Luggage made from fabric is one material that you can be sure will tear due to the external and internal objects coming into contact with the luggage.

It van also easily get snagged in the machinery or grabbed and ripped in the process if there are a lot of external pockets or straps.

Any cheap luggage that has large, cheap zippers will be in constant danger of bursting open, especially if you overpack. I can’t tell you how many suitcases I have had trashed due to the zipper.

In fact, it happens so often that the airlines often have empty suitcases standing by at the ready fo you to put all your contents into when your bag bursts open.

(And the last replacement bag they gave me is still going strong!)

Due to the fabric and zipper issues, you might want to consider hard shell luggage, and as we said, buy your cheap bag from a name you know, a company well experienced in this field.

Look at the wheels too, and whether or not they are the flat plastic kind built into the suitcase, or the metal swivelling kind, which can easily get torn off, but can also be more readily replaced if the company offers spares, which a reputable luggage company will.

Look also at the handles. Are they fully retractable? Are they made of plastic, metal, with a comfy soft hand grip? Does it seat within the body of the suitcase when it is folded down, or is it jutting out anywhere. Believe me, if the handle goes on a wheeled bag, it is not much use any more.

Other people try to use different identifying marks on their bags to distinguish from the hundreds of black suitcase all going around and around on the carousel.

Far better to get a luggage strap than all sorts of pom poms or other little things that dangle and can cause your suitcase to get snagged and torn.And the luggage strap will help prevent the bag from bursting if the zippers do give way.

For the constant traveler, having luggage which will stand up to the various stresses and strains of travel is a must.

While many of us are not able or willing to buy designer luggage, there are various brands of cheap luggage that you can invest in.

Some of these inexpensive luggage pieces are the lower end of the range made by reputable luggage manufacturers. But that is fine. Not every suitcase has to be top of the line. It depends on form and function.

And for the top brands, even their lower end of the price scale is good, because these manufacturers are well versed in the construction of luggage, and don’t want to put their name on a piece of junk, after all.

In addition, they know about the various size restrictions which are currently in place for airline travel.

The other facts which these companies will be aware of is the myriad of pressures that luggage undergoes while it is being transported from your departure point to your destination.

Keep these pressures in mind when you are thinking about cheap luggage. If the bags are just intended to go into the cabin with you, great. If it is going to go into the checked baggage area, you might want to consider the thickness of the fabric, and the quality of the zippers. Just think of the Samsonite gorilla endurance test for your bags.

I buy pretty good luggage, and am always amazed at how damaged it gets returned to me only a couple of hours later!

What you need to know about this essential piece of travel equipment.