Going to the "hard shell" side of the great luggage debate

If you can get something that light, why not give it a try? I'm guessing the price will be quite high (inverse of weight). Rimowa, the high-end German brand, only makes hard shell luggage and it looks pretty sleek. My first luggage was a hard-shell and it lasted well over one decade (until the lock mechanism broke), so I was very pleased with the quality. The caveat is that, back then, I was younger and didn't travel nearly as much, so the luggage was much more "lightly used" than now. The manufacturer may have been Samsonite, I don't recall. The one downside is that it does get scratched (just like a car getting dinged in a small accident), so that lovely red or silver polycarbonate sheen is likely to be ruined with large scratches (regular cloth luggage doesn't show as much, especially if it's black). The other downside is that, of course, the luggage size and compartments are fixed and you have to "make do" - there is no way to expand it. I think it comes down to pure preference and the obvious trade-offs.

Go for it...

I have used hard shells in the past..I bought a 28 or so inch Delsey spinner in 1999 that is still going strong!!!
The only down side is that you have to open the whole case to get anything out due to no outside compartments.
Howver, they do protect things, and keep rain off...the one I own is a secure lock case....no zipper.

The only reason I do not own a carry on sized hard shell is because the one I want is too expensive LOL

The only down side is that you have to open the whole case to get
anything out due to no outside compartments.

I forgot how handy that is for holding your boarding pass, passport, other papers that you want quick access to, etc. That's a really good point.

Just spent a month with a new-to-me Ricardo hard-shell 22" spinner and found it easier to handle than I had feared (yes, I had to pull it on 2 wheels over bumpy pavement and actually carry it over gravel, but it slid alongside me on most sidewalks and was wonderful going through train stations and on the train -- even carrying all the weight of the Euro tote.) Weighs about 5 pounds, has expansion zipper which I use to pack and then compress. Checked luggage.
Bought this at a charity store for about $25.

I have a really awesome little 33L carryon-sized hardshell suitcase from Muji. Holds a lot, and is unscathed after 6 international trips and countless domestic ones, both checked and carried on. They've upgraded the features since I bought mine, so they're even nicer for the same money. And I just looked, they're on sale now. Worth a look!

I am looking for a new mid-sized suitcase (roller), but can't go hard shell for the reason JJ-NowVoyager mentioned above -- I really like the convenience of having some things in outside pockets. I feel like it's really hard to find what I want -- two wheels not four, some outside pockets (ideally also accessible from the inside once the suitcase is open, that's how my Old Faithful is set up), and a NON-telescoping handle. It's official, I'm an old fuddy-duddy.

There are of course a very few high-end hard shell suitcases that do have a sort of integrated "pocket" on the outside, basically a panel that opens, but those are too expensive for my budget.

Just be careful. For greatest flexibility you want no larger than 22 x 14 x 9 and there are a lot of hard she'll carryon bags that claim to be within the standards of most airlines when they are actually an inch to big in one or more dimensions.

For those in Europe, check out the Samsonite Uplite. I have a check in size that did fine for a few domestic trips being in the hold.

After my recent bag issues with the Ravenna rolling bag, I picked up the Samsonite Uplite 55. It's 55 x 35 x 25 cm and weights 1.7 kg (3.75 lbs). It's soft sided but seems to be well made. I have the two wheeled version but it also comes in a spinner than expands from 23 cm to 28 cm. I checked out the spinner this weekend at a Samsonite store but I'm going to stick with the two wheeled version for now.

This line is not available in the U.S.

The new polycarbonates used in hard shell luggage is very strong and very lightweight.

I just want to throw out there that there are advantages to "soft-sided" luggage. Sometimes, squish-ability helps. I just returned from a domestic trip and the overhead bins were tightly spaced. I had a "soft" bag that could be compressed down when the bin door closed.

You don't have to spend a bundle for a decent hard shell bag. I just finished a four night trip with a new Rockland Titan 19" hard shell, and it fit easily in a 737-800 overhead compartment. I purchased it to have a sturdy bag that will satisfy all the US carriers' specs (save regional jets, which I rarely fly, anyway).

The main reason I got this model was the full opening front compartment, which is perfect for a laptop and/or TSA liquids bag and a Dopp kit. Easy access, and with careful packing, holds a lot of stuff. Yes, you sacrifice a bit weight-wise, but this little bag looks to be durable and convenient. I've also noticed that the "squish factor" on soft side bags depends a lot on the material of the bag and how much is packed, so don't think the advantage is always that big with a soft sider.

The Titan is priced under $100 on both EBags and Amazon, and I got it for under $60 using reward points. Nice little bag, so far.

For those in the USA, many of these "ultra-light hard-side" pieces (Samsonite, Chaps, American Tourister) can be found at extremely reduced prices at Ross Dress-For-Less stores, and also Marshalls. I see the same luggage pieces in Kohls for their regular $299 pricetags, and at Ross or Marshalls for $79. Often there are no complete sets, just individual pieces to purchase, but sometimes you can find two of the same brand. Totally worth it to check it out.

Costco has a Ricardo bag for $49.99 -- 20.5" without including wheels. And it comes in a color besides black!