9 Best Luggage Brands With a Lifetime Warranty

Have you ever dealt with a broken handle, a missing wheel, or a faulty zipper on a cheap suitcase? Well, you’re not alone. Most suitcases under 100$ will last only for 5-20 uses until they become unusable. If they aren’t backed up by a nice warranty, you’re pretty much screwed. And even if there is some kind of a warranty, it usually lasts only for 1-3 years.

That’s why sometimes it’s worth it to spend a seemingly large amount of cash on a suitcase with a lifetime warranty, even if you can get a cheaper alternative. Especially if you’re a pilot, a flight attendant, or a serious business traveler.

Theoretically, you could switch between several 50$ suitcases every other year, but you’ll have to deal with a lot of unexpected incidents, which just isn’t worth it.

In this article, we’ll cover nine luggage brands that offer a lifetime warranty for their suitcases. The brands aren’t listed from best to worst. All of the brands mentioned in this list offer solid lifetime warranties.

Limited V.S. Unconditional Lifetime Warranty

Before we begin, you should understand the difference between a limited warranty, and an unconditional one.

Although we’ve included nine brands in this list, only Briggs & Riley, Eagle Creek, Patagonia, Osprey, Red Oxx, and Nomatic offer a fully unconditional lifetime warranty. This means that they’ll fix any functional defects regardless if it’s airline damage, misuse, or an accident.

All other brands mentioned in this list (Away, Travelpro, and Thule) offer limited lifetime warranties, which means that the warranty will be valid only for “normal use.” Usually, airline damage isn’t covered by limited warranties.

Having said that, this doesn’t mean that “limited” warranties are necessarily bad. For instance, the Away limited lifetime warranty is really good and covers a lot of defects that normal warranties wouldn’t usually cover.

Also, a lot of companies make their warranty terms really long and choose non-specific, subjective wording, which doesn’t really explain much. We’ve tried to avoid these types of companies, and we haven’t included them in this list.

Top Luggage Brands With a Lifetime Warranty to Consider

1. Briggs & Riley (300$ – 800$)

If you’d speak with anyone working in the airline industry, and ask them what kind of a suitcase they’re using, you should hear Briggs & Riley come up quite a lot. Between frequent flyers, business travelers, and airline pilots, they’re probably the most popular choice out there.

Their suitcases aren’t cheap. In fact, they’re far from cheap, but they’re worth it for those who travel a lot. That’s because they’re incredibly well-built and come with their “Simple as That” lifetime warranty. They were founded in 1993, and since then have become the top choice for frequent flyers.

The warranty covers any functional defects on their luggage for a lifetime, such as broken wheels, zippers, tears in the fabric, or broken handles. That said, they don’t cover any cosmetic damage, such as scratches, dirty fabric, or faded colors.

What makes this warranty great, is that they don’t really care how you broke the bag. Whether it was airline damage, an accident, or anything else, they’ll fix it. Also, you don’t need any proof of purchase and the warranty transfers between owners. You’ll have to cover the shipping costs to their repair center, and they’ll cover the return shipping costs. It’s by far the best warranty on any luggage brand, so if you’re looking for something that will last, you should choose Briggs & Riley.

2. Away (200$ – 600$)

JRSK, Inc. (Away) is a much newer luggage company, established only in 2015. Instead of making regular luggage, they offer “smart luggage”, which has become a pretty big trend over the last few years. A few similar companies have popped up, however Away is by far the largest one. Their suitcases come with built-in chargers, smart packing features, and they look really minimal and modern, which is more appealing for a younger audience.

But not only do their suitcases look good – they’re also made to last. They’re made from durable materials and backed up by a really solid lifetime warranty. Although it’s a “limited” warranty, it’s still a really good one.

Their lifetime warranty covers any functional defects, such as cracks in the frame, tears in the fabric, and broken wheels, handles or zippers. The only conditions are that they don’t cover any cosmetic damage and that only defects resulting from “normal use” are covered. In their terms, “normal use” is explained as traveling by air, car, train, boat, or foot.

The good thing is that Away covers all shipping costs to and from the repair centers, which is not very often covered by other warranties. Also, for the warranty to work, you’ll need to provide proof of purchase, such as a receipt or an invoice.

Read Next: Away vs Rimowa: Which One Makes More Durable Luggage?

3. Eagle Creek (150$ – 450$)

If you’re into outdoor stuff, chances are that you’ve heard of Eagle Creek. They make all kinds of rugged bags for hiking, camping, traveling, and backpacking. Their bags don’t look too professional or classic. Instead, they’re going for a more outdoorsy, long-term-traveler look. So if you’re a business traveler you should probably forget about them.

