Samsonite wheeled suitcase has failed - cheap and nasty wheels disintegrated 
Any recommendations for a bombproof replacement? Must be essentially a single compartment with a lid not a clam affair 
Eastpak are excellent. Iāve had the carry on size for about 15 years and you wouldnāt know. I think their guarantee is something like 20 years.
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You havenāt said if you mean airplane carry-on size or hold baggage?
For hold baggage we decided to change to hard shell (is that what you mean by clam?) 10 or 15 years ago, after a problem with a soft case, and I specifically sought out polycarbonate construction - the toughest material you can get - to avoid the risk of splits Iāve seen in others. We found some American Tourista at a good deal price at the time, and they have done well on many a trip - probably well in excess of 80 flights, and only scuff marks to show for it. The size we got is not the largest, and works well - 20 kg typically when full, and hard to exceed 23kg.
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If you like your Samsonite, get the wheels repaired as they offer a repair service.
I must admit that I like Samonsite products and had a number over the years. Travelled to 46 countries and found them to be the most reliable and robust compared to other brands.
DGā¦
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- 1 for Eastpak - had a delivery only yāday, sale item direct with Eastpak; from Europe so c.5days to uk.
Gātee is 30 years - but likely it is via retailer or direct, so avoid the big river!
Model range is wide, a little confusing, with some like Tranverz, very similar to TransitāR! JL used to sell one model, now sells the other!
I purchased the former - sale still on it seems, model purchased is a case of two halves, the advantage of which is that it can be easily expanded or compressed; ymmv.
Samonsite quality is defintely not what it used to be.
Hard shell - at a price - Briggs and Riley at JL.
For airline hold luggage we buy mid range hard side 4 wheel spinners that have hard locks. We treat them as consumables. They get bashed and damaged when flying so I dont see the point in getting anything decent, we avoid zips on hard cases as I have experience of the zips failing. Circa 75cm or smaller as they tend to get too heavy for the airlines over 75cm when full. I believe all the modern hard sided samsonite suitcases are clamshell. I guess youāre going to be looking for soft side luggage for the single compartment style, but at the cheap end, IMHO the soft side ones donāt seem to last very long.
For carry on I prefer Briggs and Riley (baseline), which are pricy but are bombproof and guaranteed for life. I have used the guarantee when one of my bags failed so have confidence in their customer service. The only issue is they tend to be on the heavy side.
For carry-on luggage: TUMI - it literally lasts a lifetime.
For check-in: TravelPro or Samsonite.
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Iāve had 2 large Samsonite cases from decades ago, the ones with wheels on just one corner. They are still going strong and bomb-proof, but not that easy to carry as much as the four wheeled type, so 2 years ago, upgraded to a Samsonite 4 wheeled system, used twice on a plane, and on the second occasion, the corner plastic cracked. Nowhere near as strong. Iāve tried a home-made plastic weld (using a soldering iron), so will see how that goes, but not impressed at all.
Bought both my Samsonite cases ( full size and carry on) at a local samsonite outlet. Massive reduction on their normal price. My large bag is one of the lightweight ones, with wheels and a handle, so almost the opposite of the clamshell types. It has been everywhere with me over the last two years and has battle scars, but still works as designed. Currently in China, next month Bangladesh, the month after Hong Kong/China.
Recommended, especially via a Samsonite outlet.
With apologies to the OP, thought only the other day, that your valuable contributions have been missing; hope you are all ok!
Best s-h, another Ovator 400 user!
Interested about the locks? Always travelled simply with luggage straps for both identity and in case of failure of locks or zips.
Understood if a case is locked and security wish to check the bag post check in scan, any case will be forced open.
Of course no absolute valuables in checked in baggage, yourāe not willing to loose.
Also include one or more laminated contact sheets inside with name and number, with details in a few languages. If the baggage tag is detached, which is rare, details still available easily with an unlocked case.
Photo of the case(s) at checkin with luggage strap. Iirc many lost bags canāt be reunited with their owners because of a lack of information!
Bon voyage!
Use āTSAā locks which allow security staff to open the case without breaking it if they want to look inside. These are easily available, and if a suitcase is supplied with a lock it will almost certainly be one of these.
Thanks Chris just not clear about the locking issue.
Unsure what a lock achieves on luggage, beyond a āflagā or āinviationā to anyone with dishonourable intentions. In a sense, opposite to a car where iiuc, thieves scout vehicles with folding mirrors, which when not folded, usually mean āunlockedā vehicle.
A lock isnāt much use, when a bag has its tags deliberatedly removed, which makes a case - whoops apologies - for adding a tracking device, until it is removed!
Back in the 90s I was travelling a lot, two weeks a month on the road, and bought a hard shell Samsonite case. Lasted 9 months. The shop told me it was carrier damage and unusual so I bought another. Lasted 6 months. Bought a Tumi. Still going. It has been repaired several times, replaced extendable handle, extra reinforcement on corners where the piping wore through, but all that under warranty.
Willy.
If someone really wants to steal your stuff, no lock that could realistically be used on a suitcase will stop them. It can prevent oppotunist thieves from grabbing something, and stop the zip from opening up accidentally.
I should really have said the ones with hard clips, rather than zips. I tend to write my mobile number on to my cases using a white paint marker, and put a strap round them.
I never actually lock them. My wife had one of her cases forced open and damaged during transit through the US, which I presume was due to the TSA having a look inside. I distinctly remember telling her not to lock her case as it will get forced open, but she locked it anyway.
Everytime i have returned from the US in the past 2 years, TSA have looked inside. They leave a little note inside my laptop. But my locks are TSA approved, so no damage.
Happy with my Rimowa aluminium carry-on suitcase.
Steep cost upfront, but it has a lifetime warranty which I have already used a couple of times. Bring it to a Rimowa dealer anywhere in the world and they will do whatever repair is needed for free.
TSA approved locks as well, for whom these things matter to.
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Those were the good old days of Tumi that I miss.
Samsonite < Tumi < Rimowa
Of course price goes in the same direction too.