The Pros And Cons Of Soft-Sided Luggage

The greatest benefit of soft-sided luggage is flexibility, making soft bags more packing friendly.

It is easier to squeeze your stuff into soft bags. Even when they seem full, you can usually squeeze in some more items. Furthermore, softside luggage is frequently expandable, which can be very useful, e.g. when overdoing the shopping!

Most Soft Luggage comes with some internal and external pockets and compartments, which can be beneficial when packing and can help you to stay organized. The external pockets on carry-on luggage are also great for things you want easy access to while travelling, like your book, snack, etc.

You will also have more styles to choose from as soft luggage comes in all shapes and sizes.

The main downsides of soft-sided luggage is the wear and tear, i.e. soft bags tends to "age faster" than their hard case counterparts.

Soft-sided luggage material is susceptible for tearing and accumulates stain and dirt over time. Broken zippers can also cause a problem. The quality of the material does affect how long your soft bag will last.

You can get soft luggage made from water resistant luggage material but most soft bags are not waterproof like hard shell suitcases are.

The Pros And Cons Of Hard-Sided Luggage

The greatest benefits of hard-sided luggage are durability and protection. Your hard case will last you long time if well cared for.

Hard shell suitcases also offer the best protection. So if you are travelling with fragile or valuable items, then hard case is always the best option. Hard-sided luggage not only has hard sides to protect what is inside. Hard cases are also waterproof and stain resistant, hence offering the ultimate protection.

The most popular hard-sided luggage materials are polycarbonate, polypropylene, ABS and aluminum. All these materials are very durable but still lightweight, meaning both types of suitcases (soft and hard) weigh now similarly.

Hard-sided luggage features have also improved drastically in recent years. You can now get all the latest features in soft or hard sided luggage, like telescoping handles, TSA approved locks and spinner wheels.

The same applies about style, you can now get hard shell suitcases in any color imaginable and with scratch and dent resistant coating.

The hard luggage interior design has also come a long way. Most hard shell suitcases now have dividers, pockets, and straps to hold your belongings in place. With tactful packing, hard cases can mean you arrive at your travel destination with less wrinkled clothes, which can be great benefit for all travelers but maybe not least for business travelers that have to look the part all the time.

The main downsides of hard-sided luggage are the lack of flexibility when you compare it with soft bags. It is not as easy to squeeze extra items into hard cases and they do not extend. There are also no external pockets for the things you might want quick and easy access to (or just use for some extra items).

This lack of flexibility can be especially inconvenient when flying with a hard case carry-on bag. If your hard case bag does not fit in the available overhead storage bin, then it does not fit. There is no use trying to squeeze it in place, it will not budge.

Hard shell suitcases are very durable and can tolerate a lot. However, if mistreated, then your hard luggage can become dented and as a result difficult to close. Moreover, if the siding cracks, then the hard suitcase is ruined.