Although they mostly focus on packing cubes and backpacks, they also offer quite a few softside suitcases, which aren’t too expensive. They definitely aren’t cheap, but they aren’t as expensive as Thule, Nomatic, or Briggs & Riley. And even though they’re priced somewhat affordable, most of their gear comes with their “No Matter What” lifetime warranty.

Eagle Creek’s lifetime warranty covers all workmanship and material defects for a lifetime, regardless of the cause. In simple words, this means that they’ll fix any reasonable defects, as long as the bag still looks in a useable condition.

For instance, they’ll fix loose stitching, faulty wheels, and damaged zippers as long as the product still looks in a “good condition”. However, they won’t repair a product that looks like it’s been used a thousand times. If that’s the case, they’ll deem your item to have reached its lifetime.

4. Patagonia (200$ – 350$)

In its essence, Patagonia is a very similar brand to Eagle Creek. They offer durable gear for traveling, hiking, camping, and backpacking. That said, they’re a much larger company than Eagle Creek, and they mostly focus on outdoor clothing, not gear. Nevertheless, they still offer quite a few duffles, backpacks, and rolling duffles, which are protected by their “Ironclad” lifetime warranty.

Their “Ironclad” lifetime warranty is so good because it’s a very simple warranty with no hidden rocks. Essentially, they’ll repair their gear free of charge for a lifetime regardless of the cause, except for normal wear and tear.

On their website, they offer a lot of self-repair kits, which you can use yourself to speed up the repair process. If, however, you choose to send the item back to their repair center, you’ll have to pay for the shipping. Return shipping is covered by them.

5. Travelpro (100$ – 400$)

Travelpro is another luggage brand that’s popular among flight crews and business travelers, similar to Briggs & Riley. They offer various suitcases, backpacks, and duffles which all look sleek and professional. The only difference between Briggs & Riley and Travelpro is that Travelpro’s suitcases and two or three times cheaper, and because of that also not as durable. That said, they’re still durable enough for frequent traveling.

Their suitcases are split between various collections, such as Maxlite 5, Platinum Elite, Crew 11, and others. All of their collections are backed up by their limited lifetime warranty, which covers defects in workmanship and materials.

Alone, this warranty isn’t too useful, because it doesn’t cover airline damage. That’s why in addition to their limited warranty, they also offer their “Trusted companion promise”, which also covers any airline damage and the shipping costs to and from the repair centers.

The duration of the “Trusted companion promise” varies between collections. On the Maxlite 5 collection, it lasts one year, on the Crew 11 three years, and on the Platinum Elite collection for a lifetime. So if you’re looking for the best possible warranty, definitely get something from the Platinum Elite collection.

6. Osprey (200$ – 350$)

Osprey is another great outdoor gear company, similar to Eagle Creek and Patagonia. Their products aren’t sleek, modern, or classic, which means that they’re probably not the right choice for business travelers. Instead, they’re all made in a rugged, outdoors-style look, which is great for long-term travelers. Although their main focus is backpacks, they also offer a large variety of softside suitcases, which are all protected by their “All Mighty Guarantee.“

This lifetime warranty truly is All-Mighty, because it essentially covers everything, similar to Briggs & Riley. In their terms, they state that they’ll cover any functional defect for a lifetime, free of charge and regardless of the cause. You’ll just have to cover the shipping costs to the repair center.

It’s also worth noting that for this warranty to work, you actually don’t need to be the original owner of this bag, and you don’t need any proof of purchase. Just owning an Osprey product is enough. Their packs and suitcases also aren’t too expensive and with such an amazing warranty, we think that they’re an especially solid choice.

7. Thule (300$ – 550$)

Thule is another high-end outdoor gear company that makes rugged and durable products. Instead of focusing on tents, outdoor clothing, and outdoor accessories, they focus on backpacks, luggage, rooftop camping equipment, and various car racks for skiing, cycling, e.t.c. Their suitcases are minimal in design and professional enough to be used for business traveling. That said, they’re quite expensive, similar to Briggs & Riley or Nomatic.

The good thing is that their suitcases are protected by their limited lifetime warranty, which covers defects in material and workmanship for a lifetime. It’s not the best warranty out there because it doesn’t cover most causes, such as misuse, accidents, or airline damage. However, any clear and obvious defects will be fixed free of charge. You’ll just have to cover the shipping costs to their repair center and you’ll need to provide proof of purchase.

8. Nomatic (400$ – 600$)

Nomatic is a fairly new travel gear brand, established only in 2014 when they launched their first Kickstarter campaign for a well-designed and minimal wallet. Since then, they’ve launched other successful campaigns on Kickstarter and expanded their products into backpacks, luggage, messenger bags, watches, and other travel accessories. All of their products are cleverly designed, minimal, and very durable. That said, they definitely aren’t affordable.

