If you’re considering the Steamline luggage cases, you are probably wondering if they are worth the hype. And to some extent, the money. With the financial change in the world, many of us are not thinking about travel or expensive luggage which is truly the whip cream of travel. However, I already own the Steamline and it’s one of my favorite small brands. And even better, they are currently 40% so I figured this was a good time to give a full review of Steamline Luggage.
Steamline has gorgeous carry ons, checked, hand held and now kids luggages. They are the perfect combination of beauty and practicality. With the hard body and contrast leather straps, they are a true call back to yesteryear. I wanted to share a review of Steamline Luggage with you because every time I post one or when we travel, we get questions from Instagram, from the blog (showing some past posts of these 1/ 2/ 3) and most importantly from others in the airport.
Full Review Of Steamline Luggage
Maintenance with White Luggage
My first choice for Steamline Luggage was the Kate Spade Collaboration which is an all white luggage with contrasting yellow and orange handles. The white luggage always manages to turn heads at the airport. And while it’s easy to whip around and fill, it’s not so easy to maintain the white color.
I will say each Steamline luggage does come with a sheath. The sheath has holes for the handles so that you can wrap the luggagae in it and still be able to maneuver without the handles and wheels getting caught. I do make sure that as soon as I pass through security, I put the sheath onto the luggage. This takes a little of the joy out of carrying it, especially for the carry on but better safe than sorry. You could risk not carrying the cover for the carry-on since it shouldn’t get checked and tossed around. But literally every single time we take a regional economy flight, they want to check it curbside because of how small the plane is. It’s like a beautiful white beacon that they want nothing more than to throw under the plane.
Because of it, I usually save the white cases for car trips. This suits me fine and saves me from having to baby them since I am a really casual traveler.
Are Steamline Lugagges Worth the Money?
This is what you really want to know anyway. The answer is yes and no? For me, emphatically, yes! I caught the white Kate Spade set on a mean sale and had to have them. They feel so very much like me and for such a classic style that I can readily identify on the airport conveyor belt, yes!
For some travelers? Maybe not. They require quite a bit of babying and can be inefficient.
For the other colors? Heck yes, worth it! We own a couple of the other cases and the navy, the leather one my husband insisted on and the cream all live up to our wildest travel dreams. But they do come with some drawbacks.
Pluses
- Gorgeous: These cases are so lovely and photogenic. Even if you are not the best photographer, the Steamline cases look lovely in a photo. If you travel infrequently, I would say it’s even more of a treat and you’ll have tons of photos to show for your trip because it’s a rarity.
- Quality: The quality is excellent! Including the functional straps which have proven to be beneficial as I am a chronic over packer. I have needed them to press the case shut a number of times.
- Unique: I have not once mixed my luggage up with one else’s at the airport. Even the insides of the cases are different with each color having it’s own print.
- Practical: Each case comes with the necessary basics even though its gorgeous including a TSA lock and silent wheels. The suitcases also come with a removable wash bag to store smaller items like toiletries.
- Lightweight: Most of your luggage’s weight if you check will not be used up by luggage.
Minuses
- Cost: This is an obvious one when you are comparing it to a quick buy from Target or TJ Maxx. But when you compare the price to that of a Tumi or even a Louis Vutton, you are definitely getting what you paid for.
- No extender: The case is a “hard shell” with no extenders. So if you are going on a winter trip with multiple coats, it’s a no go. More than likely, you will not be able to fit all of your pieces into one case.
- The locks: These break easily. Steamline has an awesome limited warranty and you can definitely the lock fixed but it’s something to note. If the lock breaks outside of the timeframe of the warranty, you can get the lock fixed like Marcus did with his little carry on. He sent it off to the folks that Steamline recommended. I will say, the process was nail biting for Marcus since this little suitcase is his pride and joy and the company that it was sent to was disorganized and unresponsive at times. But it came back and the lock is fixed so take that with a grain of salt.
Edit 12/6/2022**** We have had three locks break on our various luggages. One on a rough international trip and two in our usual run of the mill travel. You do have to send them off to get fixed and the luggage is out of commission during that time. Thankfully the straps are truly functional and we haven’t had any spills in the airport
Also, the lack of 360 degree spinners on the carry on has been a bit of a sore spot for me recently. With the volume of travel I have done this year, carrying the weight of these suitcases on my wrist while making a mad dash through the airport has been frustrating. I would much rather stand the suitcases and wheel them around the airport even if it conflicts with the design. But that is a persona tick.
So What?
All in all, we are very much in love with our Steamlines. They’re investment pieces and we like them so much we bought them twice. Yes we caught them on great deals but you can too. Right now, Steamline is doing up to 40% off on their site so if you were thinking about it, now’s the time.
Edit 12/6/2022*** Knowing what I know now about the locks breaking and the 360 spinners would I still purchase? I think I would say yes still. I am first and foremost practical and anything that impedes on that is a nuisance for me. So if you are a frequent flyer who is rough on their suitcases and always making a mad dash through the airport, is this suitcase for you? Possibly not. But if you love the timeless, beauty and will maintain them, then yes, absolutely yes to them. I think I am still more yes than, no.
XO Prepford Wife