Hard-Sided vs Soft-Sided Suitcases

Hard Sided vs Soft Sided suitcases


A consideration for many travellers is whether to buy a soft sided suitcase or a hard sided one. There are pros and cons for both, but at the end of the day it comes down to personal preference.


Hard-Sided
Pros

  • Can offer greater protection especially for larger cases that need to be checked in at the airport.
  • Recent years has been hard-sided cases become much lighter thanks to new technology.
  • More weather resistant. Where a soft-sided suitcase can get wet and the water seep into the content of the bag, a hard-sided suitcase offers greater protection.
  • The majority of hard-sided cases have a 50/50 spilt because the zip is placed around the middle of the case. This allows you to pack the case equally.

Cons

  • Doesn’t have outside pockets. This is a consideration for cabin bags where soft-sided cases offer outside pockets for easy access to travel documents, devices etc.
  • Less flexible than soft-sided cases, so there isn’t as much give if you are trying to cram lots in.
  • Generally more expensive than soft-sided suitcases.
  • Hard-sided suitcases can scratch.


Soft-Sided
Pros

  • Generally have outside pockets, which are especially great for cabin bags because you don’t have to open the entire case each time you need to find travel documents, devices etc.
  • Greater selection of 2-wheel cases, which offer greater capacity than 4-wheel cases.
  • Many cases are expandable to increase capacity.
  • Many soft-sided cases are lighter than hard-sided.

Cons

  • Less weather resistant compared to hard-sided cases.
  • Offer less protection, which can be a big consideration for bags that are checked-in at the airport.
  • Material can rip if it is not high quality.

 

You can check view our range of hard sided luggage here and our range of soft sided luggage here.