Glossy French carry-on
Name: Lipault Paris 22-inch four-wheeled patent carryon. Whatit is: Achic carry-on bag that definitely will separate you fromthe crowd at the airport gate. It has multidirectional wheels (which many of us demand nowadays), a retractable handle, two plush and comfortable carrying handles, a luggage tag and a large zipped pocket for things you need in a hurry, such as a passport or boarding pass. The main compartment inside has two tie-down straps, a large zipped pocket on the inside cover and a smaller zipped pocket on the side. The bag comes in red, light blue and black. Guysmay prefer black, as do I, but that and blue are in short supply at the moment. The company says more are on theway. Those colors are available in the 26and 28-inch models. The good: The 22-inch bag (about14 inches wide and about 8 inches deep) holds all I need for aweekend or even aweek, as long as I don’t get too fancy. Plus there’s plenty of utility despite its stylish look. The glossy patent finish cleans easily. I cringed the first time I traveled with it, thinking every brush against a chair or an overhead bin would leave a mark, but the bag got home in decent shape. It can scuff like a pair of patent leathers at a dance if you’re not careful, but it also polishes up nicely. The bad: Just a preference thing: Though the bag has plenty of structural support, it is soft-sided and might appear a little lumpy, depending on howyou pack. If you like hard, straight angles, this bag doesn’t have them. If you’re looking for relaxed luxury, bingo. Cost: $250 Available from: lipaultus.