What is the best suitcase.

Yeah I know stupid question but my ole blue suitcase didn't make the last trip back from the states in one piece.  So what is the best sort of suitcase to get?  Hard sided/Soft sided or just go for a big giant Nike duffel bag like I had in high school for field hockey?  I know that we all travel a lot so what kind of luggage do you have?

I prefer the hard sided.  IMO they last longer and are more stable.

Are they really heavy?

I prefer the hard sided.  IMO they last longer and are more stable.

Can you cram as much stuff into them as you can into the soft ones? I've always wondered, but have never tried one. My soft-sided suitcase seems to expand to hold whatever I need to get into it! It's like something out of Harry Potter! 

Are they really heavy?

I don't think so.  You're best probably going to a luggage store and looking at both kinds. 

I would highly recommend  Samsonite "Spinners."  We have two: one small that can go on-board as carry-on luggage, and a much larger check-in suitcase.  Spinners are awesome; they have four multi-directional wheels so you can pull and push them from about any angle rather that dragging it behind you and tripping people. Makes traveling by Tube very easy.  I would call them semi-hard: They are harder than average soft-sided luggage and expand a little bit, and are much more sturdy.  I've had my smaller suitcase for about 7 years. The only problem I had was a broken handle, which was replaced for free at the Samsonite authorized repair shop near Baker Street here in London.  I just bought the bigger suitcase last year at a Samsonite outlet store in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware.  They are very light-weight with lots of internal pockets and other nifty features!

Whatever you get, be willing to fork out some bucks for something that will last the gorillas who handle luggage.

The best luggage I ever had was from French. A set of French luggage was the 'traditional' 17th birthday gift for girls from their parents at my school when I was growing up. We all had them! Anyway, mine lasted from then until I moved over here - a whopping 23 years. I still have the overnight bag and the carry-on bag, but the zip on the big suitcase finally gave up the ghost. It's very expensive stuff, but it'll last.

In all my life of travelling on my own (27 years), I'm only on my second suitcase! 

I love my suitcase. It's on four wheels and hard sided. The four wheels make it so much easier to push. Even though it's got hard sides, it zips up and there is a bit of streachy material around the zipper so I can cram stuff in there. Its a pink/purple color--that way it stands out when i'm trying to find it.

Whatever suitcase you buy keep in mind the heavier the bag the less stuff you can pack. We have alot of Tumi luggage made of ballistic nylon. The bags have a 10 year warranty. Its well constructed, almost unbreakable. But the bags are well built and on the heavy side. With todays ever decreasing baggage weight restrictions you would do well to find something on the light side. Good luck with your purchase.

One other thing: If you role your clothes, cordlike, you can fit a lot more in your suitcase than you can by folding them the regular way. I saw that from a travel expert on Oprah Winfrey some years ago, and was amazed at what a difference it makes. We were able to carry almost twice the clothes to the States last year as we had the two years previously, with no extra charge.

I always roll my clothes too. I learned that trick in the Army!  I'm now a packing expert. I reckon I could travel around the world in carry-on luggage only!  Another tip: Zip-lock bags are your friend.  Pack everything like toothpaste & shampoo in zip-lock bags. You can later use them for storing and packing other stuff.

I bought TravelPro Platinum since it was a Consumer Reports top pick when I was luggage shopping. I've had it for years now, and it still looks new.

TravelPro has several lines, and they are the company that supplies a lot of air crews so very well known/respected. I wouldn't trade it for anything!

It's pricey, but you can find it on ebay if you're patient. 

One other thing: If you role your clothes, cordlike, you can fit a lot more in your suitcase than you can by folding them the regular way. I saw that from a travel expert on Oprah Winfrey some years ago, and was amazed at what a difference it makes. We were able to carry almost twice the clothes to the States last year as we had the two years previously, with no extra charge.

I saw that episode! He was able to pack like a weeks clothes in a small wheelie carry on bag! Amazing!!
When i know Im going to be bringing fragile stuff back I'll pack my old hard sided Samsonite dinosaur. It's old, black, gouged and ugly as hell but it's massive and things stay protected. Well with the exception of my trip last year where the TSA d*ckheads decided to open my bag and busted two bottles of wine open. I got a little note in my bag stating my bag was chosen to be spot checked or some crap like that. My dinosaur was dripping and oozing wine as it came down the carousel. I was so pissed off!

I saw that episode! He was able to pack like a weeks clothes in a small wheelie carry on bag! Amazing!!
When i know Im going to be bringing fragile stuff back I'll pack my old hard sided Samsonite dinosaur. It's old, black, gouged and ugly as hell but it's massive and things stay protected. Well with the exception of my trip last year where the TSA d*ckheads decided to open my bag and busted two bottles of wine open. I got a little note in my bag stating my bag was chosen to be spot checked or some crap like that. My dinosaur was dripping and oozing wine as it came down the carousel. I was so pissed off!

  That's worse than the time a shampoo bottle exploded in my luggage. At least shampoo washes out! Bummer

I have an old samsonite bag (I don't know which one off the top of my head) that my sister is loaning me for my trip. Hopefully it will be durable enough