Tripp Holiday 8 suitcase review: At this price? The best I've used

The Sun

3 days ago

I'LL ADMIT it — I'm a grumpy traveller.
Delays, legroom, baggage fees; I become an unbearable curmudgeon from the moment I step into the airport until I'm safely on foreign soil.
Near the top of my list of complaints is the traumatic experience my luggage goes through.
In a couple of short years, my beloved Antler suitcase has gone from pristine to battered, bruised, sorry and scarred.
So I set out to find a suitcase that offers the same things I love about my Antler, but at a price point that doesn't make me reluctant to part with it at the check-in desk.
Enter the Tripp Holiday 8.
Tripp Holiday 8 Suitcase (Medium), £55 from Amazon
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Pros:
Great value for money
Four wheels make it easy to manoeuvre
Expandable design
Available in a range of colours
Scratch-resistant design and durable hard shell
TSA Lock
Lightweight
Cons:
I had to wrestle with the telescopic handle on a few occasions
No pockets on the interior divider (but I can forgive that at this price)
Rating: 9/10
Tripp Suitcase review: Quickfire Q&A
How much is it? I don't find myself saying this much in my job, but eminently reasonable; the medium size I tested is just £55 on Amazon.
What sizes are available? There are three different sizes: I tested out the medium, which has a 75-litre capacity, but there's also a large suitcase with a capacity of 102 litres, and a cabin version with 37 litres.
Is it hard-shell or soft-shell? It's hard-shell, made from 100% Polypropylene.
Who's it best for? People who want a suitcase good and nice enough to travel with regularly, but don't want to drop hundreds on something for a luxury brand. I'd recommend this in an instant to people who fly frequently with budget airlines.
What we loved: It has everything you'd expect from a modern suitcase at a reasonable price. What's not to like?
What we didn't: There are no major complaints; there's a bit of a knack to getting the telescopic handle back down once it's fully extended. There are also no interior pockets, but at this price, I can let that one go.
How I tested the Tripp Holiday 8
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I tested this case the only way I know how: by taking it on holiday.
The Holiday 8 accompanied me on a weekend trip to Paris; we took the Eurostar, meaning it rarely left my sight.
We also walked the half an hour from Gare du Nord to our hotel, meaning I got a good sense of how easy it is to wheel around.
The only trial I didn't put it through is to see how it squared up against the brutal treatment of airport baggage handlers.
However, I've got a two-week holiday with a long-haul flight coming up in a couple of months, so I'll make sure to update this review then.
Tripp review: The Nitty Gritty
First impressions
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Tripp Holiday 8 Suitcase (Medium), £55 from Amazon
As far as suitcases go, this is a looker.
Granted, it's perhaps not Rimowa levels of sleek, but I've seen some pretty ghastly budget suitcases, and this isn't one of them.
It comes in eight different colours, ranging from austere black to the vivid "Watermelon" colour I tested.
I always tend towards a brighter suitcase, not only because I find black and grey ones boring to look at (you're off on holiday, have some fun with it!) but because they're easy to spot on a luggage carousel, and the more outlandish colour your case is, the less likely it is that someone is going to take it home with them mistakenly.
This manages to be noticeable without being garish, though; there's a nice grid design on the front, and it's mostly made from an anti-scratch material, although a run-in with baggage handlers will be the real test.
Otherwise, there's pretty much everything you'd expect from a modern suitcase: four wheels, a retractable handle, two handgrips and an integrated TSA lock.
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As you see with many suitcases nowadays, there's a zip you can use to unlock a bit of extra space — unzipping creates an extra nine litres of space, taking overall capacity from 66L to 75L.
Inside, there's nothing remarkable going on. It's a pretty basic but spacious interior, with a polyester lining and a zip-up divider.
My Antler suitcase had several mesh pockets in the divider, which were handy for storing smaller items like toiletries and books.
There's no such luxury here, but considering the difference between this and an Antler suitcase is around £150, I'll let this one slide. I could buy a set of packing cubes and still save £130.
Does it deliver?
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Absolutely. I'm not surprised the Holiday 8 is multi-award-winning.
It doesn't do anything particularly flashily — I feel about it like a football commentator does about a workhorse midfielder: "He does the simple things well".
It's nice and lightweight, for example, weighing in at just 2.9kg (and yes, I did check that myself).
While the 1kg between that and my Antler suitcase might not seem like much, any overpacker can attest that every little helps when it comes to weight saving.
And if you're not an overpacker, you'll still appreciate that weight saving if you have to lug the case up a set of train station steps.
I took it on a weekend trip to Paris, and it was spacious enough for my partner and me to take several more outfits each than we needed, with plenty of room for shoes, jumpers and other bulky items.
We didn't even bother expanding the suitcase to its full 75-litre capacity.
I'd say that the Medium suitcase provides ample space for a full week away — if you're a good packer and you're going somewhere hot that only requires skimpy clothes, it could even fit enough for two people.
As mentioned, there's nothing too sophisticated about the interior of the case, but there is a rudimentary (non-adjustable) packing strap that did a decent job of keeping my belongings in place.
I would potentially recommend investing in some packing cubes, though, as there are no pockets, zippers or compartments to help you organise your luggage.
When we arrived in Paris, we walked the half an hour to our hotel, and not only did the Holiday 8's watermelon hue feel stylish enough for the famously chic streets, it was also really easy to manoeuvre thanks to the trolley handle, lightweight design and four wheels.
Because we went on the Eurostar, the case didn't have to withstand too much abuse or wear and tear, but once I've used it a few more times, I'll report back with my verdict on its durability.
However, it's made from tough polypropylene, and its surface seems pretty tough to scratch — plus, the existing Tripp suitcase reviews I've read all stress its toughness and durability.
How much is the Tripp Holiday 8?
I feel like half of my job entails moaning about how expensive things are nowadays, so it's a welcome change to be able to say that the Tripp Holiday 8 feels like great value for money.
The cabin case comes in at just £47.50, my medium case costs £55, and the large case is £69.50.
Those prices make Tripp a very attractive option, especially when you compare it to luxury luggage brands, whose prices for a medium case tend to be well into the hundreds.
Where to buy the Tripp Holiday 8
Personally, I'd head to Amazon, where you can get the luggage at the same price as the Tripp website, with free delivery.
However, you can get comparatively cheap next-day delivery from the Tripp website if you're in a pinch.
The Holiday 8 is also stocked at Next, but at the time of writing, it's not the cheapest option.
Tripp Holiday 8 alternatives
If you're looking for something at a similar price point to the Holiday 8, competition is fairly limited.
Supermarkets often sell own-brand luggage at very affordable price points, and you have the advantage of being able to go into a store and grab one instead of waiting for delivery.
If you're looking for something stylish, you could give this Elements suitcase from Dunelm a go; it's got a stylish ridged design that makes it look a lot more expensive than its £35 price tag.
It also comes in a range of seven colours, and it's got an impressive 4.5-star rating from 340 reviews.
If you're willing to spend a bit more cash, my advice would always be to go to Antler; while the prices are high, its cases have a luxury feel and are super stylish.
I've got the Icon Stripe in Mist Blue, and it's a really swish suitcase.