The Best Hardshell Luggage Set For Protecting Your Goods
We looked at the top 15 Hardshell Luggage Sets and dug through the reviews from 148 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best Hardshell Luggage Sets.
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Our Picks For The Top Hardshell Luggage Sets
- The Best Hardshell Luggage Set
- 1. Delsey Sturdy Wheeled Hardshell Luggage Set, 3-Piece
- 2. AmazonBasics Hardshell Luggage Set, 3-Piece
- 3. SHOWKOO Expandable Hardshell Luggage Set, 3-Piece
- 4. American Tourister Moonlight Expandable Hardside Luggage Set
- 5. Rockland Melbourne Hardshell Luggage Set, 2-Piece
- 6. Samsonite Winfield 2 Spinner Hardshell Luggage Set
- 7. Kenneth Cole Reaction Out Of Bounds 3-Piece Lightweight Hardside 4-Wheel Spinner Luggage Set
- 8. Coolife 360° Spinner Wheels Hardshell Luggage, 3-Piece
- 9. Rockland Melbourne Expandable Luggage Set, 2-Piece
- 10. Samsonite Omni Expandable Hardside Luggage with Spinner Wheels
- 11. Coolife Expandable Suitcase, 3-Piece
- 12. Rockland Melbourne 3 Pc Abs Luggage Set
- 13. Amazon Basics Hardside Spinner Luggage – 21-Inch, Carry-On
- 14. Merax Travelhouse Luggage Set 3 Piece Expandable Lightweight Spinner Suitcase
- 15. Samsonite Centric Expandable Hardside Luggage with Spinner Wheels
Scratch-Resistant We like the rugged exterior of this hardshell luggage set since it lets you use your luggage often without it showing wear.
Economical SetFor an affordable price, this hardshell luggage set provides families with a small, medium and large suitcase.
Multiple Color OptionsYou'll find this hardshell luggage set comes in a choice of 35 different colors, including champagne, lime, yellow, navy and turquoise.
Why we recommend these hardshell luggage sets?
Products Considered
Products Analyzed
Expert Reviews Included
User Opinions Analyzed
Our experts reviewed the top 15 Hardshell Luggage Sets and also dug through the reviews from 148 of the most popular review sites including and more. The result is a ranking of the best of the best Hardshell Luggage Sets.
DWYM is your trusted roduct review source. Our team reviews thousands of product reviews from the trusted top experts and combines them into one easy-to-understand score. Learn more.
The Best Bang For Your Buck
Rockland Melbourne Hardshell Luggage Set, 2-Piece
Our Take
The first thing you'll notice about this hardshell luggage set is the ergonomic chrome telescoping handle. It's comfortable to hold and extends to match your height. Each of the two pieces in this set also come with multi-directional double spinner wheels to make moving around the airport a breeze.
What other experts liked
What other experts didn't like
Overall Product Rankings
4. American Tourister Moonlight Expandable Hardside Luggage Set
7. Kenneth Cole Reaction Out Of Bounds 3-Piece Lightweight Hardside 4-Wheel Spinner Luggage Set
10. Samsonite Omni Expandable Hardside Luggage with Spinner Wheels
13. Amazon Basics Hardside Spinner Luggage – 21-Inch, Carry-On
14. Merax Travelhouse Luggage Set 3 Piece Expandable Lightweight Spinner Suitcase
15. Samsonite Centric Expandable Hardside Luggage with Spinner Wheels
Our Hardshell Luggage Set Findings
American Tourister Moonlight Expandable Hardside Luggage Set
What We Liked: Travel in style with this hardshell luggage set that comes in a variety of fun patterns and colors, letting you know exactly which bag is yours at baggage claim. They have expandable midsections to let you choose how wide they are when you pack them as well, letting you take up the smallest space necessary.
SHOWKOO Expandable Hardshell Luggage Set, 3-Piece
What We Liked: Constructed from an enhanced ABS material, this hardshell luggage set is both durable and dependable. Each piece comes with a telescoping handle that is fully adjustable and a TSA-recognized lock. The largest suitcase also expands up to 20%, so you can fit more clothing for longer trips.
AmazonBasics Hardshell Luggage Set, 3-Piece
What We Liked: The durability of this hardside spinner luggage set makes it a great option for those who travel often, since this hardshell luggage set will put up with a lot of abuse and still look like new. The compression straps and liner make packing the bags simple and straightforward as well.
Rockland Melbourne Hardshell Luggage Set, 2-Piece
What We Liked: The first thing you’ll notice about this hardshell luggage set is the ergonomic chrome telescoping handle. It’s comfortable to hold and extends to match your height. Each of the two pieces in this set also come with multi-directional double spinner wheels to make moving around the airport a breeze.
Samsonite Winfield 2 Spinner Hardshell Luggage Set
What We Liked: Our top pick has a tough polycarbonate shell with a brushed finish to protect from scratches. The 360-degree spinner wheels move easily through crowded airports. It looks great, and it’s built to last. In our testing, we were impressed by how lightweight and roomy this hardshell luggage set was.
