If you want a premium and top-notch luggage brand, you can’t go wrong with Briggs and Riley or Tumi. They both know how to make quality luggage that will last you for a long time. However, if you find yourself between both worlds and asking, “Is Briggs and Riley better than Tumi?” Then look no further.
My team and I have done the research, so you will get all the information you need about both brands, and know which is best for your travel needs.
Keep reading to find out more…
Table of Contents
Yes! Briggs and Riley is better than Tumi in my opinion.
Briggs and Riley offer a better product warranty on their suitcases compared to Tumi. So you can rest assured that your suitcase can be repaired or replaced if anything ever happens.
They care about their customers and the sustainability of the environment thereby reducing the number of bags that end up in landfills.
Briggs and Riley offers better customer service compared to Tumi.
Not only are their customer service better than that of Tumi’s but they also get lots of positive reviews from customers with very few complaints compared to Tumi.
Briggs and Riley is less expensive than Tumi and offers equal durability if not better
Below are the reasons why I feel Briggs and Riley is better than Tumi.
Briggs and Riley probably has the best warranty policy of any luggage brand as they offer a lifetime warranty on all their products which is quite impressive.
Their “no matter what” means no matter what happens to your suitcase, including damage caused by airlines, they’ll gladly repair it for you.
This is one feature Briggs and Riley has over other brands not just Tumi. Their warranty covers any functional part of your bag for the life of the bag. However, the warranty doesn’t cover any cosmetic damage or any loss or replacement of a stolen bag.
It’s a shame Tumi has watered down its warranty over the years. Tumi used to offer a lifetime warranty before it was bought by samsonite in 2016. Now they only offer a limited 5-year warranty with lots of conditions.
For Briggs and Riley, you do not need to show your proof of purchase and you can even transfer your warranty. It’s not so for Tumi, as you have to show proof of purchase before you can enjoy the limited warranty which some customers found to be stressful and unrealistic.
Here are my recommendations of the Best Hardside Luggage in 2023.
Whilst making profits is a top objective for Briggs and Riley, they are also concerned about the environment.
You can see this in Briggs and Riley’s sustainability efforts, partly through their strategy of producing durable bags that last their customers for a long time.
The rationale being that this leads to fewer bags ending up in landfill sites.
And even if the luggage gets damage perhaps by an airline, customers can have them repaired instead of throwing them away since Briggs and Riley offer a no questions asked lifetime guarantee that is every easy to use.
Tumi on the other hand doesn’t have such a provision.
3. Briggs and Riley offer better customer service
Briggs and Riley’s commitment to building lifelong customer relationships is unrivaled in the luggage industry.
As discussed earlier in one of the points about Tumi’s customer service being poor, Briggs and Riley on the other hand has superb customer service and even excellent after-sales service.
To ensure excellent customer service, they offer three fast and easy repair options. This is to make it easier for customers to access any of the options that best suit them and get their needs and queries attended to.
More so, Briggs and Riley’s website is more welcoming and customer friendly compared to Tumi. Their customer service section is detailed and loaded with first-hand information.
Their website shows their level of dedication to satisfying their customers and giving them an experience they won’t forget easily.
To know more about their repair options, you can read the full guide here.
Briggs and Riley suitcase is one of my favorite luggage for international travel and best carry-on luggage in 2023.
4. People complain more about Tumi
There have been lots of complaints from people who have purchased Tumi bags. A lot of them say it’s just not worth it and are switching to other brands.
People who made the switch to Briggs and Riley however are happy they made a good choice. Some of the complaints about Tumi are:
Bad customer service
There have been lots of bad reviews on blogs and forums about Tumi in this regard. Customers who have purchased their bags and needed a repair complained of how poor Tumi’s customer service is, especially in areas regarding repairs. Tumi is even rated poorly on the Trust Pilot website.
Tumi bags are very heavy
Whilst Briggs and Riley boast of lightweight bags, Tumi bags on the other hand are quite heavy.
A customer who purchased one of their suitcases said it weighed as much as 4kg unloaded.
This is not favorable if you’re checking in your luggage. You might have to pay for extra weight or adjust your packing to fit within the weight allowance.
Terrible warranty policy
Not long ago, Tumi’s lifetime warranty was reduced to a 5-year limited warranty with lots of conditions.
