Product review: SINOKAL Elastic Dustproof Luggage Suitcase Protector Cover Fits Most 20" to 29" Bags

What attracted me to this cover is the thought of easily identifying my luggage on the airport carousel. I selected the "dreamy colors" because it was the wildest brightest design which I thought would stand out the most. The colors in the stock photo were accurate and it is as bright and as wild in person as you see in the stock photo.



I tried it on the two large suitcases that I travel with most frequently and both had some fit issues. I am attaching photos for each suitcases and will describe the issues so you can be the judge if they are deal breakers. One of my suitcases is green another one is red so you can match my comments to the photos.



Green suitcase

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1. Sinokal's bottom closes with a large Velcro strip and an elastic strap for extra security. The wheels fit fine, the suitcase rolls well. See green suitcase collage photos labeled 1 and 2.



2. The openings for the handles on the side and on top line up well. The handled are positioned in the center of the suitcase and that lines up with holes in the cover. See green suitcase collage photos labeled 3 and 4.



3. The fit problem is with the handle that extends to roll this suitcases. The handle on this suitcase spans the entire width of the suitcase and does not fit into the small opening in the luggage cover. See green suitcase collage photo labeled 4.



The fact that I cannot roll the suitcases when it case a cover on a serious problem. I would need to cut the opening to be bigger if I decide to use this cover with the green suitcase.



Red suitcase

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1. The bottom closes with a large Velcro strip and an elastic strap for extra security. The wheels fit fine, the suitcase rolls well. See red suitcase collage photo labeled 1.



2. The handle that extends to roll the luggage lines up with the opening of the luggage cover perfectly. The handle is small and off center. It fits into the hole in the cover just right. See red suitcase collage photo labeled 2.



3. The fit problem comes from the position of the handles. The handles on this suitcases are positioned off center, so both the side and the top handles of the suitcase do not line up with the openings in the cover. See red suitcase collage photos labeled 3 and 4. However, they are close enough to the opening that I can reach them through the opening and the handles can be used.



The problems with the handles are minor, I can still use them. So overall, the red suitcase fits the cover better.



I received this luggage cover for testing and review. Bottom line: I love the idea of the luggage cover to personalize my luggage and make it stand out. It also provides protection for the suitcase which to me is secondary. However, the luggage cover is not universal. It fits best the suitcases with the following configurations:

1. the handle that pulls out has to be off center and not span the entire width of the luggage.

2. the handles on the sides has to be in the middle of the luggage.



Other configuration could work too, but you might need to do some sewing to enlarge the holes in the cover to fit your favorite suitcase.



You can find this luggage cover on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review

Product review: Lelec 7" Car GPS Navigation

As I write this review I have been using Lelec GPS for three weeks. It has many weaknesses (details below) and one key strength (the maps and the navigation itself). As I used it I found a way to solve the problem with the poor screen visibility in the sun which raised my overall experience to good. Note: the seller offers two products in this listing, I am reviewing the one without the rear camera.



As a background for this review I am a very experienced GPS user. We purchased our first GPS in 1999 and between my husband and I had chance to use a large number GPS units over the last 16 years. How does this GPS stack up? It is NOT the best navigation system out there, but it has several features that I do like. I hope the pluses and minuses I describe will help you in your decision of this GPS unit is a good match for your needs.



The best feature of this GPS unit are the good maps (provided by TomTom and dated June 2014). The weakest points are the user interface, which is uses the old technology for resistive touch screen and the screen visibility in the sun. The unit also includes several very outdated and primitive apps which decrease the overall impression of the unit, but they are optional so one can just ignore them.



THINGS I LIKE:

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1. The maps are fairly current (June 2014). The display shows 3-D like rending of the turns which helps to orient yourself in a complex intersections.



2. A 7" screen is large and easy to see even for someone with imperfect vision. The screen looks washed in the sun, good in the shade, and is superb during the night. My video shows the display as we drive under different conditions. I found a work around for the poor screen visibility in the sun by changing where I mount the screen. Instead of using the mount that comes with the GPS I mounted it using a Command hook and "TABI-Stretch it on!" mount over the screen of my car's built-in GPS. The maps on the built-in GPS are now out of date and TomTom maps are significantly better. Mounting GPS in this position puts the screen in the shade, gives me a great angle and does not block visibility out of the window (but does block the car's radio as well the old GPS screen). At the end of the video I have several shots of how Lelec GPS is mounted in my car.



3. The navigation system does not require cell coverage. Our favorite navigation system at this time is Google Navigation but it requires cell coverage, which means it does not work in some rural areas where we like to travel on weekend. There is no such restriction using Lelec system. Google navigation has a street view which allows you to see the actual street and buildings this feature is not available through TomTom maps used by Lelec.



