Canadian Gift Guide

Not only is it time to thank your teachers, it’s time to congratulate your grads. There are many options for grad gifts out there – from an electronics upgrade to a splashy car to a trip to money to “I’m paying your tuition, dammit.” Today I’m going to suggest the one that’s been a tradition in several branches of my family tree – luggage.

Luggage is one of those gifts that serves an uber practical purpose, particularly in today’s luggage-sensitive world of air travel. It’s also a great choice for high school OR college grads as they go on one last summer hurrah road trip, move to a new city for college or work, prepare for a gap year abroad, move out on their own (and finally stop borrowing mom & pop’s bags), or just start dreaming of their future plans.

And on that note, let me recommend Canadian company Heys for all your luggage-buying needs. My parents, after extensive research, purchased me two bags from Heys for the holidays (my grad set was well-traveled and running out of steam) and I have NOTHING but fantastic praise for them. The wheels allow you to move the bag in any direction instead of the (believe it or not) pull-behind mechanism that was newfangled just a decade ago. The bags are incredibly lightweight and in many cases, expandable, meaning you can protect your goods with a semi-hard shell but still cram as much as possible while traveling the world.

They also come in a beautiful range of boy-and-lady friendly distinctive patterns, meaning you can easily spot yours coming off the baggage carousel, and pick a style that’s suited to your graduating guy or gal. Sears.ca is your best bet for selection and sales – in fact, many of their bags are on sale until this Friday, June 24th, or you can buy your bags directly from the manufacturer, Heys. Prices range from about $100 (for their adult lines) to $400 per piece, although the deals sometimes are pretty unbelievable. Band together as a family or buy a starter piece – FYI, this is also a stellar wedding or going away gift!