And what’s even better, is that their soft goods and suitcases are protected by a really good lifetime warranty. Their warranty is pretty simple – they’ll fix all functional defects regardless of the cause. If the product is beyond repairs, they’ll send you a free replacement. The only thing that you’ll have to pay for is the shipping costs to the repair center.

So far, they offer only three variations on a single suitcase. That’s because they launched their first suitcase only recently. They’re much more popular in the digital nomad community with their well-designed and durable backpacks.

9. Red Oxx (100$ – 400$)

Red Oxx is a truly American luggage company that makes duffles, backpacks, packing cubes, and other packing accessories for sporting, camping, and traveling. All of their bags are handcrafted in Montana, USA, and nothing has been outsourced in other countries. Although they don’t currently offer any wheeled luggage, they offer a wide variety of travel duffles, backpacks, and messenger bags. They’re going for a more rugged, military look, instead of a classic and professional one.

What’s great about Red Oxx is that all of their gear is protected by their “No Bull” lifetime warranty. The warranty terms are quite simple – they’ll fix anything broken regardless of the cause, no questions asked. If the bag is beyond repairs, they’ll even provide a free replacement one time. The only thing that you’ll have to cover is the shipping costs to and from the repair centers.

What About Tumi, Rimowa, Victorinox, Samsonite, and Eddie Bauer?

As you can probably already tell, lifetime warranties don’t come cheap. Both for the customer and the brand. That’s why a lot of brands have abandoned their lifetime warranties because they couldn’t keep it up any further without making losses.

Tumi, Rimowa, Victorinox, and Samsonite have all offered lifetime warranties at some point, but no longer do so. Most notably, Rimowa and Tumi. A few years ago, both brands offered unconditional lifetime warranties, similar to Briggs & Riley, but both abandoned them.

And as for Eddie Bauer, they might still offer a lifetime warranty, but it has significantly dropped in quality. Eddie Bauer was established back in 1920, and they were always known for their lifetime warranty. But since 2003, the company has gone through bankruptcy and multiple acquisitions, and a lot of people have been saying that they no longer stand behind their lifetime warranty. Right now, their warranty page only has one sentence of text, and no clear policies or timeframes are mentioned there. That’s why we wouldn’t trust their warranty actually being a proper “lifetime warranty” anymore.

Conclusion

When it comes to investing in luggage, understanding the intricacies of lifetime warranties is crucial. The distinction between unconditional and limited warranties can significantly impact your peace of mind and the longevity of your travel gear.

Unconditional lifetime warranties, as offered by top brands like Briggs & Riley, Eagle Creek, Patagonia, Osprey, Red Oxx, and Nomatic, provide unparalleled coverage. These warranties are a testament to the manufacturers’ confidence in the quality and durability of their products. They assure travelers that their luggage will be protected against functional defects, regardless of the cause, be it airline mishandling, misuse, or accidents.

Limited lifetime warranties, on the other hand, offered by brands like Away, Travelpro, and Thule, come with certain restrictions. These warranties typically cover defects resulting from “normal use,” excluding airline damage. While they may not offer the same level of comprehensive coverage as unconditional warranties, they can still provide valuable protection for your luggage investment. For instance, Away’s limited lifetime warranty is known for its generosity in covering various defects that might occur during regular use.

When choosing a luggage brand, it’s essential to consider your specific needs and travel habits. Frequent travelers, especially those who rely on their luggage for business or long-term journeys, may find the unconditional lifetime warranties of brands like Briggs & Riley and Osprey particularly appealing. These warranties offer the assurance that their luggage investment is protected for a lifetime, no matter the circumstances.

For those who value a blend of modern design and durability, brands like Away and Nomatic provide excellent options with solid limited lifetime warranties. These warranties cover functional defects and include provisions for repairs and replacements, often with reasonable conditions.

Ultimately, the right luggage and warranty choice will depend on your individual preferences and priorities. Consider factors such as your travel frequency, budget, and design preferences when making your decision. Regardless of your choice, investing in luggage with a lifetime warranty ensures that you’ll be well-equipped for countless adventures while enjoying the peace of mind that comes with knowing your luggage is backed by a commitment to quality and durability.

In the world of travel, where journeys are filled with unpredictabilities, having reliable luggage with a robust warranty is like having a trusted companion by your side. So, whether you opt for an unconditional or limited lifetime warranty, you can embark on your adventures with confidence, knowing that your luggage is built to last and that the manufacturer stands behind its product. Happy travels!