Which is better hard side or soft side luggage?

Wondering how to compare hard vs soft luggage? If hard or soft luggage is best? The truth is, there’s really no right or wrong answer.

We know – not the answer you wanted! But choosing luggage is a personal decision because everyone has different packing and travel needs. So, let’s take a closer look at these two types so you can decide if hard or soft side luggage is better for your travels, needs, and style preferences. 

HARD SHELL LUGGAGE 

Don’t worry; the hardside luggage of today is a far cry from the heavy, bulky models your ancestors toted around back in the day. 

• Durability

We know what you’re thinking. Does hard-sided luggage crack? In the past, this was a common problem — but our hardshell luggage is made out of 3-layer, 100% virgin Makrolon® polycarbonate material. It’s high-strength, lightweight, and provides elasticity and resiliency. Not only is it some of the most durable luggage around, but it also can handle anything from rain puddles to being thrown onto the baggage drop.

• Plenty of Packing Space

 A common complaint about hard-sided luggage is that it doesn’t have as much flexibility to jam-pack extra items as with soft-sided models. However, our hard shell expandable spinners are designed with the Briggs & Riley CX™ system, meaning when you need it, they expand for 25% more space, which means you can pack that extra jacket or pair of pants, then compress back to their original size when you don’t.

• Mobility

 One noticeable difference when comparing hard shell vs. soft shell luggage is that it’s notoriously easier to handle. The reason for such effortless maneuvering is the fact that hard-sided luggage is equipped with four wheels instead of two, so it will stay balanced no matter how much you’ve crammed into it. As a bonus, you are able to push the bag in front of you, which makes walking down the narrow airplane aisle a little bit easier.

• Easy Upkeep

Unlike soft-sided bags, hardshell luggage is easy to clean. You don’t have to worry about stains from weather-related incidents or a leaky toiletry bag, or anything else life throws your way. Simply wipe it down with a damp cloth, and it’s as good as new. 

SOFT SHELL LUGGAGE

Are you looking for more variety and flexibility in your luggage collection? Softside luggage may be for you.

• Resiliency 

 Soft shell luggage can be thrown into the cargo (belly) of the plane or tossed and turned on the baggage claim belt yet still come out without a scratch. 

• Flexible Space Allowance

 A soft luggage bag is constructed out of flexible materials so that you can pack more personal belongings. And with models such as the Domestic 22” Carry-On Expandable Spinner in our Baseline Luggage Collection, this luggage style is also easier to place into an overhead bin on a plane or compact luggage racks on buses and trains. Here at Briggs & Riley, we took things a step further by incorporating a patented CX Technology that expands selected soft luggage bags up to 34%. 

• Organizational Options Abound

 Typically, soft side luggage has internal and external pockets, so you have the added convenience of quickly accessing that much-needed power cable or travel read without having to open up your suitcase. We kicked things up a notch by adding a SpeedThru pocket for storage of items at security checkpoints — because everyone can agree that’s one of the least desirable parts about traveling. Our Baseline Luggage Collection’s Expandable Cabin Bag is a favorite for its organizational features and spaciousness.

HARD VS SOFT LUGGAGE: THE FINAL VERDICT

Which is better, soft-sided luggage or hard? Again, hardshell luggage isn’t necessarily better than soft-sided luggage and vice versa. There are definitely pros and cons to each. However, before choosing the best travel suitcase for you, consider your plans and needs. You never know — you may wind up needing both!

Need luggage or want to upgrade your current pieces? You’ll find the perfect luggage for your style and travel needs at Briggs & Riley.

If you’re trying to decide between hardside and softside luggage, it can be a tough choice. There are pros and cons to each depending on what kind of traveling you do and which feature sets are important to you.

To start, let’s just say that we’re bigger fans of softside luggage. Most of our luggage lines are softside, although we do offer a few models of hardside bags. (And I’ll even admit to wanting one of those brushed aluminum briefcases when I was a kid because they looked so cool.) We’ve found that more people want softside bags and we have followed the market demands.

Here are a few differences between the two styles:

1. Softside luggage is usually lighter than the hardshell bags.

For example, our Maxlite® 5 21″ spinner weighs 5.4 pounds empty, and it’s one of the lightest carry-on bags in the industry. In some cases, hard shells can be lighter than soft shells because they don’t always have interior reinforcement, but then you could be sacrificing durability for weight.

2. Hardshell bags can crack and break when they’re dropped.

They can do a better job of protecting what’s inside, if the shell is really thick and rigid but again, that comes with additional weight.

3. Packing may be an issue when you look at the configuration of a hardshell versus a softside.

For the most part, the hardshell bags are split right in the middle, giving you two nearly-equal halves to pack everything. This can be a bit of a problem if you’re trying to pack bulky items.

On the other hand, a softside bag is usually a single compartment with a flat lid. The whole suitcase is a single packing space, which lets you see how much will fit without a lot of closing and repacking, closing and repacking until you finally get the lid shut.

And space is a problem with hardshell bags. Many of them cannot be expanded, and you certainly can’t compress them to fit into a cramped overhead bin. There, the softsides have the advantage. Not only does the fabric give a little bit, so you can close the lid a little more easily, but many of them come with expansion zippers that give you a couple extra inches of room.

4. Softside additional features

Softside bags also have added accessibility in the forms of exterior pockets. Nearly all of our softside carry-on bags have pockets for water bottles, folders, reading material, and even a large exterior pocket to stick a light jacket or your laptop. We even offer some carry-on models in our Platinum® Elite and Crew™ VersaPack™ collections that feature a small pocket for your rechargeable battery pack that integrates with an external USB port so you can charge your phone while you move.

For many business travelers, the softside bags are the preferred choice, especially for carry-ons. They’re lightweight, have external pockets for extra storage and convenience, they can hold more, fit into tighter spaces, and packing is much easier because of the single compartment. Keeping them clean and dry isn’t a problem for many business travelers, since you’re usually going from the apartment to your car to the hotel, and so on. If you’re worried about the elements, our bags feature a DuraGuard® coating which protects the bags from moisture and abrasions.