Luggage Makes the Man

Even the most practical business travelers say that the real test of quality remains more sensory than performance-based. Rob Noller, 47, a manager for SAP America Inc. in Waltham, Massachusetts, ultimately settled on an midrange Atlantic trolley case, because it "felt good." After a certain price point, it comes down to tactility, he says. "This feels better than most handles," he explains, grasping the soft rubber grip and then pointing out a couple of nearby bags that have a hard, plastic handle. But when asked if he would buy, say, luggage manufactured by Tumi, a company that recently spent $100,000 to add an insert to the mold of a new handle grip because the company's chairman wanted it to feel "softer and more rubbery," Noller laughed. "It's a question of degree. I'm not convinced that a top-of-line bag is worth the price. Besides, Tumi bags are practically on a hit list to be stolen. People see it, and they know it's expensive. It's like the Gucci or Prada of luggage."

Still, New York-based Accenture partner Scott Puopolo, thinks the high-end bag may be worth its premium price. Puopolo, 37, who travels every week and logs 250,000 miles a year, currently carries a company-issued computer tote and a Hartmann garment bag, which looks thoroughly thrashed after eight years of wear and tear. He's not image-conscious when it comes to luggage, he says. He simply wants a bag that gets the job done. Puopolo, who is admittedly tough on bags, says he gets by with the generic computer bag he's now toting, but he misses his Tumi case, which needs to be repaired. (The zippers popped off and ripped the nylon fabric.) "The Tumi's clearly a better, more durable bag in every way," says Puopolo. "But what really sold me was its lifetime guarantee." Today, almost every major luggage manufacturer offers a lifetime guarantee. Despite his fondness for the pricey line, however, Puopolo swears that the best bag he ever owned was a $30 suitcase he purchased in New York's Chinatown in New York. It lasted five years.

Christine Canabou (ccanabou@fastcompany.com) is a Fast Company staff writer.

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