The Ultimate Guide to Softside Luggage | Everything You Need to Know

Are you looking for softside luggage but have various doubts or queries like which is better, softside or hardside luggage, which is the best brand of softside luggage, should you consider softside luggage or not, and much more?

If these are the issues you’re facing or any other issue related to softside luggage, you’re at the right place. Here, we’ll cover all the most important concerns about softside luggage so that you can choose the perfect luggage and don’t end up wasting your money.

By the end of this guide to softside luggage, you’ll be able to make an informed decision so let’s dive in.

What is softside luggage?

Softside luggage refers to suitcases or travel bags made from flexible, soft materials like nylon, polyester, or other fabric-based materials. Unlike hardside luggage, which is typically made from rigid materials like polycarbonate or aluminum, softside luggage is designed to offer more flexibility and expandability.

Key Characteristics of Softside Luggage:

1. Flexible Exterior: The soft fabric exterior allows the bag to be slightly compressed to fit into tight spaces, such as overhead bins or car trunks.
2. Expandable Capacity: Many softside suitcases feature expandable sections, which allow travelers to pack more by increasing the bag’s volume.
3. Lighter Weight: Softside luggage tends to be lighter than hardside luggage, making it easier to carry or roll.
4. Exterior Pockets: Most softside bags come with multiple external pockets for easy access to items like travel documents, electronics, or toiletries.
5. Durability: While it may not offer the same level of protection as hardside luggage, high-quality softside luggage made from durable materials can still withstand wear and tear.

Ideal For:

Softside luggage is ideal for travelers who prioritize flexibility, lightweight designs, and external storage. It’s often preferred for trips where packing flexibility is needed or where the risk of damage to fragile items is low.

Which is better, softside or hardside luggage?

No one can directly answer this question; each type of luggage has its pros and cons. For some purposes, the softside works better, while for others, the hardside is much better. So it depends on your requirements and the nature of your travel.

We’re listing down the pros and cons of both types of suitcases so that you can choose whichever suits you the best.

Pros and Cons of Softside Luggage

Pros and Cons of Hardside Luggage

So if you want something lighter and more flexible with exterior pockets, you can consider getting softside luggage, but if you’re looking for something more resistant to water and impact, easy to clean, and with a better design, hardside luggage is a perfect choice.

When it comes to durability, both types of suitcases are durable; it totally depends on what type of material and brand you choose for your luggage.

What is the best material for softside luggage?

There are various types of material that are used in softside luggage. These materials include polyester, nylon, ballistic nylon, canvas, leather, and vinyl. Of all the materials, polyester, nylon and ballistic nylon are the most popular and are used most frequently.

Before taking a look at all three materials, let’s tell you that the best material for softside luggage is ballistic nylon.

Polyester

Polyester is a synthetic material used for various types of products; most of the suitcases, around 70%, are made using polyester material because it’s the most affordable material. It’s durable enough and resistant to water and stains but not as durable as nylon and ballistic nylon.

It can be a perfect choice for those who want something durable while staying on budget. You can easily get a good piece of polyester luggage for $120 to $150, depending on the brand and size you choose.

The best examples of polyester-material luggage are the Travelpro Maxlite 5 softside and SwissGear Sion softside.

Nylon

Nylon is not used as frequently as polyester; it owns around 17% of the total softside luggage. This material is highly durable, even more so than polyester and it has shinier aesthetics.

Compared to polyester, it’s more expensive but worth it because of its incredibly durable and lightweight properties. A good piece of nylon luggage can cost you somewhere between $150 and $450, depending on the size and brand.

The best example of nylon luggage is the Travelpro Platinum Elite Softside.

Ballistic Nylon

Compared to other materials, ballistic nylon is one of the least popular materials. This is basically pure nylon without mixing with any other material. It’s the most durable material because it’s incredibly strong and difficult to tear or damage.

It’s more reliable than regular nylon and polyester materials. Ballistic nylon luggage can last for many years or even for a lifetime with proper care. That’s the reason it costs you a lot more than polyester and regular nylon.

