Top Spots To Buy Luggage & Travel Goods

If you remember when everyone traveled with a hard-sided gray Samsonite Silhouette suitcase, you've been traveling for a long time. And if you still have that or any other vintage piece, it's time to update. Now there is a dazzling selection of luggage made of sturdy, lightweight and stylish materials that were not even available when Silhouettes were in vogue. Wheeled luggage is de rigeur, but travelers also need bags that can stand up to baggage handling, both the human part and the web of unseen conveyor belts, and also meet stringent carry-on and checked-bag regulations. Here are some of our favorite luggage specialists.

Changes In Latitude Travel Store

The Village Shopping Center
2525 Arapahoe Ave.
Boulder, CO 80302
(303) 786-8406 and
(866) 786-8406
cil.com

Changes In Latitude caters to independent and adventurous travelers, and the lines they carry reflect that. They carry rolling luggage, day packs, shoulder bags, backpacks and duffels of all sizes. No frou-frou brands here but labels such as Briggs & Riley, Eagle Creek and Rick Steves that can stand up to the rigors of long trips and exotic locales. The inventory of travel accessories is unsurpassed with luggage straps, scales, TSA-approved locks and baggage tags, and such packing aids as clothing compression cubes and folders, toiletries bags and stuff sacks to help avoid that dreaded second checked piece. It's the place to go for wrist wallets, money belts, and current converters and plug adapters (they're not the same thing). The store also carries a great selection of guidebooks, maps, and men's and women's travelwear that is comfortable, adaptable and stylish. And be sure to check the sale racks in the back.

Colorado Baggage Co.

Cherry Creek Shopping Center
Denver, CO 80206
Other locations: Colorado Mills, Denver Pavilions, Flatiron Crossing, Park Meadows, Twenty-Ninth Street Mall
(303) 388-0900
coloradobagnbaggage.com

Denver's well-heeled jet-setters navigate to Colorado Baggage Co. whenever they need the latest in luggage and travel gear. Here you'll find top lines such as Briggs & Riley, Tumi, Victorinox, Hartmann and German-made Rimowa, the first manufacturer of polycarbonate luggage. The store also stocks a huge assortment of colorful Vera Bradley floral and paisley quilted purses, totes, eyeglass cases and duffels, as well as durable (and dependable) Eagle Creek, Kipling, and Antler lines. In the market for a travel accessory? You'll find leather passport cases, Lodis and Hobo wallets, TSA-rated locks, Pacsafe anti-theft handbags, eye masks and travel pillows.

COJ Baggage

Colorado Mills
14500 W. Colfax. Ave., Ste 403
Lakewood, CO 80401

While COJ Baggage offers a huge selection of Dakine backcountry gear, messenger bags backpacks, you'll also find a wide variety of discounted or discontinued hard case and softside models from manufacturers like Victorinox, Kenneth Cole, Swiss Gear and Samsonite. COJ may not have every known make and model, but when you find that one piece of perfect luggage at up to 50% off retail, who cares? Brand name travel accessories like Pacsafe, Rick Steves, Lewis & Clark and Travelon are well represented. And tucked into one corner are oversized (some are enormous), colorful canvas cargo bags starting at $7.99, perfect for that trip where you don't care how beat up your duffel gets, as long as it's large enough to tote home souvenirs.

Samsonite Factory Outlet

Colorado Mills
14500 W. Colfax Ave., Ste 287
Lakewood, CO 80401
(303) 278-0742
shop.samsonite.com

When Samsonite shuttered its Factory Outlet store at Northfield Stapleton bargain-minded travelers shed a few tears. Fortunately they can still find prices below retail on Samsonite uprights, garment bags, roll-aboards, duffels, and backpacks at this outlet inside Colorado Mills. While most of the stock is Samsonite – this is the Samsonite Factory Outlet, after all – a few others brands such as American Tourister and Travelon grace the display cases. Expect a nice selection of Buxton wallets and accessories such as baggage tags, scales, money pouches, and adapters/transformers. We also like the wide selection of umbrellas from flat travel size to enormous golf course models that easy protect two.