Hard shell suitcases vs soft shell(fabric) suitcases

[user120222]

I only own fabric suitcases as I haven't bought a new one in years.

I'm after a new one now as I need something smaller (cabin size) as I found that on my last few trips, my smallest suitcase will still a little big.

Nowadays, everyone seems to have hard shell ones. Are they really better? They look really nice but I'm wary of getting one as surely they're more likely to crack/break if dropped or knocked, right? Am I missing something?

Any brand recommendations or links welcome.

@Globetrotterwitch Wow, thank you for that detailed response haha. Not sure what that last paragraph is all about! 😂

Hard isn’t necessarily better if cheaply made. Buy a decent make with robust handle and wheels. Cheap and cheerful solid cases are poor. We have Samsonite and we have found them great. We have some old Antler cases and they lasted for years!

I know nothing but avoided hard shell cases because of weight - that's been the decider for me.

I have one of each and I find the hard one annoying because you can't just unzip it a bit to put things in/take things out. You have to unzip the whole thing. The soft one is a lot more flexible in this regard. The four wheels at the bottom instead of the two on my soft case is a game changer though.

Tripp suitcases are fab.

Hard suitcases for the hold are great, as they get so bashed around and occasionally rained on when on the tarmac. But for cabin luggage I much prefer soft wheelie bags. You can get so much more in them and they’re unlikely to have anything too heavy put on top of them. I was cabin crew for 20 years and used my soft wheelie bag for most trips.

For the cabin, it is necessary to fit the exacting Ryanair dimensions. Every inch and cubic metre counts.

I go drag-along 2-wheel fabric.

They are bigger (because you don't lose the extra inch at the bottom for the wheelies) and they are lighter (so they don't consume your cabin weight allowance as much). Being soft, if you happen to have more space, they can expand easily and you can squash more things inside them. They have outer pockets that can give you even more storage.

If you are going be checking in a suitcase for hold travel on a frequent basis IMO you are far better off going with a good hard shell…

As has been said upthread checked bags get thumped around and get wet if exposed to the elements during loading. Another issue is checked bags do almost always get stacked one on top another in the holds/in the containers so the rigid shell helps protects the contents.

It’s true that really good hard cases aren’t cheap but they can last a decade plus even with maybe weekly (often plus) plus use and abuse.

It depends on what your needs are. Four wheel hard shell can be annoying on trains and buses because you can’t just park up your bag the way you can with a two wheel. They also aren’t so sturdy if you’re likely to be pulling them on uneven pavements. I much prefer fabric and two wheels, but that’s because we do a lot of train then bus or walk kind of trips rather than smooth airport floors followed by taxis.

I guess wheels (orientation and number) is a another valid consideration here.

I’ve tried a standard sized two wheeler (hard shell) a couple of times and personally found the thing was quite bulky (wide) when pulled, OTOH the problem with some four wheelers is the castoring wheels are vulnerable to being knocked off.

My all time favourite for a suitcase was an old style (can’t recall the model name) Delsey model which had two wheels on either side of a bottom corner and a short spring loaded handle diagonally opposite.

Downside of the design was when you pulled it you were lifting a proportion of the weight but the upside was it was maneuverable as heck and built like a tank…I used it for many years when working as crew and I guess it survived the best part of a thousand encounters with baggage handlers at various airports.

Thanks for everyone's responses. Lots of things to thing about.

In regards to the wheels though, I've seen quite a few fabric suitcases with 4 wheels. It's something I've been after as I find it a bit of a pain to just have 2 wheels. Even just changing direction is a nightmare when I'm in a rush!

@Honeyroar I wouldn't have thought the people handling the luggage are less likely to put heavy items on top of fabric suitcases but I suppose it would make sense if they're conscious of not destroying someone's suitcase. Although, I have watched them load the suitcases onto the trolleys before and it did not look good....

@RainBow725 Ah I didn't even think about the fact that I can't just unzip a section and shove something in there last minute.

I meant that people are unlikely to put anything heavy on top of your wheelie and squash it in the overhead locker. Because there’s not much room to put much else on top. Not the baggage handlers - they don’t give a stuff what’s where as long as it’s quick to load. (I had a hard samsonite case completely flattened once!)

I bought a cheap hard shell cabin bag recently with 4 wheels. I love the wheels, makes life so easy and the size is great. But….. I doubt it would survive going in the hold as the zips feel really flimsy. And it’s so annoying to have to open up the whole thing - a side pocket would have been so useful.

My conclusion therefore is that if you need it to go in the hold ever, buy an expensive hard shell. If you don’t, get a cheaper fabric one with 4 wheels and a side pocket

If you travel a lot - hard shell for the hold but only if its a good make - Which periodically review luggage, Samsonite isn't the only option. Assume the worst during luggage transfer! If its just for annual holidays then it may not be worth spending on the Samsonite types.

For cabin - robust soft sided works best for me.

hard shell - have seen so many split open on the caroussel I would only use them with a baggage belt.
4 wheels are great but they stick out a lot which makes ghem prone to breaking off.