Posts Tagged luggage

Brookstone Rolling Dash

Four wheels are always better than two, right? Well, with Brookstone’s Dash rolling carryon bag, this slick, polished hard-shell case turns heads as it glides through airports and train stations. I know because I have traveled with one for years. It is one of my favorite bags despite having one major flaw. But, we’ll get to that later.

First, the good points. This durable case has held the most fragile of my travel gear with panache protecting my bag’s contents with its hard shell. The sturdy pull up grip handle has been the recipient of many an unwelcome yank by bellmen who carry the entire bag, fully loaded from the extended handle rather than the bag’s own handle. Don’t you just hate that?

Inside, a zippered pocket keeps my dress shirts or loose items apart from the rest of my stuff. The strap closures do the same for suits or blazers. One of my favorite features is the exterior zipper that helps the bag to expand by another three inches, which is always a lifesaver on long trips.

Now to the juicy flaw you wanted to know about earlier. The one caveat with this bag is its wheel casing system. I love the four wheels allowing the bag to swivel 360 degrees and roll with ease on most any surface. The problem arises when you stuff the bag to capacity and attempt to roll it quickly and frequently. When the wheels begin to heat up with friction after frequent use, the back wheels too often fuse to the side of the casing system eventually rendering the wheel useless as they no longer roll.

Thanks to Brookstone’s one-year warranty that comes with the bag (and the extended two-year warranty I purchased), I have exchanged this bag a whopping seven times because the same problem with the wheels occur. I swear by the durability of the bag itself and the extension handle, but encourage very frequent travelers who spend more than a few days away from home and travel with plenty of gear to try another bag. Even the Brookstone employees seem surprised when I show them the back wheels that have fused to the side of the casing.

The Dash bags come in three sizes and various colors including pink, charcoal, and black. The more-than-fair price makes it an extremely popular purchase when compared with its more expensive luggage competition. This excellent product is meant for light travelers with a stylish demeanor in their step who wouldn’t be caught dead with American Tourister tags. Just remember to wheel slowly and tread lightly to protect those plastic tires. It can be purchased on Brookstone’s web site or via Amazon.