Hard sided vs soft sided luggage

[luvs2beachit]

 It has been a long time since I have purchased luggage.  Our last set was American Tourister which we bought in 2008.  It has served us well through 30 plus cruises and multiple international and domestic flights. The bags are still functional but they have begun to tip over and the spinners  are worn. In a few weeks I will be going on a 23 day cruise involving several flights and since I will be traveling solo I want to make sure that my luggage is efficient and easy to maneuver.  This past weekend I went out to buy my new suitcase and I was overwhelmed with the choices.  Brand names I know but I have no clue about the virtues of hard sided vs soft sided.  I need some input from the CC pros!  In your experience which is better hard or soft sided?

Thanks in advance!

[shof515]

i noticed for me soft sided luggage is lighter and the bag can be squished making it easier to fit in tight spaces. hard sided luggage is a bit heaver and bulky

 

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by shof515

[Saint Greg]

I used to have soft but I went to a hard case last year and I like it. 

[Ilovesailaway]

I am a huge fan of carry on only. It can be done for any length of trip. Look up the bundle method on youtube. I also believe that the best way to pick a tool for a job is to look at what the professionals use and copy them. Every flight crew I see uses soft sided 2 wheel luggage. Personal bag clips to the lager carry on. This works great for dragging your bags over any surface. Spinners are great for hard floors but carpets or anything uneven and you will wish you had a 2 wheel bag.

[Guest BasicSailor]

I gave up on soft sided luggage eons ago.  From my balcony viewing port staff drop kicking soft sided luggage into the bins.  The wear and tear will show this to be a fact.

[Ilovesailaway]

9 minutes ago, BasicSailor said:

I gave up on soft sided luggage eons ago.  From my balcony viewing port staff drop kicking soft sided luggage into the bins.  The wear and tear will show this to be a fact.

One of the many reasons I carry on and carry off. I won't check my bag at airports either.

[DAllenTCY]

My thought is that more damage reports at the pier are recorded with hard sided luggage.  They tend to split in the corners when stacked one on top of the other.

 

The major issue with soft sided bags seems to be with wheels that snap off and rain.

 

One way or the other.....I'm carrying on by bag on Saturday.

 

David

[snowballs mom]

I have used both and prefer soft sided luggage.

[ldubs]

We currently use soft sided (Travel Pro) and have had good luck with them.  Previously we used hard sided Samsonite luggages.  They performed well and we still have them.   

 

Where the rubber meets the road, I would select whichever one is lighter.  

[Mic101680]

I like both for different reasons - hard sided I feel offers a little more protection for the contents if I'm planning on bringing home anything breakable. Soft sided I can definitely cram more in. Both of my luggage pieces are from eBags and have held up well - the mother lode rolling duffel (also comes in a backpack) and the allura hardside carryon (which I don't think they make anymore). 6 years later and the hard sided only has a few scratches on the corners, The zippers, handles, and wheels are all in great condition, despite how hard I am on them. They have a lifetime warranty on their brand of bags too, which is great.

[pdmlynek]

4 hours ago, Ilovesailaway said:

I am a huge fan of carry on only. It can be done for any length of trip.

I agree.  Take a look at people who go back packing.  They just have one bag.  They carry a sleeping bag, insulite pad, and a tent.  When you go on a cruise, you do nt need to bring a tent, or sleeping bag, or an insulate pad.  You don't need to bring food, stove, fuel, cooking utensils, cups, bowls, eating utensils, water purifier, dish soap, etc.  You do not need to bring a shovel, rope, ground cloths, etc.  No towels, no soap, shampoo, no toilet paper, etc.  You don't need to bring almost anything on a cruise. Everything, from a place to sleep, what you eat and drink, what is cooked for you, what is cleaned up for you, is provided for you.  Just exactly how do people manage to bring so much more stuff on a cruise?

 

 

I agree with @Ilovesailaway: just travel with a carryon.

[pdmlynek]

4 hours ago, Ilovesailaway said:

...

Every flight crew I see uses soft sided 2 wheel luggage. Personal bag clips to the lager carry on. This works great for dragging your bags over any surface. Spinners are great for hard floors but carpets or anything uneven and you will wish you had a 2 wheel bag.

No.  A wheeled carryon is just a gimmick.  Unless you are physically challenged, A wheeled carryon works great for dragging on smooth surface only.  If you want to run up some stairs, climb a ladder, jump over a puddle, run through a crowd, etc. a wheeled luggage or a wheeled carryon will just slow you down.  Instead, use a backpack.  A backpack is much more handy, much easier to travel with than a wheeled luggage.

[lenquixote66]

18 hours ago, luvs2beachit said:

 It has been a long time since I have purchased luggage.  Our last set was American Tourister which we bought in 2008.  It has served us well through 30 plus cruises and multiple international and domestic flights. The bags are still functional but they have begun to tip over and the spinners  are worn. In a few weeks I will be going on a 23 day cruise involving several flights and since I will be traveling solo I want to make sure that my luggage is efficient and easy to maneuver.  This past weekend I went out to buy my new suitcase and I was overwhelmed with the choices.  Brand names I know but I have no clue about the virtues of hard sided vs soft sided.  I need some input from the CC pros!  In your experience which is better hard or soft sided?

Thanks in advance!

I bought hard sided in a Kohl’s in Long Island .Previously I bought overpriced soft sided in Macy’s in Roosevelt Field.

