Discover Why Soft Shell Luggage May Be Your Best Choice

When choosing between hard-shell luggage and soft-shell luggage, it’s all about matching the right suitcase to your travel style. Here’s why we lean towards soft-shell carry-on suitcases—and why you might, too.

1. Feather-light design

Soft-shell luggage tends to weigh less than hard-shell cases. Take our Maxlite® 5 compact spinner: at just 2.32 Kg empty, it’s one of the lightest carry-on bags on the market. While some ultra-minimalist hard-shell cases may edge below that, they often cut corners on reinforcement, and durability is non-negotiable when you’re on the road.

2. Built-in flexibility

Rigid hard-shell luggage can crack if dropped or mishandled. Sure, they offer solid protection for fragile items when their shells are thick—but that added rigidity comes at the cost of extra weight. Soft-shell suitcases, by contrast, bend slightly under pressure without splitting, protecting your belongings without compromising on sturdiness.

3. Smarter packing

Most hard-shell cases split 50/50, which sounds neat until you’re wrestling with bulky jumpers or awkwardly shaped souvenirs. A single-compartment soft-shell bag gives you a flat lid and one continuous space—no half-empty pockets, no closing-and-repacking marathons. Plus, many soft-shell carry-ons feature an expansion zipper, granting a couple more inches when you really need to squeeze in that extra pair of shoes.

4. Handy exterior pockets

Soft-shell luggage shines when it comes to on-the-go convenience. Exterior pockets on carry-on soft-shell suitcases are perfect for water bottles, travel documents, and that light jacket you’ll want on the plane. In our Platinum® Elite and VersaPack+ collections, you’ll even find a specially lined pocket for your rechargeable battery pack, complete with an external USB port so you can top up your phone in transit.

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Why business travellers choose soft shell luggage

• Lightweight & manoeuvrable: Perfect for darting between meetings or catching tight connections.

• Expandable capacity: Ideal for last-minute souvenirs or extra paperwork.

• Organised storage: Flat-lid design and external pockets keep essentials to hand.

• Weather-resistant finish: Our DuraGuard® coating repels moisture and resists abrasions—so your bag looks pristine, trip after trip.

When you’re hopping from office to airport to hotel lounge, soft-shell luggage ticks every box. It’s spacious without being bulky, practical without being ponderous—and it’s designed to look as smart as you do when you land. Whether you’re a seasoned road warrior or a first-time flyer, consider making soft-shell luggage your carry-on of choice.