Luggage

Our suitcases are beginning to show their age so I've started looking to see what's out there.

Question: Hard side or soft side? We've always bought the soft sided cases on the basis that you can always push a little more stuff in as they will have a bit of a give, plus you can now get some really light ones. However, we've just looked at a couple of the hard sided ones and were actually quite impressed with them.

We fly and cruise so that has to be taken into consideration, plus whether they fit into the boot (trunk) of our medium sized car; sometimes we can be travelling with 3 cases and 2 carryons to the port plus on occasion a 3rd person. On this latter occasion we would try and manage with the 3 cases between the 3 of us but would have 3 carryons.

Thoughts please and thanks in advance

We prefer hard cases with 4 wheels. The hard cases give better protection and don't tear, also when luggage gets left out in rain which sometimes happens at airports the hard case doesn't let water in. The 4 wheel cases are so easy to move compared with 2 wheel.

We use the light-weight Samsonite Spinners, which have hard sides and 4-wheels. Travel with 4 cases, all the same size and I can easily move all 4, with 2 back to back in each hand.

I have both and use both. The only thing I do not like on the hard shell...is that there are no outside zippered pockets/compartments. This is where I put all of our toiletries. I am always afraid something will explode in the suitcase itself. If I do use the hard shell set, I now put everything in zip-lock bags.

4 wheels is a must and check for a side handle, I prefer soft sided as they are usually expandable and we tend to come home with more stuff than we left with, most have exterior compartments for the jacket or raincoat you no longer need after arriving at the airport. Hard shell or hard sided cases don’t expand or have exterior compartments but if carrying delicate things a hard shell should offer better protection.

We have both hard and soft sided cases with both two and four wheels. Have been using the soft sided ones recently but reading a thread on bed bugs made me think I needed to use hard sided ones. Haven't

used our hard cases for several years as they were replaced by soft sided ones with extending handles.

Much to husband's disgust, I bought another set..hard skin, four wheels, extending handle and bright colour. haven't used them yet though. Haven't thrown the others out either....thank goodness for large attics.

Part of this depends on your travel style. I tend to do independent land trips in addition to the cruise. For me, this means managing my luggage on trains and buses, along sidewalks, and sometimes up and down stairs.

I have donated all of my 4 wheeled spinner cases because they are miserable on sidewalks and uneven surfaces. I kept tipping them and dragging them on just 2 wheels, which wasn't helping the luggage at all.

I like 2 sturdy wheels with a nice hard bar in front so the bag stands easily. Much easier to maneuver on all surfaces. I also like soft sides, with handles on all sides so I can lift and move the bag easily. The soft sided bags have a little extra squish to them, and that comes in handy on trains.

If you want specific brands, this is currently my favorite bag;

https://www.rei.com/product/118817/rei-co-op-tourwinder-rolling-luggage-22?CAWELAID=120217890004436539&CAGPSPN=pla&CAAGID=30320809360&CATCI=aud-384542385981:pla-422275408543&cm_mmc=PLA_Google|404_142250|1188170002|none|b96ed059-3000-4830-b9bd-7538cfebcc28|aud-384542385981:pla-422275408543&lsft=cm_mmc:PLA_Google_LIA|404_142250|1188170002|none|b96ed059-3000-4830-b9bd-7538cfebcc28&kclid=b96ed059-3000-4830-b9bd-7538cfebcc28&gclid=CjwKCAjwpIjZBRBsEiwA0TN1r-Pue1n3ZvQF-srHm1iyxeeZ0ztxTGy7KFyzOBK1os-qQhtl-iMtDBoCEAsQAvD_BwE

We currently have 2 sets (donated the rest)...

• We have one of each - hard & soft.
  
• Both have the spinner wheels (best invention ever... OK one of the best inventions ever)
  
• We like both - the big difference I notice is the soft-sided has a single, deep compartment w/ the zip top -- great for packing bulky items (including hard items).
  
• The hard shell has 2 basically equal size compartments with a middle zipper opening.
  
• As Champagne previously noted - our hard side does not have outside pockets either, there are some which do.
  

Luckily for us - we have both sets & utilize them as needed.

Happy Sailings...

I have always bought soft siders, one of the reasons being the weight, but I understand that the new hardsiders are made of much lighter materials. Go to a luggage store and check out different bags - lift them, walk with them etc. If you find something you like at a good price, buy it. If the price seems steep, check out ebags - the may have the bag you want at a lower price (plus you can usually find additional discounts for ebags on coupon websites and through loyalty clubs.)

What do flight crews use? Two wheeled TravelPro. So do we (in varying sizes).

BTW, as regards other luggage with four wheels: read the fine print on each of those spinner wheels: "Attention Baggage Handlers- please break me off."

Each to their own, but ...............

I've found four-wheel cases to be about as controllable as an errant shopping kart.

Everyone finds 4 wheels difficult or impossible on uneven or soft / gravelled ground and over thresholds or kerbs - I find them impossible even on smooth surfaces.

Or mebbe I'm just a lousy driver :rolleyes:

Two wheels - but wheels and feet positioned so that it will stand upright without toppling.

And a robust & well-made handle that won't jam at the most awkward moment.

Hard-sided cases do crack.

And they're slippery as well as inflexible, so will easily slide off when luggage handlers, coach drivers et al pile them on top of other cases - that's one reason why they crack.

Soft-sided makes best use of space in a cabin, a car trunk, a motel room, even to store in your wardrobe.

