The Briggs & Riley Commuter Expandable Spinner is a rock solid carry-on bag with practical features that will get you from point A to point B with minimal stress and maximum room.
Note: I have not been compensated in any way for this review.
Review: Briggs & Riley Commuter Expandable Spinner
Why I Buy Briggs & Riley
First, when I find a brand I like and has performed well, I stick with it. We have a few B&R cases including my BRX Excursion Laptop Backpack, which I reviewed a while back. They have all passed the rigours of frequent travel.
They’re expensive. There is no way around that fact. Briggs & Riley bags are investment pieces. With high-quality fabrication and detailing, you’re going to keep these bags for a long time. A few years ago I embraced the idea of minimalism, and I have been striving to pare down my wardrobe and all the other “stuff” we tend to buy without a thought. My new mantra is to buy less and invest in products that last.
Here’s the bonus of a B&R bag. They come with this guarantee:
“If your Briggs & Riley bag is ever broken or damaged, even if it was caused by an airline, we will repair it free of charge.”
Steve has had his B&R carry-on bag fixed twice – once for a damaged retractable handle and another time for a broken zipper. Keep in mind that Steve’s on a plane a few times a month, so even though the bag is rugged, airports are not kind to luggage. For both repairs, he took the bag to our favourite local travel accessories store, U.N. Luggage. They fixed it on site in short order. No hassle. No charge. Nice!
Why I Chose the Commuter Expandable Spinner
Like everyone else who avoids checking bags at the airport for fear of never seeing them again, I was looking for the magical combination of a regulation-sized bag with the room of a full-sized suitcase. Yes, perhaps unrealistic. But, the Commuter Expandable Spinner does have a magical component – it expands and compresses!
Here’s how that works:
By pulling the release flap out while pulling up the sides of the bag, you immediately access 33% more space. Once you’ve filled the bag, simply zip up and push down on the two sides and voilà the bag compresses down to its regulation size. How cool is that?
Garment Compartment
The fold out garment compartment is also attractive, allowing you to pack trousers and dresses with minimal creasing.
Spinning Wheels
I have always envied travellers with spinner bags zipping through the airport with their bags following beside them. I hesitated to get a spinner because the extra wheels mean you have slightly less space in the bag. They are also apparently not so great on cobblestones, so if you are hauling luggage a lot in Europe, you’ll contend with some extra noise and reduced stability. When I really thought about it, though, I resolved that I spend way more time navigating airports than I do cobblestone streets. I really dislike that constant tug on my arm and shoulder from rolling a bag behind me.
Nicely paired with my Briggs & Riley BRX Laptop Backpack
On my inaugural trip with the bag, the spinner was a welcome change. It definitely required less effort to traverse multiple gates before reaching our point of departure. It’s not perfect. The rollers are not as effective on carpet, and at times I opted to pull the bag behind me. On flooring, though, they’re a thing of beauty.
Briggs & Riley Scores Again
With its expansion feature, even though this bag is slightly smaller than my old, non-compliant carry-on, it holds just as much (perhaps even a bit more). This is a solid bag I plan to use for years to come.
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This Briggs & Riley carry-on looks like a great choice. I am always on the look-out for good carry-on bags, especially as airlines continue to decrease the allowable size. I have a nice collection of bags now just a little too big to be compliant.
My old one was slightly oversized and it constantly worried me about taking it as carry-on. Air Canada seems to be laid back about it, but some other airlines are very strict. So far, I love this bag!