After having tried both hard and softside luggages for some time now, I realized there are distinct advantages and disadvantages between the two, plus you really need to consider some important things to determine the luggage type you need. This is something I didn't do 3 years ago - I simply zeroed in on hard shell just because I wanted something for a change. In short, don't be like me. Haha...
So below are some useful tips to consider when buying a luggage:
1. Choosing between softside or hard shell luggage.
The advantages of a hard shell luggage are:
- it offers more protection if you usually have fragile content inside
- it's generally water-proof except for the zipper area where water could seep through
- it usually doesn't have pockets; no risk exposure of strangers secretly inserting harmful items inside. If it does have an external pocket, just make sure the pocket has 2 zippers so you can seal them with a TSA padlock.
The disadvantages:
- the size could no longer be expanded
- when opened, the luggage consumes a lot of space coz the 2 sides have to be flat on the floor (see photo below). This is a bit of a challenge when you're booked in a small hotel room or airbnb unit.
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| A hard case occupies a lot of space when opened since the 2 sides have to be flat on the floor. |
Now for the softside luggage type.
The main advantages of a softside luggage are:
- it's space-saving since the top flap can be leaned against a wall (see photo below)
- it's usually expandable
- there's no risk of the shell cracking coz it's made of fabric.
The disadvantages:
- it's usually water-repellant only so water could eventually seep through when it gets soaking wet
- it doesn't offer much protection if you have fragile content inside
- it usually has a lot of external pockets so there's risk exposure for strangers to secretly insert harmful objects inside. If you do choose one with external pockets, just make sure the pockets have dual zippers so you can seal them with a TSA padlock.
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| Softside luggage saves space as the top flap can be leaned against the wall |
2. Know how much the luggage weighs without content. This is very important because a lot of airlines, especially budget airlines, have limited weight allocation. It pays to invest in a lightweight luggage so you can put more content inside. For example, I remember my decade-old big luggage weighed about 5.5 kilos even without content. My replacement luggage weighs only about 3 kilos. That's another 2 .5 kilos worth of content you could put inside the same size of suitcase. :)
3. Determine what luggage size you need. Do you need to buy all sizes or do you just need one size? If you travel a lot and in varying duration and season, then maybe you need all 3 sizes. But if you just travel occasionally, then 2 luggage sizes would do, or perhaps, even only one!:)
Here are my recommendations to help you decide:
- Buy a large luggage if your trips are usually 1 week or longer, or if you travel with a lot of paraphernalia regardless of the duration of the trip (aka heavy packer!), or if you love to shop.
- Buy a medium luggage if you travel light, or if your trips are usually just 3 to 5 days, or if you usually travel via budget airlines. You could just bring a foldable bag in case you end up shopping.
- Buy a small / carry-on luggage if you usually carry heavy equipment during travels like a laptop, DSLR, or if you simply don't want to carry heavy stuff.
If you do buy luggages in multiple sizes, make sure the smaller one fits inside the bigger one for easier storage. Also, if you're a serious shopper, you could put the medium luggage inside the large luggage when you fly out so that you'll have an extra luggage for your shopping.
The challenge when you're traveling with multiple luggages though is it's difficult to commute via train or bus. Actually if you're solo and you have 3 luggages, there's no way you could commute; you've to take a cab. Also, if you're visiting a place with cobblestone streets, it's difficult to drag around more than 1 luggage. So just know when you have the luxury to bring more than 1 luggage - most likely only in places where you could afford to take a cab! Wahaha....
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| A luggage inside a luggage |
4. How to choose a carry-on luggage.
Buy a cabin luggage that has a zippered compartment where you can easily pull out your laptop, gadgets and liquids because in some airports, passengers are mandated to take take these out during x-ray screening. Imagine, if your hand-carried luggage doesn't have a zippered compartment, you have to fully open your luggage on the floor to take them out before passing through x-ray, then fully open your luggage again to put them back after the screening. I've witnessed a lot of unhappy faces and grumbling passengers whose carry-on luggages didn't have any easy access external pockets.
If you're a serious shopper, buy a softside luggage instead of a hard case. Why? It's easier to load goodies. You can just zip open the top part and dump items in, versus a hard shell luggage where you've to fully open the luggage flat on the floor - every time you put in stuff.
5. Get a 4-Wheel Spinner luggage. Yes, one that spins 360 degrees. Other than it's generally lighter to drag around, you could easily lug it sideways along the narrow aisles of a plane.
And ideally, select a luggage with solid wheels (no spokes). They say solid wheels are sturdier. Why? Because a wheel usually collapses when one of the spokes gives in.
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| Non-spoke wheels, they say, are sturdier |
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| A wheel usually collapses when a spoke gives in that's why solid wheels are said to be sturdier. |
Bonus tip: How to choose a foldable travel bag to buy. Just 4 important considerations when choosing a foldable travel bag:
(1) It should have a sleeve so you can insert it in the luggage handle so it doesn't fall off as you lug around your suitcase.
(2) It should have 2 zippers so you can put a lock if you want to deposit it as a checked-in luggage.
(3) Choose a dark color because you'll never know what condition it would be when you retrieve it from the luggage carousel.
(4) Select a size that suits your shopping needs. Foldable bags come in various sizes, styles and shapes. In fact, I was so surprised to see that one of my friends has a foldable bag as big as a large luggage. And yes, she was able to fill it up with goodies! Haha... :)
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| Choose a foldable bag with a sleeve so you could insert it in the luggage handle to prevent it from falling off as you move around. |
That's it. Hope you learned something. This is actually meant as my cheat sheet so I don't forget what I need to consider the next time I replace my suitcases (though I am not sure if these would still be applicable when that time comes). Haha... :)
