Sometimes it’s a good idea to bring three or four suitcases with you if you’re traveling to a cheaper country and do some shopping there. But unless you’re a superhuman, there’s no way you’ll be able to pull all the suitcases by yourself. You’ve only got only two hands.
Don’t worry, there still are a few clever ways of how you can pull all of the suitcases by yourself. Essentially, if you tie the suitcases together, you’ll have to pull just one suitcase, instead of all three or four.
In this post, we’ll be looking at several ways of how to hook luggage together, including DIY ideas.
Option 1: Use Regular Luggage Straps
The first option is to use regular luggage straps, other called piggyback straps, “add a bag” straps or luggage belts.
Originally, luggage straps are used for securing your suitcase. They work as a backup in case the zippers get broken, so that the suitcase doesn’t bust open and all of the items fall out. I’ve actually had this happen once, which wasn’t a pleasant experience. That’s why now I’m always using luggage straps whenever I’m checking-in my suitcase. By the way, we’ve written a dedicated post about luggage straps, where we discussed their usefulness and showed which luggage straps work better than others.
However, luggage straps aren’t great only for securing your suitcase. They’re also perfectly fine for strapping several pieces of luggage together, so you don’t have to pull each one separately. This usually works best if you set the straps to the minimum length, and strap the suitcases together by the top handles, as shown in the picture above. By using luggage straps, you’ll be able to tie together up to four suitcases.
The suitcases that you’re hooking together don’t even need to be with spinner wheels. Although spinner suitcases will be easier to move around when hooked together, regular suitcases with two rolling skate wheels will also move around just fine. Hooked rolling suitcases with two wheels will be harder to move forward and turn around compared to spinner suitcases, but when you’re pulling the suitcases behind you, both types roll similarly smoothly.
Essentially, you can use any cheap luggage straps that you find, just make sure that they’re adjustable pretty tightly so that the suitcases aren’t tied together loosely. The Ajmyonsp Pack of 2 Add-a-Bag Luggage Straps is a solid choice, because they’re cheap, well-rated, and adjust fairly tightly.
Read Next: Best Zipperless Suitcases in 2019 Compared
Option 2: Use a Regular Belt or Rope as a DIY Solution
If you don’t have luggage straps, there are a few DIY solutions on hooking luggage together that you could use.
The best option would be to use a regular leather belt for strapping two or three pieces of luggage together. I’ve seen people do this, and it seems to work just as fine as luggage straps. One belt is usually enough for strapping two or three suitcases together by the top handles. Just make sure to tighten the belt fairly tightly, so the bags don’t move around.
If you don’t have a spare belt laying around, you can use regular rope or string to tie the pieces together. Just make sure that it’s thick enough, so you don’t have any surprises while trying to catch a flight.
Option 3: Use a Bungee Strap for Storing Smaller Bags on Top
Some backpacks, totes, handbags, and duffles have rear straps that are great for securing them on top of a suitcase by wrapping them around the retractable handle. If you’re traveling with a backpack/purse/duffel and a carry-on, you should make sure that the smaller bag has a rear strap. Having one will make your life much easier because you won’t have to carry it around in crowded airports and metros.
But if the smaller bag doesn’t have a rear strap, you can get the Travelon Bungee Luggage Strap, shown in the picture above. Essentially, it wraps around the top handle on one side, and the retractable handle on other, and safely secures your smaller bag on top of your suitcase, even if the smaller bag doesn’t have a rear strap. It’s cheap, effective, and doesn’t take up too much space.
Option 4: Purchase a Piggyback Luggage Set (With Built-In Straps)
Some luggage manufacturers are wittier than others. You can find a few luggage sets that have built-in luggage straps hidden in a dedicated pocket or under the top handle.
For instance, the Traveler’s Choice Tasmania 3-piece Hardside Spinner Luggage set has tie-together straps hidden under the top handle. If you ever need to tie all three pieces together, just pull out the strap and wrap it around the other bag’s top handle, and you’re good to go.
Another interesting option is the TACH TUFF 3-piece Hardside Spinner Luggage Set. They take a completely different approach and all three pieces are attachable by a simple velcro system. With this system, all pieces are more securely attached together, which makes moving them around much easier.
Here’s a quick demonstration of the TACH TUFF luggage set. It’s a really innovative idea, and it work’s great.
Read Next: 8 Best Hardside Luggage Sets Compared
Final Thoughts
Hooking several pieces of luggage together is really easy. You can do that with a rope or a leather belt, however, the best option usually is to use regular luggage straps. If you don’t use luggage straps already, we recommend you get two or four spare ones and keep them around the house. They’re cheap and are not only great from hooking the suitcases together, but they can also be used for securing checked luggage. If the zippers accidentally break while your luggage is checked in, the luggage straps will keep your suitcase from busting open and all of your stuff falling out.
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