Samsonite vs Traveler’s Choice: Which Brand Should You Choose? | Experts Guide

Samsonite and Traveler’s Choice are considered among the most popular luggage brands, and they’re very close to each other in terms of durability, features, practicality, and affordability. That’s why you may be confused about which one to consider.

Don’t worry at all. In this guide to Samsonite vs. Traveler’s Choice, we’ll compare both brands on various parameters such as durability, functionality, aesthetics, review, and warranty to find out the benefits and drawbacks of each brand, and by the end, we’ll also deliver our thoughts on which brand you should choose.

So stay with us to explore and learn something new about the traveling world.

A Quick Overview of Samsonite and Traveler’s Choice

Before we actually jump to the main comparison, we want to share a quick background on how both brands grew up and came to these positions now. So let’s begin with Samsonite.

About Samsonite

Samsonite is one of the oldest players in the travel and luggage industry and is still leading the entire industry in terms of market share. Samsonite was established in 1910, more than a hundred years ago.

They started with the manufacturing of handcrafted wooden trunks, but with time, they introduced new products such as backpacks, suitcases, totes, duffel bags, and much more. With their efforts and dedication, the brand gained popularity and is now known as the most durable and affordable luggage brand in the market.

The most important thing that you may not be aware of is that Samsonite today owns many other companies, such as Tumi, American Tourister, High Sierra, Hartmann, Gregory, ebags, and Lipault. However, the biggest portion of revenue comes from the Samsonite itself.

Among them, Tumi is also one of the most popular premium luggage brands. Samsonite not only sells in the United States but throughout the world through retailers. The best thing about Samsonite is that they have plenty of authorized stores and dealers in almost every big city, so you don’t have to face any problems if you need any kind of help.

About Traveler’s Choice

Traveler’s Choice is also a mature player in the market and was founded in 1984 in Los Angeles, California. They are not as big a brand as Samsonite, but that doesn’t mean their suitcases and products are less durable.

Their main offices are mostly established in the U.S., but they mostly outsource everything and manufacture their products in China and other countries. Their products fall into the medium category in terms of durability and are priced reasonably.

Besides Traveler’s Choice, they also own some other brands, like U.S. Travelers, Travel Select, and Pacific Gear, under the same company. However, traveler’s choice is their main brand, which generates most of the revenue.

With time, they evolved themselves and expanded their product range from luggage to backpacks, duffel bags, and travel accessories. Similar to Samsonite, they’re also known for their affordability and offer an excellent warranty.

Related: Samsonite vs Coolife: Which Luggage Brand Is Better for You?

Benefits and Drawbacks of the Samsonite Luggage Brand

The Pros

• Excellent build quality: Samsonite mostly uses polycarbonate, which is the most durable and long-lasting plastic material. Not only is it durable, but it is also flexible and lightweight; therefore, Samsonite suitcases are really durable.
• Design and aesthetics: Samsonite comes with a wide range of products with different design and color options. Each Samsonite piece of luggage is unique and has a different appearance. They also offer plenty of color options for each model. So you can easily get a color that will make your luggage stand out from the crowd.
• Reliable Warranty and Customer Support: Samsonite comes with three different types of warranties, but what you get with luggage is mostly a ten-year warranty that covers only manufacturing defects. They also have good customer support, but sometimes their response is a little delayed.
• Comparatively Affordable: Samsonite might seem expensive, but when you compare it with other competitive brands like Travelpro and Delsey, you’ll find that Samsonite is more affordable, and you can easily afford a carry-on bag under $100.
• Positive customer feedback: Samsonite has thousands of positive customer reviews, and their products are mostly rated between 4 and 4.5 out of 5. We rarely found any negative reviews about the durability of luggage. However, a few customers complained about poor-quality zippers and sometimes about wheels.

The Cons

• Limited packing capabilities: Samsonite suitcases are very limited in their capabilities; they usually don’t have enough pockets for organizing small items.
• A Few Models are Expensive: Samsonite is known for affordable suitcases, but some of their suitcases are overpriced, and they’re not worth it.

Benefits and Drawbacks of Traveler’s Choice Luggage Brand

The Pros

• Excellent Features: Traveler’s Choice offers almost all the essential features, even in their affordable pieces of luggage. These features include a TSA lock, expandable zippers, awesome organization features, double-spinner wheels, and some smart features in their premium models.
• Warranty and Service: Although the warranty they offer is pretty poor on paper and only covers manufacturing defects, in real life, many customers found it better, and they got brand new luggage in place of their old, defective luggage.
• Extremely Affordable: Their suitcases are really affordable and even more affordable than Samsonite, which is known for its affordability. You can easily get a piece of luggage under $80 that is really cheap considering the quality, durability, and features.

