Who decides this stuff?

[fivikse]

I was recently looking for a light weight, soft-sided, two wheel, international carry-on size and it was a challenge! I travel carry on only and much prefer soft. I lose too much room with 4 wheels (and feel like the wheels are less durable).
I believe Target and Walmart both had one option and Amazon had a few. I buy cheap (since I carry on they don't get abused as much and I feel like even the expensive ones don't last very long anyway).

 

[LuvOrlando]

It would be interesting to see whether the hard sided keeps out more water than a soft.

Hmmm, could be a new online challenge that I would enjoy.

I'm skeptical & I doubt they would even do much protecting. The old school ones were almost indestructible and would go through generations. The kind that were advertised to withstand a gorilla were very sturdy, I remember standing on them to have someone lock those unbreakable buckles. The ones I see are more like shiney wiffle bats.

 

[Mmbl123]

Wait. WHAT?

That’s auto-correct for you. Should be our OWN kids. Glad you caught it! I’m just shaking my head and laughing. You should see some of the dictated texts my kids get!!!

 

[AprilsZoo]

I just shake my head when I see someone's soft sided luggage on the baggage return with the zippers ripped out and underwear hanging out.

My daughter had one and it cracked along the way of checked baggage.

FYI… Delta airlines will do an on-the-spot trade for luggage cracked/split, or a zipper that is burst. You do have to go stand in line at Baggage Services, and be ready to transfer all your belongings from the damaged case into the new one… which can be a bit of a pain. But in my case, both times, I ended up with moderately better, slightly bigger (not by much, but still) replacements. They let us choose out of a couple styles (hard vs. soft) and even gave a choice of a few colors.

The one time we were told we’d have to send our suitcase in was because they didn’t have any of the extra large (27”+) size suitcases to give us… and they weren’t expecting to get any in the seven days we had to make our “claim” so they said we’d have to send it in. The worst part was that there was no way we could send it in, and get a replacement/ repaired one back before we’d need it to travel again… and since the point of sending it in is to give them a chance to determine whether to repair or replace the bag, they won’t authorize you to just purchase a new one and get reimbursed. (I did find it strange that the agent can determine to replace the bag if they have them there; but if they don’t, they don’t have the power to say you’re allowed to replace it yourself.)

We decided the crack wasn’t too extensive, so we used flex seal tape to reinforce it, and figured if it was damaged further we’d worry about it then. So far it’s held up, so we’ll just keep using it as long as we can.

I have no idea how other airlines work, as I haven’t had occasion to deal with their baggage agents, but Delta at least will swap out for a new bag on the spot, assuming they have them on hand to do so. The Delta agents I’ve dealt with do want to resolve baggage claims quickly and satisfactorily within their power to do so. Bonus tip: They’ve also always had ample snacks and beverages available to help smooth over any irritation at having to wait at the baggage office. Apparently they know that the best way to help “hangry” passengers is to feed them . Then fix their other problems, and the unhappy faces coming in one door, end up smiling on their exit out the other door.

 

[Mary Pops In]

I drive to most of my vacations, so I like to use carry on size to make the most of my car space (it’s a lot like Tetris sometimes). I have finally retired one hard side bag and use the other one as the bag of last resort. I can see wanting one if I were checking a bag for a flight though, for protection reasons.

Often when we drive to a destination, I skip the luggage altogether and pack in laundry baskets. We put our clean clothes in the dressers and use the laundry baskets for dirty clothes. We laugh about using soft sided cloth baskets or plastic baskets and which is better.

 

[jimmytammy]

When we were flying more pre-covid my wife decided we needed hardshell vs. the soft we had for long time. We kept the soft in case of an extra need down the road or if our adult kids needed an extra set. A few days ago before heading to WDW, she asked me to get our hardshell down from closet. I had to move the soft off the top of it, and for the life of me, I swear, the soft was heavier than the hardshell. Both are good name brands, and I really like the hardshell better now that we have used it several trips, even the airport doesn't tear it up like the soft we had

 

[LuvOrlando]

That’s auto-correct for you. Should be our OWN kids. Glad you caught it! I’m just shaking my head and laughing. You should see some of the dictated texts my kids get!!!

Don't feel bad I once sent a text to another mom from one of my kids sports teams and it added "Iove ya" after I was done, I was horrified, no idea where it came from, my phone is weird... laptop does it too.

