Today's hard-shell luggage is made with high-tech plastics such as ABS and polycarbonate, which are lightweight and durable. ABS is the lightest, but polycarbonate is more durable. The most durable, but also the heaviest, is aluminum.
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Hard-Shell LuggageThe most durable, but also the heaviest, is aluminum. Hard-shell luggage often features a 50/50-split opening, allowing you to pack two sides equally and stabilize the contents with an interior strap or a middle divider.
Soft-sided bagsshould be made of nylon, Cordura, or polyester fabric with weather and stain resistant coatings. Hard-sided luggage should be made from aluminum or 100% polycarbonate exterior. ABS plastic exteriors are lighter, but less durable.
Polypropylene is the second-most durable of the three types of plastic. Although not quite as strong as polycarbonate, it is still temperature and chemical resistant. This type of plastic can handle minor drops, but over time it is at more risk of getting cracked.
Polycarbonate is more flexible than ABS and has a higher impact resistance. As a result, it makes for a stronger suitcase. ABS suitcases are cheaper than Polycarbonate ones, but they are often heavier and do not last as long.
A hardshell suitcase is typically better than a softside bag for protection (as long as your items are packed safely inside, too). However, all hardshell materials are prone to getting scuffed, scratched, or possibly cracked more so than with fabric suitcases.
Made of durable materials like polycarbonate, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) and aluminum, hard shell luggage is practically indestructible. That means everything inside the bag stays well-protected, which is especially important if you're bringing home fragile purchases from your trip.
Polypropylene is known for its strength, shock resistance & high density of colour pigments to avoid stress whitening. Samsonite succeeded in creating a range of extremely lightweight polypropylene collections, thanks to new revolutionary polypropylene material called Flowlite.
The aluminum will scratch, ding and dent ? even more than the polycarbonate ? so it's important that you're ok with this. These photos show the suitcase when brand new, but don't expect it to stay like this for long.
Hard case luggage doesn't easily fit into compartments the way soft luggage does. A con of some hard surface luggage pieces is that they can be much heavier than cloth cases. On the other hand, a pro is that many are available with extending handles, bottom wheels and other innovative features.
Samsonite earns our top spot for the best luggage brand because it has a wide assortment for every preference — from business travelers to vacationers — and has continuously proven to be high quality as we've tested it over the years.