If durability and weather is a concern for you then a hard sided case may be a good place to start because of its water resistance and it s easy to clean factor.
Hard sided luggage vs softside luggage.
If on the other hand you are looking for maximum durability and are not so worried about the weight then aluminium would be your number one choice.
Also if you need to be frequently moving or lifting your luggage around a soft side luggage is a great choice since they are lighter.
You can get them in a wide variety of styles from garment bags and wheeled.
Soft sided luggage though continues to lead the market the hard sided counterpart is quickly gaining popularity due to lightweight and newer materials.
Softside bags often have some pockets on the outside of the bag that ensure your travel items are easy to access as you pass through airports.
Protection for breakable valuables.
Hard side luggage on the other hand will hold up to being thrown around if you need to make frequent transfers.
One reason why softside luggage is sometimes more preferable than hardside is that the softside is more flexible.
Softside if you need some fabric stretch to your packing.
Softside luggage is definitely preferred for carry on luggage.
On the flip side if you are taking a checked luggage piece and really enjoy having some stretch in your material so you can overpack it and stuff the pockets go softsided.
What i do not like about it is that it requires two locks as the sides are accessed separately.
Because hard sided luggage is usually water resistant you can avoid certain odors that soft sided luggage may develop over the years.
This allows you to be totally certain when it comes time for the plane sizer that your bag will fit.
Flexibility means that this kind of suitcase can be fit into tight spaces easier.
The best option if you re looking for less weight but maximum durability would be ultra lightweight hard sided luggage.
Hardside bags do not have the give in fabric that a softside bag does and usually stray from front pocket spaces.
This article will discuss hard side versus soft side luggage that will guide in your purchasing decision.
But hard sided bags are making modest market inroads as well.
Softside bags are also easier to fit into the overhead bins.
All thanks to canvas or similar materials from which the luggage is made.
It s convenient that the soft side makes it so it can compact or expand and the hard side protects things from being crushed.