Luggage

[ravensterling3]

We are flying next year so we are trying to get head start on buying stuff. My question is which luggage is better for flying hard side or soft side?

 

[amomma23]

We had soft until last year. On our way home from Disney last summer, our luggage sat outside for an hour while we waited out a thunderstorm delay and our gate/plane changed 3 times. Everything was sopping wet when we picked it up in Pittsburgh. We just bought all new hardside for our trip in December.

 

[Alesia]

I prefer soft-sided. It's much lighter and easier to handle. Every single thing I pack goes into a ziploc bag, so it isn't an issue if it gets wet. You can also spray it with waterproof spray if you want to prevent the suitcase itself from getting wet, although that's not generally a huge concern for most people.

 

[Dano13]

We seem to be able to get more into soft sided that the hard sided ones. Plus there is less weight to them which is important with penalties these days. I had a Swiss Gear piece as my primary but then bought a Samsonsite and that was that. The Samsonsite made better use of its space and rolls like a dream. They are both the 4 wheel types that can roll no matter how you twist your wrist, etc. the Swiss Gear was great until I but the Samsonite. It was a major step up.

 

[OnceUponATime15]

We are flying next year so we are trying to get head start on buying stuff. My question is which luggage is better for flying hard side or soft side?

I have been using hard sided luggage for a good while now & love it! The latest versions are almost weightless and have flexible shells. Mine are by a Canadian company called Heys Luggage. Gorgeous design choices, Loads of room even in the carry on. TSA locks. And are expandable by about 3 inches if needed with a hidden zipper. The spinner wheels allow movement in any direction.

The only caution... the ones with the pretty glossy finishes (like my latest set.. lol) can be marked during the baggage handling process, if that is an issue for you, you'd be better with a textured shell. I just bought a great hard side textured black suitcase for my GS by a company called Atlantic... looks awesome & any wear & tear will def not show.

 

[Shelly F - Ohio]

If you go with a soft side luggage. Spray it with Camp Out. Its a water repellant for fabric. You can find it on the shoe dept or camping dept at Walmart. That what I always spray ours with. I spray it on about a month before the trip. I also spray my Vera Bradley purse with it and it does repel water.

 

[dioxide45]

More important that hard or soft is castor wheels. Four castor wheels makes rolling luggage so much easier than two inline wheels. Double castor wheels are even better. These are four sets of castors with two wheels on each. A real smooth ride. The only thing that irritates me is carpet in airports. Castors roll so much better on tile floors.

 

[GillianP1301]

More important that hard or soft is castor wheels. Four castor wheels makes rolling luggage so much easier than two inline wheels. Double castor wheels are even better. These are four sets of castors with two wheels on each. A real smooth ride. The only thing that irritates me is carpet in airports. Castors roll so much better on tile floors.

This! We switched to luggage with 4 wheels instead of 2 last trip and it was so much easier. My 6 year old DS is able to push his own suitcase through the airport now (he couldn't pull the two wheeler very well), which is so helpful for me.

As for hard vs soft, I prefer the hard sided.

 

[OKW Lover]

We prefer soft-side. They are easier to "stuff" for that one-more thing, and also to "mush down" to fit into confined spaces.

We've got both 2 and 4 wheel versions and while my wife prefers the 4-wheel models, I prefer the 2-wheel. One caution on the 4-wheel, they are much more prone to having a wheel taken off by rough baggage handling.

 

[LisaS]

Every single thing I pack goes into a ziploc bag, so it isn't an issue if it gets wet.

I do this too after we had a bad experience where DH's rolling duffle arrived soaking wet. Fortunately it was on our flight home. Now I put the clothes inside plastic bags just in case.