CAN’T GET THE OLD ONE AND WANT TO GIVE THE NEW ONE A TRY:
Buy direct from Briggs & Riley
www.briggs-riley.com/collecti...
Buy it at Bloomingdale’s
www.bloomingdales.com/shop/pr...
SEE MY TRAVEL ESSENTIALS, MUST HAVES, AND RIDE-OR-DIES:
• Video
VIDEO CHAPTERS:
0:00 Intro & background
1:32 How old is mine and where has it gone
3:36 Why I love it
4:15 Up close wear and tear
5:40 Structure and shape
6:52 What fits inside
13:10 Old model vs. new model
16:25 I bought another one (plus super fast un-bagging!)
Fantastic review thanks! I’ll probably get the large Traveler Duffle soon which is similar but larger.
Thank you for the thorough breakdown
As an airline pilot I’m a Briggs and Riley carrier and I love my 22” baseline 2 wheel. I can’t believe they got rid of the magnet handle and went with snaps…who likes snaps over magnets? I agree the new style of this bag looks less structured when sitting not stuffed full. I personally went with a contrail bag instead as a flight bag to compliment my 22” roller. This is more geared towards pilots so probably not a great alternative for regular everyday travelers though unfortunately.
They’ve been redoing their whole line for a while now so if you like the 22” baseline I might check into it as well. Really not a fan of their recent stuff, a lot of corner cutting (such as the snaps instead of nicely integrated magnets). A real shame. And will have to look into the bag you have! Thanks!
@@joshswatches I have the 2wheel instead of the 4 because it’s preferred for pilots but the actual bag is top notch. You may want the 4 wheel but for us it’s just 2 extra wheels to break on a trip, the way you pull up the expandable sides and then pack it and then sip shut and push the bag down to compress allows me to literally pack a full size memory foam pillow in the bag and then compress it to normal size which is pretty cool.
Thank you so much for the review, this was so helpful! I got my hands on the Olive version - one of the neighborhood stores (I am in Canada) had the original model! I look forward to using the bag next month :)
I noticed that B&R has watered down the other models too. I have a medium @work backpack from 2019, and the new version is lower quality in comparison.
Great vid, searched for this as disappointed in the newer version. are the older ones still available anywhere?
Darn, I found this video too late! Thanks for the review though, will keep my eyes out for a used old version!
excellent review
Thank you!
Great review. The new version is definitely a step down. The Travelpro Platinum Elite underseat duffel is an alternative I highly recommend except that it won’t fit most laptops. :(. The Travelpro Versapack deluxe tote will handle laptops but is a smaller and excellent alternative. Good luck hunting for used bags on eBay!
Great video. What are your thoughts on the expandable cabin bag 231x? I was thinking about grabbing the older version of that vs the older version of this. Thank you.
Hello! I think it’s fine, though it packs and holds less than this, is less structured, and opens more like an accordion than this which is more of a box. I think it all depends on what you want to carry. That I would use for work travel if I was to bring a laptop, folio, notebooks, etc. and then maybe be able to throw some other items into the largest compartment. This duffle is more for if you want to stuff it full of all kinds of stuff and have it also possibly double as an overnight bag too.
I just bought this because of your review! I got the olive, which I like. There’s still no black, so doubtful it will be restocked. I was looking at the 2-wheel carry-on with compression/expression. I found a gently used olive one on eBay, so I bought that as well. There’s one thing I’m very concerned about though and that’s the dimensions, as the 10.5” height exceeds the shortest measurement restriction for a personal item for most domestic airlines. Have you ever had anyone question you about this bag? Are there any planes that you haven’t been able to fit it under the seat?
I used it as a weekend bag and really liked how compact everything was with minimal push into the main storage space. I also really like the C-shaped lid-versus a zipper across the middle-as this is the style I was looking for. I was a little surprised that there wasn’t more inside space left after I put my hanging toiletry bag in the main area though. -I should have checked to see how many Kirkland water bottles of space was left with the toiletry bag packed inside. 😅
The hidden slip pocket on the trolly sleeve looks perfect for holding paper boarding passes if there’s ever a need for that. I especially like the magnetic strap grip & slip pocket closures, the design of the padded strap, the structure, and the C-opening so that the bag stays open for packing & use. -Thanks for your review!
