Briggs & Riley Carry-Ons: Are They Worth the Upgrade?

  • By Simiran Gataora

There comes a point when another broken suitcase stops being mildly annoying.

Maybe the wheel starts wobbling halfway through Heathrow. Your handle jams when you're trying to get off a train. Or the zip on the suitcase you bought as an "investment" three years ago finally gives up.

You start wondering if there's a better way to buy luggage.

That's usually when Briggs & Riley enters the conversation.

It isn't cheap luggage. Nor is it trying to be.

Briggs & Riley is built around a different idea: buy well, use it properly, repair it when necessary and keep travelling.

And that last part matters.

The typical Briggs & Riley customer has usually done their homework. They know whether they prefer softside or hardside. They've learnt that a good wheel matters more after your twentieth flight than it does in a shop. They understand that saving a kilogram can matter on one airline, while better organisation might matter more on another trip.

Most importantly, they know their travel needs won't stay the same forever.

Today it might be weekly business travel. Five years from now it could be long-haul holidays, weekends in Europe or trips with the family.

Briggs & Riley gives you different ranges for those different journeys, all tied together by the same promise of long-term ownership.

So, is it worth the upgrade?

Let's work it out.

Shop Briggs & Riley Cabin spinner 

TL;DR

  • Briggs & Riley makes the most sense for travellers who see luggage as a long-term purchase rather than something they'll replace every few years.
  • Its Simple as That® lifetime guarantee covers functional damage, including damage caused by an airline.
  • Baseline is the classic Briggs & Riley softside range, built around serious packing functionality and the CX® compression system.
  • ZDX Softside offers a lighter, more relaxed alternative with flexible storage and an exterior-mounted Outsider® handle.
  • ZDX Hardside brings lightweight polycarbonate construction to the ZDX family, making Briggs & Riley more appealing to hardshell travellers.
  • Sympatico is the premium hardside option for travellers who want polycarbonate with Briggs & Riley's CX® packing technology.
  • Rhapsody covers a softer, more refined side of travel, with lightweight totes, backpacks and travel bags.
  • The upfront price is significant. The value comes from frequent use, repairability and potentially buying fewer replacement cases over time.
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Table of Contents

  • History, Heritage & What Briggs & Riley Prides Itself On

  • Why the Lifetime Guarantee Changes the Buying Decision

  • What Makes Briggs & Riley Luggage Different?

  • Which Briggs & Riley Range Is Right for You?

  • Briggs & Riley ranges at Case

  • Who Is Briggs & Riley Really For?

  • When Is the Upgrade Worth It?

  • The Case Edit: Briggs & Riley Carry-Ons to Know

  • Final Verdict

  • FAQs

History, Heritage & What Briggs & Riley Prides Itself On

Here’s the thing about Briggs & Riley. To really get the brand, you’ve got to know where it comes from.

Not just the place, but the attitude.

Picture Hauppauge, New York, in 1993. While plenty of luggage brands were focused on new looks and seasonal updates, Briggs & Riley arrived with a different idea: build luggage that lasts a lifetime.

Not “durable” in the marketing sense. Genuinely repairable luggage designed to collect years of journeys rather than be replaced after a few.

There’s something rather lovely about that when you think about it. One suitcase can end up being part of family holidays, first business trips, honeymoons, weddings and weekends away. The longer it lasts, the more stories it collects.

 

Briggs & Riley was also thinking about longevity long before sustainability became a standard part of the conversation.

The logic was simple. Make something properly, make it repairable and you shouldn't need to keep replacing it.

That thinking still sits at the heart of the brand today.

Engineering comes first. The luggage is designed for real travel, from cobbled streets and crowded trains to airport terminals and enthusiastic baggage handlers. Baseline's ballistic nylon is made to deal with regular wear, while components such as wheels, handles and zips are designed with long-term use in mind.

 

Then there’s the Simple as That® lifetime guarantee, which is arguably the most important part of the Briggs & Riley story.

If your bag suffers functional damage, Briggs & Riley will repair it for the life of the bag. That includes airline damage.

For frequent travellers, that promise changes the relationship you have with your luggage. A damaged wheel doesn't automatically mean you're shopping for another suitcase. The idea is to repair it and keep travelling.

