How Briggs & Riley Built Luxury Travel Luggage To Last

Forbes

5 days ago

The Essential 22" Carry-On Expandable Spinner in Black is engineered to outmaneuver baggage fees. This carry-on expands up to 34% with Briggs & Riley's patented CX™ compression technology—then zips back to size with a satisfying snap. Durable enough for international mileage and refined for first-class. Briggs & Riley
To the seasoned traveler, the kind who knows the difference between a layover and a liaison, a Briggs & Riley piece makes a quiet yet powerful statement. A fixture in the overhead compartments of the well-heeled and the well-traveled, the brand has spent decades perfecting the art of understatement. Form meets function with a wink and a lifetime guarantee.
Briggs & Riley didn't so much enter the luggage business in 1993 as it gently quietly rolled in, looked around, and decided the whole thing needed an upgrade. Its calling card? A marvelously unmodern idea: the Simple as that® lifetime guarantee. No receipts, no red tape, and no hemming or hawing over whether you or a baggage handler caused the damage in a foul mood—if it's broken, they'll fix it. Period. In an era marked by asterisks and fine print, the gesture falls somewhere between quaint and quietly revolutionary.
Legacy may be the soul of Briggs & Riley, but innovation is its engine. Over the years, the brand has quietly introduced some of the most ingenious upgrades to travel gear since the invention of wheels on a suitcase—most notably, its patented CX™ Compression-Expansion system, which expands your packing space by up to 34% before cinching everything neatly back into place.
Enter the collections: the sleek, shock-resistant Sympatico , forged from polycarbonate with the poise of a Bond car, and the perennially classic Baseline , built from ballistic nylon tough enough to survive the baggage carousel and whatever awaits beyond it. Look closer and you'll find the perks that make modern travel tolerable: gliding spinner wheels, garment panels that tame wayward tuxedos, RFID-blocking pockets for digital peace of mind, and handles crafted with the same seriousness usually reserved for performance bicycles.
The Briggs & Riley CX™ compression technology expands up to 34% then zips back to size with a satisfying snap. Briggs & Riley
The form of each Briggs & Riley product follows its function. After speaking with retailers and consumers, the CX™ system was manufactured around their prevailing pain points. A big one, said Richard Krulik, Briggs & Riley's CEO: baggage fees, and the inconvenience of having to check bags at the ticketing counter.
'We wanted to figure out what can be done to help with packing more in a limited space and getting an expanded bag back to its original size,' Krulik said. 'We constantly look around for inspiration, and in the case of the compression and expansion system, the quick and simple ratcheting mechanism found in ski boots was part of what we realized has a similar type of functionality that we were looking for. It took a tremendous amount of engineering and prototyping to make it work for luggage though, but the result works brilliantly.' The Inspiration Behind Briggs & Riley: Fashion And Automobiles
Effortless by land or sea: A Briggs & Riley shoulder tote bag proves that practical can still be polished, whether you're boarding a flight or a boat. Briggs & Riley
While other travel accessory brands take their cues from the fashion industry, positioning their products as items to be "seen," Briggs & Riley draws inspiration from precision-engineered automobiles. In that sense Krulik's background is special, if not unique, for a CEO in the travel accessory industry. Among the engineering patents he holds, some might have utility in other industries. That's never been his focus, however.
'I think staying true to the brand promise for quality, durability and innovation has helped us thrive for more than 30 years,' Krulik said. 'There have been many brands that have come and gone with assorted stories and gimmicks. Pushing freshness and being innovative combined with discipline is the cornerstone of any long-term successful brand.'
Briggs & Riley's philosophy sets itself apart for what it doesn't include. Its simple wordmark is unmemorable, not the substance of viral marketing campaigns. Compared to other luxury brands, it does not announce its presence loudly. Rather, the quality of the luggage speaks for itself—a signal to others walking the airport that its bearer is a veteran of many first-class flights. Briggs & Riley Luggage Is Smart, Effective And Functional
Krulik is an experienced world traveler himself. He's also a pilot, for whom a methodical, process-driven approach is crucial to success. It's also helped guide the Briggs & Riley philosophy.
'I think the Briggs & Riley customer has an unusual appreciation for smart and effective functionality while also expecting a beautiful bag they can be proud of,' Krulik said. 'The CX technology is an obvious example, but even the way we design the tie-down straps so that they stay out your way while you pack is carefully considered. Small details like that aren't noticed until you have a bag that does it wrong.'
While the luggage universe is swept up in fast fashion and fleeting trends, Briggs & Riley resists the spin cycle. Its pieces aren't made to chase what's new; they're designed to last. Durable enough to survive years of travel (and aggressive baggage handlers), these bags speak to travelers who value quality over flash. In a market saturated with talk of sustainability, the brand's quiet commitment to long-term use is a remarkable standout, not as a pitch but as a principle. Legacy, after all, isn't built overnight.