Our Expert Consultant
Travel journalist
Brittany Anas is an award-winning investigative journalist turned freelancer who now specializes in travel and lifestyle topics. She is a former reporter for the Daily Camera and The Denver Post. Her travel writing has been featured in American Way, USA Today, AAA magazines, Simplemost, Better, Livability, Apartment Therapy, Men’s Journal, Austin-American Statesman, TripSavvy and other outlets. She’s carved out a niche in adventure travel writing and has a column with Forbes that’s focused on outdoors travel. She logs about 75,000 airline miles a year and has mastered the art of napping in airports and finding the best spicy cocktails in whichever city she visits. She treats travel like a scavenger hunt, finding what makes cities special. Brittany is based in Denver, and loves exploring Colorado’s hiking trails with her gremlin that the rescue described as a “Boston Terrier.”
Our Hardshell Luggage Set Buying Guide
If you’ve been enviously eyeing your friends’ photos from their latest trip and daydreaming about your dream beach vacation, it’s time to make that dream a reality and hit the friendly skies. A good first step is investing in luggage that can withstand long walks around the airport and hours in cargo storage or an overhead compartment. If you’ve always used soft suitcases, it’s time to upgrade and buy some hardshell luggage.
Hardshell suitcases have rock-solid exteriors made from different types of ultra-strong plastic. The tough-as-nails outer shell is a better option for protecting your belongings. Most of these suitcases have lined interiors with pockets and compartments to keep you organized.
Hardshell luggage is usually too heavy to carry, but almost all brands install spinner wheels at the bottom of the suitcase to help you pull it through the airport and beyond.
“Smooth-rolling spinner wheels come in handy when you reach your destination,” notes Brittany Anas, our resident travel expert and an award-winning journalist who specializes in travel and lifestyle. “In a lot of European countries, you’ll be commuting from ferries to taxis or buses on older, uneven streets. Having wheels that can handle the terrain is essential.”
Hardshell suitcases are a little pricier than soft luggage, but the added protection from bumps and drops makes them well worth the extra cash.
DWYM Fun Fact
Your new hardshell luggage is built to withstand dents, drops and scrapes, but even the toughest suitcases can fall into the dreaded purgatory of lost luggage.
It’s very rare for a suitcase to disappear forever: Almost all lost bags are found and returned to the owner within two days. If an unlucky bag isn’t reunited with its owner within 90 days, the airline can buy it and ship it to the Unclaimed Baggage Center in Scottsboro, Alabama. The airline chooses items from the lost luggage to clean up and sell. Anyone can buy these choice picks at a steep discount from the Unclaimed Baggage Center’s brick and mortar store.
Your hardshell suitcase will likely be with you for years to come, but at least your belongings will find a happy home if it does go missing.
The Hardshell Luggage Set Tips and Advice
- Hardshell luggage offers more protection for your belongings than soft-sided baggage, but it won’t do you much good if it’s too heavy to carry. Take a look at your suitcase’s weight before you buy, and make sure you can handle that piece of luggage when it’s at capacity.
- Hardshell luggage is usually made from either polycarbonate plastic or ABS plastic. Polycarbonate is lightweight and resistant to high temperatures and impact. ABS is a blend of three types of plastic. It’s even lighter than polycarbonate and less expensive, but ABS suitcases aren’t quite as durable. If you travel frequently, investing in polycarbonate luggage is a good bet. If you only go on the occasional vacation, save yourself some cash with ABS hard-side luggage.
- Certain finishes will protect your luggage from scrapes and dings better than others. Brushed polycarbonate is great for maintaining that brand-new look, and microdiamond texturing also hides any damage.
- The inside of your luggage is just as important as the outside. Multiple compartments will help keep you organized, and mesh pockets are great for separating small accessories. Garment straps will keep your clothes in place during bumpy flights. Check out pictures of the inside of your dream suitcase to make sure it has enough compartments for your needs.
- No one’s expecting you to haul hard-side luggage across the airport without a little help. The best hardshell luggage will have 360-degree spinner wheels that move smoothly in all directions. Check out your luggage’s specs, and make sure it has this type of wheels before you buy.
- You’re already taking an extra step towards protecting your belongings with hard-side luggage. You can add to that effort by choosing a hardshell suitcase with a built-in, TSA-approved lock. Pieces with combination locks will offer more security than key locks (and you don’t have to worry about losing a tiny key).
- It’s the little things that make the difference between a good suitcase and a great suitcase. A built-in slot for a luggage tag will give you peace of mind when you hand over your checked bag. Make sure that the hardshell suitcase you’re eyeing has one before you buy.
- You can also look for high-tech add-ons when you buy your luggage. “Many pieces have ejectable batteries that can charge you’re phone when you’re on the go,” says travel pro Brittany Anas. “You’ll come to love this because the airport outlets are in high demand.”
- The quality of your hardshell’s zippers and spinner wheels will tell you a lot about its longevity. The last thing you need is a zipper breaking as you’re closing your suitcase or a spinner wheel catching and snapping as you’re rushing to make a flight. Look closely at any photos of your luggage’s zippers or wheels, and consider returning it if they look weak upon closer examination.
- Hardshell luggage tends to be a greater financial investment than soft luggage, and you should do what you can to help maintain it. Purchasing luggage straps to wrap around your hardshell suitcase will reduce strain on the zippers if you’ve packed a lot for a long trip.
- If you travel infrequently, you’ll put less strain on your luggage and it will last longer.
About The Author
Abby Stassen is a professional content writer, copywriter and journalist. You can find her work on Salon, Entrepreneur, the Huffington Post, Verywell, the Chicago Tribune, the Orlando Weekly and more. She's also an award-winning comedy writer and Second City graduate with nine years of experience under her belt. She's a proud University of Michigan graduate, a cat owner, a crossword puzzle enthusiast and a huge ABBA fan.
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