I'm a big fan of Pelican hard cases - I secure them w. zip ties, when I'm not flying w. a pistol, and I've yet to have one opened.

Soft sides for years- I think they’re lighter and more malleable when it comes to stuffing things in.

Travelpro soft side for me as well. Not much more than the department store specials, but small features that are nice when you are travelling a lot.

quote:

Originally posted by sig2392:
I have a Samsonite spinner office case for my computers when traveling for longer business trips or my computer backpack for shorter ones.

The both can be slid over the handle of the carry on for rolling, then slide it off on the plane and put them in the overhead bin.

They can be slid over the handles of the soft cases, too, and I do that every time I fly.

The other thing is that soft cases are much easier to get into a tight overhead compartment than a hard case is.

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Originally posted by Flash-LB:

quote:

Originally posted by Anush:

quote:

Soft it is

Not advisable if traveling to many countries (& some US airports). My wife & I have had luggage slit open with a knife.

I can pick the lock on a hard or soft case just about as fast as I can use a key to get in it. I'm sure the thieves are faster than me.

Or use the same knife to slit the fabric around the zipper open.

I previously spent about 10 years traveling worldwide for work averaging about 200k miles/year. Back then I swore by the soft sided stuff for zipping around airports. Fast forward to the most recent decade, and I've completely switched to hard sided (zip) spinners. I don't travel as much for work (probably 1/3 as much now) but we've increased personal travel, and my family of 4 travel worldwide often, we are fairly rough with our luggage. The hard sided spinners for us make wheeling though airports easier, stacking bags on carts is more solid. I feel they are more robust and durable around airport carousels and with baggage handling. I agree the downside is lack of pouches and zippered pockets, however a simple backpack carry on solves that for me.

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Extremely happy with Travelpro luggage with spinners. Soft sides. Light and holds up to my use perfectly fine. We have carry ons and large sizes.

They are lightly framed and covered in heavy duty nylon material.

I second this opinion--but as of now have only a carry-on spinner from TravelPro, and a hard-side Samsonite in mid-size. I use the extra pockets on the carry-on for computer and accessories. Short trips, I use only that bag.

I probably take 80 or so flights a year for work. I settled on the semi hard sided bags with zippers and 4 wheels. At the rate American Airlines destroys them, I replace them about once a year. I tend to just grab Nautical brand ones from
TJ Maxx.

Check out Briggs & Riley
Lifetime warranty , and a really neat internal compression system

I used to sell luggage as a wholesale sales rep, best luggage brands out there for soft-sides are Briggs & Riley and Eagle Creek. They are both excellent due to materials, design and warranty. The only time I've used a hard-side was going to SE Asia, reasoning was having something to manage the downpours; sure enough, luggage was loaded up on the cart and was exposed to a crazy downpour. My friend's soft-side got wet, my hardside shed all water. The flip-side is my sister had a hard-side tumble out of the cargo hold and landed on it's corner. She got her bag but, there was scratches all over it, the corner was caved-in and the zipper couldn't go around the track.

The B&R Baseline collection is a solid business and all-purpose line. Excellent construction and components. Warranty is second to none in the industry. You will pay a premium but, it's well worth the peace of mind and confidence knowing you've got one of the best.

Eagle Creek is less business and more technical outdoors. Also excellent materials, designs and warranty, you can't go wrong with EC. Their Tarmac rollers are my favorite, I think they have the best features and pocket placement of all roller boards. You're in-luck as they are having a big 50%-off sale.

Inexpensive hard Samsonite Costco big and carry on set $130.

Tumi makes an expandable hardsided with a front zipper to add in stuff.
Amazing suitcase and worth every penny

click here
See

Large Trip Expandable 4 Wheeled Packing Case


or

My last 2 were soft type, a Swiss Army with 2 exterior pockets served many years and still is ticking, nylon exterior just has a little fuzzing around edges which I zapped with a lighter. Just had to replace one wheel in all that time. It has a nice divider that folds out so you put your dress shirts and pants in with much less wrinkling and a mesh small item compartment. It also has a snap in clear toiletries bag. Very handy multi use carry-on.

Many airlines than reduced the size for carry-ons, and I purchased a slightly smaller Boyt. It seems to be as durable, and is actually better for shorter trips though not as compartmentalized as the Swiss Army. It has exterior straps so you can really snug it down for smaller contents if not full and keep your stuff from moving around and wrinkling as much. I haven't used it as much and I've yet to be made to check the larger Swiss Army which meets the older/larger carry-on measurements.

