Average Reviews:
(More customer reviews)I love my Dash 21"!
I travel frequently, and it's always a relief to remember I've got my trusty Dash that will make the trip all that much easier.
First of all, the 4 wheels move around 360 degrees - what a luxury! And so handy when you're moving through tight spaces (ie, airplane and train aisles).
Then, there's the durable hard-shell case which seems just indestructible! Weather-proof (LOVE that!!) and bump-proof (I'm rough with my luggage) - it withstands it all!
Third - it fits a lot of stuff, and no matter what you put in there, it's all shelled in in a neat package. My old suitcases used to bulge out on the sides. Kind of embarrassing :)
Fourth - and this is most important of all - Brookstone service! After almost a year of taking this suitcase everywhere (Russia, Germany, Austria and all around the US) the expansion zipper broke (I press my luck with that.. I should be more gentle!). I, of course, had lost the receipt, but I knew that I was within one year of purchasing it. So, when I found myself in an the Atlanta airport with a Brookstone store nearby, I decided to press my luck and see if they could replace my suitcase since it was under warranty still (I didn't purchase the extended warranty). To my absolute sheer delight, they were so accommodating and went out of their way to find the record of my purchase (at JFK) and allowed me to replace my suitcase *for free*! (I think this may have been an exception - I don't recommend losing your receipt!) I was so pleased that with my new one I bought the extended warranty just to make sure that I don't end up in a pickle like that again. The icing on the cake was that I got to choose a new color, and I upgraded from gray (sleek, pretty) to the deep, sexy red!
This was definitely the most expensive suitcase I have *ever* purchased, but the high quality and the awesome customer service makes it totally worth it.
NB: the inside is a little different from your standard flip-top suitcase. There really isn't a "top" and a "bottom" - just kind of two halves of the same depth. One half (the "top") has a mesh & zipper cover over a deep shell so your things (I put lighter, softer things like clothes in there) will stay put when you open the case, and the "bottom" just has two elastic "V"s extending from the left and right sides. In all honesty, I was not too psyched about this arrangement at first, being so used to conventional suitcases where most of your stuff lies in the "bottom" half, but now I'm used to it and don't think about it anymore. But it's good to know that you might have to adjust your packing style. Another thing that's slightly annoying (but I'm over it) is that since the two halves are of equal depth you can really prop the top open against say, a wall or dresser or bed, when unpacking. The top half has a lot of stuff in it, too, which makes it kind of heavy. So, what I end up doing is laying it out completely flat. This takes up twice the room, yes, but - it's worth it. I love my Dash! Anything to make getting on planes and trains a pleasant experience!
BUT - if a Brookstone person does read this, I would suggest that the "bottom" half be made deeper (with the extension fabric on the bottom) than the top. Could the top be made more shallow like conventional suitcases? Maybe there's some reason it can't be (maybe it wont be as durable), but for what it's worth, that might be a good adjustment to the model.
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Dash 21" Rolling Hardside
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