 

[Shellyred8]

(Regarding luggage, I am a soft-sided, two wheel fan. I hate these 4 wheel suitcases that you push along beside you; really kills my lower back. Give me a suitcase with a pair of wheels set into the sides that I can drag along behind me!)

I am team "two wheels" too! But it's soooooo hard to find them now. The only place I've been able to find them is at Travel Pro. I bought an Away hard-sided 4-wheel spinner and it doesn't roll nearly as smooth as my two-wheeled suitcase did. It's also harder to roll the 4-wheeled ones on anything that isn't a really smooth surface (even when tilted and pulled on two wheels). I just miss the smooth rolling of the roller-blade wheels. If Travel Pro ever gets the color I want back in stock, I'll probably invest in a two-wheeled one from them.

 

[fly girl]

FYI… Delta airlines will do an on-the-spot trade for luggage cracked/split, or a zipper that is burst. You do have to go stand in line at Baggage Services, and be ready to transfer all your belongings from the damaged case into the new one… which can be a bit of a pain. But in my case, both times, I ended up with moderately better, slightly bigger (not by much, but still) replacements. They let us choose out of a couple styles (hard vs. soft) and even gave a choice of a few colors.

The one time we were told we’d have to send our suitcase in was because they didn’t have any of the extra large (27”+) size suitcases to give us… and they weren’t expecting to get any in the seven days we had to make our “claim” so they said we’d have to send it in. The worst part was that there was no way we could send it in, and get a replacement/ repaired one back before we’d need it to travel again… and since the point of sending it in is to give them a chance to determine whether to repair or replace the bag, they won’t authorize you to just purchase a new one and get reimbursed. (I did find it strange that the agent can determine to replace the bag if they have them there; but if they don’t, they don’t have the power to say you’re allowed to replace it yourself.)

We decided the crack wasn’t too extensive, so we used flex seal tape to reinforce it, and figured if it was damaged further we’d worry about it then. So far it’s held up, so we’ll just keep using it as long as we can.

I have no idea how other airlines work, as I haven’t had occasion to deal with their baggage agents, but Delta at least will swap out for a new bag on the spot, assuming they have them on hand to do so. The Delta agents I’ve dealt with do want to resolve baggage claims quickly and satisfactorily within their power to do so. Bonus tip: They’ve also always had ample snacks and beverages available to help smooth over any irritation at having to wait at the baggage office. Apparently they know that the best way to help “hangry” passengers is to feed them . Then fix their other problems, and the unhappy faces coming in one door, end up smiling on their exit out the other door.

As for my dd's hard sided case, it was a small crack that didn't hurt the integrity of the bag, more aesthetics. It wasn't a big deal especially because we knew she was getting a new set for Christmas.


for Delta Air Lines. If you have ever read any of my airline posts you may notice I have close ties with a certain airline. Not saying which one, but ...

I am team "two wheels" too! But it's soooooo hard to find them now. The only place I've been able to find them is at Travel Pro. I bought an Away hard-sided 4-wheel spinner and it doesn't roll nearly as smooth as my two-wheeled suitcase did. It's also harder to roll the 4-wheeled ones on anything that isn't a really smooth surface (even when tilted and pulled on two wheels). I just miss the smooth rolling of the roller-blade wheels. If Travel Pro ever gets the color I want back in stock, I'll probably invest in a two-wheeled one from them.

I will only use 2 wheeled luggage. LuggageWorks.

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I am team "two wheels" too! But it's soooooo hard to find them now. The only place I've been able to find them is at Travel Pro. I bought an Away hard-sided 4-wheel spinner and it doesn't roll nearly as smooth as my two-wheeled suitcase did. It's also harder to roll the 4-wheeled ones on anything that isn't a really smooth surface (even when tilted and pulled on two wheels). I just miss the smooth rolling of the roller-blade wheels. If Travel Pro ever gets the color I want back in stock, I'll probably invest in a two-wheeled one from them.

I'm looking for a smaller carry on than I own for our cruise next year due to restrictions and the one I'm fairly certain I'm getting is a two wheeled, it's the same brand as the 4 wheeled one my husband has been using Rockland and seems to hold up well. They do have a 4 wheeled version of the one I'm thinking of getting too but leaning towards the 2 wheeled one. Both the 4 wheeled one my husband owns and the 2 wheeled one I'm looking at are soft sided which is my preference personally.