The Cons

• Not Enough Durable for Frequent Travelers: Their suitcases are really durable for those who travel for leisure or for two or three times a year. Customers reported that they last five to ten years if used a few times a year. But for frequent travelers, this brand can’t stand up to the mark and is not the perfect choice.
• Claiming Warranty Is Complicated: To claim the warranty, you’ll have to go through the process. They require at least three pictures from you, original documents, and a detailed description of the problem. They’re good and friendly, but it might take a few days to respond.

Key Differences: Samsonite vs Traveler’s Choice

Are Samsonite suitcases more durable than those from Traveler’s Choice?

Undoubtedly, Samsonite is more durable than Traveler’s Choice, but that doesn’t mean they are really bad. In fact, there are some positives that Traveler’s Choice has and Samsonite doesn’t.

Both pieces of luggage lie in the middle in terms of durability. For hardside luggage, both of them mostly use polycarbonate material, which is the most durable after aluminum, but the main problem with aluminum is that it’s heavier and more costly at the same time.

For models like the Samsonite Freeform, Samsonite also uses polypropylene material, which is a little less durable than polycarbonate.

For their affordable pieces of luggage, Samsonite and Traveler’s Choice both use ABS material, which is the least durable material. That’s why these suitcases are the cheapest options on the market. When it comes to softside luggage, both of them most often use polyester, which is decent but not as durable as nylon or ballistic nylon.

However, the difference comes when we talk about longevity. We noticed many people complaining about the durability issue with Traveler’s Choice, like sometimes the spinner gets stuck or damaged completely and the zipper and side handle come off. However, these issues are fixed under the warranty, but the thing that you should keep in mind is that Traveler’s Choice is not the best when it comes to durability.

So if you’re a business traveler or frequent traveler, we’d recommend Samsonite, or alternatively, consider Delsey or TravelPro. Traveler’s Choice is surely perfect for you if you travel occasionally or for leisure; they can last for up to 5 years. If you travel once or twice a year, they can last up to 10 years.

Which brand offers better features: Samsonite or Traveler’s Choice?

Both Samsonite and Traveler’s Choice come with plenty of features. They have everything you may need during travel. In terms of features, Traveler’s Choice has an edge over Samsonite because Traveler’s Choice has introduced some new features that Samsonite doesn’t come with.

Let’s take a look one by one:

Single or Dual-Spinner Wheels

Samsonite mostly offers single-spinner wheels, but in some models, like the Samsonite Omni 2 and Samsonite Evolve SE, they also offer dual spinners. When it comes to Traveler’s Choice, they mostly offer dual spinner wheels in almost every piece of luggage. The dual spinner provides better stability and makes it easier to move around the corners.

Innovative Spherical Wheels

Traveler’s Choice even went further and introduced spherical-shaped wheels. Dual wheels are really capable and perform really well, but spherical wheels enhance the functionality even more.

Because of the ball-shaped wheels, this system becomes even more durable and better for uneven surfaces. Traveler’s Choice offers these types of wheels only in newer models like Traveler’s Choice Barcelona and Traveler’s Choice Silverwood.

Compartment and Organization

Samsonite comes with basic compartment and organization features. They have basically two main compartments, one with a zipper divider and the other with elastic straps. They also offer a few small or large organization pockets for small items like chargers, headphones, purses, and documents.

On the other hand, Traveler’s Choice has gone further away and introduced “Trunk Luggage” beside their regular suitcases. This truck luggage is basically rectangular in shape and offers more space with moveable shelves. They have different shelves inside them, and you can move them according to your needs.

TSA-approved lock

Both brands offer TSA combination locks with almost every piece of luggage. Generally, TSA lock locks are not offered with suitcases under $80, but Traveler’s Choice makes them available for even $60 luggage. You don’t have to worry about belonging, and it’ll make your check-in process easier and smoother.

Expandable Zippers

Apart from spacious compartments, both brands offer decent expandable space on the softside and the hardside. The expansion capability ranges between 1 and 2 inches. This becomes useful, especially on your return journey, when you might pack even more.

USB Charging Port

This feature used to come in the premium models, but both Samsonite and Traveler’s Choice have introduced it in the affordable suitcases, so everyone can enjoy the feature. Samsonite offers this feature in some of its models, like the Samsonite Omni 2 and the Samsonite Centric 2.

While Traveler’s Choice offers it in their newer models like the Silverwood 2, the most important thing to note here is that none of the brands include batteries or power banks, so you’ll have to carry your own.

Customizable Design

Traveler’s Choice goes beyond and offers the facility of customization, which the Samsonite brand doesn’t come with. If you visit their website, you’ll find that they also offer some customizable luggage options. So you make your luggage completely yours by getting it printed with your own logo or anything else you want the print on.

