Suitcase Deals & Offers

Luggage buying guide

Whether you're looking for the perfect suitcase for a touring holiday, a set of luggage for regular business trips and travel, or the ideal case for a long trip, there's so much available it can be difficult to make a decision. The best suitcases provide safe and secure carriage for all your belongings and protection from the elements. Before buying suitcases, work out what your essential requirements will be, using our simple guidelines.

A Bit about the History of Suitcases

In the late 19th century, suitcases replaced wooden trunks as the best way for travellers to transport garments when on the move. Trunks were ideal when most long-distance travel was by ship, but modern transportation by trains, car or planes exposed the necessity for smaller containers for clothes. The first suitcases were designed simply for dress suits, shirts and hats, but the rapid growth of the tourist industry meant suitcases were soon viewed as essential items for any modern traveller.

Different Types of Suitcase

Your decision to buy a particular type of suitcase is likely to be influenced by your travel plans. You can opt for hard or soft outer cases, hold-alls, wheeled suitcases with handles for ease of transport, or business cases for frequent travellers. Sets of cases can work out to be the most inexpensive way to buy luggage suited to any occasions. It's often possible to fix additional hold-alls or cases from the same set to the larger wheeled suitcase, making it easier to transport belongings securely.

Rigid Suitcases are Ideal for Air Travel

Hard-sided suitcases are manufactured from plastic or polypropylene and are an ideal choice if you're looking for durability and long-lasting use. These rigid cases withstand the treatment of air carriers better than soft-sided cases, giving additional protection to any fragile contents inside. Good quality suitcases often have a strong framework of metal and have security features such as keys or combination locks, as well as dividers inside so garments can be organised. Added benefits of rigid cases are their weather-resistant qualities. These cases are waterproof and can withstand temperature fluctuations and protect their contents better than other forms of suitcases. Developments in manufacturing have produced a wide range of options for lightweight rigid suitcases that still provide all of the benefits above. The major drawback of rigid suitcases is that they are inflexible and, therefore, it's not possible to purchase expandable rigid suitcases. Their exteriors are also more prone to receiving scratch or scuff marks.

Soft-sided suitcases

You can buy soft-sided suitcases in a variety of sizes. These can be extremely durable with the additional benefits of higher flexibility than rigid suitcases and the ability to be compressed into tighter spaces. These cases will generally be made from polyester or nylon, or a mix of the two. The more durable soft-side cases have high denier (fabric density) ratings, likely featuring a waterproof interior to protect contents. The best of these cases will have anti-scuff and soil-resistant features and are difficult to rip or tear. It's possible to purchase expandable cases, including ones with security features like hidden closures for added protection.

The primary advantage of this type of case is the weight element when compared to rigid suitcases. The disadvantages of soft-sided suitcases are a lack of protection for fragile contents and reduced weather-resistance when compared to rigid suitcases.

Wheeled Suitcases

Different types of suitcases offer wheels and handles for easy travel, two-thirds of suitcase sales are wheeled and travellers can opt for two or four-wheeled cases.

When it comes down to selecting the suitcase with the most appropriate handles, it's wise to opt for adjustable handles rather than fixed length handles. With adjustable handles, you can set it to the length that’s best suited to your needs - particularly useful if the suitcase will have multiple handlers. Handles with padding are more comfortable for travel if you need to walk some distance while carrying the suitcase. The majority of handles do tend to be made of plastic. It's also a good idea to open up suitcases before making any purchase, just to check out exactly how much room is taken up inside the case when the handle is retracted.

• Two-wheel cases have similar wheels to those used on inline skates, meaning they can only be moved forwards or backwards. The wheels are recessed, allowing greater protection during air travel and increased carrying space.
• Four wheel suitcases feature wheels that offer 360-degree swivel, allowing greater ease of movement; this means they can be pushed, pulled or turned in any direction.

The Pros and Cons of Two-Wheelers

If you have to do a fair bit of walking with your suitcase, two-wheeled cases are ideal and can be just as easily manoeuvred around town as they are within airports. Be aware, though, that some users have reported wrist, shoulder or back pain when using this type of case on a regular basis.

Pros and Cons of Four-Wheelers

It's much easier to move a heavy suitcase if it has four wheels, whether you're travelling by plane, bus, train or car. Navigating crowded environments is also much easier when your suitcase can be moved in any direction, quickly.

On the negative side, the external wheel mountings can snap easily – this will count against travellers when it comes to the allowable case dimensions at airport check-in.

Suggested Suitcase Sizes

If you're planning to go away for about a week, you'll find medium-sized suitcases with heights of around 24 to 27 inches are an ideal option for holding all necessary luggage. These cases will easily pass flight check-in sizing requirements for any UK airline. They're also ideal for coach, train or car journeys.

Large suitcases generally have heights from 28 to 31 inches and you will need to check sizes carefully prior to flying to ensure you're within your airline guidelines.

Very large suitcases will feature heights of more than 31 inches and are always wheeled. They are a good option for larger families or anybody taking a long vacation or business trip. If you plan to take one of these cases on a plane you will need to check your airline's size and weight restrictions for the departure and destination airports. It's likely that budget airlines will charge you an additional fee for excess size and weight. Business class and premium class travellers with reputable carriers generally find that checked baggage allowances are more generous.