I think there are some pros to 4 wheels such as transporting through the aisle of an airplane you can turn it to the side but I find it not that comfortable to wheel next to me or in front of me due to the direction of the handle. I would just as well wheel it behind me old school. It is true you can just do this with 4 wheels but you have to be careful because sometimes the design it ends up rubbing the bottom enough and like you said can be unwieldy depending on surface.

I also find that 4 wheeled the wheels stick out so much breakage always worry me. On the other hand replacing the wheels on a 4 wheels is typically easier. I need to repair my 16 year old set (the carry on and medium size) for the wheels and you gotta use a hacksaw basically to do it. Cheap to purchase the wheels but it not as easy to replace them because of how they were assembled. \

In the end 2 wheels is winning out for me thinking of the most used item, a carry on, for travel. For domestic travel I doubt I'll use this new carry on as much because it's smaller so long as I can get my old ones actually repaired. Hard when you're used to SWA dimensions which is several inches difference to what these international airlines are lol.

 

[Memorymakerfor4]

My husband traveled a lot for work overseas for several years and even the TravelPro didn’t hold up to airline baggage handlers. Most of our bags lasted about a year. When the Away bags first started showing up in my fb feed I scoffed and dismissed them as trendy. However, just like Bombas socks, my family caved to the trend and to our surprise now love them. Lightweight, flexible, a built in laundry bag. One side has a zippered net and the other has the straps you can tighten so no surprises when you open it. Pricey, yes. But we’re going on 3 years with these and still going strong. They even give you a magic eraser to buff away scuff marks. The only thing I miss about soft side luggage is it’s easier to open on a hotel luggage rack.

 

[RedHead0186]

I've used soft-sided for years (fairly regular business and leisure travel, COVID notwithstanding). I recently purchased hard-sided, both a carry on and a (larger) checked bag, since I fly into Florida a lot and was concerned about rain soaking my luggage (I know hard-sided isn't 100% waterproof, but certainly much closer than soft-sided). Took the large one on my DCL cruise last month and really enjoyed it-it had a ton of space, wasn't too hard to navigate despite its size, and fit everything well.

So now, I have choices-I can still use my old soft-sided luggage (which is beat up and stained, but thankfully still usable), or the hard-sided. It's nice to have options, so not sure I'm firmly in the soft- or hard-sided camp.

 

[tvguy]

FYI… Delta airlines will do an on-the-spot trade for luggage cracked/split, or a zipper that is burst. You do have to go stand in line at Baggage Services, and be ready to transfer all your belongings from the damaged case into the new one… which can be a bit of a pain. But in my case, both times, I ended up with moderately better, slightly bigger (not by much, but still) replacements. They let us choose out of a couple styles (hard vs. soft) and even gave a choice of a few colors.

The one time we were told we’d have to send our suitcase in was because they didn’t have any of the extra large (27”+) size suitcases to give us… and they weren’t expecting to get any in the seven days we had to make our “claim” so they said we’d have to send it in. The worst part was that there was no way we could send it in, and get a replacement/ repaired one back before we’d need it to travel again… and since the point of sending it in is to give them a chance to determine whether to repair or replace the bag, they won’t authorize you to just purchase a new one and get reimbursed. (I did find it strange that the agent can determine to replace the bag if they have them there; but if they don’t, they don’t have the power to say you’re allowed to replace it yourself.)

We decided the crack wasn’t too extensive, so we used flex seal tape to reinforce it, and figured if it was damaged further we’d worry about it then. So far it’s held up, so we’ll just keep using it as long as we can.

I have no idea how other airlines work, as I haven’t had occasion to deal with their baggage agents, but Delta at least will swap out for a new bag on the spot, assuming they have them on hand to do so. The Delta agents I’ve dealt with do want to resolve baggage claims quickly and satisfactorily within their power to do so. Bonus tip: They’ve also always had ample snacks and beverages available to help smooth over any irritation at having to wait at the baggage office. Apparently they know that the best way to help “hangry” passengers is to feed them . Then fix their other problems, and the unhappy faces coming in one door, end up smiling on their exit out the other door.

