Checked suitcases

What checked suitcases are

A checked suitcase travels in the hold, not the cabin. You drop it at the counter and collect it at baggage claim.

• Bigger than a carry-on: OutdoorGearLab tests checked bags of about 70 to 130 liters; it pictures an 88-liter checked bag beside a 44-liter carry-on.
• Medium and large: Checked bags mostly come in a medium and a large size; Business Insider calls either one right for a weeklong trip.
• Sized to airline rules: Airlines add length, width and height; American and Delta cap a standard checked bag at 62 inches and 50 lb.
• Size in days: Travelpro rates its 97-liter medium for 5–7 day trips and its 143.5-liter large for 7–14 days.
• Who makes them: Long-standing makers include Samsonite, Rimowa and Travelpro; reviewers also test newer brands such as Away, July and Monos.

How they work

A checked suitcase is a shell or fabric body on a frame, with wheels underneath and a telescoping handle on top. Inside, straps or a zip-in panel hold the load still.

• Spinner wheels: Four wheels that turn 360° let you push or pull the bag upright in any direction; with two wheels you pull it behind you.
• Self-aligning wheels: Travelpro’s Platinum Elite rolls on eight MagnaTrac® wheels that use magnets to stay pointing forward.
• Telescoping handle: The Platinum Elite’s PowerScope handle stops at four heights, from 36 to 42.5 inches.
• Expansion zippers: A zipper or panel adds depth: 1.75 in on Away’s Flex bags, up to 2 in on Travelpro’s, and up to 22% more space on Briggs & Riley’s CX bags.
• Compression straps: Straps or panels press clothes flat; Away pairs a compression panel with mesh pockets, July uses a Y-shaped strap.
• Built-in TSA lock: Travelpro, Away and July build in TSA locks, which officers can open with universal master keys instead of cutting them.

Types

• Hardside shells: A rigid shell of polycarbonate, polypropylene or ABS; OutdoorGearLab ranks polycarbonate strongest and ABS weakest.
• Softside fabric: Ballistic nylon, standard nylon or polyester; it flexes around odd shapes and often adds outside pockets.
• Aluminum and fibreboard: Rimowa makes aluminum cases; Globe-Trotter builds cases of vulcanised fibreboard and leather by hand in England.
• Spinners and rollers: Four-wheel spinners stand upright and turn tight corners; two-wheel rollers are less likely to roll away on a slope.
• Deep-well and trunk cases: Some cases split space 70/30 or 80/20 for one deep compartment; the Monos Hybrid Trunk closes with latches instead of a zipper.
• Cases with a tracker: July builds an Apple Find My and Google Find Hub tracker into the TSA lock of its CaseSafe models.

What to look for

• Outside size: Compare the overall size, wheels and handles included: Travelpro’s 25-inch Platinum Elite totals 58.25 linear inches, its 29-inch 66.75.
• Empty weight: Every pound of bag is a pound less to pack; Travelpro says its 11.5 lb large leaves about 38 lb under a 50 lb cap.
• Capacity in liters: OutdoorGearLab rates about 70 liters for a week, 100 for 2–3 weeks and 130 for up to a month.
• Shell or fabric: Hardshells protect more and resist water better; softshells hide scuffs and flex to fit more.
• Wheels, zippers, handles: OutdoorGearLab names these as the parts most likely to fail, so it checks them first.
• Airline-damage cover: Briggs & Riley repairs airline damage for life with no receipt; Travelpro’s Platinum Elite covers it on bags registered within 120 days.

On the plane and on the trip

• 62 inches, 50 pounds: American allows 62 in / 158 cm and 50 lb / 23 kg per economy checked bag; Delta lists 62 in (157 cm) and 50 lb (23 kg).
• Over the limit: American charges oversize or overweight fees, the higher one when both apply; it refuses bags over 115 in or 100 lb.
• No spare batteries: TSA bars power banks and spare lithium batteries from checked bags; they must travel in the cabin.
• Smart bags: American, Alaska, Delta and other U.S. airlines banned checking smart bags with nonremovable batteries in 2017–2018.
• Locks and inspections: TSA may cut a lock it cannot open; recognized locks open with its master keys, and an inspected bag gets a Notice of Baggage Inspection.
• Late bags: U.S. rules refund the bag fee if a checked bag is 12 hours late after a domestic flight, or 15 to 30 hours after an international one, once you file a report.
• Liability limits: U.S. airlines may not cap domestic baggage liability below $4,700; the Montreal Convention sets 1,519 SDR for international trips.

Limits and care

• Scuffs on hardshells: Condé Nast Traveler found Away’s polycarbonate scuffs easily; light colors show scuffs and scratches on Béis and July cases.
• Wiping marks off: Business Insider got most scuffs off a dropped Away case with an eraser sponge or a damp cloth.
• Overpacking risk: OutdoorGearLab warns that a very large bag tempts you past airline weight limits.
• Locks on the belt: TSA shows 244 locks pulled from under one New York airport baggage belt in a single month.
• Cleaning fabric: Travelpro suggests a 50/50 mix of alcohol and water on a soft cloth, then air-drying before storage.
• Repairs and parts: Wheels can be replaced: Briggs & Riley sells wheel repair kits, and Away offers repair support for the life of the case.

A short history

Before suitcases, travelers used heavy wood and leather trunks. The first “suit cases,” made to carry dress suits without wrinkling them, appeared in the late 19th century.

• In 1938: The U.S. sets a 40 lb limit for checked bags, pushing makers toward lighter plastic and cardboard cases.
• In 1950: Rimowa begins selling the first aluminum suitcase.
• October 1970: Macy’s starts selling Bernard Sadow’s wheeled suitcase, towed flat by a strap; his patent follows in 1972.
• In 1987: Northwest Airlines pilot Robert Plath invents the Rollaboard, an upright two-wheel case with a telescoping handle; he founds Travelpro in 1991.
• In 2000: Rimowa makes the first polycarbonate suitcases.
• In 2004: Samsonite sells the first four-wheel spinner suitcase.
• 2017 to 2018: U.S. airlines ban checking smart bags with nonremovable lithium batteries.