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Tripp Express Compact Suitcase
by askmeanything
I needed a suitcase for two weeks of travel. I came across this bag in Debenhams. Tripp is Debenhams own make. It looked bright and cheerful amongst the dull black and blue suitcases. It certainly stood out in raspberry red. The colour made me think of summer, ice creams and buckets and spades on the beach.
Last week I met a ... friend before she went to the airport for her holiday. She told me she had borrowed her Tripp bag from her friend. This made me feel able to tell her what I thought of the bag without causing too much offence. 'I have that case. It's horrible.'
'Well, I like it,' she said, somewhat offended.
'Well, yes it's okay,' I said, 'I mean the colour is jazzy so you'll be able to it pick out from other peoples suitcases.
She nodded reassured.
We reached some steps and I offered to carry her case up. She pushed down the retractable handle and lifted the case by the grip handle on the side though she could have carried it from the handle on the top. She did it herself and I saw the grimace on her face at the weight of it.
'Did you pack a lot in?'
My friend shook her head, 'I couldn't get everything in it for the week.'
I noted the bulging pack on her back. At a capacity of forty-one litres you'd expect to get more in. I had bought mine for a two-week holiday. I had to pack light to get everything into it. Next thing I know, my friend, who was about to fly out to Poland tells me she's wearing layers of jumpers but was too hot and would I take a few back home to keep for her until she returned. I nodded my consent and also my understanding. I recalled how tight the space is.
I conceded that the handles are good on the case. It is useful to be able to pull it from the side or the top depending on which is the easier point to access on the case. The body of the case is well padded and robust.
'So it's not horrible,' my friend summed up.
'It is when it keeps falling over.'
She told me it doesn't do that. I thought back to the numerous times that I had let go of the handle and in streets, busses and trains the case would topple over. Three times in a row it happened to me on a bus. It was not only annoying but embarrassing.
I described to her the problem with the two-wheeled suitcase. We sat down to rest and in her case, to remove jumpers. This required my friend to lift her hand from the luggage handle. The bag swayed as if the wind was blowing against it and then thump, it landed on the ground. Heads turned in our direction.
'See', I said, rather smugly.
My bag is now used for storage of cuddly toys for when children come to play. The annoyance of a falling over bag was just too much.
Whilst we talked on, the bag fell again.
This wasn't worth the seventy to eighty pounds that I paid for it. However, the price has gone down since and it is guaranteed for five years. If you don't pay more than forty pounds for this compact case, use it to take to a sunny climate, and leave the wool jumpers behind it might be worth buying.
For me, this case makes me want to blow a big, fat, raspberry but if I did that it would blown to the floor again! In terms of solidity I can imagine it lasting for my lifetime and some but it's not for me and I've since purchased other suitcases that are not Tripp made.
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Trunki Ride-On Suitcase
by taramorg23
In September I went on a week long caravan holiday to Cornwall. I wanted something for my 18 month old daughter to put her clothes and some toys in separate from my suitcase. I had already bought one of these for my nephew a few years ago so I decided to get my daughter one to make the trip fun.
There are several different ... designs available ranging from the original blue and pink to a bumble bee and dinosaur. Initially I wanted a Great Britain limited edition for the Olympics but decided it was a bit faddy so we settled on a Trunki called 'Harley' which is a ladybird design.
I got my Trunki from Amazon for £29.99 they also sell them in Argos, Boots, Toys r us and on several online sites.
The Trunki is designed for ages 36 months to 6 years. I personaly couldn't see any reason why a younger child couldn't use this. My daughter has no problems using it. The Trunki measures 46 x 20 x 31cm. It is made of a very sturdy plastic. As we chose the ladybird design ours is bright red with black spots. It has the Trunki logo in black on the side and at the front there are antenna and eyes. The Trunki also has two handles at the top to allow you to pick up the case and a strap which also includes an identity tag. Finally the best part of the Trunki is that it has four wheels. The Trunki is designed to be ridden on by your child. The case is slightly narrowed in the middle and has grooves designed to accomodate your childs legs so it is also easy for them push themselves along. Your child can also be pulled along on the case by uncliping the strap that you can use to carry it on your shoulder.
The case itself is secured by two large plastic clips which are on metal hinges. There is also a plastic key which you can use to lock the clasps shut. My daughter can't open the case and hasn't attempted to do so yet. Inside the case there is a rubber seal around the edges. This not only ensures a secure seal when it is shut but also prevents little fingers getting trapped. Inside the case is a luggage strap which is described as a teddy seatbelt in the instructions and there is also a small pocket attached by poopers to the bottom. The case could be used for toys or clothes or perhaps both. We went away for a week and inside the case I managed to fit eight outfits which I secured using the strap then in the other side of the case we fitted my daughters toy lapptop, some colouring books and pens, a dvd case full of dvd's and finally a few toys. The case shut with ease and I was suprised how much fitted in considering how small it looked.
As we were travelling by car I put the case in the boot. It took up hardly any room. Onve we arrived at our destination my daughter finally got to have a go of the case. I hadn't shown her before we left. She promptly sat on the case and started wheeling herself around the caravan. There are two black horns at the top which your child can use to hold on. It was a godsend on the holiday as when we were in the caravan it gave her an extra something to play with. Luckily we had lovely weather so we spent most of our time outdoors.
From a parents point of view the case is easy to carry. The strap is adjustable so I carried it on my shoulder. The plastic that it is made from is very sturdy so I feel confident it will survive several bashes by my little girl. The case also came with a Trunki passport and details of games you can download online. I haven't got around to this yet.
There are also several accessories available to go with your Trunki. There are sticker sheets to customise your Trunki, there are also inserts to carry certain toys separately, a wash bag and a cup holder. The only downside to some of the accessories is that they come in blue or pink which doesn't really go with our Trunki.
Finally the Trunki is the right size for hand luggage on an aeroplane which will work out great for us as we are off to Euro Disney on the new year.
Overall we love our Trunki. I like that my daughter has her own place to keep her clothes and toys when we travel. It is also perfect for overnight stays at nanny's and finally it doubles up as a fun ride on toy.
For the money the Trunki represents good value as it will last us a number of years I would definately recommend this product!
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