by Hope Lee

Created on: November 25, 2009   Last Updated: December 23, 2009

The Ricardo Beverly Hills Huntington Lite Expandable Upright is a highly respected piece of luggage. It is known for it's ease of use, roomy pockets, and affordable price. It has earned high marks from users on ebags.com.

The Huntington Lite is suitable as a piece of carry-on luggage, but with careful packing can contain clothes for a four day trip. At 21" tall, it is slightly shorter than the maximum allowed height for American carry-on luggage, but will fit well into the slightly smaller requirements of overseas airlines.

The "Lite" designation comes from the fact that it is lighter than the "classic" pieces in the Ricardo Beverly Hills line. However, it is only a few ounces lighter and still weighs in at 8 pounds 8 ounces unloaded. While this is lighter than many carryons (which can weigh over 10 pounds unloaded), it is still a significant weight to be carrying around in addition to the contents of the suitcase.

This suitcase also can be expanded by a few inches using a zipper that runs around the front. While this is a convenient feature, it will expand the suitcase to the point where it cannot be placed in an overhead bin on an airplane. It should not, however, create problems with tipping as the Huntington is built on a slight angle to counter-balance this.

When navigating with the Huntington, it rolls smoothly and easily on large wheels.  However, it does have a few issues with taking sharp corners and may tip over.  The slight angle that it sits back at also can trick you into thinking that you've set the bag completely upright when it is not, causing it to tip over after you let go. 

The exterior of the suitcase also offers two pockets on the front, one large and one small. Because of the way the bag is made, bulky items placed in these exterior pockets will cause the bag to bulge awkwardly.  There is a strap for attaching a second piece of luggage that tucks conveniently out of sight in its own zippered pocket when not in use. There is both a top and a side handle for gripping and lifting and a sturdy pulling handle that also has its own zippered closure for when not in use. The zippers are sturdy and well-made.

The interior of the bag offers mostly one large space for packing, but it also offers several convenient features for organization. One of the nicest is the hanger hook and padded strap for packing hanging items, albeit with one fold in them. There is both a large mesh pocket in the lid of the bag and a small mesh pocket along one side of the bag. There is also a detachable shoe/wet item bag and an included 3-1-1 baggie for sending liquids through a security screening. Finally, there are adjustable straps for cinching your clothes down into place.

The Huntington is made to be a carry-on and will fit reasonably into the overhead bins of all planes other than commuter planes.  However, it is also built to withstand being checked and will survive the journey without much impact on the bag. 

Overall, this is a sturdy suitcase at a very reasonable price. While there are cheaper suitcases and better suitcases, the Ricardo Beverly Hills Huntington Lite Expandable Upright is a good combination of sturdy construction and affordable price.

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