Best Luggage for Tweens
Long before the advent of the internet our homes were once filled with Walt Disney and the Musketeers beckoning us to sing along with “It’s a Small World After All.” Today, and in days yet to come, our world gets smaller with each progressive step in technology and social media. In fact, the current generation of tweens won’t know the world without the internet, social media, streaming video, or virtual reality.
Through all the advances in social media, camera pixels, and videography nothing can replace the act of travel and the experience of new places through our own senses. Part of travel is the much maligned practice of packing your luggage – or worse, watching your tween pack their own luggage. If you are like most parents, you’ve hauled out the luggage, given direction, and hoped for the best. And you’ve probably ended up packing for your tween, or at least helping them in the quest for the perfect pack.
The perfect pack begins with the perfect luggage. It’s more than just an oversized zip-up box that conjures up the same excitement as drying wallpaper. In fact, choosing the best luggage for your tween can set them on a journey that they will remember for years.
Let’s take a look at a few specific points of consideration;
Shell: Softshell or Hardshell
The main method of travel will dictate what sort of shell to consider when buying the best luggage for your tween. We’ve all seen YouTube videos of the over-zealous airport employee who launches luggage with the vigor of a city garbage collector, thus highlighting the need, or at least serious consideration, for hard-shell luggage. This luggage can take a beating while protecting precious and personal items inside.
If the main mode of travel transportation is by car, bus, or rail, the soft-shell luggage does the trick. The soft-shell luggage is generally lighter and can work its way into tighter spaces in ways that the hard-shell luggage can’t. Because of the flexibility of the fabric your tween can also squeeze in more of their treasured articles of clothing and other items they choose to bring along. Keep in mind, more stuff means more weight and this can be a consideration based on the method of transportation.
Cost
The cost of purchasing luggage for your tween can be a persuasive consideration, especially when you consider who is making the purchase – parents or the tween themself. Luggage can range from cheap department store prices to the prices as high as the planes fly. Cost doesn’t necessarily mean quality so be sure to look into the durability of the luggage before settling on the cost.
Special Features
Luggage has become perfectly portable in recent years. Long gone are the days of having to carry the heavy bulky suitcases that our parents had. Today, handles and wheels make a world of travel difference. Two wheels or four, it changes the way you transport your tween’s luggage.
While most luggage today also comes with telescoping handles, there are other features to consider.
- Will you require lockable luggage for the extra sense of protection?
- Waterproof luggage is also readily available for grander aquatic adventures.
- Storage compartments with secure netting or plastic pouches offers greater storage solutions for your tween on the go.
- Does your tween’s suitcase expand for the ever-growing pack of possessions bound for the next trip?
Best Luggage for Tweens
Tweens – kids from about ages 9-12 are old enough to tote their own things, and their tastes are becoming a bit less childlike. This means that you may be able to purchase luggage now that may last them through college, so it can be worthwhile spending a bit extra for quality knowing this could be along term purchase.
With all of this in mind, here are five suggestions for the perfect luggage for your tween’s next adventure:
Heys Luggage – known for their bold color patterns makes it easy to find your luggage on the airport turnstile as you watch all the black suitcase pass by. With its bright and bold design with a high gloss finish, this particular piece of luggage may become easily scratched. But with each scratch comes a new memory of a new adventure.
Samsonite Black Label Cosmolite Spinner offers a unique style that is akin to a smooth clam shell. It’s lightweight design makes travel easier and is certainly stands out in the crowd thanks to a variety of color choices. The four spinner wheels make this luggage an ideal tween choice as the mobility is smooth and simple. Most users describe this luggage with high regard, though some have experienced perceived design flaws that caused equipment malfunction.
Ever Moda Multi Color Owl luggage offers a three piece set to ensure your travel will have a hoot wherever the next trip takes them. Your tween would be hard-pressed to find any problems with this set of perfect luggage.
Lucas Luggage offers a clean and crisp design that offers the ease of mobility and expansion when you need that little bit of extra space. The lightweight material used in the Lucas Luggage can result in a less durable suitcase for your tween, particularly the staying power of the zippers.
Travel Cross offers clean lines and sophisticated look of a seasoned traveller, at any age. This particular luggage is simple without any frills or gimmicks. It’s ideal for an occasional traveller but may not stand up to the wear and tear of a frequent flyer.
Finding the best luggage for your tween will vary from person to person and should be considered based on the frequency of use. No one wants their clothing and other belongings spread across the concourse due to busted zippers and frayed bottoms. Your tween’s travel stress becomes lighter with the right luggage. Happy travels!