4. The speaker is good. It has a good volume level and has a large selection of male and female voices to choose from. All of them sound natural, not like a robot. I include voice directions in my video with the volume set to MAX.



5. Destination can be saved to "Favorites". It is easy to do with just a few keystrokes (my video clip includes an example).



6. You can change units from metric (default) to miles. By default the GPS is set to metric measures.



THINGS I DO NOT LIKE:

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1. The touch screen uses the old resistive touch technology, where you need to press the screen very hard. If you are used to touch screens on the smart phone this type of the touch screen feels unresponsive.

On the positive side this touch screen user interface is easier to use than a joystick interface, you can enter destination by typing on the keyboard keyboard when entering destinations.



2. The screen is hard to see in the sun. The image looks very washed out and it is hard to read labels. The screen looks much better in the shade or in the dark. I was able to solve this by moving the GPS below the dashboard, but this may not work for some people as it covers the radio.



3. Screen does not rotate, you need to mount one specific way



4. Amazon description says the US maps are current as of 2015. The software says the maps are current as of June 2014.



5. There an option for traffic notification, however when we ran Google Navigation and Lelec at the same time Google was generating traffic warnings and Lelec did not. The overall result was that Lelec route took longer than Google route. In general, Google Navigation calculations of our arrival time were more accurate over a number of different trips we did with both GPS doing the routing.



6. In the navigation software there is information on how to get updates. When I went to that web site I had to enter the brand name of the GPS and Lelec did not match any of the devices for which I could get updates.

To see the web site where you can get updates: Show map - Destination - More - Updates and extras. When I contacted the vendor he told me that updates can be obtained by calling the Chinese company that manufactured the GPS. So I am not counting on getting updates.



7. In addition to the Navigation app this unit has a sreen full of other apps. All of them are very primitive and fall short of expectations for anyone who used similar apps on a smart phone. I don't plan on using them.



The strongest feature of this GPS is the map and the navigation. This is the most important part of the product, so even though it has a number of short comings this is a reasonable option for a GPS system if travel in areas without cell coverage or don't have a cell phone that can do Google navigation.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★☆

Product review: VonHaus ABS 3-piece Small, Medium & Large Luggage Sets

This luggage is built like a tank. It is made out of hard plastic. This is my first set of hard shell luggage. It is beautiful, offers great protection for the content, but what I did not realize that these bags are quite heavy even when they are empty (see weight for each below). However when I roll the bags the rolling is smooth and effortless. Each suitcase has four wheels and all wheels have 360 degrees of freedom. This means they can be rolled upright and sideways so they would fit into narrow spaces like airplane isles as well as pulled by their handled when there is room to move around. The telescoping handle operates smoothly and locks in various positions. For each of the four bags the maximum height of the handle is 42". The handles are ergonomically shaped and don't dig into my hand. The zippers work well and have large pulls so they are easy to grab.



You can pack items in both halves of the hard shell. Items on one side are held in by the elastic gators, items on the other side are held in by the divider which is also a pocket.



I like that for storage the suitcases fit into each other like nesting dolls



One other nice thing is that they have built-in combination locks. Note they NOT TSA approved locks, if you want TSA locks you can find them in the premier version of this luggage VonHaus 3 Piece Extra Strong ABS TSA Luggage Set

Here is how to change the lock combination:

1) Open the lock (the original combination is 0-0-0)

2) Push and hold the main locking button away from the combo lock toward the edge

3) Turn the numbered disks to your desired combination

4) Release the main locking button

The lock combination can be changed again by repeating these steps



Large bag

External size 29.7" x 21" x 11.9"

Internal size 27" x 19" x 11"

Weight 9 pounds 7.5 oz

Length of the handle at max height 42"



Medium bag

External size 26.2" x 17.7" x 10.3"

Internal size 23.5" x 16" x 9"

Weight 7 pounds 19 oz

Length of the handle at max height 42"



Small bag

External size 21.3" x 14.1" x 8.3"

Internal size 18" x 12.5" x 7"

Weight 5 lb 10.5 oz

Length of the handle at max height 42"



If you have questions on something I did not cover post a comment and I'll do my best to answer it.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Product review: Bags for LessTM Jumbo Sports Duffel Bag on Wheels, 30"

This rolling duffel would have a been a very nice bag if the wheels did not fall off in transit. I saw that another reviewer had the same issue when he took this bag on a trip, so I guess I was lucky to get an early warning. If the wheels do come off I rather have them come off before I took the bag on a trip. This duffel is so large that it would have been super heavy to carry without wheels. It has built in straps but for me it would be uncomfortably heavy to carry as a backpack if it was jammed packed.



The canvas bag construction is very nice and the duffel bag itself is very large, it fits as much as a large suitcase, except it is built as a duffel bag with two large compartments one on top of another. Its dimensions are 30" W x 14" H x 15" D. However, the plastic that holds the wheels is very flimsy. One wheel totally came off in shipment and another one had cracked plastic and was hanging on by one sliver of plastic. You can see the bag itself and the breakage in the attached video.