[slidergirl]

As one who has worked in Hospitality for years and has hauled a variety of luggage around, I will say I HATE spinners with a passion.  Hardwood is OK, carpet is a pain, cobblestones are nasty, gaps in tiles in train stations and elsewhere cause the bag to jump, hit your foot and blacken up your nice white sneakers!!  I prefer a 2-wheeler if I have to lug.  Otherwise, I have my 35L bag/pack (I can carry like a suitcase or put it on my back).  I'm 68, so I guess I'm still nimble enough to be able to handle my own bags in planes, trains, automobiles and ships.  

[navybankerteacher]

6 minutes ago, slidergirl said:

As one who has worked in Hospitality for years and has hauled a variety of luggage around, I will say I HATE spinners with a passion.  Hardwood is OK, carpet is a pain, cobblestones are nasty, gaps in tiles in train stations and elsewhere cause the bag to jump, hit your foot and blacken up your nice white sneakers!!  I prefer a 2-wheeler if I have to lug.  Otherwise, I have my 35L bag/pack (I can carry like a suitcase or put it on my back).  I'm 68, so I guess I'm still nimble enough to be able to handle my own bags in planes, trains, automobiles and ships.  

Agreed - those spinners are only good on polished terrazzo, or comparable flawless surfaces.  The two- wheel trailer is better suited for most surfaces.  Because most trips are fairly long and involve different environments and different social interactions, I rarely can get by with just a backpack.

[Ilovesailaway]

18 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

If you want to run up some stairs, climb a ladder, jump over a puddle, run through a crowd, etc. a wheeled luggage or a wheeled carryon will just slow you down.  Instead, use a backpack. 

 

lol... I will keep that in mind if I anticipate taking a cruise that would require such unique challenges.

[Crew News]

The question of luggage for cruising should be, "Will the items inside your selected choice of luggage fabric survive being on the bottom of a cruise line luggage cart?

 

[zdcatc12]

On 2/28/2023 at 1:24 AM, pdmlynek said:

Instead, use a backpack.  A backpack is much more handy, much easier to travel with than a wheeled luggage.

And if you do use a backpack, please pay attention to your movements. Just about every single time that I fly, someone whacks me with their backpack either in the airport or on the plane. It is very rude, especially when they don't acknowledge it. The dang thing sticks out two feet behind them, but they spin around like nothing is there.

 

 I do not remember the last time that I was blindsided by someones suitcase!!

[ldubs]

14 hours ago, slidergirl said:

As one who has worked in Hospitality for years and has hauled a variety of luggage around, I will say I HATE spinners with a passion.  Hardwood is OK, carpet is a pain, cobblestones are nasty, gaps in tiles in train stations and elsewhere cause the bag to jump, hit your foot and blacken up your nice white sneakers!!  I prefer a 2-wheeler if I have to lug.  Otherwise, I have my 35L bag/pack (I can carry like a suitcase or put it on my back).  I'm 68, so I guess I'm still nimble enough to be able to handle my own bags in planes, trains, automobiles and ships.  

 

14 hours ago, navybankerteacher said:

Agreed - those spinners are only good on polished terrazzo, or comparable flawless surfaces.  The two- wheel trailer is better suited for most surfaces.  Because most trips are fairly long and involve different environments and different social interactions, I rarely can get by with just a backpack.

 

When I encounter cobbles or something problematic for the spinner,  I just tilt the luggage and pull it along like a 2-wheeler.  

[ruready]

Soft-sided for me.  I hate the look of dented hard sided suitcases for these newer versions.  I remember my parents had hard sided in the 70s that never dented (understanding they were heavier and thus why they did not dent as easily as the ones today).  

[pdmlynek]

18 hours ago, slidergirl said:

As one who has worked in Hospitality for years and has hauled a variety of luggage around, I will say I HATE spinners with a passion.  Hardwood is OK, carpet is a pain, cobblestones are nasty, gaps in tiles in train stations and elsewhere cause the bag to jump, hit your foot and blacken up your nice white sneakers!!  I prefer a 2-wheeler if I have to lug.  Otherwise, I have my 35L bag/pack (I can carry like a suitcase or put it on my back).  I'm 68, so I guess I'm still nimble enough to be able to handle my own bags in planes, trains, automobiles and ships.  

That is correct.  35 L bag is about the top limit for a carryon backpack, and is plenty for anything that you'll need on a cruise.

[K32682]

I prefer soft-sided luggage. I've seen a couple of hard sides with serious cracks and dents. Soft sides have some give to them and don't seem to get as damaged when handled roughly. My luggage has two wheels or no wheels at all. Four wheels are great on hard surfaces but not so good on carpets and you have to keep a close eye on them. I watched a mad scramble at a London tube station when a spinner started rolling of its own accord toward the tracks and was captured just before it went over the edge.   

 

 

Edited March 1, 2023 by K32682

[slidergirl]

5 hours ago, ldubs said:

 

 

When I encounter cobbles or something problematic for the spinner,  I just tilt the luggage and pull it along like a 2-wheeler.  

Thing is, why not just get the 2-wheeler?  you lose some space for packing when you have 4 wheels.  2 wheels are kind of built into the sides of the bag while the 4 wheels are stuck on the bottom.  Maybe an inch deep of extra space in a 2-wheeler - room for goodies!

[Charles4515]

2 hours ago, pdmlynek said:

That is correct.  35 L bag is about the top limit for a carryon backpack, and is plenty for anything that you'll need on a cruise.

The best ones to get open like suitcase. Cotopaxi is one example. 

[Hllb]

Soft sided get dirty super easy and that annoys me. I have hard sided and love them. The only thing I don’t like is that luggage stands are fairly useless for them since you can’t just flip up a lid as it’s filled with stuff.