Hard sided vs soft sided luggage

[slidergirl]

On 3/4/2023 at 9:30 AM, ldubs said:

 

Yep, I have to admit that rough surfaces and especially cobbles is potential problem.  That is when I manually covert the bag to a 2-wheeler.   Fortunately, after years using large 4-wheel spinners, have yet to lose a wheel.   Admittedly, I'm not taking the luggage "off-roading" too much.   All about tradeoffs I guess.   

With the 4-wheeler, you are losing possible packing space as the wheels are built on bottom of the bag rather than integrated like the 2-wheelers.  It's a good 2" of height x width of your bag wasted.  I'd rather have that extra and have just 2 wheels...

Yes, my one 2-wheeler has been "off road" in Kenya and a few multi-week camping trips (I do walk-in campsites most of the time). 

[CPT Trips]

20 hours ago, Philob said:

My Oyster was pre 9/11, pre-TSA, so no TSA "keyhole".  It had pretty sturdy locks and TSA had to pry it open ruining the lock and suitcase in the process. 

 

Would be easier to teach a rock to swim than filing a claim against the TSA back then.

 

Did I miss a major change in the TSA claim process ( or anything else) in the last 20+ years? 😉🙄

[ldubs]

18 hours ago, slidergirl said:

With the 4-wheeler, you are losing possible packing space as the wheels are built on bottom of the bag rather than integrated like the 2-wheelers.  It's a good 2" of height x width of your bag wasted.  I'd rather have that extra and have just 2 wheels...

 

 

Again, I'm talking large checked bag.  I run out of weight allowance before I run out of space.  

 

BTW, I'm not sure what bag you are measuring.  We lose no where near 2" on both height and width on our large soft sided TravelPro luggage.   We lose nothing on width.  The bottom frame holding the wheel mounts is not even an inch thick. In reality, very little volume is sacrificed.  

[Charles4515]

19 minutes ago, ldubs said:

 

Again, I'm talking large checked bag.  I run out of weight allowance before I run out of space.  

 

BTW, I'm not sure what bag you are measuring.  We lose no where near 2" on both height and width on our large soft sided TravelPro luggage.   We lose nothing on width.  The bottom frame holding the wheel mounts is not even an inch thick. In reality, very little volume is sacrificed.  

It does not really matter on checked bags. I still prefer two wheeled Travel Pro to spinner Travel Pro. I have managed though not to do checked bags for the last four years. 

[ldubs]

39 minutes ago, Charles4515 said:

It does not really matter on checked bags. I still prefer two wheeled Travel Pro to spinner Travel Pro. I have managed though not to do checked bags for the last four years. 

Not sure what you mean by not mattering for checked bags.  For our large checked bag I prefer the spinner because it is much easier to move around in 90% of the places we go.  In those other places I use it as if it were a two wheeled bag.    

 

Yep, I bring too much to do only carry-on.   With the checked bag, my carryon is normally a backpack.  The carry-on luggage we own is a spinner but I could go with a two wheeled too.  The main thing is that I can put my "personal item" on top of it when I'm moving about.   

[slidergirl]

6 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

Again, I'm talking large checked bag.  I run out of weight allowance before I run out of space.  

 

BTW, I'm not sure what bag you are measuring.  We lose no where near 2" on both height and width on our large soft sided TravelPro luggage.   We lose nothing on width.  The bottom frame holding the wheel mounts is not even an inch thick. In reality, very little volume is sacrificed.  

I was thinking of the height from the actual bottom the bag to where the wheels hit the ground.   The width would stay the same.  I mistyped, I think.  I was thinking if your bag dimensions were say, 22x14x9, the 14x9 could be the same, but you could lose up to 2" from the floor to the actual bag with the wheels.  Does that make sense?  My 2wheeler has a larger bag space even though it and my 4wheeler show the same dimensions.  But, my 2wheels are kind of embedded on the sides, not sticking all the way out the bottom.  I don't have access to them, so I'm trying to visualize them. 