Ah fantastic! I hope it serves you well and that you continue to like it as you try it through all your travels! To answer your question, I’ve never been stopped or questioned. In all my experience, the only thing that the airlines care about is that you don’t have two bags that have to go in the overhead. And no, the only time this bag goes in the overhead is if I’m in a seat thag doesn’t have underseat storage like on an exit row or something like that! Cheers!
The old model:
Does it have a sleeve at the back for securing the duffel to the telescopic handle of a wheeled bag?
Thank you.
Old and new both do but the old model’s is better in that the bottom of the pass thru has a zipper and the top has a magnetic closure so that if you’re not using it on a trolley handle you can use it as a storage compartment instead! (Another cheap out omission on the new one)
I can't find the travel essentials video you reference in the video
Great review. What is the model number of the old style bag? Thank you
Hello! Sorry, I don’t have it off hand but hopefully one of the links in the description still has a listing live that you can find that at.
Does either the old or new have a horizontal pocket on the backside, above the pass-through slit?
Not “above” but the old model has a horizontal slip compartment on the backside integrated into the pass through. So there’s a slot for your trolley handle to go through and a slip for you to store something flat.
Thank you for this review. I travel for work and have several B and R pieces. As I’m looking to add to my collection, I feel like there are less options on the website, and when I hear things about quality it is concerning to me. I’ve always wondered why this brand doesnt have a larger following. In looking for reviews yours is one of the only recent ones I can find. Everyone is talking about these newer brands such as away, monos, etc. I’ve never seen those in person. Do you have an opinion on where B and R is going in the future? Have you tried any of these newer brands that seem to be everywhere and do you think anyone comes close in quality? Appreciate your review and look forward to your opinions.
Hello! B&R has been disappointing to me for a while, I love the pieces I have from them but they’re all legacy and older now (like the bags in this video). I personally think what they’re doing is skimping on quality in order to keep their prices low, which I understand because they’ve always been the “value” option BUT I would be happier paying more for classic B&R quality. Like if you look at the new Baseline cabin duffle it’s only gone up $40 to $279 and I think they compromised the materials and manufacturing to keep the price from going way above $300.
As for your second question, I’m SO faithful to brands and products that I know are quality so I have not personally tried Away or the others, because I’ve been faithful to Tumi for suitcases and luggage and my 10-12 year old Tumi tegra roller bags haven’t let me down once and so I have no need to replace them. That said, I truly believe you get what you pay for, though, so when Away says their suitcases are cheap compared to Tumi, that tells me all I need to know LOL! Like yes my Tumi bags are more expensive but again I’ve gotten what I paid for. Not trying to bash them, I just don’t have any illusion that I can get a $1,000 quality bag for the $200 or whatever they’re charging now.
Thank you for your reply. I absolutely agree you get what you pay for. I just find it surprising you can’t find quality reviews on the high end brands. I believe the company’s like Away are putting all their money into influencer marketing and it’s hard to trust those reviews. I heard Samsonite purchased Tumi which is a bit concerning. So glad I found your channel. Keep up the great reviews!
OMG I hadn’t heard about Samsonite buying Tumi! I’ll be devastated if that ends up going downhill too… guess my old bags will all have to last me for the next 60 years! And I totally agree about Away. I don’t mean for this to come off the wrong way but I have a suspicion that all the folks who like and hawk Away were all upgrading from your average Samsonite or whatnot, versus downgrading from a Tumi or B&R, but that’s just my very snotty opinion. 😅
Thanks for the breakdown Josh! This bag would be identifited by the "221" style and then the -4 or the -7 (for color designation) correct? I see there are two different underseat bags listed on B&R webpage the 221 and then the BL221 which one is a "cabin" and one is "underseat." Both of yours look to be the cabin bags and not the underseat? Thanks for your help;
Hello! Briggs and Riley changed the name of this thing multiple times over the years (and you might be right that the cabin might be its old name). Either way, the bag in the video has been discontinued for almost two years at this point so anything on the B&R site right now is the substantially lower quality new model which might also have a different naming/number convention.
Edit: I just looked at the B&R site and it does look like the one I have that’s shown in the video isn’t listed on the site. There are now two “underseat” bags, the new version of this (which I don’t recommend) is the “Underseat Duffle” for $289 USD and comes in black, army green, and a blue.
