Lugg vs Tripp vs IT Luggage: Which Suitcase Brand Wins?

Three brands. One question most UK travellers have asked at some point: is there a meaningful difference between the budget suitcase options, or are they all the same bag in different packaging?

The short answer is no, they’re not all the same. Lugg, Tripp and IT Luggage all sit in a similar bracket but they make different decisions on materials, warranty, airline compatibility and where they sell. Those decisions matter more than most people realise when you’re standing at an airport gate and your bag either passes the sizer or not.

This is a straightforward comparison of all three: what each brand does well, where each one falls short and which one makes sense for the kind of traveller you are.

Quick Verdict: Lugg vs Tripp vs IT Luggage

How the Three Brands Compare at a Glance

All dimensions and approvals should be verified against your specific airline’s current policy before travelling.

Lugg Suitcases: Press-Backed and Airline-Approved

Lugg is the youngest of the three brands and the one that has built its reputation fastest. The Jetset cabin bag was named an Amazon number one best seller by the Liverpool Echo, the Vacay was featured on ITV’s This Morning by travel expert Chelsea Dickenson and the Jetset was named Glamour’s best affordable underseat bag. For a brand at this price point, that’s a meaningful amount of editorial attention in a short space of time.

The product case is solid. The Jetset 20" weighs 2.5 kg, making it the lightest hard shell cabin case in the range. ABS construction throughout, 360 degree spinner wheels, water-resistant coating and TSA lock on the cabin cases. The Sky Rover adds a polycarbonate coating for improved scratch resistance and is confirmed for Ryanair Priority. The range goes from a 40cm underseat bag all the way through to a 32 inch XL, which means you can build a matching set across every trip length. Available in Morrisons stores nationwide, which is an unusual level of physical retail presence for a direct-to-consumer brand at this price.

For someone who wants a confirmed cabin-approved bag with airline compatibility clearly documented on each product page and a bit of press validation behind the purchase, Lugg makes a strong case.

Shop the Lugg range

Tripp: The Brand with Over 20 Years of Experience

Tripp has been selling luggage in the UK for over two decades, through Next, Amazon and their own website. Their Holiday 8 is the core range: polypropylene hard shell, eight spinner wheels, TSA lock on most models and a five-year guarantee. The cabin bag sits at 55 x 40 x 20 cm and weighs 2.7 kg, making it slightly heavier than the Lugg Jetset.

Where Tripp pulls ahead is colour range and brand familiarity. The five-year guarantee on the Holiday range is the strongest substantive warranty of the three brands and covers genuine peace of mind if something fails.

The weak points are consistent across customer feedback: zips tend to go first, some lighter colourways show scuffs more quickly than others and the interior organisation is basic. Polypropylene is a slightly different material to ABS. It’s more flexible and dent-resistant, which is useful for hold luggage, but it can feel a little less structured than an ABS case at cabin size.

IT Luggage: The Lightweight Pick for Occasional Travellers

IT Luggage has been designing luggage since 1985 and their strongest selling point is weight. Their hard shell cases tend to come in lighter than equivalent Tripp sizes, which matters if you’re flying a lot and every gram counts toward your allowance. The 10-year warranty sounds impressive, but the terms are worth reading: it covers manufacturing defects and material faults rather than airport handling damage, which is where most luggage problems actually occur.

Customer feedback is genuinely split. Positive reviews consistently mention lightweight feel and ease of movement, and the hard shell carry-on range performs well in that department. Critical reviews tend to flag the soft shell models: thin fabric, zips that feel cheap and a tendency to stain. The hard shell range is the stronger product and the carry-on sizes are where IT Luggage does its best work.

For someone who flies two or three times a year and wants the lightest possible cabin bag, IT Luggage is a reasonable choice. For more frequent travellers, or anyone who needs confirmed airline-specific compatibility clearly stated, it’s the weakest of the three on that brief.

Which Brand Should You Choose?

Choose Lugg if...

You fly budget airlines regularly and want airline compatibility clearly documented for each bag. The Jetset cabin case is the starting point for most people, the Sky Rover if you fly Ryanair with Priority and want Ryanair-confirmed overhead cabin approval. The Vacay if colourway variety matters and you want a TSA indent lock. For an extra touch of elegance, choose Solo Explorer with a reinforced aluminium frame.

Choose Tripp if...

You want a brand with two decades of UK customer loyalty behind it and a five-year warranty. The Holiday 8 cabin bag is the one to go for. Available in Next stores if you want to see it in person before committing.

Choose IT Luggage if...

You want the lightest possible cabin bag and fly a couple of times a year rather than constantly. The hard shell carry-on range is their strongest product. The 10-year guarantee sounds compelling but it covers manufacturing defects only, not airport handling damage.

Final Verdict

Budget doesn’t have to mean unreliable, but it does mean knowing what you’re buying and why. Tripp has the history and the warranty to back it up. IT Luggage has the weight advantage for occasional travellers who don’t stress the bag. Lugg has the airline documentation and the press validation for people who want to know exactly what they’re boarding with. We know which one we’d pick – do you?

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