Suitcases have a max 2 trip usage limit!

[StopRainingNow]

I am starting to think there is no such thing as a suitcase that is not in essence disposable. I've never had one survive more than two trips without being broken, normally the wheels. So sick of keep buying new suitcases.

Does anyone know of any where the wheels don't snap, or become unusable?

Buy cases with big wheels that are built into the frame rather than ones with little wheels that are external to the case. We have Eastpak ones.

Never had a suitcase break in the hold or otherwise despite going away quite a lot for work and holidays. I have to ask the same questions others have: what on earth are you doing to your luggage??

I have an ‘it’ hard shell case. It’s robust and awesome!

I have very cheap suitcases that have lasted ages.
I am a bit princessy about them, wouldn't tow them over rough ground, don't overload, etc. If I'm going somewhere only with rough ground (rural Tanzania, spain) I bring a large backpack instead.

I've been using the same Kipling Duffle bag for 20 years. One of the handles is a bit tatty but apart from that it is still going strong It has gone with me everywhere over those 20 years.

Mr Monkey has had the same Samsonite wheely bag for nearly 30 years now. One of the wheels is a bit wobbly but apart from that it is fine.

I’ve given up on hard cases. We always take soft bags they’ve been on dozens of trips and are far easier to squeeze into a boot of a hire car

I once bought a samsonite hard case with those fancy 360 wheels and it got pretty much destroyed by Manchester airport baggage handling on the 3rd trip so yeah I get it

Retired a couple of hardsided no zipped Samsonite due to them having only 2 wheels but still in great shape they were about 20 years old. But I travel a lot so replaced them with s'cure spinner again no zips (3 locking system) still going strong after many many flights and trips 6 years old worth every penny.

My oldest suitcase is 25yo and is fine, I bought it in TopShop, so not high end. Most of my suitcases are older than 10. I've only had 1 suitcase fall part on me after 1 trip and it was from TK Max.
Are you squashing loads into a hardshell?

Samonite.

Really? What are you doing to them😂
ours are about 25 years old, couple of holidays most years and although a bit tatty they’re fine! I’d quite like some new ones, but seems wasteful to replace when they’re not broken. And as DH points out, less likely to be stolen if they look a bit threadbare!

I see a lot of small children sitting on suitcases - this can't do them any good, and also places like York where the streets are cobbled. You can HEAR the tourists heading for the station with the noise their case wheels make over the cobbled streets! All suitcase-abuse that's going to guarantee something shatters or breaks off before they get home.

I only use a rucksack. But that's because I take a lot of stairs and not a lot of luggage.

I've never had this problem... My oldest suitcase is probably 15 years old, and yes it's pretty dirty and worn, but still fully functional.
Is yours a hard or soft case? In my experience, soft cases seem to be a bit more resilient to the general throwing around they get in airports and the like.

We had a set of 3 soft Samsonite suitcases that we used for years. I suspect we bought them in the late 20th century. DH travels for work and the small one got tatty after about 15 years. It's been replaced with 2 Samsonite soft cabin bags, one same sort of size and one smaller. They are good but the expansion zip method is counter intuitive. The expansion zip is the inner.

The big one has been used for storage and has resided in the cottage nook area for 10 years, it's not particularly scuffed.

The medium finished service after I noticed the stitching at the bottom was going about 5 years ago. It's replacement was hastily purchased from John Lewis, it's their own brand as no Samsonite available. it's light but because not sturdily made it's unwieldy, so we only use it when absolutely necessary. When DH works away abroad for months.

Our standard travelling suitcases when traveling by train or flying are 3 55cm cabin bags (usually checked as hold luggage when flying) one is the larger of the 2 Samsonite cabin bags, one is an Aerolite off Amazon and the other is an IT Luggage from Argos. The Aerolite is huge compared with the other 2. It's survived intensive gap year use, inter-railing etc.

The only time I’ve had this happen was when I bought one from the market! lol even a sports direct one lasted years, what on earth are you doing with them OP?!

My suitcase got damaged a few weeks ago. It went in the hold and when I collected it from the conveyor belt one of the wheels had been ripped off making a huge hole in the bottom. It was only the second trip I'd used it.

I put in a claim with Ryanair straightway but surprise surprise am still waiting despite it being a 15 working day process. I think I'm hampered by not having the original receipt, that is what they have asked for but I don't have it and can't imagine many would.

So, my top tip, hang on to the receipt next time you buy a suitcase!

Have never broken a suitcase and have done lots of long haul travel. Ours a a combo of samsonite, antler and John Lewis .

It's not what I'm doing to them, it's the airlines. They go on working perfectly and come back broken!!!

Our Tripp and Samsonite have been good.

However one from Morrisons got its wheel snapped off on trip 2. But what do you expect for £30.

I buy cheap suitcases from home bargains/B&M and they have lasted years.

WTF are you doing to your suitcases?!
I bought a couple of big ones from Argos about 20 years ago and retired them only this year as the frame at the back had been badly dented in transit somehow and it was looking a bit tired anyway.
I also bought 2 medium sized IT ones about 5 years ago when dds were going on a school trip, they’ve been excellent. Okay this year the front zip broke that was pretty insignificant as we don’t use those little front pockets anyway so the case is still fine to use.
I battered one of the mini wheelie ones in Bruges because of the cobbles - the wheels did not like that very much! Again though, it was well used until that point and would still be fine to use on something like a road trip where it was just being used in a car and could be carried.
We’ve never had a case that only lasted 2 trips, ours last for years and years!!

I’ve had the same suitcases for almost a decade. Bought from good old Debenhams half price . Still look good

Ditto. Done about 20 flights and still fine.

User error.

We buy our suitcases second hand from charity shops spending between £5 -£12. No idea how old they are when we get them but they’ve lasted years. Train, car, foot and plane journeys so not treated with kid gloves.

We do use WD40 on the wheels - maybe that helps?

You get what you pay for with suitcases. We have Samsonite ones, and despite dh travelling the world for work plus the usual holidays, they are well over 15 years old. They are expensive to buy though, but worth it in the long run. I bought a cheap suitcase from amazon recently, as I needed a special size. I don't think it will last long.