You can expect ballistic nylon luggage to cost between $200 and $1000 but on average, you can get a good piece of ballistic nylon for around $400. So the best softside luggage material is ballistic nylon because of its incredible durability and reliability.

The best examples of ballistic nylon luggage are the Travelpro Crew Versapack and Briggs & Riley Baseline.

Also read: Do Airlines Prefer Hard or Soft Luggage?

What is the best brand of softside luggage?

There are various well-known luggage brands like Samsonite, Delsey, SwissGear, Travelpro, Briggs & Riley, Tumi, Eagle Creek, and many more. These brands manufacture both softside and hardside luggage and are known for their incredible durability.

When talking specifically about softside luggage, my first recommendation is always Travelpro and then Briggs & Riley. But it never means that other brands are not considerable; their softside suitcases are also excellent, like the Samsonite Solyte DLX, Ascella X, and SwissGear Sion softside luggage.

Travelpro is the first priority because they specialize in softside luggage and because of their incredible durability and reliability, pilots and flight attendants also use and prefer Travelpro suitcases.

The best thing is that Travelpro offers a lifetime warranty so you don’t have to worry too much. If you compare Samsonite and Delsey, it’s a little expensive, but it’s worth it. The most popular Travelpro softside luggage models are the Travelpro Maxlite 5, Travelpro Platinum Elite, and Travelpro Crew Versapack.

You can consider any of them; these are the best models of the best luggage brand. Talking about Briggs & Riley, some of its models are even better than those of Travelpro. Their suitcases are highly durable and come with a lifetime warranty.

But the negative of the Briggs & Riley suitcase might be its cost. They’re even more expensive than Travelpro. So if you’re ready to spend around $500 to $600, you can surely check out Briggs & Riley.

That’s the reason why I recommend Travelpro; their suitcases made from polyester are affordable and those made from nylon are a little expensive but worth checking out.

Popular Softside Luggage Brands include:

1. Samsonite

• Standout Features: Samsonite is known for producing durable, lightweight luggage with high-quality materials. Their softside models often come with expandable compartments, multi-directional spinner wheels, and well-designed organizational interiors. Many Samsonite bags also feature integrated TSA-approved locks for added security.
• Popular Models: Samsonite Aspire Xlite, Samsonite Solyte DLX

2. Travelpro

• Standout Features: Travelpro is famous for its durable fabric (such as ballistic nylon) and designs catering to frequent travelers, especially business travelers and airline crews. Their bags feature contour-grip handles, expansion capabilities, and high-quality wheels. Travelpro bags also often come with dedicated laptop compartments and wet pockets for toiletries.
• Popular Models: Travelpro Platinum Elite, Travelpro Maxlite 5

3. Briggs & Riley

• Standout Features: Briggs & Riley is known for its lifetime warranty, which covers any damage, even airline-related. Their softside luggage is built with durable materials like ballistic nylon and is praised for its CX compression-expansion system, allowing users to expand their luggage capacity and then compress it back down to fit airline size restrictions.
• Popular Models: Briggs & Riley Baseline, Briggs & Riley ZDX

4. Tumi

• Standout Features: Tumi offers premium softside luggage with a focus on both functionality and style. Known for its durability, Tumi uses materials like FXT ballistic nylon and includes features such as dual-spinner wheels, TSA-integrated locks, and add-a-bag hooks for convenience. Tumi’s Tumi Tracer® system helps track lost bags.
• Popular Models: Tumi Alpha 3, Tumi Voyageur

5. Delsey

• Standout Features: Delsey is recognized for its stylish, sleek designs combined with useful features like expandable capacities, smooth spinner wheels, and built-in TSA locks. Their softside luggage often incorporates lightweight materials and durable zippers, making them practical for both casual and frequent travelers.
• Popular Models: Delsey Helium Aero Softside, Delsey Chatelet Soft Air