The capacity of suitcases is also an important consideration. You should always have some idea of how much your case can hold. Guidelines for possible contents of suitcases with a capacity of 80 litres are:

• 10 skirts, 20 shirts
• Four bath towels
• Six pairs of shoes
• Toiletries, small first aid kit and cosmetics

Cabin luggage

If you travel with cabin suitcases or carry-on luggage alone, your flights can be surprisingly hassle-free. These bags are allowed in the aircraft cabin, cutting out time spent checking in cases, thus also saving money on baggage fees. Of course, travelling with carry-on luggage is only really an option if you plan to go away just for a few days. Furthermore, different airlines do have different size and weight restrictions in place. A suitable cabin suitcase for a British Airways flight may well be judged too large or bulky for flights with budget airlines, so you will need to put stringent checks into place prior to booking flights. It should to be noted that time and money are only saved when travelling light if you don't incur any excess baggage charges due to problems with bag size or weight. Opting for cabin luggage with wheels will add weight to your case and also reduce the available internal space when the wheels are retracted. The simplest cabin bags tend to be soft-sided carry-ons, which can expand to easily hold all essentials. Of course, it is also important to check airline regulations to find out about the range of toiletries and products which cannot be transported in an aircraft cabin. Cosmetics, toiletries, liquids and perfumes will need to be in containers of 100 ml maximum when you put it in your cabin baggage. Many frequent travellers who opt for cabin luggage only tend to purchase essentials when they arrive at their destination in order to cut out any hassle with customs control at the departure airport.

An official website of the UK government gives you an overview of the hand luggage item restrictions at UK airports. Skyscanner has also gathered the size and weight restrictions on hand baggage for all of the major European airlines.

What is the Best Luggage Set for Frequent Travel?

If you travel regularly and don't want to buy a case for each trip, buying a set of luggage is the best option. It's probably a good idea to list your travel plans over the coming year to get an idea of the likely journeys ahead. For example, if you're probably going to book a variety of flights on budget airlines to take advantage of discount holidays and short breaks away, checking out hold and cabin luggage sizes on your carriers' websites will give you a definitive idea of maximum allowable sizes. Once you're aware of the minimum size for suitcases and cabin bags, you can find the best sets of luggage to suit your needs. If most travel will be in your car, your cases and tote bags will need to fit into a confined space on a regular basis, so choosing a soft-sided luggage set may give you more flexibility.

You'll discover a variety of luggage sets on the market, some with two or three suitcases, and others featuring a hold all and/or a variety of matching bags. Sets of luggage are available in a range of styles, materials, patterns and colours. Purchasing a reliable set of suitcases will give you the ability to travel in style to anywhere, ensuring your belongings are protected at all times.

Added Things to Look For When Buying Suitcases

• Internal straps in cases are great for keeping contents in place and helping compress belongings. Look for cases with straps in the base and a zipped compartment or pocket in the lid to store personal items and toiletries.
• Cases with external pockets are good for storing travel documents and essentials while en route, so opt for a suitcase with at least one external pocket.
• If you opt for an expandable suitcase, it's likely to prove more useful for winter holidays. Bulkier garments take up more room in the case, so packing for winter holidays is much easier with a case that can expand but still meet flight check in conditions.
• Buying suitcases with combination locks or padlocks will ease your mind while travelling. The security of your possessions is not always guaranteed while your cases are out of sight; lockable cases are one way to discourage opportunistic theft. Some of the available combination locks allow access by the TSA at airports in the United States, so your suitcase locks will not be broken by customs officials if you purchase luggage with these recognised locks.
• Suitcases with patterns are ideal if you fly on a regular basis. Finding your cases on the luggage carousels at destination airports can take time if they look exactly the same as every other case on the carousel. Bright patterns and vibrant colours have become increasingly popular among suitcase manufacturers, so you should find cases to match your taste.
• Guarantees on suitcases are one way that manufacturers can illustrate the durability of their products. Soft-sided suitcases are particularly prone to tears or rips if they are fabricated from low-quality denier. When you buy cases offering long-lasting guarantees, you can be confident that they have been well-made and the fabric will withstand fairly heavy wear.

Self-Weighing Suitcases

If checking weights of garments and possessions you're packing is difficult, look out for self-weighing suitcases to take the hassle out of packing for long journeys. Some of these products need to be fully packed and zipped up before the weight can be checked. Other self-weighing suitcases (TUL) have a useful LCD display which shows the total running weight of the suitcase while you are in the process of packing.

How to Pack a Suitcase – Men´s Edition

How to Pack a Suitcase – Women´s Edition

Online Luggage Retailers in the UK

Some of the UK's online luggage retailers include John Lewis, Argos, Luggagesuperstore, Tesco, Sports Direct and Amazon. Their products can be shipped direct to your home address within a day or so when ordered online. Some of the most popular brands of suitcase include Samsonite, Delsey Paris, Victorinox and Rimowa. Very often buying own-label luggage sets from well-regarded retailers provides great quality at affordable prices. John Lewis and Tesco sell suitcases under their own label.

Consumers should check all discount deals and available prices from hotukdeals.com prior to placing an order for suitcases. It's possible to source updates on prices from hotukdeals and buy the best-quality suitcases, luggage sets and designer cases at massively discounted prices.