When Is the Best Time to Buy Outdoor Gear?

Rugged, “adventure” travel gear—like Wirecutter picks from Patagonia’s Black Hole line, Cotopaxi, and others—may see meaningful discounts during these outdoor-gear sales. But standard luggage you’d take on a business trip or resort vacation is less likely to have good sales. During the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, travel-gear prices reached new lows as demand cratered. In recent months, though, we’ve seen prices for luggage at record highs, likely driven by a combination of increased demand and heightened supply-chain costs. Still, you can check out Memorial Day sales from retailers like Bloomingdales and Nordstrom—and even direct-to-consumer brands like Away—for potential discounts on various luggage, duffle bags, and travel accessories. However, the sale prices of today are often roughly equivalent to pre-pandemic “full” prices.