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?

Samsonite or Delsey. The ones with two wheels not the spinners. I've had my Delsey since I was 15, I'm 57 now. I've just replaced my cabin luggage, but only because it is now over the size allowed. I gave it away as there's nothing wrong with it. That's a Samsonite that I've had since I was 21.

I've got a Tripp suitcase - it's been to Australia, Singapore, Thailand, around Europe and on 100s of UK holidays. I've had it about 20 years and is still in usable condition.
My husband had a similar one which he's recently replaced as it's done too many long haul trips and the zip broke :(
It luggage is also great quality and I've got a cabin size suitcase which is going strong after 10+ years.

our EastPak wheeled cabin bags have been all over the place without any wheel, or other, problems.

Samsonite has 10 year guarantee. I’ve had several of their cases and used them lots. Highly recommend

I am honestly really surprised at this. I travel with work and have only had 2 sets of luggage in 12 years of hard use. My first set was IT hard shell set of 3 and I had them since about mid 90s. Eventually the shell split and I didn't like that they were 2 wheeled as it made life awkward dragging 2 cases alone. So about 6 years ago I switched to a much bigger soft, lightweight, 4 wheel case that I got from Primark. I figured it was cheap so if it didn't last it wouldn't be a loss. I still have it and it travels 2-4 X per year in planes, trains and automobiles. It's generally packed to 25kg and has to be able to be dragged around by me alone through various transfers, whilst usually supporting a fairly large backpack. It's not just packed with soft clothing either. It still looks pretty much pristine. It has been dragged up stairwells and gangways, been chucked in cargo net and craned around dockyards and industrial sites, as well as withstanding the usual abuse at airports. Maybe I am just lucky?

I have 4 suitcases from Home Bargains, never had an issue with them. I have my sons and nephews wheeling them through the airport each year, bashing them about and they are still going strong. Where do you buy yours?

Thank you! I'm starting to feel like I was the only person this happens to!! I genuinely don't over pack them or anything, but I do do lots of long haul with changes.

Not in my experience. I bought my last ones from home bargains about 6-7 years ago and they are still going strong. 2 trips abroad annually every year since. Plus school kids residentials x 6
One now has a crack in it so that one is probably not going to last much longer. This was the result of the last residential rather than airline misuse.
Even previous ones I only binned due to being a bit tatty rather than them breaking

Ive had some cases that have lasted over 30 years and been pretty indestructible. The problem is that the cases themselves are quite heavy before they are even packed, and quite unwieldly. They do have a handle on one end and wheels on one side only, so you have to lift one end of the ground by the handle and drag it along on the wheels. The wheels have never broken but neither is it a particularly easy solution compared to the lightweight swivel cases available now.

They are very easy to use and nice and light, but they just are not all that strong, despite the claims they make. In time, either the pull up handle stops retracting, or the case shell gets cracked (very common IME) or the wheels break. In the end I think it's a case of pick your poison. Really good cases are very expensive and you are always left wondering whether they might break anyway, given how they get chucked around by baggage handlers. So most people end up buying cheap to middle range cases, which don't last long.

Why won't you tell us the brands you're buying so we can avoid? And why do you keep buying them if they all break? Why don't you try a soft shell or a holdall?

If you are wheeling them for miles through cities then the wheels will break, but they aren't made for that. The wheels are just to ease the journey from the airport drop off to check in.
TL maxx ones I bought a few years ago have done 90 long haul trips so far with no probs. But one I wheeled through central London broke almost immediately.

Buy cheap and you buy twice OP. Rimowa cases (for one) are excellent.

Yep, both good brands.

For work travel I used to have a two wheeled hard shell Delsey with a tiny spring loaded pull out handle that quite possibly survived multiple hundreds of transits through Heathrow, Gatwick and umpteen other airports..

It got retired to the loft when I finally managed to slim down to travelling HBO.

I get the impression the weak points on modern cases are the castering wheels and telescopic handles.

I think you are right actually. Most of my broken wheels have been due to dragging cases over lumpy pavements and cobbles rather than anything that has happened in an airport.

I fly very frequently and often long haul (or at least I used to, until quite recently) and although I agree that modern cases don't last as long as I might hope, I don't think it's accurate to say they only last two trips either. I've got at least 8 or 10 uses out of even my cheapest cases, although the shell will crack or the wheels or handle will go eventually.

Mine were cheap ones from an outlet village which are at least 15 years old and have survived countless airline flights and transfers. They are soft sided which I think makes them more resilient.

Yes agree, my indestructible cases are those very hard shell Samsonites exactly like you describe. The problem is that they are a PITA to use so I'd almost rather use cheaper, lighter ones that swivel easily and don't require lifting off the ground at all to wheel them, and accept that I am going to have to replace them more often.

The soft sided ones are better in many respects, but not good if you are transporting anything fragile and much easier to steal from because people can slash them open. Otherwise, yes they are much more resilient to knocks and being thrown around in airports, and more forgiving to pack as well.

Presumably the airline replaces them each time though? I had one cracked by handlers on a Jet2 flight, they replaced it with a new Antler one, and they messed up and ended up sending me two as well!

I can’t say I’ve ever had a problem with failing suitcases. But I do tend to go on ordinary holidays - airports, flights, beaches, foreign cities, that sort of thing.

I wouldn’t swear to my suitcases surviving a climb up Everest or two weeks trekking in the Peruvian jungle.

Airlines are a pain for treating luggage like crap. Mine always seems to get oil on it! I’ve never had it fully broken though.

Everyone except Ryanair! I've had suitcases damaged by Wizz Air, BA and Ryanair. Wizz and BA sent a replacement. Ryanair weaseled out and gave nothing claiming a 2 year old suitcase had depreciated to nothing.

Me too, the smaller one is 35 years old, the medium one 10 years old. A trifle battered but still going strong.
I bought DS a Samsonite hold-all for university 25 years ago, it went all over the world with him and he only replaced it recently.

I have a Dunlop mega cheapo one i got for ds school trip about 13 years ago and it's still going it's done him 3 school trips, 2 florida trips, multiple Europe trips and UK trips probably 20+ total and apart from some scuffs it's perfect. However I have recently purchased a whole new set of iT luggage ones. They've done 2 trips so far and immaculate.

DD and I both got a Kipling Teagan in in 2013 (I remember the year as she was going on a school trip in Yr 12). We both have the same suitcases, they have been on every holiday and trip. They have been to Australia, Thailand, Malaysia, all over Europe, China, all over the US, Cuba, Barbados and half a dozen ski trips. They are a soft shell and expandable with two sections. A bit battered now but still in excellent working order. Not cheap though, although I bought ours both from an outlet.

It's the hardshell ones. I saw a video of an airport worker talking about them. They said because essentially they get jossled/thrown being put in the plane and then off again, they always recommend the soft shell ones. I have soft shell only and never had any issues.