 

Innovation has followed the same practical approach.

The Outsider® handle system moves the handle rails outside the packing compartment, leaving a flatter interior for shirts, dresses and folded clothes.

Then there’s the CX™ Compression-Expansion system on Baseline. It gives you extra packing space when you need it, before compressing everything back into a neater profile.

 

Neither feature exists to look clever in a product description. They solve problems travellers regularly have.

Want to see how Briggs & Riley's system compares with another major luggage brand? Read our guide to Samsonite Expansion System vs Briggs & Riley CX: Which Works Better?. Fast-forward more than three decades and Briggs & Riley now sits comfortably in the premium luggage world alongside brands such as

TUMI and Bric's.

 

But it still feels different.

 

It isn't particularly loud about being luxury luggage. The appeal is quieter than that. It's the case frequent flyers recommend because they've lived with it, travelled with it and know what happens when something eventually needs repairing.

 

And that heritage matters even more now because Briggs & Riley is giving travellers more choice.

 

Baseline remains the classic softside collection, with its CX™ compression system, Outsider® handle and structured approach to packing.

ZDX Softside brings a lighter, slightly more relaxed feel while keeping plenty of that practical Briggs & Riley thinking.

 

And now ZDX Hardside gives you something the brand hasn't traditionally been known for: a lightweight polycarbonate alternative for travellers who prefer the feel and protection of a rigid shell.

 

So, is Briggs & Riley worth paying more for?

For some travellers, absolutely. For others, probably not.

The difference comes down to how often you travel, what you expect from your luggage and whether buying something to keep appeals more than buying something you'll eventually replace.

 

Shop Briggs & Riley Cabin Spinners

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Why the Lifetime Guarantee Changes the Buying Decision

You can't really talk about Briggs & Riley without talking about its Simple as That® lifetime guarantee.

If your bag suffers functional damage, Briggs & Riley says it will repair it for life, free of charge. 

That includes damage caused by an airline, and the brand states that no proof of purchase is required.

That changes the calculation.

 

Most of us buy luggage by asking:

How long will this last?

 

With Briggs & Riley, the more useful question becomes:

How long am I prepared to keep using it?

 

A damaged wheel doesn't necessarily mean a new suitcase.

A broken component doesn't automatically send the whole case towards landfill.

The aim is to repair the luggage and get it travelling again.

 

Case Insight: This is where the price starts to make more sense. A Briggs & Riley customer isn't necessarily looking for the cheapest case today. They're thinking about how many cases they might otherwise buy over the next ten or twenty years.

 

That's a very different way to shop for luggage.

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What Makes Briggs & Riley Luggage Different?

The guarantee gets plenty of attention, but you still have to live with the suitcase between repairs.

That's where the engineering matters.

 

CX® Compression-Expansion

Overpackers, this one's for you.

Briggs & Riley's CX® system allows selected cases to expand so you've got more room while packing, before compressing the contents back into a neater profile.

That extra room becomes particularly useful on the return journey.

You know the one.

Three souvenirs. An extra jumper. Something from duty free. And apparently none of your clothes fold as neatly as they did at home.

On Baseline, CX® is one of the features that makes the range so popular with frequent travellers.

 

Outsider® Handle

Most telescopic suitcase handles sit inside the case.

That creates two rails running through your packing space.

Briggs & Riley's exterior-mounted Outsider® handle moves that mechanism out of the way on selected models.

You get a flatter packing surface with fewer awkward ridges.

If you regularly travel with shirts, dresses or tailoring, it's one of those details that sounds fairly minor until you've packed with it.

 

Organisation That Makes Sense

Good luggage organisation isn't about adding twenty pockets.

It's about putting the right storage where you'll actually use it.

Depending on the range and model, Briggs & Riley offers features including garment panels, compression panels, laptop storage, RFID-protected pockets, quick-access compartments and dedicated tracker pockets.

The exact setup changes because the ranges are designed for different travellers.

Which is precisely the point.

 

Spinner Wheels Built for Proper Travel

You rarely buy a suitcase because you're excited about its wheels.

You absolutely notice bad ones after a few journeys.

Briggs & Riley's spinner cases are designed for smooth 360-degree movement and stable handling when loaded.