I received this bag with a request for a fair and honest review. If you are looking for a large duffel on wheels this is not the one to get.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★☆☆☆☆

Rick Steves Clothesline (braided rubber clothline rope)

This clothline is made out of three braids of rubber, which can be pulled apart to poke through a small piece of the garment you want to dry. This means you don't need to worry about cloth pins when you travel. This clothline works very well indoors, however the rubber braids are not strong enough to hold clothing outside in the wind or near an open window with strong gusts.



The length of this rope without stretching is 40 inches. Each end of the rope ends in a Velcro loop which I did not include in the 40 inch measurement as it will be tied around something. The stretchy part is 32 inches, and can be relatively easily stretch to 42 inches giving you a total of 48 inches. However, I would not stretch it any more than that as I ran into issues: either the pull moves the objects it is tied to (when I use two chairs) or the Velcro undoes itself. I was also worried about pulling out the rope ends from the rubber part and ruining the rope. My solution to a relatively short length is to pack a short rope with a loop on one end. When I need extra reach to tie the clothline I attach the Velcro tie to the loop of the rope. This extension gives me the extra length to reach another stationary object when needed.

I am attaching a photo  which shows a close-up of the rope with a pen sticking through the braids to demonstrate how it stretches. You can also see how solidly the Velcro ties are constructed. They are quite thick.



When I travel I always wash my items in the sink. This allows me to bring fewer clothes as well as have a minimum amount of dirty underwear in the luggage. Most things I have dry over night. Typically hiking socks are the only things that remain damp. This becomes a problem if you are moving from place to place, so I carry a spare plastic bag where the items that are not totally dry travel if we are switching hotel rooms. To do the laundry I use the shampoo (either the hotel's or the travel bottle I bring myself if we travel in places which do not provide toiletries).



I found having this travel rope makes laundry on the go easier, and I don't need to worry about forgetting to bring cloth pins or using up all hangers for hanging laundry instead of cloth.



You can find it on Amazon by following this link.





AshopZones review ★★★★★

Ten Desirable Travel Gadgets

It goes without saying that when you set off on your travels you pack clean clothes, toiletries and other essentials – such as headache tablets – into your chosen luggage type. But, to get the most out of your time on the move on in your hotel, what else should you take with you? Here's a top ten of useful items and gadgets:

1. Universal plug – If you are planning to use anything electrical, such as a hair dryer, travel iron or mobile phone charger in your hotel room, then make sure the universal plug is one of the first items you pack.

2. Travel Iron – Unless the grungy, crumpled look is really your thing, pack away a handy little travel iron. You never know when you'll need that groomed, suave and sophisticated look when on your travels.

3. Archos portable media player – Even on the longest trips you'd be hard-pushed to run out of options with this player. The 160GB memory version holds a staggering 450 full-length movies, 1.6 million photos or almost 80,000 tunes.

4. Laptop with WiFi – Most of the world's big hotel chains and indeed a lot of the quality independents are now fitted with wireless allowing easy and convenient log-in to your own laptop.

5. Mobile phone and charger – Unless you resolutely refuse to be contactable on your travels, don't forget your phone and charger! Remember to ensure that your provider has enabled you for roaming before you go! It can also act as your camera!

6. Beer bottle goblets – Even if you can't get your hands on your favourite ale while away you can always think you're drinking it. With upended Stella and Sol beer bottles presented as goblets, these are an inventive and novel way to hold your drinks!

7. The Good Book – no not an actual printed bible, but a very cunningly disguised lookalike in which you stash away a 4oz stainless steel flask inside. It's a great place to hide you booze, as even the most hardened criminal is unlikely to look in the bible for goodies!

8. Hairdryer – this article is not just for the ladies. Most hotels may have their own version but make sure that you pack your 1600watt monster if you want more than a gentle breeze to cross your barnet in your hotel room.

9. Washing up powder and sewing repair kit – Look after your clothes in a cheap and cheerful manner by washing them yourself in the hotel sink! It saves an absolute packet on hotel fees and keeps you sparkling and fresh. Any repairs can be patched up with your sewing kit!

10. First aid kit – Can literally be a lifesaver depending on to where you are traveling. For example if visiting tropical countries serious consideration should be given to taken items like malaria tablets, anti-biotics and sun creams. Even non-tropical travels should include at least headache and gastric relief tablets!

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Article Tags: London, Travel, Hotel, Gadgets


About the Author:
Daniel Johansson is an Internet specialist and keen traveller who writes on a wide variety of subjects. For people wanting to visit London and sample something a little different, staying in a townhouse hotel could offer a quite unique experience. http://www.montagu-place.co.uk/