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When buying a new bag, most of us consider a handful of features. Is the bag hardshell or softshell? Does it have two, four, or no wheels? Is it the right size and reasonably priced?
These are the defining characteristics of a suitcase, but there are many others you should consider. We’ll explore these in depth so you’re well informed when you buy your next bag.
Smart features: today’s bags can do more
In recent years, manufacturers have added to the humble suitcase’s capabilities. Some of the boldest innovations come from startups disrupting the luggage market. Thanks to their work, we now have a new breed of bag: the smart luggage.
Startups like Away, Bluesmart, and Raden have redefined what a bag can be. Bluetooth connectivity lets you lock and unlock your bags remotely. GPS tracking ensures an airline never loses your bags again. Built-in scales help you avoid overweight bag fees. USB ports let you charge your phone from a battery pack stowed inside your suitcase.
While these features are useful, they’ve been slow to catch on. Earlier this year, major airlines banned suitcases with irremovable battery packs. Without a battery plugged in at all times, features like built-in GPS and remote locking become all but useless. With all of their products effectively prohibited, Bluesmart and Raden closed up shop.
The Raden A22 featured USB ports, self-weighing, and Bluetooth
Still, one smart feature did make its mainstream debut in 2018: the USB port. We saw several manufacturers introduce these charge ports into their latest models. Instead of including a permanent battery, these bags have a small pouch where you can plug in your own portable battery. You can find a list of our favorites from our Editor’s Picks 2018 - Luggage with USB ports.
Traditional features
In 1987, the world saw its first rolling suitcase. For the better part of the next 30 years, manufacturers would focus on improving an unchanging, but exhaustive, set of features. These improvements have made the average bag both more durable and affordable.
Whether you care about durability, handling, style, price, or a mix of the four, you should know about each of these features:
- Shell finish and materials
- Pockets
- Compartments
- Compression straps
- Handles
- Zippers
- Wheels
- TSA compatibility
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Shell materials
The materials that go into hardshell and softshell bags vary in strength, weight, and finish. That affects how they withstand hard impact and ordinary wear and tear.
The most durable materials on the market today include aluminum, polycarbonate, and ballistic nylon. These materials are pricier, but they resist denting, cracking, and tearing.
For a detailed explanation of shells and shell materials, refer to our article Hardshell vs. Softshell Suitcases: An in-depth look.
Pockets
Pockets prevent smaller items from getting lost in our sea of belongings.
External pockets, found only on softshells, are the most accessible. On bags that include them, you’ll typically find two pockets, one small and one large.
These pockets are ideal for storing items we’ll need during our trip. For example, you might use the smaller pocket to keep your passport, a small camera, and a phone charger. In the larger pocket, you might keep a light jacket and an umbrella for poor weather.
Internal pockets are more varied. While some budget suitcases omit pockets altogether, most include at least a large pocket. It’s not until you move up into mid-range and premium lines will you find more pockets, some of which are highly specialized.
Suitcases designed for business travelers, for example, may provide semi-rigid pockets for dress clothing. These function like garment bags, keeping your clothes wrinkle-free. Other suitcases provide a “wet pocket” lined with spill-resistant material. These take the place of your toiletry bag and prevent something like a leaking shampoo bottle from ruining your wardrobe.
The TravelPro Crew 11 20" Carry-on internal compartment features a large mesh, side mesh, and a wet pocket
Compartments
As with pockets, hardshells and softshells have different compartments.
Most softshells come equipped with a single large compartment covered by a lid on one side. This compartment functions more or less like a box. There’s little structure to it on its own, although you could easily fit in packing cubes and a toiletry bag for organization. Because softshells have exteriors that flex, you can stuff their compartments beyond specified dimensions. That makes them ideal for those who tend to overpack.
Hardshells on the other hand provide two equally-sized compartments. Instead of accessing your belongings through a lid, hardshells split open in the middle like a clam. Two compartments naturally provide more organization than one, but if you need more structure, consider adding in “thin” packing cubes. Unlike normal cubes, these fit flush in clamshell halves.
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Finally, know that a softshell takes up less space than a hardshell will when packing. With a hardshell, you’ll need to rest both compartments flat on the floor whereas you simply need find a wall or chair to lean a lid with a softshell. This minor detail could have implications if you repack frequently on the go.
Expansion
Expandable suitcases have an extra set of zippers that wrap around a bag’s perimeter. Undoing these zippers reveals a fabric flap that folds outward, allowing your bag to expand in depth by as much as two inches. That’s handy if you tend to overpack or need extra room for souvenirs on a flight home.