If you're weighing up different wheel systems, we've covered that in our guide to 360 spinner wheels vs inline wheels.
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Which Briggs & Riley Range Is Right for You?

This is where Briggs & Riley gets much more interesting.

There isn't one "Briggs & Riley traveller".

Your luggage needs change.

The case you want for weekly business travel might not be the one you'd choose for three weeks in Australia. You might love softside luggage today and decide you want polycarbonate protection for your next big trip.

Briggs & Riley's ranges give you room to move without giving up the reason you bought into the brand in the first place.

 

Case Insight: We think Briggs & Riley appeals to travellers who've reached the point where they know what they need. They've travelled enough to have opinions about handles, wheels, packing space and materials. They're not necessarily buying the flashiest case. They're buying the one that solves their particular travel problems.

Baseline: The Frequent Flyer's Classic

If someone says "Briggs & Riley suitcase", Baseline is probably what you're picturing.

 

It's the classic softside range and arguably the purest expression of what the brand does.

 

You get tough ballistic nylon, an Outsider® handle and the CX® compression system.

 

It's structured, understated and exceptionally focused on packing.

 

That makes Baseline particularly good for business travellers and frequent flyers who know exactly how they like their case organised.

 

The trade-off? Weight.

The Baseline cabin cases featured in this guide weigh around 4.5 kg. 

If you're regularly flying with strict cabin weight allowances, that's something to consider.

 

Best for: Frequent flyers, business travel and anyone who values packing functionality over minimum weight.

Shop Baseline 

ZDX Softside: 
Flexible and Less Formal

ZDX Softside loosens the tie a little.

You still get recognisable Briggs & Riley thinking, but it feels more relaxed than Baseline.

Take the ZDX Essential 56cm Carry-On Expandable Spinner.

It weighs 3.6 kg, uses woven nylon combined with coated fabric and expands from 37.2 litres to 46.5 litres.

Its exterior-mounted Outsider® handle frees up internal space, while practical exterior storage makes the things you need during the journey easier to reach.

That makes it easy to imagine using the same case for Monday's business trip and Friday's weekend away.

 

Best for: Mixed business and leisure travel, short breaks and travellers who prefer flexible softside luggage.

Shop ZDX Softside 

ZDX Hardside: 
A New Route Into Briggs & Riley

This is an important addition to the range.

ZDX Hardside gives travellers another way into Briggs & Riley if they prefer a rigid polycarbonate shell.

The ZDX Global 53cm Hardside Carry-On Expandable Spinner weighs 3.5 kg and offers 46.1 litres of capacity, expanding to 57 litres.

You also get compression panels, a pocket designed to conceal a digital tracker, a TSA combination lock and a 50/50 opening.

It's a very different packing experience from Baseline.

And that's a good thing.

Not every Briggs & Riley customer wants ballistic nylon.

 

Best for: Hardside fans, international trips and travellers who want a lighter Briggs & Riley cabin option.

Shop ZDX Hardside 
ZDX Softside Essential 56cm ZDX Hardside Global 53cm
Exterior Woven nylon with coated fabric Polycarbonate
Size 55.9 × 35.6 × 22.9 cm 53.3 × 38.1 × 24 cm
Weight 3.6 kg 3.5 kg
Capacity 37.2 to 46.5 L 46.1 to 57 L
Expansion 5 cm additional depth Up to 25% extra space
Outsider® handle Yes No
Packing style Flexible, front-access organisation 50/50 hardside opening
Best for Business, short breaks, flexible packing Hardside travel and international trips

Case's Take: Choose ZDX Softside if you like exterior pockets, flexible packing and a completely flat interior. Choose ZDX Hardside if you prefer the feel of a rigid polycarbonate shell and want a lighter cabin case with plenty of capacity.

Remember that an expanded cabin case may no longer meet your airline's size allowance. Check the dimensions allowed on your particular fare before travelling.

Sympatico: Premium Hardside With Briggs & Riley Packing Technology

If ZDX Hardside gives you a straightforward route into rigid luggage, Sympatico takes the premium hardside idea further.

 

Sympatico combines polycarbonate construction with Briggs & Riley's CX® packing technology.

That distinction matters.

 

You get the protection and feel of a hardshell suitcase while retaining more of the packing functionality long associated with the brand.

