Cast your mind back to the luggage and valise of generations ago.
Back then, to transport your fineries, you needed trunks the size of storage benches and Ottomans. And to move these trunks unto the steamers for which you sailed, required cranes to lift them on. Their contrasting straps and shiny brass locks called as much attention to their sizes. And when opened up like a clamshell, they revealed their stringed pearls and possibly the scullery sink.
Of course, generations on, luggage sizes have shrunk, and with two or four wheels and a tall handle attached, you now wheel them along with your stride, like the superstar you are.
As a flight attendant, I bought my first hard cases, part of the uniform specification, decades ago. I've had my chin up, looking forward ever since—the hard cases withstanding my travels of time. Sometimes rolling through terminals so much younger than, they think the luggage cases are vintage.
I'm going through another airport today; Samsonite's Ibon Spinner is my new arm candy.
Often intrigued by names, I googled the Ibon. It's of Old Norse origins meaning Archer. And if Samsonite has travelled back to Old Norse for this name, I get their train of thought. Travel chic, sleek, saturated with style, here alone Samsonite has arched through the competition.
Unafraid to play around with colours, Samsonite has brought this out in black, dark blue, and of all the colours you'd want in a luggage case, the eye candying - Off White. A red trim between the black and off-white rides straight down the middle of the case, setting off the look.
Not only an arm candy, but Samsonite has incorporated new designs in unexpected ways.
6 Handle Operation
Where is the innovation in that, I hear you ask? There is one retractable handle and five carry handles. Of the five, four are external (see further on for the fifth). With one on each side of the case, it is easily picked up from any position. Have you ever had to 'single-handedly' lug your luggage case up and down staircases? Two carry handles on the top corners of the Ibon Spinner eliminated this. You can now lift your twenty-three kilos of personal possessions with your two arms safely.
That phrase, why didn't anyone think of this before, comes to mind.
No Clamshell Opening
The clamshell opening has remained a mainstay of luggage cases. However, the Ibon has turned this on its side, halving as if two halves of sandwiches. And in doing so, takes up minimal space. It can even be argued it looks much smaller opened than when closed. So little space that we can now have both of our luggage cases open on the bed instead of one packing in the hotel room and the other packing in the hotel's corridor.
The conversation about who now has the hallway because they bought the most holiday tat no longer an issue. And if the said conversation (were to become a debate) ensues of whom purchased the most tat, the Ibon can be picked up by its ergonomically placed internal handle and moved, all while open. The decision to move to the hotel's hallway a choice, not the result of losing a debate or at a game of Connect 4.
Scratch Proof Hard Shell.
An Off White so white, I'll need to turn left on the aircraft from here on in. Surely it's the only way to keep this case scratch-proof and Samsonite's version of 'Off White'. But already put through the 'Nascar' crash test of a US international airport luggage area twice, I am sufficiently satisfied with Samsonite's word.
360° Spinner Wheels
Wheels so quiet and controllable, I give it a full three hundred and sixty-degree turn going through Heathrow's Terminal 5. In tune and in time with Elli Eli's I Got Summer On My Mind coming out of my Bose headphones. I catch it back on the beat and stride. Smooth, Controlled.
The Inners Compress
I want to pack an additional two ball gowns for the two gala nights I have to attend on my cruise, an additional four pairs of heels to match the said gowns. A lady needs choices. However, something tells me it would be British Airways who gets drunk on the poolside piña colada funds they juice off me.
Therefore good sense prevailed.
But at 76 x 50 x 32 cm, this case sits in Samsonite's large luggage category and will accommodate much. Though, the kitchen sink isn't one of those.
And should I have chosen to carry all of the above and the remainder of my wardrobe, here is where the Samsonite has turned flexibility and expansion on its head. Unlike a zippered case that expands for more space and flexibility, the Ibon has a built-in internal slide and compress device. Keeping the case sturdy, eliminating potential security issues.
Security Assured
I will admit to missing the delay caused by undoing three locks under the watchful eye of a TSA officer. But their glare has changed, and instead, I've become grateful for the one-point opening/closing lock on the Ibon, a first in the industry. Though it brings on the blushes much quicker when the ten pairs of heels, holiday tat, and a voluminous petticoat fall out.
Befriending The Environment
100% recycled post-consumer waste, is the composition of the inner lining, which shows Samsonite takes its environmental responsibilities seriously.
Center Stage at Baggage Reclaim
Have you ever ribboned, stickered, or tagged your luggage case to identify it immediately at baggage reclaim? Then, the Ibon may resign your travel days of doing this. You will not miss this case, nor will the other passengers waiting at baggage claim. Instead, their eyes will be lured and for all the right reasons. I near-guarantee they'll be waiting to see to whom this arm candy belongs.
Until the Ibon, my current three hard cases (three different brands, including Samsonite) go back two decades. Have all stood the 'travel test' of time. The test of China, Vietnam, the USA, lots of UAE's, baggage handler drops and the 'Nascar' crashes of baggage handling. Durable.
Utmost grateful that no checked luggage of mine has ever been broken into or possessions damaged. Rather, they may well be primed for another ten years. Reliable.
With that, I offer my Two (2) Tips for choosing checked luggage:
Always choose a hard case/shell
Go zipperless
Now it is time to turn heads with my new arm candy.
My only regret, this case is currently check-in luggage only. Samsonite, can you do us all a huge favour and give the Ibon a smaller sibling, a cabin-sized version. It needs to be seen in the departure lounge and the queues at immigration too.
With its ease of packing and wheeling, a cavernous hold and stylish travel look not found elsewhere, it is a notch up on the travel elitist's belt. Having relied on Samsonite as my luggage brand of choice for decades, there's no looking back with this Ibon Spinner. Only eyes forward, wheels rolling, and unwavering trust in their one hundred and eleven years of manufacturing luggage.
What's more, the Ibon comes with a ten-year global warranty.
Have you any luggage horror stories? I'd like to hear them. With which luggage brand does your confidence lie? Let me know in the comments below.
