Many hard-sided suitcase lovers tell me they take comfort in the idea that their stuff is extremely protected in a hardshell, an emotional feeling of safety based on an intuitive thought.
But—jump scare!—we aren’t sure your standard stuff is that much safer in a hard-side. If you’re worried about baggage handlers chucking your suitcase around, consider that a hard-sided suitcase can crack.
Soft-sided suitcases don’t simply burst apart after a crash landing. While fabric can tear (if it gets caught in the luggage carousel, for example), it’s less of a concern with a quality soft-side, which is made from hard-wearing, tear-resistant fabric like ballistic nylon.
“I’ve packed tons of fragile things in soft suitcases and have had zero issues,” associate staff writer and soft-sided suitcase lover Annie Chou told me. (Her suitcase history includes multiple cracked hard-sides.) “I’ve successfully transported glass items, other fragile souvenirs, and even canned and bottled beers back from Taiwan multiple times.”
While an uncracked polycarbonate suitcase might offer a slight protection advantage for extremely fragile stuff, hard-sided suitcases still have flex, which means the contents crush slightly under pressure. If you’re traveling with a magic orb (or, you know, lots of photography equipment), you might be better off investing in an aluminum suitcase or “crush-proof” Pelican suitcase. However, these aren’t necessary for the standard traveler.
Worried about water damage? If your soft-sided suitcase sits around on the tarmac during a downpour, it could get soaked. In rare cases, the suitcase itself could get moldy. But water can still get through the zipper of a hard-side, and quality soft-sided suitcases are made of water-repellent fabric that guards against rain in less-drastic circumstances.
Hard-sides also have an edge when it comes to bed-bug prevention, but only if you handle them properly. Dr. Changlu Wang, an entomologist at Rutgers University, told me that hard-sided luggage is less susceptible to bedbugs than soft-sided luggage. Bedbugs don’t have tarsal pads at the end of their legs, making it difficult to climb on hard, smooth surfaces. Bedbugs can, however, still make their way into hard-sided luggage if the zipper area or luggage tag touches the floor, bed, or dirty clothes.
If you’re worried about those little guys, there are lots of measures you can take no matter what type of luggage you own. All luggage is safer on top of something hard—such as a luggage rack or dresser—than on the ground or bed.
Winner: draw