 

Selected Sympatico designs also use an exterior-mounted Outsider® handle.

 

For someone moving from Baseline to hardside luggage but reluctant to give up the features they've become used to, Sympatico is a natural place to look.

 

Best for: Frequent travellers who want premium hardside luggage without giving up Briggs & Riley's clever packing features.

Shop Sympatico

Rhapsody: A Softer Side of Briggs & Riley

Not every journey starts with a spinner.

 

Rhapsody shows another side of the brand, with lightweight totes, backpacks and travel bags designed to move between everyday life and travel.

 

The collection has a softer, more refined aesthetic than Baseline or ZDX and focuses heavily on lightweight organisation.

 

Depending on the piece, you'll find features such as laptop compartments, RFID-protected storage and slip-through panels that pair neatly with wheeled luggage.

 

It's particularly useful when your travel bag also needs to work at the other end of the journey.

A backpack might need to go from the airport to a meeting.

 

A tote might be your personal item on the plane and your everyday bag once you arrive.

Rhapsody fills that gap.

 

Best for: Lightweight travel, commuting, personal-item luggage and travellers who want a softer, more refined Briggs & Riley look.

Shop Rhapsody 
Title

Who Is Briggs & Riley Really For?

We don't think the answer is simply "business travellers".

It's more interesting than that.

 

The Traveller Who Has Done Their Research

Briggs & Riley tends to make sense once you know what you dislike about ordinary luggage.

Maybe you've had enough of telescopic handles eating into your packing space.

Maybe you've learnt the hard way that cheap wheels aren't cheap when you're replacing the whole suitcase.

Perhaps you've realised that 500 grams matters more to you than another pocket.

Experienced travellers develop preferences.

Briggs & Riley gives them choices.

 

The Traveller Whose Needs Are Changing

This might be the most overlooked reason to buy into the brand.

Your travel doesn't stay the same.

You could start with a Baseline cabin case for work.

Later, you might want a ZDX or Sympatico check-in spinner for longer holidays.

Perhaps a Rhapsody bag eventually becomes your personal item.

Different luggage. Different journeys.

The same emphasis on longevity and lifetime repair.

 

The Frequent Flyer

If your suitcase is out every month rather than twice a year, quality becomes easier to justify.

You notice the wheel quality.

You notice whether the handle wobbles.

You notice the wasted space inside.

And you definitely notice when something breaks before Monday morning's flight.

Frequent use is where Briggs & Riley starts earning its premium.

 

The Buy-Once Traveller

You don't need to fly every week to appreciate the idea.

Some people simply hate replacing things unnecessarily.

They'd rather spend more on something good, maintain it and keep it for as long as possible.

If that's how you buy coats, shoes, furniture or watches, the Briggs & Riley philosophy will probably make sense to you too.

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When Is the Upgrade Worth It?

It's premium luggage, and premium luggage isn't automatically the right answer.

Briggs & Riley probably isn't for you if:

  • You travel very occasionally.
  • Your main priority is the lowest possible purchase price.
  • You always want the lightest suitcase available.
  • You enjoy changing your luggage with trends and colours.
  • You're unlikely to use the repair service and would rather replace a damaged case.
  • You don't travel enough to benefit from the extra functionality.

There's nothing wrong with any of that.

The value only works if it matches the way you travel.

There's nothing wrong with any of that.

The value only works if it matches the way you travel.

 

When Does the Price Become Worth It?

Let's talk about the awkward bit.

Briggs & Riley is expensive.

Trying to pretend otherwise doesn't help anyone.

The more useful question is whether it's expensive for the amount you'll use it.

 

When Your Suitcase Becomes Equipment

If you travel regularly, your luggage isn't sitting in the loft for eleven months.

It's working.

Rolling through stations. Going into taxis. Getting lifted into overhead lockers. Crossing hotel lobbies. Being pulled over pavements.

At that point, luggage starts behaving more like equipment than an accessory.

Quality matters more.

 

When You've Already Bought Several "Good" Suitcases

Think back.

How many suitcases have you bought over the last ten years?

If the answer is three, four or more, price starts looking different.

Repeatedly spending £150 or £200 on luggage that eventually needs replacing can make a £500 case designed around repairability feel less extravagant.

