So, Why is Luggage So Expensive?
Travelling can be a strenuous experience for many people.
Especially, trusting that your belongings are a safe part. Putting your things in a bag, even your valuable possessions can be tough.
Plus the added horrible imaginary scenarios of your luggage carriers messing up in some way.
This is why it is essential to buy a good quality suitcase. But that does not come cheap.
As the internet would confirm, luggage can cost a lot. And by ‘a lot’ we mean hundreds of dollars. But Why do they cost this much? Find out below!
Why is Luggage So Expensive?
Material
Luggage is not made from just one type of material. It can be made from canvas, aluminum, and other types of materials.
Now, of course, material that is used for making luggage needs to be of optimum quality.
It has to be able to carry the bulk that is put inside the bag. But then again, makers have to ensure that the material does not weigh too much by itself as that would make it difficult to adhere to the weight limits set by airlines and other carriers.
The cost of the material that has been used to manufacture the bag will naturally decide the final price of the product.
For example, an aluminum suitcase is one of the most expensive types of luggage available in the market. This is because the material itself is pricey and that is what is reflected in the price tag.
Durability
Even though traveling is something that many people do regularly, buying traveling equipment is not. How many times in your life have you gone luggage shopping?
The point is that luggage is not a frequent buy. It is something that people buy once in a few years, depending on the frequency of their expeditions. Even an extremely avid traveler will not shop for luggage very regularly.
This means that companies do not get a lot of repeat orders. And as the market will tell you, such products do tend to cost more. And reasonably so.
If you are going to buy something that will be of use to you for years, it would obviously cost you more than something that is meant for a few uses at most.
Secondly, since customers expect durability from their luggage, companies have to ensure it. People will not buy your product if it does not fulfill their expectations. And equipping a product made of essential fabric with durability is not a cheap task.
Innovation
Even though one might not think of it as an actual possibility, even the luggage industry has seen its fair share of innovation over the past years.
There are a lot of luggage companies out in the market. The only way to do better than your competitor is to create better alternatives to their products. This has led to quite interesting developments in these businesses.
Plivo recently launched ‘Up’, the world’s first vertical luggage. This means much easier access than before. It even has a patented built-in Garment Hanger system. You can ensure that your suits endure no creases during your travel. It even has built-in weight sensors. This has led to the model being priced at a hefty $539.99. And this is just one example.
Especially regarding the security factor, companies have come a long way. There are fingerprint locks, face ID locks, even Morse code locks! But all these exciting new features come at a high cost.
Quality Checks
Travelling can be highly stressful as it is. No one needs the additional stress of worrying about the safety of their belongings.
A good company always conducts sufficient quality checks on its products. This is especially important for a product like luggage.
The makers need to ensure the proper functioning of the zips and locks. They have to ensure that the fabric does not give in to wear and tear easily. After all, luggage is used for traveling. The whole purpose of it is to carry stuff safely. Even a slight mishap can cause great trouble for the user.
This is why proper, in-depth quality checks are carried out by the manufacturers. And since all this costs the company, it must cost the consumer too.
Brand Value
As with any other item, you pay for the brand name as much as you do for the product. And there is no shortage of high-end brands in this space.
Companies like Gucci, Louis Vuitton, Montblanc, and Mark Cross manufacture some limited edition, exclusive luggage for both men and women. And these do not come cheap. For example, a Gucci large suitcase costs $8000. That is the cost mentioned on the official webpage of the company.
These companies charge an overhead for the reputation that is associated with their name. After all, their names are a symbol of luxury and posh lifestyles
Is it worth it?
It is only natural for you to wonder how much you should spend on your luggage.
It is very important for you to be rational while spending your hard-earned money. Ask yourself questions. Do you really need a bag that costs thousands of dollars, just for the logo? How much can you actually afford to spend on it? Set limits on your expenditure.
This is not to say that you should pick the cheapest bag that is available at your nearest anonymous store.
You should check the quality of the product before you actually buy it. And the purchase should never be of bad quality. While we do not recommend spending thousands of dollars, we do not suggest buying cheap luggage either.
You should be ready to spend a reasonable amount on luggage. It is a very rare buy, after all. Conduct proper research about the brands and select a product that falls comfortably within your budget.
So, yes. Spend on luggage but not blindly. This is one of the limited things that you can do for yourself that would make your travels more comfortable and relaxing.