For me the items I lost out of my suitcase would be the biggest concern. I will admit after 40 years of use my hardsided suitcases are scuffed up, but they are structurally sound. And I do have a smaller softsided suitcase I use for trips by car.

 

[ninafeliz]

I didn't read all of the replies, so I don't know where this might have gone, but I wanted to chime in because I feel for you - I HATE hard sided luggage. Looks wise it's fine, and apparently it does hold up better (I haven't had any issues with soft sided luggage, but I don't fly frequently), and I find the options for "fun" (i.e. disney) luggage more plentiful. But I cannot stand having to butterfly the entire darn thing open to get anything out or to have it open if you plan to live out of your suitcase while away. You cant just sit it up against a wall, open the top flap, and then keep the flap down when not using it. Plus you have to split everything into the two halves while packing. I don't know why, but that always makes it seem smaller and harder to pack for me, and you can't just unzip a small section of zipper and shove an additional item in as easily. So I purposefully only buy soft sided, and luckily the newer stuff is so much lighter than the old suitcases I'm still holding on to (buy generally don't use when flying because so much of your allotted weight is in the suitcase).

 

[Mackenzie Click-Mickelson]

I didn't read all of the replies, so I don't know where this might have gone, but I wanted to chime in because I feel for you - I HATE hard sided luggage. Looks wise it's fine, and apparently it does hold up better (I haven't had any issues with soft sided luggage, but I don't fly frequently), and I find the options for "fun" (i.e. disney) luggage more plentiful. But I cannot stand having to butterfly the entire darn thing open to get anything out or to have it open if you plan to live out of your suitcase while away. You cant just sit it up against a wall, open the top flap, and then keep the flap down when not using it. Plus you have to split everything into the two halves while packing. I don't know why, but that always makes it seem smaller and harder to pack for me, and you can't just unzip a small section of zipper and shove an additional item in as easily. So I purposefully only buy soft sided, and luckily the newer stuff is so much lighter than the old suitcases I'm still holding on to (buy generally don't use when flying because so much of your allotted weight is in the suitcase).

I have seen maybe 1 or 2 hard sided that have an added front zipper portion. I'm like you that the outer pocket is useful for quick access things and there's nil on the market for the hard sided save for the 1 or 2 I saw.

 

[NotUrsula]

FWIW, if you like 2-wheeled larger cases, your best bet other than Luggageworks (great, but quite pricey if you're not a road warrior), are the more adventure-oriented brands, like Osprey, Timbuk2, Topo or Dakine. They tend toward the duffel-like, but there are some advantages to that, too, especially in larger bags. (I have an older case built like that, narrow width with larger depth; it's great for city travel because it easily goes through public transit turnstiles. It also collapses nearly flat when empty, which is really nice on cruise ships.)

I've seen hardsides with a pocket from several brands, especially in a carry-on size. They are getting more popular, I think. Away has a very popular one, as do Delsey and Samsonite, and several other lesser-known brands.

I recently ran across a really unusual hardside line, called TUPLUS. Pricey, but they have a feature I've never seen in a modern hardside; a lid like a softside, that opens as a flap. They do come in plastic, which is a bit less expensive, but their better line is ridged aluminum. They are built like boxes, almost perfectly rectangular. https://www.tuplus.us/

If you're interested in an absolute TANK of a 2-wheeled domestic carryon bag, you could go for a Zuca Flyer. https://www.zuca.com/control/product/~product_id=10962
Zuca's are primarily sports bags, with aircraft aluminum frames that hold removable fabric shells (machine washable; nice to remove gym stink). The frames are so strong that a 200 lb+ person can sit on it very comfortably; they are designed to double as seating.

Oh, also: if you have difficulty with balky luggage zippers, there is an easy remedy: soap. Take a bar of soap and rub it on the zipper teeth; it makes a huge difference.

PS: Yes, I *am* a luggage geek. Luggage is my impulse-buy weakness; drives my DH crazy. I started donating my less-favorite ones to the local foster-care system when my collection started to take up too much space.

 

[Robbie Cottam]

I just checked the AAA website and they have soft sided luggage, not as much as the hard stuff but they do have some.

Just checked Amazon and they have the soft sided luggage as well. Good luck, you may have to order it online.

Walmart has hard sided luggage .... lots of it and in lots of colors.....

Since that is the only place I have seen it in any great amount, I assume maybe it is cheap, or cheaper to make....