@@joshswatches appreciate your feedback. I have purchased the older 221 per your recommendation. About a week before it arrived, I took ownership of what I believe is the bag before the 221 which is the B&R TD-321, which have almost the exact same features, but the 321 adds two interior end netting pockets and their front zippered outside pocket is deeper. The 321 also has a snap out waterproof pocket instead of the zippered back pocket on the 221. I can tell what a big fan you are of the 221! If you can find a gently used/not too expensive TD-321 on the secondary offerings (ebay/poshmark) I would recommend getting one and giving it a try. I would be super interested in hearing you compare the two although those two bags are discontinued. Enjoy the holiday weekend.
Also, I think I picked up THE last one of these at Columbia Luggage, lol. Thank you!
Ahh fantastic!! Congrats and glad you got one! They’re definitely becoming harder and harder to find (if you can find them at all anymore)!! I hope it brings you decades of good use!
@@joshswatches Thanks again for putting this video up! I'm still loving this bag, but I picked up an Expandable Dufle (640X) since this one is really only good for an overnight bag for me (I'm a big boy, with big clothes). The big duffle should be here tomorrow, it's pretty much exactly like this cabin bag, just a lot bigger. I can't wait!!
Terrific!!! I’ve seen that in person and it’s beautiful, and you’re right it’s just like this just bigger!
Nice review. Only concern is that it based on the sizing (16.5"x11.5"x10.5" per Amazon) it may not be allowed as a personal item if the airline chooses to be a real stickler or you're on a smaller plane. I guess one advantage of the new ones being less rigid is that they could be compressed down to meet size requirements if needed.
Hello! I have not had any issue with this being considered a personal item; it’s hard to explain but it looks smaller than it is; it’s smaller than many of the big designer tote bags and duffles that people carry and so I think in general airport staff (on multiple continents) let it go without a problem.
Know anywhere to still snag the 1st gen of this bag? No luck finding it and I refuse to buy the one without magnetic handles 😂
Oh no! And you might check Amazon and eBay just to see what’s out there. Sad to hear it’s gone!!
@@joshswatches I saw at the end how you bought a spare of each color. I’ve literally started doing that with my favorite shoes and some shirts and outerwear. Nothing worse than your favorite item being discontinued or in this case changed to an inferior design. If you’re ever into selling your spare black let me know haha. Hopefully a lifetime warranty on 2 will get you through.
Does this fit under the seat in front of you?
Edit: yep, never mind!
What is the item number for the older bag?
Hello! I’m not sure, unfortunately as Briggs has removed the bag from its website, but check out some of the other links. Amazon may have it Listed.
Oh man I’m so bummed! They are out of the black! Only green available now.
Oh man they went fast!! I’d say keep checking back, sometimes Amazon will have one or two in stock even after saying currently unavailable.
@@joshswatchesund one on Poshmark that was lightly used for $125. So I pulled the trigger and bought it! The model you have. What toiletry kit do you use? Looking for a new one.
Ah fantastic!! Glad you were able to get one! And here’s what I use, it’s not super fancy but it has served me well for at least 5-8 years: www.googleadservices.com/pagead/aclk?sa=L&ai=DChcSEwjkntDtxrb8AhXKK0wKHXs6BrgYABAMGgJvYQ&ohost=www.google.com&cid=CAASJeRoVzrOklp6tjc8-n8iIDqjCpsspUEvMoxxhF1iTafsN9z9-KU&sig=AOD64_0SDW2TngQLKNLjwhPXqjJzS6Si9A&ctype=5&q=&ved=2ahUKEwjeiMjtxrb8AhWJkWoFHc4VDNgQwg8oAHoECAMQDw&adurl=
Update : Hi Josh! Hope your well! Well unfortunately the seller on Poshmark STILL has not sent my B&R (old model) duffel out! Playing games I guess idk. I had to contact poshmark and am in the process getting a refund. Really disappointed. I may have to try out the newer version. Does the old model have the registration code on the inside just so I can keep an eye out? The green one is still available on Amazon though so maybe I grab that one. I just like black the best. Safe travels!! Such a great bag!
Oh no! Sorry to hear that. I’d HIGHLY recommend you buy the older version in green over the new version in black. The green really isn’t as offensive as it may look in pictures, and I actually really like the green/khaki as everyone in the airport has a black ruffle that looks like this. I’d rather have the old bag in the green over the new one in black. I just personally don’t like the new one at all; it just doesn’t feel like a quality product IMO. And yes! It has the registration code on the inside as well. At the very least, buy from Amazon, give it a try, and then you can return if you still don’t like it.
The new one looks smaller too, and yes disappointing
Yes, I believe it is smaller too. And very disappointing!