Do Airlines Prefer Hard or Soft Luggage?

A piece of luggage is not only a carrier but also a good travel companion that stays all the time with us through ups and downs. But one of the most common concerns that most travelers face, especially those who are traveling for the first time, is “do airlines prefer hard or soft luggage.”

If this is the concern that you also have in mind, don’t worry, in this guide, we’ll break down the topic and ask if airlines have any preference for luggage. We’ll also take a look at the benefits and drawbacks of hardside and softside luggage so that you can find the perfect travel companion for you.

Meanwhile, we’ll also be recommending some of the best luggage options that you can consider for your upcoming travels. So stay with us till the end to explore everything about hardside and softside luggage and what airlines prefer.

Luggage is something that can either make our journey enjoyable or destroy it. That’s why it must be good enough so that it can easily handle the obstacles that come across our travels.

Do airlines prefer hard or soft luggage?

To be precise, airlines don’t have any preferences or limitations for choosing hard or soft luggage. It depends on you and your requirements. Whichever type of luggage you choose, airlines don’t have any issue with it.

What airlines take care of are the size and weight restrictions; they’re very concerned about the dimensions and weight of luggage for both carry-on and checked luggage. So your luggage must be aligned with the airline’s regulations you’re planning to fly with.

As long as your carry-on and checked luggage meet the guidelines, you’re fine.

Our Opinion: What should you choose: hard or soft luggage?

Now that you know that airlines don’t have any preference for hard and soft luggage, you might be thinking about which type of luggage is better to go with.

Talking about our opinion, there is not any direct and to-the-point answer to this question because both types of luggage have their advantages and disadvantages. So you can choose any type of luggage, whether you travel by air or not.

For carry-on luggage, you can go with any luggage that suits you best, but when it comes to carrying fragile or breakable items in luggage, especially when planning to check it in, you must go with hardside luggage.

We always prefer hardside luggage for both carry-on and checked luggage, because it absorbs shocks, especially when thrown by baggage handlers, and prevents any damage to our items inside the luggage.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Hardside Luggage

Benefits of Hardside Luggage

Excellent Durability and Enhanced Protection

Hardside suitcases are mostly made from polycarbonate material, which is the most durable material after aluminum and provides excellent protection against damage, especially if you’re traveling with fragile or breakable items.

They’re capable of bearing the rough handling of baggage handlers. So for ultimate durability, hardside luggage is a solid choice.

Water and Temperature-Resistant

Hardside suitcases, because of their hardshell, don’t allow water to get through inside the luggage. Hardside suitcases are water-resistant and can keep your belongings dry and clean across the trip.

Not only are they water-resistant, but they’re temperature-resistant as well. When traveling in high or low temperatures, they don’t pass on the heat or cold inside the luggage and keep your belongings normal.

Better Security

Hardside suitcases are equipped with TSA-approved locks, which come with a three-digit combination that can only be unlocked by you and the TSA agents. But what makes it even more secure is its hardside material; it can’t easily be cut off like softside luggage and prevents any kind of theft.

Appealing Design and More Color Options

Hardside suitcases look appealing because of their premium and modern designs. They are easy to spot on the baggage carousel due to their unique color and aesthetics. The best thing about hardside suitcases is that they come in plenty of color options, so you can choose whichever you prefer.

Easy Cleaning

Another important benefit is that hardside suitcases are easy to clean. You can clean hardside suitcases with a simple clean cloth with very little effort, which is not the case with softside luggage.

Drawbacks of Hardside Luggage

Comparatively Heavier

Comparatively hardside suitcases are heavier than those of softside, Each hardside luggage material like polypropylene, ABS, and polycarbonate is different in terms of weight but compared to softside, all of them are slightly heavier.

Especially the polycarbonate, no doubt it’s the most durable hardside luggage material but it’s the heavier plastic material as well. However, it’s slightly heavier compared to other hardside plastic materials.

Hard to Squeeze

As the name suggests, it’s hardside luggage, so they’re flexible, but to a certain extent, they can’t go beyond the limit. That means you can squeeze it into tight places, especially in the overhead compartments.

No Exterior Pocket

Almost all softside suitcases come with exterior pockets that you can use to keep your accessories like chargers, cables, or any other small items, but with hardside luggage, it’s generally not possible because of the absence of exterior pockets.

However, there are a few suitcases that come with front pockets, especially laptop pockets, but they’re less compared to the entire hardside luggage market.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Softside Luggage

Benefits of Softside Luggage

Easy to Fit and Squeeze Anywhere

One of the biggest advantages of any softside luggage is that it can easily be squeezed. This becomes even more important when you need to pack a little more beyond the limit, which you can’t do with hardside luggage.

The best is that with very minimal effort, softside luggage can easily be squeezed anywhere, whether it be your car trunk, overhead compartment, or underseat spaces. This is because of the flexibility it offers, so you don’t have to worry if your luggage gets a little bulkier.

Improved Organization and Pockets

This is where softside luggage outperforms hardside luggage. Nowadays, hardside luggage also comes with good enough pockets for better organization, but softside suitcases are mostly even better for organizations because they have plenty of small and big pockets.

They offer you the ease of organizing your items in a better way, especially because of the outer compartments. They generally come with at least one; it might be two or three, depending on the luggage size and brand.

Lightweight Property

Softside luggage is generally made from polyester and nylon, both of which are lightweight materials. They’re even lighter than polypropylene, which is the lightest hardside luggage material. But keep in mind that the weight difference is not that much to consider.

Drawbacks of Softside Luggage

Not Water Resistant

Softside suitcases are made from polyester and nylon; they come with a special coating, but it can only save you to a certain extent. Softside suitcases are only capable of withstanding light rain; if you travel in moderate or heavy rain, your belongings are more likely to get wet and soggy.

Not Strong Protection

Softside suitcases are also safe and provide good protection, but only to a certain extent. If your suitcases meet any ambitious thief, he can cut through the cloth and steal your valuables. However, this is rare, there are still chances.

On the other hand, hardside suitcases are made from excellently durable polycarbonate plastic, which is much less likely to cut and get through.

And if you’re traveling with any fragile or breakable item inside your softside luggage, it won’t be able to withstand the rough handling by baggage handlers, which ultimately might cause harm to your belongings.

Hard to Clean

Softside suitcases are difficult to clean, which is not the case with hardside luggage. They accumulate dust and debris along the way and look dirty when you get back to your home and have to spend hours cleaning it.

On the other hand, hardside suitcases can easily be cleaned with a little water and a clean cloth.

Out Verdict: Do Airlines Prefer Hard or Soft Luggage?

Summing up, airlines don’t have any preference or limitations about the type of luggage. It’s you instead of the airlines who decide which type of luggage you should use. Instead of the material of luggage, airlines are more concerned about luggage size and weight.

They come with specific size and weight limitations, your luggage should not violate or exceed the guidelines set by airlines.

If you’re someone who mostly checks in their luggage or travels with any fragile item inside your luggage and is concerned about the safety and security of your belongings as well as the luggage itself, we’d suggest you go with hardside luggage instead of softside luggage. Because it can ultimately provide you with strength and safety for your belongings and also keep them safe from water because of its water resistance capacity.

But if you’re someone who generally uses carry-on luggage only, you can choose any type of suitcase according to your requirements.

We hope this guide helped you solve your problem. If you still have any questions, please let us know in the comment section below, and we’ll be more than happy to assist you.

FAQs about Hardside and Softside Luggage