The Benefits Of Colorful Luggage

Vacation travel is booming — we are in a hurry to make up for lost time — and why not. With so many people going to so many places, luggage mixups (or worse) are happening more often. It may be time to switch out your old black luggage for something new and colorful. Or at the very least, liven up your dark luggage and make it super easy to spot whirling around the airport baggage carousel. Below I’ve highlighted a few of the benefits of colorful luggage that will help you easily spot your checked bags.

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Common Luggage Colors And Why Your Suitcase Should Stand Out

The ubiquitous black bag — an army of black bags swirling around the baggage carousel at every airport — where all the other passengers’ bags look identical.

This Travelpro Maxlite comes in Black and Shadow Grey, and it will look like every other piece on the luggage carousel. But it also comes in Orchid Pink Purple, Azure Blue, and other unique colors which are easily identifiable from other travelers’ bags.

Black luggage is fine for pilots and flight attendants, they don’t check their bags and it’s part of the uniform. However, even business travelers don’t want to lose their luggage. It’s time to ditch the mundane black and gray bags for something different — brighter colors.

There are several problems with having the same luggage color as most travelers. Someone can easily grab your bag by mistake — or on purpose even — and be out of the airport before you realize it’s gone. Once I waited and waited for my bag and it was not showing up. When the baggage carousel stopped, I was devastated. I walked around the carousel just to be sure, and I found it sitting on the floor. Someone had taken it off, realized it wasn’t theirs and just left it on the floor — Geeze! After that, I got a bright purple hardside Samsonite!

From Bright Blue To Deep Purple — All The Luggage Colors

You can find luggage in a rainbow of colors. Just like my Hardside Samsonite which comes in Purple, Caribbean Blue, Rose Gold, Arctic Silver, and more, you can make a statement with your color selection.

If you are in the market for a high end, LIANAI Hardside they also come in bringht colors and prints — for a price!

BEOW Luggage is another great option, more affordable, and comes in a bright lime Green, Indigo Blue, Pink, Orange, and a more conservative Army Green.

Dark Colored Luggage Vs Light Colored Luggage

There is a trade off between dark and light colored luggage. Each traveler needs to assess their luggage aesthetics vs the need to stand out and choose what works best.

Dark Colors Show the Least Amount Of Wear But They Don’t Stand Out

Dark colored bags, particularly hardside luggage, will camouflage some of the smaller dents and scrapes. A dark purple or blue bag may be just different enough from standard black bags to make it unique and identifiable.

I like this dark blue Rockland London Hardside luggage because it has the gold band making it very different from other luggage spinning around the baggage carousel.

Light Colors Are Easy To Spot But They Show A Lot Of Wear

Beautiful white bags like this Rockland London Hardside set are very chic, but they show every bump and dent — making them a little shabby chic. Opting for a bright color that isn’t too light will help mitigate the shabbiness.

Black Bags Are Stolen From The Luggage Carousel Most Often

Black and Grey luggage are generally the targeted color for luggage thieves. Since they look like everyone else’s luggage, if caught, the thief can easily claim it was a mistake. If you have the only bright green bag on the carousel, it’s a little harder to justify the mistake. I’ll take every deterrent I can when traveling.

Now, if you have a $1,500 LIANAI Hardside or a $2,500 Ferragamo, you have a bag that is very appealing to a luggage thief. The bag alone can be resold; and the expectation of what high-end goodies are inside may make your bag a target.

Funny story: My daughter was a nanny during college and she traveled with a family who had very expensive Gucci luggage. On one trip, a suitcase went missing. The very loud comment from the mom to the lost luggage claims manager was, “There’s $10,000 worth of shoes in that bag!”

Other Things You Can Add to Make Your Luggage Stand Out

If you aren’t ready to invest in new luggage, there are other ways you can make your piece standout.

Luggage Tag

Bright colored luggage tags will give you an edge. Tag all your luggage with the same color for an easily spotted circling bag.

Dark Suitcase With a Bright Luggage Cover

Using TSA approved luggage covers makes your bag easily identifiable and deters theft. It also helps keep your bag clean and protects against your contents spilling out if you have a zipper break. A bright luggage cover is a fun way to express your personal style while making your black luggage stand out from the crowd.

Resistance Bands

Ok, don’t laugh, but resistance bands are a great way to identify your luggage. They are super inexpensive, come in bright colors, stretch around your bag, protect against broken zipper spillage, and you will most likely be the only passenger with a banded bag.

Once I had an orange band around a blue bag and a woman asked me if I was an Auburn University alumnae.

Make Your Luggage Colorful And Uniquely You

Whether you are in the market for a new suitcase or a complete set of luggage, or just want to make your current pieces more identifiable, consider adding bright colors on your next trip. The benefits of colorful luggage is something to consider as you look to purchase your next bag. Alternatively, add an eye catching detail to make your luggage stand out. Or do both.

Happy Travels,

Sandi

PS:

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