Zipped, framed, or aluminium...Which suitcase is actually for you?

Walk into any luggage store and you'll find three very different philosophies sitting next to each other on a shelf, all claiming to be the right choice. They're not all the right choice. They're just right for different people.

We've been diving deep into the development of suitcases and have observed during our airport jobs a lot of what is happening. Here's the breakdown.

Zipped luggage The flexible one

This is what most people own. A soft or semi-hard shell held shut by a zipper running around the edge. It's lightweight, it flexes when you've overpacked (we've all been there), and it's usually the most affordable of the three.

The upside is real: zipped bags are easy to live with. They're light, they fit into tight overhead bins, and if you need to squeeze in one more thing, they'll usually let you.

The downside is also real: a zipper is the weakest point on any piece of luggage. It's the first thing that fails. And once it goes, the bag is done and this most of the times happens at the worst possible moment... the luggage belt. There's also no real structure, which means your belongings are only as protected as the shell around them, which on cheaper bags isn't saying much.

Best for: frequent short trips, budget travel, people who travel light.

Polycarbonate with frame (PC frame) The sweet spot

This is the one that replaced the zipper with a hard frame and two latching clips, think the classic hard-shell silhouette you see businesspeople rolling through airports. The shell is usually polycarbonate (PC), which is tough, lightweight, and holds its shape under pressure.

The frame closure is the key difference. Instead of a zipper taking all the stress, a rigid frame distributes it evenly. That means it survives checked baggage handling much better, and the opening mechanism tends to outlast any zipper by years.

It's also just more satisfying to use. The click of a good frame closure is the luggage equivalent of a car door that shuts properly.

The tradeoff: less flexibility in packing, slightly heavier than a soft shell, and if the shell cracks from a hard impact, it's cosmetic damage you'll live with.

Best for: regular travellers who check luggage, people who want durability without going full luxury.

Full aluminium The one that lasts forever — if the wheels do

Aluminium luggage is a different category entirely. It's heavier. It's more expensive. And the shell will genuinely outlive everything else you own.

The casing is milled or formed aluminium: hard, protective, and completely indifferent to whatever baggage handlers throw at it. It doesn't scratch easily, and over time it develops a patina that makes it look more interesting, not worse. It does dent. That's not a flaw however, because in the travel world, a dented aluminium suitcase is a story. Every scuff from a Lisbon cobblestone, every ding from a Bangkok carousel tells you something about where it's been. If you're the kind of person who sees that as character rather than damage, aluminium might be your thing. If you're not, it'll drive you insane.

But here's what the marketing doesn't mention: all that weight comes down on four small wheels. Having spent a lot of time around luggage at airports, we've seen it firsthand: aluminium suitcases have a wheel problem. The added weight puts more stress on the wheel housing than most manufacturers account for, and those wheels tend to break faster than you'd expect from something at this price point.

Which means the "buy it for life" promise depends entirely on the warranty behind it. No solid warranty? It's not a lifetime suitcase. It's an expensive suitcase that looks like one.

Buy it for the shell, love the dents, but read the fine print first.

Best for: frequent long-haul travellers who prioritise protection, people who wear their travel history with pride, and anyone willing to invest, provided the brand stands behind it.

So which one?

Zipped if you want to keep it simple and light. PC frame if you want the best balance of durability and practicality. Aluminium if you're done compromising.

Most people spend years cycling through zipped bags before they arrive at the same conclusion: buy better once.

We've been thinking about this for a while and we're building a suitcase around that exact conclusion. More on that very soon...