If you're heading out for a long trip, no other type of luggage beats a rolling duffel bag for capacity and convenience. There's plenty of room for your belongings, your partner's, and all the stuff you find along the way and can't resist taking home. Look for ones with a wide opening for easy access into the bag and separate compartments to stow shoes and dirty laundry.
I like my rolling duffels the way I like my men: Big, strong, and able to stand up to whatever circumstances throw at them. If quality, durability, and style are equally important you to -- and you aren't willing to sacrifice any of those qualities, then Tumi's extra large rolling duffel ought to be your first choice. Close to a yard tall and 16" x 13" in other dimensions, the Tumi rolling duffel is the prestige brand's largest model. This big boy offers a multitude of pockets, easy access from the top, and Tumi's valuable tracer protection and warranty.
A well-respected travel brand, Filson has been making luggage since 1897. Its wheeled duffel bag, one of the biggest around, is made of canvas with leather corners. Brass zippers, a storm flap, inline wheels plus molded plastic sled runners on the bottom are among the features that make this distinctive duffel bag one that will see you though many journeys.
When I shop for a rolling duffel, I like to read the product reviews. At this writing, this High Sierra AT3 Sierra-Lite 32" Drop-Bottom Wheeled Duffel had 30 out of 30 buyers who would purchase it again. This big boy measures 32" x 15.5" x 15.75" and comes in a very cool color combination of triple blues. As an aid to packing, this highly rated rolling duffel has separate compartments.
4. Victorinox 31" Rolling Duffel
A big bruiser of a rolling duffel, this 31" long Victorinox model is designed to make shlepping lots of gear easier. Its comfort handle swivels 360 degrees so that you always have a good grip. The U-shaped zipper on the top opens a wide flap that gives access to the duffel, making packing easy. And the lined side pocket can be used to keep wet items or dirty laundry separate from your other clothing.
As much as wheeled luggage lightens the load of travelers, having moving parts like wheels outside of a duffle make it more vulnerable to damage from baggage handling. That's one reason I like this Kipling wheeled duffle bag; its wheels are well-integrated into the bag's structure and don't protrude as much as those on other bags.
This large, tall rolling duffel bag (30" x 15" x 12") opens wide for quick packing. I also like that it has a kickstand to help keep it upright (it's easily flattened to store). And larger 5-inch wheels offer enhanced mobility.
Want to stand out in a crowd? Choose a two-tone Ricardo Beverly Hills rolling duffle bag; it won't get mistaken for anyone else's. This big boy measures 30" x 15" x 14", is water-resistant, and has ball-bearing wheels. I also like that its nylon coil zippers are "self repairing." There's nothing like having to go shopping for a big suitcase far from home, when you don't have extra money to spend.
Zipping from end to end for easy access, Eagle Creek's 30" x 17" x 12" Centerline Load Warrior is sleek and solidly built, yet you can collapse it when empty to fit under a bed or in tight quarters. Exterior compression straps keep the load inside this rolling duffel secured.
This is new: eBags has come out with its own TLS (tough/lightweight/smart) brand of rolling duffel and offers the wheeled carriers in 29", 25", and a 21" wheeled carry-on. After looking around at all the other rolling duffels available in its online store, they designed this one with tons of features. Among them: Adjustable padded section dividers, interior zippered mesh pockets, a zippered sardine-can style rollback opening at the top, zippered side pockets, and straps and flaps to secure all your gear.
Is bigger better? If you're planning on packing a lot of stuff into a single bag, the 29" x 17.25" x 15.5" Mother Lode can accommodate everything from apparel to sporting gear. While there are certainly cheaper rolling duffel bags to be found, few of them come with a lifetime against defects in material or workmanship such as the one this bag offers. And it is very flexible; you can pack it as a one, two, or three compartment duffel and move shelves in the bottom compartment around.
Two bags in one, a duffel and a daypack, this model is a smart choice for couples who want flexibility when they travel. Imagine leaving the daypack empty till you get to your destination; then detach it, head for the supermarket, fill it with picnic goodies, and you're good to go. Together the duffel bag and the backpack weigh under 11 pounds.
