Orange is the New Black: Colorful Bags to Fit Your Travel Personality
Face it, your plain black roller bag just isn’t cutting it, even if you did tie a huge pink curly ribbon to the handle. You look like a flight attendant — or at least like every other weary traveler standing around the carousel. It’s time to show the world just who you are as a globetrotter: Call it your “travel personality,” if you will.
Need inspiration? Check out these fun, functional bags — not a plain black one in the bunch — and get to your destination in style.
Pack a Lipault bag so that you can easily bring back souvenirs. (Photo: Lipault)
Lipault Paris Foldable Luggage
Perfect for: The souvenir purchaser
Cost: $189-$249
Why we like it: For those of us who think of travel as a worldwide shopping mall, there’s nothing better than Lipault Paris. Colorful and stylish (it’s French, after all), plus practically indestructible, most pieces in this nylon-fabricated line fold up into a tiny plastic bag. Ooh la la! Our suggestion? Pack one Lipault rolling bag with your apparel essentials, and put the second bag inside for all that great stuff you buy on the road.
Related: Where’d You Get That? Vintage Airline Bags
Saddleback leather bags will last you a lifetime. (Photo: Saddleback)
Saddleback Leather Bags
Perfect for: The heirloom collector
Cost: $548 and up
Why we like them: Ever since Indiana Jones toted around his leather satchel, we’ve thought there was something — well — rugged and sexy about leather luggage. Add that to the fact that Saddleback leather bags last forever — check out that 100-year warranty — and you’ll be the envy of everyone on your plane, whether you’re flying to Cleveland on business or heading to the South American jungle to find a lost golden statue.
Mother Lode bags are ideal for the organized traveler. (Photo: eBags)
Mother Lode by eBags
Perfect for: The über-organized
Cost: $274 a set
Why we like them: These supertough rolling bags are lightweight and easy to maneuver — so much so that a Yahoo Travel reader wrote to me to say that her brother with cerebral palsy won’t travel with anything else. Plus, each bag has zillions of pockets, perfect for stuffing and organizing all that little stuff. Add a set of packing cubes and your bag will look like a floor model in a high-end store. Our top recommendation? The value set, with a bag to check and a matching one to carry on.
It looks like a purse, but the Kenderbag is so much more. (Photo: Kenderbag)
Kenderbag Kaya
Perfect for: The fashionista.
Cost: $1,295
Why we like it: These shoulder weekenders ooze luxury and class — all while organizing and fitting everything from your tablet to your toothpaste. Made in Europe of synthetic materials you would swear were leather and suede, this original design offers a two-sided interior with a spot for cosmetics and clothing, separated by a protected laptop pocket. Best of all, when you’re happily unpacked in your hotel, the bag is small enough to carry as a high-style handbag, eliminating the need to bring another. It’s an investment, sure, but you’re worth it!
Teens will love the bright prints on Vera Bradley bags. (Photo: Vera Bradley)
Vera Bradley Rolling Luggage
Perfect for: Boppy teens
Cost: $198
Why we like it: This bright, fun print will make every teen-aged girl stand up and be noticed — the adolescent raison d’etre. Four wheels on the ground make it easy for her to text and roll simultaneously; a front padded pocket lets her pack her technology along with her denim shorts and graphic tees. Best of all: The reasonable price point means that your ever-changing teen can choose from a new pattern every season.
The Eddie Bauer bag is perfect for the adventurer. (Photo: Eddie Bauer)
Eddie Bauer Adventurer Line
Perfect for: The Everest climber wannabe
Cost: $149-$249
Why we like it: Made of nylon trimmed with leather, the Adventurer rolling duffel bags just scream “tough” and “long-lasting.” Going on a rafting trip or safari? The durable construction and superstrong fabric make this line the ideal choice. Just planning on lying on the beach for a few? That’s OK — several interior pockets will store your swimsuit away from your paperback and iPod. It’s not black, but it is neutral, making it a classic that you’ll keep in your luggage lineup for life.
The Trunki ride-on suitcase is a toy and suitcase all in one. (Photo: Trunki)
Trunki Ride-On Suitcases
Perfect for: The preschool parent
Cost: $40 without accessories
Why we like it: Every parent struggles with taking the kids along. Honestly, it’s not the kids so much — it’s all their stuff. Trunki lets kids pack their favorite take-alongs in a sturdy, colorful case, then ride it all over the airport. Wiped-out toddler? Parents can pull her along with an attached strap. Fun “saddlebag” accessories hold even more and make for a comfy seat.
Keep your phone charged while you’re on the go with this bag from emPOWERED. (Photo: emPOWERED)
emPOWERED and Tylt Bags
Perfect for: The power hungry
Cost: emPOWERED Bag, $289; Tylt, $199
Why we like it: OK, so we lied when we said no black bags. But the emPOWERED and Tylt charging bags are anything but boring (in fact, we haven’t been this excited about a bag in a while). Just pop your phone, tablet, or other device into the bag (a tote for emPOWERED, the Energi+ backpack for Tylt), hook up to the included and attached power brick, and charge while you’re on the go! Now that some international passengers have to turn on their phones to prove that their devices are just that, these bags are invaluable. And we admit it, we just like being able to text the second we land, too.
Protect your sporting equipment with REI sports bags. (Photo: REI)
REI Sports Bags
Perfect for: Sports enthusiasts
Cost: $25 and up
Why we like it: You probably know REI for all the top brands it carries, but you may not realize that its private label, quite simply, rocks. The folks at REI really have it figured out: From padded ski bags to duffels for your paddling and climbing gear, they’ve got athletic travelers covered with bags that will really protect your stuff. Take a peek at their sporty colors (think purple and orange, to start), and you’ll be on trend while you’re on your skis or kayak.
Escama bags are made from recycled pop tops. (Photo: Escama)
Escama Recycled Bags
Perfect for: The spontaneous pond-hopper
Cost: $190
Why we like it: If you’re the “there’s a flight that leaves in three hours — let’s go for dinner!” type, the last thing you want is to pack a big bag. Enter the Escama Masha, a glittery, snazzy messenger bag that’s just big enough for a wallet, a passport, a change of T-shirt and undies, and a book to read on the plane. Even runway walkers in Milan will be asking you where you got it. When you answer, tell them you’re saving the environment even as you look model-rific — these bags are made of recycled pop tops.
Want more like this? Follow us on Facebook and Twitter so that we can inspire you every day.