6. American Tourister

• Standout Features: American Tourister, a more affordable brand owned by Samsonite, is known for offering value-for-money products. Their softside luggage typically features lightweight designs, bright color options, expandable compartments, and easy-to-maneuver spinner wheels.
• Popular Models: American Tourister Moonlight, American Tourister Zoom

7. Victorinox

• Standout Features: Victorinox, famous for its Swiss Army knives, also makes high-quality luggage. Their softside bags are known for their durable nylon construction, innovative storage solutions, and expandable designs. Victorinox’s luggage also often includes removable garment suiter compartments and multi-directional wheels.
• Popular Models: Victorinox Werks Traveler 6.0, Victorinox Lexicon Softside

8. Eagle Creek

• Standout Features: Eagle Creek is popular with adventure travelers for their rugged and durable designs. Their softside luggage often features water-resistant materials, compression straps, and expandable compartments for efficient packing. Many of their bags also come with a No Matter What™ Warranty, covering any damage.
• Popular Models: Eagle Creek Gear Warrior, Eagle Creek Expanse

9. Osprey

• Standout Features: Osprey, traditionally known for outdoor gear, produces versatile softside luggage with features like detachable daypacks, large opening compartments, and comfortable carrying systems. Osprey bags are ideal for travelers who need a combination of luggage and backpack functionality.
• Popular Models: Osprey Sojourn, Osprey Porter

10. Ricardo Beverly Hills

• Standout Features: Ricardo Beverly Hills offers affordable, functional softside luggage with expandable compartments, multi-stage retractable handles, and durable polyester fabric. Their luggage often includes organizer panels and wet/dry compartments for added convenience.
• Popular Models: Ricardo Beverly Hills Malibu Bay, Ricardo Beverly Hills Montecito Softside

Each brand offers unique advantages, from high-end features and durability to affordability and expandability, catering to different types of travelers.

Is it safe to check in soft luggage?

Yes, why not? You can check in a softside luggage but there are certain things you should keep in mind before checking in your luggage.

1. Durability: First of all, make sure that the luggage is durable enough to withstand the rough handling by baggage handlers. Also, ensure that the other elements, like zippers, wheels, and handlers, are sturdy to avoid any damage.
   
2. Packing: Avoid overpacking your luggage to prevent seams from bursting during handling. Also, consider using packing cubes or compression straps to keep your belongings in place.
   
3. Lock: If you decide to lock your lock, you should consider using a TSA-approved lock so that the TSA can inspect your luggage without causing any damage to your luggage or lock.
   
4. Identification: Label your luggage from inside and outside with your name, address, and contact information so that if, unfortunately, you lose your luggage, it can easily be identified and returned to you.
   
5. Valuables: Don’t put your valuable or expensive items in your checked luggage; these items can be important documents, medication, a laptop, or any other item that matters to you. Instead, you should keep it in your carry-on luggage that stays with you all the time.
   
6. Fragile Items: Softside luggage is not as good as hardside luggage for fragile items. Compared to hardside luggage, it’s less impact-resistant and causes damage to your fragile items. But if you have no option, make sure to keep your fragile items in the center and surround them with soft material or clothes for additional protection.

These are the most important considerations that you must ensure while checking in softside luggage.

Final Thoughts: Should you consider softside luggage?

Yes, you can consider getting softside luggage; it’s worth it. There are various materials for softside luggage that fulfill different purposes. If you’re someone who infrequently travels or travels for leisure, you can choose polyester luggage; it’s lightweight and the most affordable option.

If you travel frequently for any purpose and the weight of luggage is a concern for you, consider getting nylon luggage. It’s even more durable than polyester and a little more expensive as well.

If you’re a pilot, flight attendant or simply want something incredibly durable that can last for a lifetime, ballistic nylon luggage is the way to go. It’s comparatively the most expensive but worth it because of its reliability.

Read Next: Guide to Hardside Luggage: Everything You Need to Know

Frequently Asked Questions: Guide to Softside Luggage

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