
Your suitcase is your most important travel accessory. If you don’t have the container for all your things locked down, then your things might not even make it there. You’ve got to have a dependable suitcase you can trust. Lord knows you can’t trust the airline that’ll be handling it, it’s gotta be very reliable.
What To Look For In A Suitcase
So what should you be looking for in a suitcase? Well for starters, I’ll say it should be hard side. We’re past soft suitcases and luggage. If you roll up to the airport with a crushable bag, you can be sure it’ll be crushed. If liquids can get in it easily, they will, and you won’t want to find out what they are. Hard-side luggage is an absolute must.
The next thing you should be looking for is the right size. If you’re shopping for a carry-on or a checked bag, there are different sizes to hit. Most quality manufacturers are aware of this. It pays to look at the guidelines for airlines you use to know what size you need. The last thing you want to happen is to get all the way to the airport before realizing that you have too much bag.
Finally, you want quality hardware. Chances are, you’ll be rolling your suitcase around. Most of them get too big and heavy to comfortable carry. So you’ll want to make sure that the wheels and the handles are sturdy and built to last. Losing a wheel on your first day might be quite a bummer for your trip.
Some bonus features to keep an eye out for are backpack straps and organizers. Some smaller suitcases will have backpack straps so you can throw it on and be hands free. This can be very convenient, especially if your suitcase is your only luggage.
While suitcase organizers are a lot more common now, it’s nicer when the suitcase has everything you need built in. Keep an eye out for these, as they might not break the bank.
My Top Suitcase Picks
So with all this in mind, what are my picks for suitcases? Quality is important to me, but so is catching a deal. My picks take a balance of both quality and budget-friendliness.
Pick 1 – Samsonite Omni PC Hard-side Suitcase
This pick is an excellent quality bag, that’s still reasonably priced. Samsonite offers this model in most of the high-demand sizes. You can get carry-on and even a couple levels of checked bag. It’s a hard-side bag as I’ve heavily recommended. The hardware is certainly up to par, it even comes with a 10-year warranty for any defects on their end. The interior of the suicase has some decent organizational options. One side zippers in with some pockets and the other side has straps for your larger items. Overall, these Samsonite bags check all the boxes.
Pick 2 – Amazon Basics Suitcases
If you’re looking for a truly budget-friendly option, you can’t go wrong with Amazon Basics. Amazon Basics puts out a wide range of baseline products at very reasonable prices, and their hard-side luggage is no exception. It’s actually what I use personally! If you don’t travel very often, or if you travel so often that you burn through bags, you’ll love the price of these. They make an excellent entry level for hard-side luggage. I recommend them for anyone buying their first real luggage for a trip.
Between Samsonite and Amazon Basics you should be able to find an excellent option for whatever your suitcase needs!