 

When You Think About Cost Per Trip

A £500 suitcase used twice is £250 per trip.

Use that same case 100 times and you're at £5 per trip.

Keep it travelling beyond that and the number keeps falling.

That's obviously a simplified calculation, but it explains the Briggs & Riley proposition better than the price tag alone.

You're not buying for this summer.

You're buying for all the journeys you hope come afterwards.

Title

The Case Edit: Briggs & Riley Carry-Ons to Know

Rather than picking four nearly identical cabin cases, we'd look at models that show the different sides of Briggs & Riley.

Briggs & Riley ZDX Essential 56cm Carry-On Expandable Spinner

This is the softer, more relaxed Briggs & Riley cabin option.

At 3.6 kg, it's lighter than the Baseline cabin models featured here, while its 5 cm expansion takes capacity from 37.2 to 46.5 litres.

The woven nylon and coated fabric exterior gives you flexibility, while the Outsider® handle keeps the main packing space flatter.

Quick facts:

  • Range: ZDX
  • Type: Softside cabin spinner
  • Dimensions: 55.9 × 35.6 × 22.9 cm
  • Expanded depth: 27.9 cm
  • Weight: 3.6 kg
  • Capacity: 37.2 to 46.5 L
  • Material: Woven nylon with coated fabric
  • Best for: Mixed work and leisure travel

Case's Take: This is the Briggs & Riley cabin case we'd look at if you like the brand's functionality but don't need the more traditional feel of Baseline.

 

Briggs & Riley ZDX Global 53cm Hardside Carry-On Expandable Spinner

Prefer hardside?

This is where the newer ZDX range gets interesting.

The polycarbonate Global 53cm weighs 3.5 kg and packs 46.1 litres before expansion. Open the expansion and that rises to 57 litres.

Inside, compression panels help hold everything in place. There's also a concealed tracker pocket and 50/50 opening.

Quick facts:

  • Range: ZDX
  • Type: Hardside cabin spinner
  • Dimensions: 53.3 × 38.1 × 24 cm
  • Expanded depth: 29.8 cm
  • Weight: 3.5 kg
  • Capacity: 46.1 to 57 L
  • Material: Polycarbonate
  • Best for: International travel and hardside fans

Case's Take: This removes one of the biggest reasons a hardside traveller might previously have looked past Briggs & Riley.

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Essential Carry On Spinner Suitcase - ZDX

£499.00
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Briggs & Riley Baseline Global Cabin Spinner

This is classic Briggs & Riley.

The

 

Baseline Global Cabin Spinner combines ballistic nylon with the CX® system and Outsider® handle.

 

The appeal isn't minimum weight.

It's maximum packing functionality.

Quick facts:

  • Range: Baseline
  • Type: Softside cabin spinner
  • Dimensions: 53.3 × 38.1 × 22.9 cm
  • Weight: Around 4.5 kg
  • Capacity: Around 37 / 46 L
  • Material: Ballistic nylon
  • Best for: Frequent flyers and organised business travel

Case's Take: If you want to understand why Briggs & Riley has such a loyal frequent-flyer following, start with Baseline.

Don't Forget the Bag That Sits on Top

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Global Cabin Spinner Suitcase - Baseline 2

£599.00
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A good luggage setup isn't necessarily two suitcases.

For some trips, the better combination is a cabin spinner plus a backpack or tote that slips over the handle.

That's where collections such as Rhapsody and Briggs & Riley's wider travel-bag offering become useful.

You can keep your laptop, passport, headphones and in-flight essentials close while the main case handles your clothes.

It's a small thing, but once you've stopped balancing a handbag or backpack precariously on top of a suitcase through an airport, you won't miss it.

Title

Final Verdict: Is Briggs & Riley Worth the Upgrade?

For the right traveller, yes.

But the reason isn't simply that Briggs & Riley makes premium luggage.

It's that the brand approaches luggage as something you're supposed to live with for a long time.

Your travel will change.

You might need softside now and hardside later.

You might move from weekly business flights to longer holidays.

A cabin case might eventually be joined by a check-in spinner, backpack or tote.

Briggs & Riley has built a range around those changing needs.

Baseline gives you the classic softside experience and some of the brand's best packing technology.