To make matters worse, customers who had purchased a Tumi bag before the new warranty policy were told that the warranty on their bag is void, meaning they can’t get their bag repaired for free anymore.
This is sad if you ask me and Tumi should do better in this regard so they can continue being relevant.
There have been complaints about Tumi’s quality
One of the major reasons why Tumi became so popular in the luggage industry is the fact that they make quality and durable bags. And if there’s any good thing anybody has to say about them is that their bags would last you a long time.
But I guess that is becoming a thing of the past now as there are lots of questions being raised by customers about their quality.
5. Briggs and Riley is less expensive compared to Tumi
Briggs and Riley price point is lower than Tumi with their regular hard-side carry-on ranging between $549-$599. While Tumi’s hard-side carry-on ranges between $695-$1050.
The price difference is huge and something you should seriously consider if you are stuck between both worlds.
Not that Briggs and Riley is in any way cheap, but in comparison, customers believe Briggs and Riley offer better value for money compared to overpriced Tumi bags.
For Tumi, there is a sense that it’s more about status, symbols and luxury, but for Briggs and Riley, it’s more about functionality.
The Rolling Cabin from Briggs and Riley makes it into my top recommendation for best underseat luggage in 2023!
Advantages Tumi has over Briggs and Riley
Having said that, there are ways in which Tumi is better than Briggs and Riley;
Tumi has been known to produce stylish bags that is tailored toward fashion statement and status symbolism.
The design of their suitcase is incredibly beautiful and sophisticated as well – a feature Briggs and Riley lacks. Though not flashy, you can tell their suitcases are high-end because of the extra details and materials used.
Let’s be practical here, shall we? Compared side by side to other premium luggage brands like Rimowa and Briggs and Riley, their design is way more sophisticated.
I’m even more ecstatic about the Tumi 19 degree Aluminum Collection which has similar features to Rimowa’s Aluminum style.
To be honest, there’s no Tumi suitcase that we didn’t like-it’s almost like love at first sight. No wonder it’s rated 14/15 points on clever journey’s site for its design and style.
Here are my top recommendations for very durable and well-designed Tumi bags that are worth splurging on.
2. Tumi has better innovative designs
In terms of innovation, Tumi beats Briggs and Riley hands down. Not that Briggs and Riley is doing badly in this regard.
One of Briggs and Riley’s best innovation is still their patented Compression-expansion system, which is revolutionary.
Tumi seem to offer even better innovative designs and some of them are;
- The patented tegris material for hard–side luggage: Tumi is the only luggage brand in the travel industry that has a license to use this material, hence incorporating it into their Tegra-lite collection.
This material provides excellent protection against fragments, projectiles, or blast threats while offering a lighter total weight than traditional thermoplastics and composites.
Not only that, but Tegris combines structure and performance to withstand rocks, baggage handlers, shrapnel, and other things life may throw at your suitcase. It is impact-resistant and 100% recyclable.
- Aircraft-grade aluminum extension telescopic handles, which are lightweight and extremely sturdy.
- The patented X-Brace 45 Handle System: an innovative handle tube system that protects the telescopic handle of the travel case. These new features virtually eliminate damage to the handle tubes while reducing the overall weight of the case.
- Omega Closure System: Tumi’s patented closure system significantly reduces the risk of damage to the zipper. The Omega zipper puller is designed to break away from the bag if it becomes caught. The puller, rather than the entire zipper, is then quickly and easily replaced.
- Tumi Tracer Programme: Tumi created this program to help reunite customers with their missing suitcases. It comprises a metal plate with a unique 20-digit registration number that contains your information on Tumi’s database. If your suitcase gets missing Tumi’s customer service can be called with the details on the metal plate and your bag can be retrieved by Tumi. With this program, there would be no need for a luggage tag.
Final thoughts!
Is Briggs and Riley better than Tumi? The answer is still yes.
Without any bias, I love Tumi but I feel there are ways in which the brand could do better to continue being relevant.
Briggs and Riley seem to offer better product warranty and better customer service which is a deal clincher, leaving many satisfied customers globally.
They are also less expensive and offer comparable durability, if not more.
More so, they care about their customers and the sustainability of the environment.
Hope you found this helpful? Let me know your thoughts in the comment section below.
Thank you for reading!
For any other general luggage-related questions, you are sure to find some answers in my Ultimate Guide to Carry-on Luggage and the Ultimate Guide to Checked Luggage posts.
