Please be aware, many dodgy manufacturers are using the word "carbon" in their product names. These cases look really nice and are extremely strong and lightweight but are out of the price range for most travelers. Recently, some high-end manufacturers like Zero Halliburton and Swiss Carbon Gear and Ilatro have introduced new suitcases made from Carbon Fiber. It is difficult to see from only a picture but if you were to examine each one of these suitcases in real life, the differences would be immediately apparent. (It is becoming more common these days to create a polymer mixture of ABS and Polycarbonate together to get the benefits of each material) Although these materials look very similar, they are all very different and have remarkably varying properties that will affect the price, weight, durability and long-term wear. There are four main types of materials used to manufacture hard shell luggage: Aluminum (usually an aluminum alloy), ABS, Polycarbonate and Polypropylene. What ever material you choose, it had better be hard enough to withstand the forces that your luggage will encounter between the check-in counter and the baggage carousel at your destination. These new materials were much lighter and more durable than the traditional shell materials previously used.ġ) What are the most popular materials used to make hard shell luggage?ġ0) Sources What are the most popular materials used to make hard shell luggage? These same manufacturing advancements also resulted in leaps forward in the production of hard sided luggage through innovations in polymer plastic materials. In fact, if you look around today, some of the really cheap suitcases on the market are still made from these materials. Up until then, most hard side luggage was constructed using either pressed cardboard (paperboard) or light wood laminants known as fibreboard.
Until the early 1980's, most suitcases were made with hard shells and metal frames until advancements in manufacturing techniques made sewn fabric, or "soft-sided" luggage far more popular.
Don't worry, by the end of this page you will have learned all that you will need to know to make an informed decision about what shell material best meets your needs and expectations. Unfortunately, not all hard shell suitcases are made the same and you should be very aware of the differences in materials used to construct your suitcase. We would like to officially answer the question so we can all move on.
There is a great deal of confusing, misleading and out of date information on the Internet about which materials are best for use in hard shelled suitcases. What is the difference between ABS, Polypropylene and Polycarbonate luggage? Here you will see why it is so important to use only hard sided luggage. If you would like to learn more about the risks that your luggage endures, please visit our main page. You can tell from our domain name that we are very concerned with luggage security and nothing provides more security than a hard shelled suitcase.