Luggage---what is the best?

[trouble1964]

It's time for new luggage. We have the soft side Swiss Gear set and it has been great. 

 

I see a lot of people with the hard side luggage now. Has anyone switched from soft to hard and liked it better? 

What are the pros and cons? 

 

We have had a suitcase damaged both by an airline and a cruiseline before, so we don't want that to happen again. 

 

Thanks in advance for advice. 

[LHT28]

I have a basic  hard case  with cloth outer 

I bought it  in 1995  for $20   the 2nd one the airline  damaged the  retractable handle  but otherwise it was fine

I bought  a HEYS brand  softside /hard bottom with AWD  

both work just fine

 The airlines & cruise lines  will do their best to  destroy  any bag 😲

[Flatbush Flyer]

Take a look at Briggs & Reily -particularly the Simpatico series of compressible hard side checked bags, which fit a lot more than you’d expect in 26 “-28”  sized bags. They also have small rollaboards for valuables et al. that are stackable with the hard sided checked bags (makes for easy movement through the airport and packs nicely in typical transfer autos at cruise ports). Lightweight with lifetime warranty.  Not cheap but worth every penny.

[ldubs]

We use soft sided luggage.  At the time we selected it because it was lighter than the rigid sided choices.  Our current set is TravelPro.  Not too pricey, at least when we bought it.   We have had it for 6 or 7 years.  So far, so good.  

 

One other consideration is that I suspect most hard side luggage is claim shell style.  That would be versus soft side which opens to one main compartment.  We like having one big compartment because we think it is just easier to deal with.  Which style would really comes down to your personal preference.   

 

[CruiserBruce]

We tend to buy cheaper carry on bags, because they go in the overhead, and thus are only handled by us. They tend to last 8 to 10 years, so for a $40-70 investment, it seems wise. We are on a 15 day, carry on only European trip right now, and it works very well. Soft sided bags, we like the 2 wheel type, but they are harder to find.

 

We use more expensive checked bags, as they get traumatized far more often in transit. Soft sided, but higher quality materials. Our checked bags are over 10 years old, and have been on 15 or 20 flights, plus numerous driving trips. They appear to still be in good shape.

[cruisemom42]

I've always been a soft-side luggage user. About a decade ago when Heys became very popular, I looked at them and liked their very lightweight hard shell, so I purchased one. Big mistage!  I learned the hard-shell suitcases aren't for me. I didn't like how scuffed up the exterior got very quickly -- sure, it held up but it looked tragic. Second, like ldubs, I found out how strongly I prefer a suitcase where everything is packed into one side. When trying to pack two-sided, one of these suitcases can't be set on a luggage rack, so it has to go on your bed (in a hotel or cabin) and it can be awkward. 

 

That said, I generally look for sturdy but lightweight and well reviewed bags. My favorite for years were made by Eagle Creek, but in the last five years I've acquired two Victorinox bags that I really like. (Two different sizes of the same bag, one that is 21-22" and one that is 24-25").  I don't carry anything bigger than that -- I tend to pack very compactly and anything larger would mean I'd be over the weight limit.

 

For carry-on I also have a couple of bags, depending on what kind of trip I'm taking -- sometimes I'll take the small suitcase (which can travel as a carry-on for most international travel) plus an underseat-sized bag that can be lashed to the other bag; sometimes I will utilize a different 4-wheeled onboard bag if I know I won't be having to wheel it outside of airport, etc.; sometimes I'll use more of an unstructured tote or duffle.

 

While my two Victorinox bags are the same model -- because I love it so much -- I am not one who believes in matched sets. Get the piece or pieces that work best for you. No one is going to see them except the luggage handlers.

 

 

[sleepingcat]

For my first trip to Australia in 1987, I purchased a hard sided Delsey.  since then its been round the world several times and its still doing fine. I noticed soon after that a lot of aircrew used Delseys, so that probably tells us something about what will withstand the worst that baggage handlers can do. 

I take it on cruises as it seems to always fit under the bed so its like an extra drawer to keep stuff. 

 

OH has a hard sided samsonite, which has travelled unaccompanied to NZ so that we could meet up with our cruise/ formal clothing in Auckland for our return cruise to the UK, Even his dinner jacket was in good shape.

[donaldsc]

8 hours ago, CruiserBruce said:

We tend to buy cheaper carry on bags, because they go in the overhead, and thus are only handled by us. They tend to last 8 to 10 years, so for a $40-70 investment, it seems wise. We are on a 15 day, carry on only European trip right now, and it works very well. Soft sided bags, we like the 2 wheel type, but they are harder to find.

 

We use more expensive checked bags, as they get traumatized far more often in transit. Soft sided, but higher quality materials. Our checked bags are over 10 years old, and have been on 15 or 20 flights, plus numerous driving trips. They appear to still be in good shape.

 

+1 on that subject.  Have you ever tried to drag those awful 4 wheel bags with the teeny tiny wheels over an uneven surface.  Neigh on impossible!!!  My wife bought a 4 wheel bag the last time we had to buy a bag.  I hate the thing.  I have a soft side Eagle Creek bag and although I am probably jinxing the thing by saying it but it has probably lasted us 10 or 15 years.  I recently had to get the handled fixed for the big sum of $30 and it is now as good as new.