I bought one than ingeniously folds flat when empty - brilliant for a road-trip. When packing it for air travel I include a few small bags, even shopping bags. When we switch to a rented convertible, I empty it into the bags and it lays flat on the trunk floor, whilst I sort my stuff into different bags. Makes best use of a small trunk, means carrying into a motel only what I need for that day or two, and next-week's washing stays in the trunk.

JB :)

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I bought one than ingeniously folds flat when empty - brilliant for a road-trip. When packing it for air travel I include a few small bags, even shopping bags. When we switch to a rented convertible, I empty it into the bags and it lays flat on the trunk floor, whilst I sort my stuff into different bags. Makes best use of a small trunk, means carrying into a motel only what I need for that day or two, and next-week's washing stays in the trunk.

 

 

That sounds an interesting concept.

Suitable for international flights but also useful for carrying small amounts into hotels when only staying a night or two.

We do quite a bit of international travel, along with five or six times a year domestic.

I’ve switched to a hard side with snaps. The snaps have a built in TSA approved lock.

Twice my soft sided luggage was soaked through and through sitting on a tarmac in the rain. I won’t get zippers as I’ve seen far two many cases come off the belt open with broken zippers.

By far the most important factor though, is the wheels. Cheap wheels are noisy, hard to drive and direct and break easily. You’ll get what you pay for.

I would rather have a more expensive bag that will last a long time and be a pleasure to use than have to replace every couple of years while dealing with problems.

We bought a hard sided four-wheel spinner but I prefer my two-wheeled Travel Pros. Have seen quite a few of the spinners on luggage carousels missing wheels. Have had to replace wheels on my Travel Pros from use but the old style roller blade wheels did the trick

We have been using hard sided luggage for years. Our old Samsonite are still in excellent condition. They have 2 wheels and must be lifted so that they roll which makes them too heavy for me to use. I just bought the American Tourister Lock 'N Roll last week at Marshall's. It's like my old Samsonite but has 4 wheels. I love that it doesn't have a zipper and that it has combination locks.

https://shop.americantourister.com/collections/lock-n-roll

Another vote for a two-wheeler, because of uneven streets, cobblestones, etc. when on land travel. And lightweight, because we do have to meet weight restrictions on flights. I DO like soft side with the outside pockets, but I find a soft-sided often too easy to overstuff (and get over the weights - I take a luggage scale!).

I use hard side. But some have a zipper expansion section to stuff more in.

And most soft sides are really only soft on one side, they cannot be stuffed into odd spaces.

I have not had any hard sides split.

I prefer the "clamshell" type, where the opening is near the top versus in the middle of the bag. This way, I do not need to uppack for most hotel stays. Just open the top and use like a drawer.

I currently have some Delsey (Titanium 3.0 series) that I like, except the zipper runs over the one face, and without any protection, it wears out quickly. But I have found, a strip of gaffers tape protects it. I also have a Samsonite (F'lite) that works well. Both are very light.

I agree that the 4 wheels has pluses and minuses. But overall, for ME, 4 wheels work better. I seldom (but have) had to roll them over rough terrain, but most times it is smooth surfaces. They can be a pain with deep carpet. But they work must better when traveling with more than one suitsace. Yo ucan put them back to back, grab both handles and go. Two wheeled are harder to deal with multiples.

What do flight crews use? Two wheeled TravelPro. So do we (in varying sizes).

BTW, as regards other luggage with four wheels: read the fine print on each of those spinner wheels: "Attention Baggage Handlers- please break me off."

Flight crews don’t check luggage.

Flight crews don’t check luggage.

Checked or unchecked: TravelPro

...Question: Hard side or soft side? ...

We travel with one hard-sided case each (usually considered a "carry on" size, depending on the definitions prevalent with the particular airline and region) and we always check that case. In addition we travel with an actual carry-on (photo backpack in my case, a large shoulder bag for my wife). We have had good success with hard cases that have a zipper to allow expansion. We have never actually checked a bag that has the zipper expansion opened up, so I cannot speak to the survivability of this style used that way. But I have found that if I buy too much and overload the case, then I can unzip the expansion zipper, close the case, and then zip it back down to smaller dimensions while sitting on the case or otherwise compressing the contents.

Checked or unchecked: TravelPro

My pilot husband uses a case from Purdy Neat Stuff when at work which is similar to TravelPro but much more sturdy. He is on his third case after 30+ years of commercial aviation. Most of his fellow pilots use the same.

He uses a hard case when checking luggage to protect his belongings for the reasons I stated above. Your milage may vary.

Get something with a bright pattern that is easy to spot.

Our suitcases are beginning to show their age so I've started looking to see what's out there.

 

Question: Hard side or soft side? We've always bought the soft sided cases on the basis that you can always push a little more stuff in as they will have a bit of a give, plus you can now get some really light ones. However, we've just looked at a couple of the hard sided ones and were actually quite impressed with them.

 

We fly and cruise so that has to be taken into consideration, plus whether they fit into the boot (trunk) of our medium sized car; sometimes we can be travelling with 3 cases and 2 carryons to the port plus on occasion a 3rd person. On this latter occasion we would try and manage with the 3 cases between the 3 of us but would have 3 carryons.

 

Thoughts please and thanks in advance

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Occasionally on a land tour, we've been told we can't bring a hard sided suitcase. Keep that in mind.

We have two 24" from TravelPro that have stood up for seven years- India, China, many trips to Europe, Thailand, Morocco,and US trips in between. They are very expandable and sturdy. They roll and swivel and I love them, even if they are very scruffy--like me.