While it sounds unintuitive, expansion can also help with compression. If you pack loosely (perhaps you want to skip packing cubes), try packing your bag when it’s fully expanded. When you’re done packing, zip your bag shut. Finally, zip the expansion (“unexpand”) to compress your pack by as much as 20% of its original volume.
Samsonite's Luggage Fiero HS Spinner 20 expands to add two full inches of depth
Expansions can be useful, but they’re not for everyone. If you already pack light, it might be hard to justify the added cost of this feature. Travelers prioritizing durability might also want to skip expansions since they add another point of failure. Finally, know that most bags, fully expanded, do not fit as carry-on. If you expand your bag, you may need to check it in at the gate.
Straps
Straps hold the contents of your bag in so they’re more compact.
Most suitcases come with two elastic straps that fasten together in the middle, forming an “X” over the compartment. Certain duffel bag and backpack designs on the other hand feature compression straps if they have any strap at all. These straps wrap around the outside of the bag. When pulled taut, they tighten, compressing the entire bag.
If your bag doesn’t include straps, you can always purchase a set separately.
Eagle Creek's Tarmac AWD 26 Inch Luggage provides internal compression straps
Handles
Handles are important because they’re your main point of contact with your bag on the go.
If you move your suitcase by its wheels, pay attention to its telescoping handle, the one that rises up and down. A good handle locks in at multiple heights. It should also be sturdy—two-bar handles are generally more durable than single-bar ones. Finally, look inside the bag. Telescoping handles stow into their own compartment inside your bag. You’ll want to make sure yours don’t take up too much space.
If you hand carry your bags, make sure you find a bag with durable and generously padded side handles as well. Comfortable handles make a bag that much more pleasant to carry when you need to run your bag up stairs and curbs.
Zippers
As on apparel, luggage zippers can fail. They might get stuck, fall off their chain, or fail to zip properly.
While fixes exist, you probably don’t want your luggage zippers to fail in transit. We suggest buying suitcases with good zippers off the bat to minimize the chances you’ll encounter a zipper crisis.
Spotting a good zipper can be difficult. Usually, it’s good enough to trust a manufacturer if they boast about their products’ zippers. To be extra sure, seek out bags sporting YKK, IDEAL, or Talon branded zippers. These zipper manufacturers are renown for churning out reliable zippers, billions of them each year.
Finally, know that suitcases with closed-ended designs provide the most reliability. Closed-ended suitcases feature two zippers that come together to seal your bag. The design itself doesn’t make either zipper stronger, but it does give you a backup in case one zipper fails. As with your kidneys, you only need one working zipper to have a functioning closed-ended suitcase.
Wheels
Most wheeled suitcases come with either two or four wheels. Ergonomically, four wheels are superior. Durability-wise, two wheels win out.
Four-wheeled suitcases often use free-spinning wheels that can spin and rotate in any direction. These wheels jut out from the bottom of your suitcase. Because of their design, they glide effortlessly over smooth surfaces. You can also change their direction with just a nudge.
Wheels on a two-wheeled bag are usually recessed into the body of the bag itself, making them more durable. They also spin along one axis, forwards or backwards, giving you more control on all surfaces, smooth or uneven. However, because they require significant force to drag, these bags cause more bodily strain than four-wheeled designs do.
Travelpro's two-wheeled Maxlite 5 22" Carry-on Rollaboard features recessed wheels, which are more durable
TSA-compliant features
Traveling in or connecting through the United States? You’ll likely encounter the TSA, the three letter agency responsible for enforcing security protocol in US airports.
Two policies they’ve issued in particular affect how manufacturers design certain parts of their bags.
The first relates to screenings the TSA performs on checked luggage. If you’re checking in a locked bag that will come across the TSA, make sure the lock you use is “TSA recognized.” This designation indicates that TSA can open your lock with one of their special keys. If the TSA can’t get through your lock, they’ll break it open.
The other policy TSA issued a few years ago governs screenings done on carry-on bags. Ordinarily, passengers passing through security must remove laptop computers from their carry-on bags. An exception allows passengers to keep laptops in their bags provided each laptop has its own compartment.
In response to these policies, bag manufacturers now offer TSA-friendly features. Some bags, for example, offer built-in TSA recognized locks. Others might offer a dedicated laptop compartment or sleeve.
Delsey's Cruise Lite Softside features a dedicated laptop compartment
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