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, slidergirl said:

I was thinking of the height from the actual bottom the bag to where the wheels hit the ground.   The width would stay the same.  I mistyped, I think.  I was thinking if your bag dimensions were say, 22x14x9, the 14x9 could be the same, but you could lose up to 2" from the floor to the actual bag with the wheels.  Does that make sense?  My 2wheeler has a larger bag space even though it and my 4wheeler show the same dimensions.  But, my 2wheels are kind of embedded on the sides, not sticking all the way out the bottom.  I don't have access to them, so I'm trying to visualize them. 

 

That makes sense.  Thanks.   

[harmonymouse]

I understand I'm reviving an old thread and I'm sorry if that bothers anyone, but I believe I have something unique to contribute that might help others. 

 

When we got married I bought the best suitcases we could afford in our early 20's - red soft side Riccardo Beverly Hills from Kohl's, lol. They've been on a few trips a year for 25+ years, except for one bag I used for over 3 years in a job requiring weekly air travel several times a month - and we're still using that bag. None of the zippers have failed, and I've only had to replace a few of the zipper pull tabs. 

 

We use public transit as much as possible and walk miles at a time pulling our luggage, so our wheels take quite a beating on unforgiving surfaces like sidewalks, roads/shoulders, railroad crossings, and bricks/cobbles. My husband noticed the standard hard black plastic wheels are hollow, so rather than wait for them to fail he preemptively took apart the luggage wheel assembly (an easy job; there's probably a YouTube video for that) and replaced all our wheels with inline skate wheels. You wouldn't believe how smoothly they glide now! Every few years they get a wheel inspection, replacing bearings or wheels as needed.

 

When I bought them in 1996 I never would have imagined that our affordable bags would be going strong in 2024 without any rips/tears, zipper failures, or wheel disasters. We never lock our luggage, though we do use luggage bands. They're still nice on the inside, but outside they're so battered looking that they would appear to be a poor choice to steal or raid - and I don't mind that at all. 

[MCC retired]

We do prefer soft sided but have been struck twice on cruises when someone had liquids (wine, perfume) packed in their checked luggage , broke and was absorbed by our soft side bag while  being delivered onboard.

[KBS1607]

On 3/5/2023 at 5:50 PM, slidergirl said:

Sorry, but the first thing that popped into my head was the insurance commercial where the guy is washing his trash cans...

I have to keep myself far away because I have that urge. 
 

Also, I’m interested in this discussion because the whole spinning 4 wheel aspect was stressing me out. 
 

I am currently practicing with suitcases in my basement. I have pre check and I’m doing curbside check in. 

[Crew News]

10 hours ago, MCC retired said:

We do prefer soft sided but have been struck twice on cruises when someone had liquids (wine, perfume) packed in their checked luggage , broke and was absorbed by our soft side bag while  being delivered onboard.

On other luggage threads, I have posed the same question.  Based on the photo below, would a soft sided suitcase be the best choice to be on the bottom of the luggage transporter?

 

 

[Hlitner]

I guess we are weird because we see pros/cons to the various types of bags.  I have seen quite a few of the newer lightweight hard sided luggage that was split open (like a cracked nut) as it came out of the luggage conveyer systems.  The soft sided stuff holds up well, but it problamatic if it gets caught in a rain storm (this has happened to us at the Port of Miami).  Regarding the wheels, the 2 wheel system, where the wheels are partially recessed, do seem to hold-up better than the 2 or 4 wheeled bags where the wheels are simply mounted on the bottom of the bags.

 

Our own preference is the very lightweight 2 wheeled (you can also get 4 wheeled spinners) made by Travel Pro.  They are relatively inexpensive, do seem to hold-up quite well, and we really appreciate their lightweight.  A large bag will weigh about 7 pounds.  DW and I are heavy packers, and do a lot of traveling.  Our personal priority is the weight of the bag, since a 7 pound large bag will hold more than an 11-12 pound bag.  Multiply those 3-4 pounds (saved with a lightweight design) and that means carrying 6-8 pounds more of "stuff" and still being under the 50 pound limit for non-business class.