 

DON

[Meander Ingwa]

I like my soft REI Wheely Beast for big journeys and my Eagle Creek for carry on.  Most of the travel I do now is for sport competition and because I have to check my equipment I check my Eagle Creek as well.  Both are amazing and sturdy and can hold a lot.  The EC is at least 20 years old, the Wheely Beast about 15

[ldubs]

1 hour ago, Meander Ingwa said:

I like my soft REI Wheely Beast for big journeys and my Eagle Creek for carry on.  Most of the travel I do now is for sport competition and because I have to check my equipment I check my Eagle Creek as well.  Both are amazing and sturdy and can hold a lot.  The EC is at least 20 years old, the Wheely Beast about 15

 

If you don't ming my asking about your Eagle Creek carry on, do you prefer the duffel style or the more traditional luggage style?  Thx.  

[Meander Ingwa]

It is a 2 wheel roller with retractable handle.  This was from the era before 4 wheels were common

 

in their current line it is closest to the Expanse 2 wheel international model, It has no back pack conversion ability, and only a grip handle on the top and side.  I have become pretty adept and pushing this nimble case in front of me while I pull my gear case ( about 35 to 40 pounds, behind me.  I have never had occasion to use it along with my wheely beast

[SPacificbound]

We like soft side. Got rid of the luggage we bought in 2012, boy it could tell some stories. Just bought replacement, also soft side, hopefully it will last a few years.

[neeuqdrazil]

My current travel setup is a 25" Travelpro soft sided Maxlite (checked), and a Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45 (carry on, carried as a backpack), then either my Tom Bihn Swift or my similarly-sized Coach Bandit hobo bag, or my Away Everywhere Bag as my personal item, depending on if I'm bringing a laptop or not.  

 

The Tom Bihn Aeronaut is a fantastic bag - it's been on every cruise I've taken, as well as a number of shorter trips, and at 5 years old, still looks new. My TB Swift is 12 years old, has been used HARD, and while it's a bit stained, is still completely intact and functional. If you're looking for bags that will last forever, Tom Bihn is the way to go. They're spendy, but definitely worth it. 

[Joebucks]

I bought a hard shell for a carry-on. I don't think I will ever do that again. In the few times in got sent to general luggage storage, it came back so scuffed. It looks terrible. The truth is, anything isn't going to last forever. They go through a lot. 

 

My standard Samsonite soft luggage is starting to get a little wear, but has made it past many trips. The next piece I hope to buy is a soft carry-on that meets most requirements while having more storage.

[Flatbush Flyer]

16 minutes ago, Joebucks said:

I bought a hard shell for a carry-on. I don't think I will ever do that again. In the few times in got sent to general luggage storage, it came back so scuffed. It looks terrible. The truth is, anything isn't going to last forever. They go through a lot. 

 

My standard Samsonite soft luggage is starting to get a little wear, but has made it past many trips. The next piece I hope to buy is a soft carry-on that meets most requirements while having more storage.

For most hard-sided polymer type luggage, many types of scuffs are quickly handled with a “Mr Clean Magic Eraser.”

[no1racefan1]

I bought our soft-side luggage for about $50 each at Walmart about 10 years ago. It's iFly brand. It's got plenty of scuffs but nothing broken and still works just as if it was brand new. We only fly about once per year so maybe it wouldn't hold up to more frequent use. I think they are 25" (we used to have bigger and DH revolted and said he was done lifting bigger suitcases into the car). I've used a hard-sided case before and I hated the clamshell style.

[hancock]

Buy a bag with an unusual pattern.  Easy to find!

[janetz]

Travelpro

[SPacificbound]

Although they are not the brand that business travelers would recommend, we have had good service from Samsonite soft side luggage. Plus they always have colorful options that are not black.

 

In 2012 we bought four pieces of Samsonite that traveled many times  by air in the US, by air and/or sea in Canada, Alaska, the UK, including Scotland and Ireland several times, all over Europe multiple times, South America, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Tasmania, and multiple business trips to Asia. We retired them this year and bought basically the same four Samsonite soft side again. Macy's frequently has the best sale price I have ever found for Samsonite. The new ones are very colorful also, easy to see in a sea of luggage.

 

[sverigecruiser]

 

We like our hard Samsonite bags.

[sverigecruiser]

On 6/25/2023 at 6:45 PM, donaldsc said:

Have you ever tried to drag those awful 4 wheel bags with the teeny tiny wheels over an uneven surface. 

 

Can't you just drag them with only 2 wheel on the ground? I can't understand the problem but of course the design is different for different bags.

[sverigecruiser]

On 6/25/2023 at 6:39 PM, sleepingcat said:

I noticed soon after that a lot of aircrew used Delseys, so that probably tells us something about what will withstand the worst that baggage handlers can do. 

 

I guess that the baggage handlers are extra careful with the crew baggage!

[sverigecruiser]

On 6/25/2023 at 6:45 PM, donaldsc said:

Have you ever tried to drag those awful 4 wheel bags with the teeny tiny wheels over an uneven surface.

 

I reread your post and now understand that 4 wheels isn't the problem but the size of the wheels! I have never had a problem dragging them but understand what you mean.

[donaldsc]

6 hours ago, sverigecruiser said:

 

I reread your post and now understand that 4 wheels isn't the problem but the size of the wheels! I have never had a problem dragging them but understand what you mean.

 

You got it!!  The diameter of the wheels on my 2-wheel bag are at least 2 or 3 times the ones on my 4 wheel bag.  Wheel size matters.

 

DON

[cruisemom42]

20 minutes ago, donaldsc said:

 

You got it!!  The diameter of the wheels on my 2-wheel bag are at least 2 or 3 times the ones on my 4 wheel bag.  Wheel size matters.

 

DON

 

Also, the wheels on my Eagle Creek two-wheelers can best be described as something like "off road" tires on cars. They have treads, and they are quite sturdy on all types of terrain.