Waiting by the airport luggage carousel reveals damaged luggage, broken cases, or soft bags repaired for the journey. Zips are broken, hard cases have cracked, fabric has torn, straps have disappeared, handles are missing, and some are coming apart. People struggle away laden with cases, hand luggage, holdalls, shoulder bags, and plastic carriers.

Tests by newspapers, magazines, and travel organisations, and your own personal experience, tells you that cheap luggage doesn't last. And, when it breaks, you'll be anywhere except at home.

There's a simple solution: buy luggage that's big enough but still manageable, cut down on the number of bags, and optimise the space you've got. Virtually all hand luggage pieces fit in the aircraft overhead bins or under the seat in front and virtually all cases fit in a car boot or a taxi. So, let's take a fresh look at luggage: its design, functions, reliability, and value.

From September 2006, the UK airport security restrictions allow for one piece of hand luggage, up to 450mm x 560mm x 250mm including any wheels, handles, and side pockets. However, as this may change, check well in advance of your travel date.

Other bags, such as handbags, may be carried within the single item of cabin baggage. As a laptop bag will be regarded as your one item that is allowed in the cabin, it's better to pack your laptop in the largest size bag that is allowed. Pack it on the top as it will probably have to be X-rayed separately.

As a general rule, cosmetics, shampoos, medicines, nail scissors, drinks, and pressurised sprays should be packed in your main luggage. If any items are confiscated at security control you will not be compensated and, with the exception of unusual circumstances, the confiscated items will not be returned.

Although luggage is available in a range of colours, you'll probably find that, if you want to buy a replacement or another case, the colour will have been used for a short term promotion or discontinued.

Choosing luggage is usually a personal style decision, However, there are several reasons why a soft case may be more practical.

Although hard cases are made of resilient materials, such as polycarbonate, the surfaces do scratch: as you'll see on the airport carousel. The cases do roll and tumble and are transferred in wire cages.

With hard cases, when they're full, it's not easy to tuck in a few extras. With soft cases, just undo part of the zip and squeeze them in.

A rectangular case holds more than a tapered or rounded style of the same outside dimensions. It's much easier to successfully pack clothes as they're usually folded into rectangles.

The larger trolley cases have larger wheels, with a degree of suspension so that bumps don't transfer to the pulling mechanism. Smaller trolley cases have smaller wheels, making them fit better into the overhead bins or under the seat.

There is no good reason why children's luggage, often described as fun, needs to be in a combination of primary colours or have cartoons on the front. Although backpacks may seem a good idea, they have to be taken off repeatedly as children want crayons, magazines, books, and toys. Also, they make sitting more difficult.