I always think a soft case is better than a hard case. The hard case may be more durable, but it offers a lot less wiggle room when you've gone a little overboard in your shopping.

I'm with PI, and the fact that if you're flying, it's useless to invest lots of money into a good suitcase. It'll come out of that carousel with tears and broken parts anyway. You have to pay for the luggage to go into the plane, but airlines don't give a hoot if you get your luggage back the same. I have a problem with suitcases that are large (I have a huge one I used when planning to spend 4 months overseas); you barely fill them up and they're over the weight limit. Drives me nuts!

I wanted to make the same comments as the previous two folks ... don't spend a lot of money on "stylish" luggage if you fly. It's going to get filthy and damaged from being tossed around by the handlers and the TSA grunts and from going through the conveyors at the airport. Buy something reasonably priced that holds the stuff you need it to hold. :)

These days, with airline luggage size and weight restrictions, it doesn't make sense to buy an oversized bag or one you cannot easily shlep through long airport corridors and lines. Nor does it make sense to my frugal self to buy expensive luggage that will only be tossed around by the gorillas in the baggage handling department (with a nod to the old Samsonite ad campaign). Wheels and handle are essentials, but be wary of ones without sufficient sturdiness; they will pirouette around the handle and make your shlepping experience tedious and frustrating. Unless you travel for a living, better you should go to Chinatown, get a cheap bag for your occasional trips, decorate the handle with a colorful ribbon, and save the money for souvenirs.

Oh and don't buy the big sets. They're a waste of money because you'll never use all of them and certainly not all together. Stick to only two suitcases: carry on (make sure it adheres to the TSA rules) and a large suitcase you can check.

I would love a Tumi suitcase but I don't check baggage enough to justify having something that expensive. My suitcase was $150 at a department store and it's been used about half a dozen times in the last few years. It's holding up because it isn't used that often. If you travel frequently, though, definitely invest in a more high quality suitcase, but do it because it's durable, not because it's pretty.

Oh!!! JUST in time. All of the luggage that you've shown is traditional. If you're an Apartment Therapy reader, you have a bigger problem than what kind of traditional bag to buy. You need to check out Biaggi foldable luggage. GREAT to travel with, and when you come home, it's not a space hog, you get to keep all the closet space to yourself. These bags fold perfectly to fit under the living room chair, sofa, or under the bed. Check out this video and tell me you're not a convert?!! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDU7j6FxnV8&feature=plcp

Super expensive, status luggage is not intended for commercial travel, my dears. If you travel by private jet, yacht, take a top-of-the-high-end cruise, or go by "motor", you don't want to drag around your beat-up Kirkland rollaboard. The funny thing is (funny to me, anyway), you can buy protective travel bags for your travel bags.

It's funny, too, who cares about such things. The bell boys at posh hotels can be terrible snobs. I've been at the receiving end of that.

Great film to watch, on the subject of "shedding baggage": Darjeeling Limited".

hahaha, as if I would care what a bellboy at a hotel thinks about me. hahahahahaha

I agree with everybody that says don't bother with a nice looking "CHECK-IN" luggage. I got TUMI luggage that was on sale last year. After our European cruise, it looked like it was 5 years old with scratches. It doesn't matter if you fly economy, business or first class. Now CARRY-ON luggage is a different matter. Go ahead and splurge on that LV duffel bag, if that's your thing.

@jamie02: that...was...the...point.

What happened to Rimowa? The classic cases built to last! Best for people without the 20kg weight limit though.

My luggage criteria:
1. Must weigh less than half the max weight stated by the airlines when empty. The luggage should not use up the majority of your weight limit before it is packed.
2. Must at least meet the size restrictions if not be smaller than the common restrictions in case of changing carriers.
3. Must not be black or the current sedate color of the moment so it will stand out on the baggage claim. Hideous colors/patterns work better for this or just using the complementary color to the bag for the tags.
4. Must be durable with easily replaceable wheels and straps.
5. Must have room to hold what I need it to hold and easily maneuvered.
6. Must be reasonably priced.

@ m.wall - i'm cribbing your list.

I'm a designer for a luggage company (a major one!) While I'm not going to tout my own product here, I highly recommend buying yourself a SPINNER rolling case next time you're in the market.

We get to use every type of model for our own travels, and trust me, I'll never go back to a regular "drag-along" two-wheel case. These things save your back, your dignity, and your sanity.

@LadyJ go for it. :)
#1 learned after several business trips.
#2 common sense- in the US, there are 2 main standards- American, and Southwest- but Alaska has some closer to European standards. Best to check all the airlines.
#3 learned in baggage claim and from an industry relative. Some folks turn their kids loose with fabric paint or glitter pens on the sedate bags. Anything to standout.
#4 there are different grades of nylon, even ballistic nylon.
#5 Doesn't do me any good if I can't lift it into and out of the baggage area or overhead bins. Handles or grips on the top, sides and bottom help.
#6 Last season's luggage can be a better deal than the newest version. Check online prices before you check locally so you know the bargains. Department Stores, clearance centers and outlets are all options.We found our latest bits on sale in March.

@ Rural and Rueful: hahaa, I forgot about the Darjeeling Limited. I loved that they were lugging their stuff around all the time, because that's how it is, other movies they drop there stuff and you never see it again! ME, I had to lug a huuuuge suitcase with a wonky wheel around Belfast all by my wee self looking for a payphone that worked. It was terrible and funny.

Not to sound like a fanboy, but I have a Globe Trotter briefcase and despite how pretty it looks, it's built for the ages (I'm a consultant and am on the road 4 days / week so I ask a lot from my luggage). Edmund Hillary used the same stuff to get to Mt. Everest and that worked out alright for him...

The best part is, the more beat up it gets the better it looks!

I know I'm in the minority on this but I hated wheeled bags. They always seem to have a mind of their own and I'm often traveling where streets/sidewalks are not smooth. Plus the wheels and assorted mechanisms often add so much weight that it means I have less room to actually take anything with me. Bad enough paying just to check a bag these days, I don't want to pay for overweight bags!

After a couple of trips with wheeled bags, I moved to a big backpack that has a flap to cover all the straps when checking it. I'm sure I'll hate it when I'm older but I love it now.

No Travel Pro? It's the standard for pilots and flight attendants.