 

Hank

[donaldsc]

On 3/1/2023 at 9:27 AM, ldubs said:

 

 

When I encounter cobbles or something problematic for the spinner,  I just tilt the luggage and pull it along like a 2-wheeler.  

 

A 2-wheeler with little tiny tiny wheels that also break off.  Not much better.  Give me 2 really big wheels.  My wife's suitcase is a 4 wheeler.  I HATE pulling it.

 

DON

[Charles4515]

3 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

A 2-wheeler with little tiny tiny wheels that also break off.  Not much better.  Give me 2 really big wheels.  My wife's suitcase is a 4 wheeler.  I HATE pulling it.

 

DON

Travel Pro 2 wheelers have large wheels. I have never had a wheel break off. 

[ldubs]

7 hours ago, donaldsc said:

 

A 2-wheeler with little tiny tiny wheels that also break off.  Not much better.  Give me 2 really big wheels.  My wife's suitcase is a 4 wheeler.  I HATE pulling it.

 

DON

 

4 hours ago, Charles4515 said:

Travel Pro 2 wheelers have large wheels. I have never had a wheel break off. 

 

I've never had a wheel break off a four or a two wheeler.  But I do understand the pro's and con's.   

[clo]

On 3/2/2023 at 10:45 AM, donaldsc said:

I will also add that I know people who buy cheap luggage as opposed to the better more expensive stuff.  They assume that all luggage breaks eventually and if the cheap stuff lasts 4 or 5 trips they just throw it away and buy new cheap stuff.  There is something to be said for that philosophy.

 

IIRC our luggage isn't remotely expensive and has lasted decades. And we check bags when we fly...domestic and intl. Guess we're just lucky.

[slidergirl]

On 7/18/2024 at 11:09 AM, donaldsc said:

 

A 2-wheeler with little tiny tiny wheels that also break off.  Not much better.  Give me 2 really big wheels.  My wife's suitcase is a 4 wheeler.  I HATE pulling it.

 

DON

My Osprey Sojourn 2-wheeler has inset big off-road wheels.  I've had it since 2010 and have not blown a wheel yet.  
I get my experience with all sorts of luggage is from working at hotels and currently a resort lodge.  I've dragged more bags than I have wanted to - big, little, 2 wheel, 4 wheel, ski bags, golf bags - you name it.  I'm still a 2 wheel, soft-side person.  

[Charles4515]

1 hour ago, slidergirl said:

On 7/18/2024 at 12:09 PM, donaldsc said:

 

My Osprey Sojourn 2-wheeler has inset big off-road wheels.  I've had it since 2010 and have not blown a wheel yet. 

The big wheels on my Travel Pro Crew 2 wheel bags are replicable but I have not had to replace. 

[zdcatc12]

I have not owned a two-wheeler, nor a soft-sided suitcase in 20 or so years. A four-wheeler is just so much easier to maneuver, at least for me

Edited July 24 by zdcatc12

[SelectSys]

On 7/20/2024 at 10:06 AM, slidergirl said:

Osprey Sojourn

I have thought about this as a future bag.  I have an Osprey backpack that I like a lot and I want something that is both larger than my current backpack and can roll while still preserving some form of backpack.  It's really nice to have the option of carrying your bag in tight spaces.  I assume you have checked your bag on airline flights and it has held up well.

[slidergirl]

13 hours ago, SelectSys said:

I have thought about this as a future bag.  I have an Osprey backpack that I like a lot and I want something that is both larger than my current backpack and can roll while still preserving some form of backpack.  It's really nice to have the option of carrying your bag in tight spaces.  I assume you have checked your bag on airline flights and it has held up well.

Yep, it's been checked multiple times over the years when I've used it.  Nothing torn, nothing broken.  Just a little dirty from that log of usage - it shows it's travel character.

[Mum2Mercury]

We own 2-wheeled and 4-wheeled suitcases.  I prefer the 4-wheeled versions because it's easy to push them along "flat" and usually that's okay.  We do not own suitcases so large that we cannot easily lift them, so "if the going gets rough", we can lift them over obstacles.  4-wheeled versions are also better if you balance a drink trolley on top.  And you can easily clip your personal item to the top, giving you just one item to wheel.  We've never lost a wheel from any suitcase.  

