Question from Sally S
Hi Debra,
I have been all over the internet and dug through archives, but am having little results looking for luggage. It seems that even those touting ʻeco friendlyʻ are really a typical derailment of fact.
If it is made of recycled materials, I question what was in the previous encarnation. Nylon has been treated with chemicals. Handles made of ʻtprʻ? Some claim ʻecoʻ and yet state pvc dividers.
They stink! They cause hands to react, rashes and blisters, my husband has to wear gloves when traveling.
I need to replace my old bags and am in need of something for mobility, in other words I am no longer able to perform pack mule duties. I have seen abs, polycarbonate, polyester, nylon, and many with ʻCA Prop 65 warningʻ. (The top rated Travel Pro)
The leather bags come from China and everything is suspect. Buying used is just as risky, pesticides and cleaners or such.
Any guidance or suggestions will be greatly appreciated. Thank you.
Debra’s Answer
I totally understand, and this is not an easy question to answer.
Some years ago I was traveling a lot and my old suitcases were in tatters. I wanted to get the least toxic luggage I could find and I did.
It was made by a company called Sand & Storm . I just looked them up and they are still in business. They are very well made of cotton and leather (no odor) and are extremely durable. Not inexpensive, but I had some extra money at the time and decided to make an investment. I’m sure they will last for the rest of my life. They have already lasted 10 years and are like new.
They used to make luxury safari tents. Now they make safari-grade bags. In Kenya. From Tanzanian 18oz all-cotton canvas (very soft and lined with even softer cotton), hand-selected leather hides, and solid brass fittings. I have two duffle bags and an overnight bag. All with strong comfortable straps so I can toss them over my shoulder.
I found mine at Bloomingdale’s in New York and fell in love instantly. If you want this luggage, I think you’ll need to contact them in Kenya and see if they can ship it to you.
So now the best I can do is to recommend cotton duffle bags, such as those sold at Port Canvas.
Try searching on “cotton luggage,” “linen luggage, and “hemp luggage.”. There were a lot of results, such as this one from Pottery Barn.
Trouble is that these companies are not dedicated to being nontoxic, so I don’t know what the finishes are, etc. Sometimes they are lined with nylon.
Now about the wheels, there ARE some cotton duffle bags with wheels such as this one at Orvis. Again, I don’t know how this might be contaminated, but the materials are pretty good. At least better than conventional luggage.
All of the ones I looked at so far (TUMI, Samsonite) all come with Prop 65 Warnings for cancer and reproductive harm for all of their products. I’m finding it impossible to find one that doesn’t come with a warning. Can anyone recommend any luggages that don’t come with a warning?
I have not looked into this category. You could call the manufacturer of the piece you want to buy and ask them what chemical requires the warning label and how it is used in the product. It’s possible that it is used in a way that a consumer would not be exposed to during normal use.
I’ve been looking for the same thing and the only thing I can come up with is leather luggage or canvas persay as a duffle bag.
It is very important to read the labels as you have been. So let me know if you find anything. Even if you look up non-toxic or pc and abs luggage it still has the, Prop 65 label on it.
I’ve even reached out to companies if its not labeled on luggage, and they write back. Prop 65 is being labeled on many things including furniture, electronics, cookware, blenders and more. Yes, we need to try to avoid this as much as possible. Thank you
I’ve been searching for ages now too. I can’t believe how hard it is to find! There’s so much greenwashing out there. All the “eco” friendly luggage seems to be recycled plastics… and even environmentally conscious Patagonia is coating all their stuff with DWR (durable water repellent) coatings, fluoro forever-chemicals. None of that is chemically sensitive or low VOC. Bluesign still seems to allow the use of DWRs? Searching for organic luggage yields exactly nothing. I could find cotton duffles- or organic “mommy bags” I guess they’re called. Wheeled luggage is preferred, because I have chronic illness (POTS and MCAS) though. I found a convertible device you can get on Amazon to stap your luggage bag on and wheel. It’s basically a collapsible dolly with straps which can work great on a budget I think. I also contacted Filson, who makes my husband’s beautiful work bag, and they confirmed they don’t use any DWR coatings, and the leather, though I prefer to avoid it, is actually vegetable tanned. Veryyy expensive, but at least I found SOMETHING and if it lasts forever and we never lost it, it would be an investment. Would love any other leads!
Thank you very much, I really appreciate the help.
Today I stumbled onto this line of bags, http://www.tsdbrand.com, made of cotton canvas and non toxic leather, nickle free hardware. I found them on ebags.com as well as amazon.
I don’t find the cotton webbing long straps to my liking, but a wide guitar strap is very functional and more comfortable. ( an idea apparently fashionable these days).
They are sister company to http://www.oldtrend.com which is leather bags of an apparently high quality.