ZDX Softside makes things lighter and more relaxed.

ZDX Hardside gives polycarbonate travellers another option.

Sympatico combines hardside protection with more of the signature Briggs & Riley packing technology.

Rhapsody covers the lighter bags that travel with you rather than disappearing into the overhead locker.

What connects them is the more important bit.

Buy well. Use it. Repair it. Keep going.

That's why looking only at the initial price misses half the story.

A Briggs & Riley suitcase isn't cheap.

But if you're the sort of traveller who has already researched the wheels, measured the cabin dimensions, compared the materials and thought about how you'll be travelling five or ten years from now, cheap probably isn't what you're looking for anyway.

You're looking for luggage you can rely on.

And that's where Briggs & Riley earns its place.

Shop Briggs & Riley Cabin spinner 

FAQs: Briggs & Riley Carry-Ons

Are Briggs & Riley suitcases considered luxury luggage?

Yes. Briggs & Riley sits in the premium luggage category. The focus is less on logos and fashion, and more on construction, engineering, practical features and long-term repair support.

Is Briggs & Riley ZDX available in hardside luggage?

Yes. The ZDX collection now includes hardside polycarbonate spinners in cabin and check-in sizes. The Global 53cm Hardside Carry-On weighs 3.5 kg and expands from 46.1 litres to 57 litres.

Which Briggs & Riley carry-on should I buy?

Choose based on how you pack:

  • Baseline Global Cabin Spinner: best for frequent flyers who want CX™ compression.
  • Baseline Essential Cabin Spinner: best for traditional business travel and structured packing.
  • ZDX Softside Essential Carry-On: best if you want flexible softside storage, exterior pockets and the Outsider® handle.
  • ZDX Hard Global 53cm: best if you want a lighter polycarbonate Briggs & Riley case.

Whichever you choose, check your airline's current cabin dimensions and weight allowance before travelling.

What is the difference between Briggs & Riley Baseline and ZDX?

Baseline is the brand's classic premium softside range. It uses ballistic nylon and features the CX™ Compression-Expansion system and Outsider® handle. ZDX has a more casual feel and now includes both softside and hardside luggage. ZDX Softside also uses the Outsider® handle, while ZDX Hardside uses a lightweight polycarbonate shell.

Is ZDX Hardside lighter than Baseline?

In the cabin cases featured here, yes.

The ZDX Global 53cm Hardside Carry-On weighs 3.5 kg, while the Baseline Global and Essential cabin spinners featured here weigh around 4.5 kg.

If your airline has a tight cabin weight allowance, that 1 kg difference is worth considering.

About the Author

Hi, I’m Simiran Gataora. I manage customer service, e-commerce admin, and social media at Case, helping customers find luggage that genuinely works for the way they travel. 

 

What started with a blog about petite suitcases quickly turned into a real love for writing, practical travel advice, and the details that make luggage easier to live with. I enjoy sharing honest, helpful advice on everything from airline rules to suitcase features, always keeping it clear, useful, and never too salesy.

 

I travel too, so I know there’s no one-size-fits-all approach to luggage. Whether it’s a tote bag for a weekend away or a lightweight check-in case for a longer trip, I’m always looking for what genuinely works, especially as someone petite. 

 

Chances are, I’m probably still checking airline baggage rules or noticing suitcases wherever I go.

Editorial Policy

Our recommendations are based on our expertise and research in the luggage sector. Brand partners do not approve our editorial content. Warranties and airline rules can change, so always check the latest details before you fly. Every article goes through multiple expert reviews to ensure the information we provide is clear, accurate, and genuinely helpful in finding the best luggage for your needs.

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At Case, we are proud to be an authorised UK retailer for leading brands including Samsonite, Tumi, Briggs & Riley, Bric’s, and Carl Friedrik. That means every product you buy from us is 100% authentic, supplied directly from the manufacturer, and fully covered by the official brand warranty.
 

With over 100 years of experience in premium travel goods, our reputation is built on trust, expertise, and customer-first service, helping travellers choose luggage they can rely on for every journey. You can shop online, or visit us in person at our London stores in Piccadilly, at Heathrow Airport terminals, and as the exclusive luggage concessionaire inside Harrods, one of London’s most prestigious and world-renowned department stores.

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