I did consider a hard side and looked at Rimowa, but hardsides are not as amenable to 'over packing,' but are easier to move around with less snagging due to no exterior pockets/straps. I looked at a hybrid bag, hard sides with a nylon exterior front pocket (I think it was a Tumi but not the one posted above) but passed on it since I already have the 2 others. Briggs and Riley have also been mentioned. I have not had their luggage, but if it's as good as one of their briefcases I had, I have no doubts it is a great piece of kit.

Soft side always.

Tumi has gone way downhill after Samsonite acquired them. Most of the line is identical to equivalent Samsonite models, just different styling and a much higher price. The Alpha line is still decent, but they lowered the quality and raised the price.

Briggs & Reily is what I would buy now.

But you know, I did a ton of international travel from 2011 to 2018 and only used two carryons. An American Tourister and then a nearly Identical Samsonite. The AT got a large tear in it from a checked bag flight in India. They also pretty much submerged the thing. The Samonsite got a bent tube channel caused by a fiberboard gift box I put in the bottom of the bag.

I am currently using Samsonite Pro DLX that was designed around 2015. It's basically the Samsonite branded version of Tumi from that time frame with the ballistic nylon and heavy duty Zippers. And it cost a hell of a lot less.

I buy the Samsonite thin luggage from TJMaxx, it's a good bang for the buck that way.

3 pieces that nest in each other, 4 roller wheels, thin hard sides, lightweight... for under $250 for the set.

I get average 10 years at least out of them.

Nobody travels more than flight crews. It's rare to see a crew member with a hard sided case.

Most flight crew don't check bags; they carry, or may leave something in the jetway to be taken below, and recovered in the jetway. I check a bag each time.

I'm not a big fan of "spinners," the bags that are moved about upright, with four small plastic wheels that spin. I've seen more of those fail than any other setup. Most flight crew don't use them, but tend to go with two wheeled bags.

My bag uses skateboard wheels and bearings which I replace from time to time. It's soft sided. Mine comes with an aluminum frame on one side, and an aluminum base plate, and it's in constant use internationally. it's survived 16+ years, so far. I have a couple other smaller special purpose bags for work gear and incidental stuff, both soft sided (one is more of a messenger bag). I don't have locks on any of my bags. I do clip the zipper ends together with tiny caribiners, just to keep the zipper from sliding or pulling open as the bag is tossed about, but I don't lock anything. I check the main bag, carry the other two.

At some point, I have to haul all three bags around, and I want something that can roll over any surface (hence, the skateboard wheels). They so well in thick carpet, rough cement or asphalt, even dirt. When I have to get from one end of an airport to the other dragging the bags, something that moves easily and I know won't break is important. Also something I know won't break when I'm on the road for 45 days non-stop. I live out of the bag. It's got to hold up.

I've seen quite a few little spinner wheels broken off of bags. Most don't have bearings; just a little plastic wheel on an axle, and I've seen them get so hot just in the terminal that people burned their fingers trying to pick up the broken parts. The wheels get knocked off as the bags are chucked around.

I've used hard sided luggage in the past, and it didn't hold up to extended abuse well, at all. If you're just doing one trip or a few a year, it probably doesn't matter much. If you're doing dozens or hundreds of trips a year, what works will be evident in short order.

The extendable handle to drag the bag is vulnerable; if they slip to an extended position, they bend or break, and that's a royal pain if you're trying to move that bag in a hurry, especially a long way. My bag uses solid steel bars, rather than telescoping ones, and I strap it down with a velcro wrap when it's not extended (such as when checking the bag), so it doesn't get pulled out and get damaged.

I also use bag straps on my main bag; the straps go around the bag two ways, crossing on each side, and ensure that the bag isn't inadvertently opened, or torn open. I've had both happen. I've had a bag ripped in two, and showed up on the baggage carrol in two pieces with my things strewn everywhere. It hasn't been a problem. with the bag straps.

I use a Luggage Works 26" roller bag, and it's held up to literally thousands of trips, but then, it has to. I expect it to last a long time to come. If not, I'll buy another, because I know that with a bit of maintenance, they hold up.

Agreed. The best built-in wheels are the Skateboard or Rollerblade wheels with standard bearings, all easily replaceable with common parts and they roll much much better.

I prefer Soft Side, largely. They squish, stuff, and stack better, but I have two hard sided Pelican cases if that's needed, like carrying Alcohol back and forth, or breakable souvenirs.

Here's a strap I use that lets me wheel multiple bags through the airport.

https://www.amazon.com/Luxebel...id=1623429115&sr=8-5