 

We own two soft-sided suitcases and one hard-sided.  I believe I prefer the soft-sided because they seem tougher /more able to stand up to rough handling /more likely to survive being on the bottom of a luggage cart.  If you're going through the airport, a soft-sided suitcase gives you outside pockets, so you can quickly put away your liquids, etc. after going through TSA.  

 

I disagree about cheap luggage being worthless; with rough handling, even an expensive suitcase can be ruined in a single trip.  Our oldest suitcase is my husband's rolling carry-on, which I gave him for Christmas more than twenty years ago -- it's a nothing brand from Target.  Some of the zipper pulls have broken off, and I replaced them with lobster-claw type replacements from Amazon.  It's worth noting that -- at one point -- he traveled about a week out of every month.  

 

I also disagree that wheeled luggage is a "gimmick".  Sure, I am able to carry my luggage, but wheeling it is just easier.  I always use a backpack as my personal item /carry on.  

 

What IS a gimmick is a suitcase that charges your phone /electronics.  You'd have to charge your suitcase before heading out on a trip, and you're almost certainly bringing a pocket power bank anyway -- two pocket power banks would be more practical, as you could carry them in your day bag during the trip, if you think you need them.  

[ldubs]

6 hours ago, Mum2Mercury said:

We own 2-wheeled and 4-wheeled suitcases.  I prefer the 4-wheeled versions because it's easy to push them along "flat" and usually that's okay.  We do not own suitcases so large that we cannot easily lift them, so "if the going gets rough", we can lift them over obstacles.  4-wheeled versions are also better if you balance a drink trolley on top.  And you can easily clip your personal item to the top, giving you just one item to wheel.  We've never lost a wheel from any suitcase.  

 

We own two soft-sided suitcases and one hard-sided.  I believe I prefer the soft-sided because they seem tougher /more able to stand up to rough handling /more likely to survive being on the bottom of a luggage cart.  If you're going through the airport, a soft-sided suitcase gives you outside pockets, so you can quickly put away your liquids, etc. after going through TSA.  

 

I disagree about cheap luggage being worthless; with rough handling, even an expensive suitcase can be ruined in a single trip.  Our oldest suitcase is my husband's rolling carry-on, which I gave him for Christmas more than twenty years ago -- it's a nothing brand from Target.  Some of the zipper pulls have broken off, and I replaced them with lobster-claw type replacements from Amazon.  It's worth noting that -- at one point -- he traveled about a week out of every month.  

 

I also disagree that wheeled luggage is a "gimmick".  Sure, I am able to carry my luggage, but wheeling it is just easier.  I always use a backpack as my personal item /carry on.  

 

What IS a gimmick is a suitcase that charges your phone /electronics.  You'd have to charge your suitcase before heading out on a trip, and you're almost certainly bringing a pocket power bank anyway -- two pocket power banks would be more practical, as you could carry them in your day bag during the trip, if you think you need them.  

 

Good stuff Mum.   Our under-seaters have a charging port.  The way it works is you plug your portable small bank in on the inside of the suitcase.   Then it is convenient to just plug the phone to the outside port.   

[simplelife]

We have used softside for years. I recently bought a hardside. I like the way it maneuvers and the way things fit in it (it had two divided sides) but do not like how it opens. Unlike the softside cases, which have the zipper at one side of the opening (so you just lay the case on its side and open the flap) The hardsides have the zipper in the middle of the opening, so you have to lay the case out and open it like a book. Takes up more space when it is open.

[Crew News]

27 minutes ago, simplelife said:

We have used softside for years. I recently bought a hardside. I like the way it maneuvers and the way things fit in it (it had two divided sides) but do not like how it opens. Unlike the softside cases, which have the zipper at one side of the opening (so you just lay the case on its side and open the flap) The hardsides have the zipper in the middle of the opening, so you have to lay the case out and open it like a book. Takes up more space when it is open.

And laying open should make it fit nicely under a stateroom bed.