Summing up, both brands are excellent, and both of them offer all the essential features that you may want, but undoubtedly, Traveler’s Choice goes beyond the essentials and offers something even better.

Which one feels more premium and stylish?

Both brands come with different design themes and have everything you might look for in a piece of luggage. Design and appearance are always subjective choices. However, on average, we found that the Samsonite suitcases seemed more stylish and premium compared to Traveler’s Choice.

They have a variety of designs; some of their models show up very sleek and minimalist, while others are robust and come up with edgy designs. So whatever your age is, you can surely get something that suits your personality and your style.

The good thing about the Samsonite brand is that they generally offer plenty of color options for both hardside and softside suitcases. They generally offer color options somewhere between 7 and 13, so you have enough options to choose from.

When it comes to Traveler’s Choice, they also come up with a wide range of designs, but to be honest, in terms of design and look, some of their suitcases are really excellent, like the Traveler’s Choice Archer and Pagosa, but most of them don’t look as beautiful as Samsonite.

Another thing is that Traveler’s Choice usually offers 4 to 6 color options to choose from for both hardside and softside, so you have enough options to consider.

Who has received more positive reviews: Samsonite or Traveler’s Choice?

On average, Samsonite has a rating of 4.57 out of 5 stars, which is excellent, while on the other hand, Traveler’s Choice could score a rating between 4.0 and 4.5 stars, which is comparatively lower than Samsonite.

But that doesn’t mean that they are not durable. The overall quality is decent, but definitely, the overall rating and review show that the Samsonite is better than Traveler’s Choice.

When it comes to Traveler’s Choice, we couldn’t find any model that scored below 3.7 stars. There are many brands that have really bad ratings, but that’s not the case with either Samsonite or Traveler’s Choice.

There are some common issues with which people are complaining about Traveler’s Choice. For instance, people faced issues with zippers, handles, and wheels after one or two years. Sometimes, claiming a warranty can be challenging, and it might take more time to respond.

Who offers better warranties and services?

Samsonite offers different types of warranties, ranging from three to ten years. For luggage, they mostly offer a ten-year warranty. On the other hand, Traveler’s Choice comes with a five- or ten-year warranty, depending on the model you choose.

Both brands cover only manufacturing defects; any defects caused by airlines, transportation, or normal wear and tear are not covered under the warranty. In order to claim a Samsonite warranty, you’ll need to go to a nearby Samsonite store, which you can easily find as they’re available in almost every big city.

You’ll have to pay shipping costs to them, which are around $10 to $15. While with Traveler’s Choice, you have to pay shipping costs of $29.95. Which is costly compared to Samsonite.

So in terms of warranty, both brands are similar in some aspects while differing in others. Traveler’s Choice mostly replaces the old luggage with a new one, but the negative is that they’re slow to respond.

Is Traveler’s Choice more cost-effective than Samsonite?

Both Samsonite and Traveler’s Choice are affordable brands and fall in the medium category. Because of its durability and brand image, Samsonite is a little expensive compared to Traveler’s Choice. You can clearly see the price differences of around $10 to $20 between the suitcases of both brands.

Considering the features and built-in quality that Traveler’s Choice offers, it really becomes an even more affordable and value-for-money brand. If you try to find any luggage of similar durability and features from any other brand, you’ll end up paying around $10 to $20 more.

Samsonite is popular for its affordability, but still, there are some Samsonite models that are way too expensive, but the Samsonite Omni PC, Samsonite Freeform, and Winfield 2 are some suitcases from them that are really excellent and offer the best value for money.

Final Thoughts: What should you go with: Samsonite or Traveler’s Choice?

Summing up, if you’re someone who needs to travel frequently, look no further. We’d recommend you go with Samsonite because durability becomes your biggest concern. Their suitcase is a little more expensive than Traveler’s Choice, but it’s worth it. They have a brand reputation and thousands of reviews talking about the durability of their luggage.

Besides this, they also have all the essential features you need, so you don’t have to worry about anything once you invest in them. But the important thing to keep in mind about Samsonite is that most of the luggage doesn’t follow the airline’s size restriction, so sometimes you may have to pay a little oversized luggage fee and sometimes not.

On the other hand, Traveler’s Choice also has something solid to offer you. If you’re someone who travels occasionally or for leisure, Traveler’s Choice definitely becomes an excellent option to consider. They’re a little less durable than Samosnite but excellent for occasional travel. They also offer some features that Samsonite doesn’t come with.

The most important benefit of Traveler’s Choice is that almost all of their suitcases stay within the airline’s size restrictions, whether they’re carry-on or checked luggage, so you don’t have to worry about anything.

So durability and airline size restrictions are the key factors when deciding between both brands. Both the luggage brands have their pros and cons, but ultimately, both brands offer value-for-money products.