Testing Out New Briggs & Riley Suitcases

I’ve been a Briggs & Riley fan for quite some time.  If you’ve followed along with my blog, you’ve seen me give away two Briggs & Riley Torq suitcases in the past year.  I’ve been happy with my principal Briggs suitcase for 6 or 7 years now and added to my collection over that time.  And, while I contemplated buying a Torq, I ultimately prefer a 2-wheel suitcase to a spinner.

When the folks at Briggs & Riley reached out to me to test out some items from their new line.  I picked out 3 pieces to test:

Express Toiletry Kit

Explore International Expandable Wide Body Upright

Accelerate Backpack

I’m not getting paid to write these reviews, and I was able to pick the pieces I wanted to test so they couldn’t just send me the one they wanted reviewed, then send the bags back when I was done.

I’ll review them in 3 separate posts, starting with the smallest piece, the toiletry kit.  The smallest piece also turned out to be my favorite piece of the 3.  The kit is cylindrical in shape but will squish into any shape inside your suitcase.  It zips apart into two equal crescent-shaped halves and also has a velcro tab closure that doubles as a strap to hang on a hook (think back of the door in your hotel bathroom).

The bottom pouch is lined and water-resistant to protect against leaks.  I tested it with a lot of water and the zipper leaked, so it’s definitely not waterproof (not advertised as such).  But, it did hold thicker liquids, like lotions and shaving cream without any leakage. Small amounts of water didn’t leak, either.  The pouch is big enough to fit a quart-sized bag filled with the max amount of liquids.  Since I usually qualify for TSA PreCheck, I’ve just started leaving my liquids right in this compartment while testing it.  The top compartment fits my deodorant, a comb, my razor/trimmer, a pack of Q-tips and my toothbrush case without issue.  Here’s a picture of the kit with a standard sized deodorant sitting on top so you can get a perspective on size.

Briggs & Riley is priced as a premium brand but their suitcases are indestructible and backed by an unbeatable warranty.  That has less significance on a toiletry kit, since it likely stays away from damage inside your suitcase.

It’s a simple item, but this is absolutely the most functional kit I’ve ever used.  So much so, I’ll be sad to see it go.  The only issue I can see with this kit is the price tag.  It retails at $50, which makes me think twice about purchasing it.  But, I may not be realistic, in that I can’t really remember the last toiletry kit I purchased (I’ve used ones that I received as gifts for at least the last 5 or 10 years).

I’m absolutely a buyer if I can find it on sale.