The hardest suitcases to crack

02/05/2014 0 By Gayle Dickson

Global travel search site Skyscanner has set about testing the toughness of suitcases to reveal the brand most likely to withstand even the most adventurous of holiday trips.

A selection of ‘tough tests’ were filmed to see just how much rough-handling each piece of luggage could take. These included a simulated fall, a beating with a sledge hammer and even being stomped on by a 150kg man (the same weight as a juvenile polar bear). Finally, the suitcases were put through one additional test- having an entire car dropped on them.

Skyscanner’s Dave Boyte explains: “We know luggage can cop a battering on trips overseas, so we wanted to see how durable the average suitcase really is. We put a selection of brands to the test in our very own suitcase destruction lab. The results were so impressive it led us to take our experiments a step further; were any so invincible that they could withstand even having a car land on them? We were surprised to find out the answer was yes – there are some seriously tough cases out there.”

Skyscanner put to the test luggage from a wide range of budgets from NZ$45 to NZ$700, and included premium brands as well as some lesser known challengers. Astonishingly, three of the eight tested cases emerged from all the trials– including the car drop – in usable condition. The survivors, and winners of Skyscanner’s ultimate suitcase test, were the Eminent Move Air, the Delsey Helium, and LuggageX 77, – proving that the toughest pieces of kit out there don’t necessarily come with the biggest price tag.

To watch the tough tests in action visit http://www.skyscanner.co.nz/news/best-luggage-reviewed-8-suitcases-tested-destruction.

The full results are as follows: