As a rule, as a traveler, you don’t give much thought to your own suitcase. It only becomes important if it has not survived the journey or if you are standing at the baggage claim in the airport and it simply does not show up. You should already let some thoughts flow into the planning when buying a new suitcase. They differ not only in price, but above all in quality. If you pay attention to the right things here, you can make your upcoming trips much easier with the purchase and find a product that can last a lifetime.
What kind of suitcase should it be?
First of all, of course, the question arises as to what kind of suitcase it should be. A business traveller has different demands and needs than someone who, for example, flies on holiday with the family or spends a few days in another country with their partner. Between mobility and robustness, there are different aspects to look out for when choosing. It starts with the size. Most business travelers still swear by the small trolleys with the wheels, which offer a surprising amount of space but are particularly robust at the same time. The advantage here is that the suitcases are usually small enough so that they do not have to be checked in as luggage. Instead, they can even be taken on the plane as carry-on luggage, making them perfect when it comes to wasting as little time as possible at check-in.
For the larger specimens, hard-shell cases are usually recommended. These are not only robust, but also available in different price ranges. The volume is again determined by personal needs. The situation is a little different if, for example, you plan to travel particularly often with the car or even the caravan. Hard-shell suitcases not only become an obstacle to storage space, but they can also quickly be damaged. Accordingly, you should rather rely on bags or soft-shell suitcases, with which you can best combine volume and flexibility.
Treacherous traps when buying a new suitcase
While when shopping for suitcases, people usually focus more on the appearance – and of course also pay a little attention to the design that flatters their own eyes – it is often forgotten how many elements a suitcase can have that could develop into a problem case in the long term. The right type of outer skin is just one of many points. Mobility in particular is often forgotten here. Topic: Rollers and rods.
Actually, everyone relies on a wheeled suitcase today, no matter what purpose you actually pursue with it. The classic concept usually pursues two roles here – which is usually also the case for cost reasons. But instead of relying on suitcases with two wheels, preferably with wheels made of hard plastic, you should take a closer look at the material here. Rubber is much better and should ensure that the wheels last much longer. For reasons of convenience alone, suitcases with four wheels are also preferable. These distribute the load much better and thus make it possible to transport heavy weight even during longer transport without causing problems with the back.
If you want to pay attention to the longevity of your own suitcase, you should also pay attention to the bar for transport when shopping. Here, too, the highest possible quality materials should be used so that even high loads can be endured without further problems. In addition, the pockets and the zippers are always a small problem. If they are poorly processed, you not only run the risk of fatigue in the materials. In the worst case, contents could simply be lost from the pockets if the closures no longer connect properly.
The right choice: online or specialist retailer? Cheap or expensive?
In the end, it really boils down to only two questions: Where can you find the best suitcase for your own trip and what price do you have to factor in if you want to buy a new suitcase? In general, trading via the Internet is not a problem. Most shops in this area not only offer a good selection of different products, but are also equipped with good descriptions and opinions from other customers. In addition, compared to specialist retailers, you can usually benefit from good discounts and other promotions that make this investment much easier.
Especially when it comes to price, you shouldn’t pay attention to every euro when it comes to suitcases. Of course, even the inexpensive suitcases usually do their job satisfactorily – at least at the beginning – but they will show signs of use quite quickly. A good investment in equally good suitcases, on the other hand, will last for entire generations in case of doubt and with reasonably good care, the suitcases should provide good travel experiences for years.
Our suitcase tip: Samonsite Nuon
The Samonsite Nuon (RRP from 259 euros, depending on size – the suitcase was provided to us with a height of 75cm for testing) combines all the important features you should look out for when buying your new suitcase:
- High-quality workmanship
- 4 rubber castors with shock-absorbing and noise-reducing suspension
- Particularly light hard-shell case, material polycarbonate (The 75cm high version weighs just 3.6 KG with a volume of 100/110 liters)
- 5-year warranty
Special extras:
- Retractable identification/address attachments
- Telescopic rod 2-part, extendable
- Retractable identification/address tag
-
TSA Lock
