Suitcases

How To Choose The Right Suitcase

Joanne Watson
3 min readNov 21, 2013

If you are about to travel, the number one thing you should do is to choose the right suitcase to pack your belongings in. Nobody wants to see his luggage torn apart on the carousel with his clothes hanging out from the ripped part. In order to avoid that unpleasant experience, make sure you choose a good quality suitcase. Look at it as an investment — better pay more now if you want your valuables to remain your property. Here is an explanation about both hard-sided and soft suitcases.

Hard — sided luggage materials:

1. ABS

Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene is usually combined with other materials to make a stronger suitcase. ABS by itself is cheaper than the other materials because it has a low — level strength. If you consider to get your hands on an ABS suitcase, you better chose one in combination with a stronger material like polycarbonate.

2. Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is a lightweight material. It is impact resistant which means your suitcase will flex upon pressure from other suitcases and will not break. It is almost impossible to break, that is why it is used in items such eyeglasses, CDs and even bulletproof glass. Polycarbonate offers the highest level of strength and guarantees your suitcase will remain safe in any circumstances. If you travel often and you need a reliable suitcase, a polycarbonate one will do the job for you.

3. Polypropylene

Polypropylene is the lightest of all the materials. It is flexible as well, so it will give extra protection to your belongings. It is not as flexible as polycarbonate, but is still better than ABS and PVC. The main benefit of it is that is extremely light. If you are in hunt for a low — weight suitcase, that is the perfect one for you.

4. PVC

PVC has less impact resistance than polycarbonate, polypropylene and ABS. It is light and flexible, but it won’t give you protection. The main benefit of PVC is the low price range. Because of the elasticity it has, it is often combined with materials like polycarbonate and polypropylene for support.

Soft suitcases

Soft suitcases are made with features designed to help you organize all of your items. They are reliable. The thicker the fabric is, the longer usage they will have. Almost all of them have expandable cases which will give you more room for unexpected pieces you will have to carry on your way back.

The main benefit of soft suitcases is you can fill them up because the fabric expands. You are not able to do that with hard — side suitcases. Soft suitcases are not easy to maintain, they get dirty quick. Unlike the hard — sided suitcases, soft ones will not break if they are not filled up. Another benefit of soft luggage is that it can fit easily in the shaper at the airport.

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