Samsonite, Rimowa, Delsey, American Tourister or Peli? 9 Honest Questions to Ask Before You Buy Your Next Suitcase 🧳

Type which suitcase brand is best into a search engine and you get two kinds of answers: sponsored lists that recommend whatever pays the highest commission, and forum threads where one person's suitcase lasted fifteen years and another's died on its first trip. Neither tells you why. ✈️

This guide takes a different route. Instead of ranking five brands from best to worst, it asks nine questions about the things that actually decide whether a suitcase survives: what the shell is made of, what breaks first, whether it is really waterproof, how heavy it is, what the warranty covers and whether you can repair it at all. We compare Samsonite, Rimowa, Delsey, American Tourister and Peli along the way, because those are the names European travellers actually shortlist.

One thing up front, because it matters for how you read this: we are an authorised Peli distributor. We sell Peli cases, we do not sell the other four brands, and we are not going to pretend otherwise. What we can promise is that every claim about a competitor below is either a plain fact from the brand's own public information or a general point about materials and construction that applies to any suitcase, regardless of the logo on the front. We also include a section on where Peli is not the right choice, because it genuinely is not for everyone.

The five brands in ninety seconds each

Before the questions, a quick orientation. These are five very different companies with five very different ideas of what a suitcase is for.

Samsonite 🧳

Founded in Denver, Colorado, in 1910 by Jesse Shwayder and named after the biblical strongman Samson, Samsonite is the largest luggage company in the world by most measures and the parent of several other brands, including American Tourister and Tumi. Its range is enormous, from entry-level hardside cases to premium collections built around the company's proprietary Curv material, a self-reinforced polypropylene that is pressed into shape rather than injection-moulded. If you want a mainstream, widely available suitcase with plenty of choice in size, colour and price, Samsonite is the default answer for a reason.

Rimowa ✨

Rimowa dates back to 1898 in Cologne, Germany, and its identity is the grooved aluminium case that has been in production since the middle of the twentieth century. It later added polycarbonate collections with the same grooved look. Since 2016 the brand has been majority owned by the LVMH luxury group, which tells you most of what you need to know about its positioning: Rimowa sells design, heritage and a very specific status signal, and prices accordingly. It is the suitcase you see on fashion photographers' feeds and in airport first-class lounges.

Delsey 🇫🇷

Delsey was founded in Paris in 1946 and is the big French name in luggage. It sits in the broad middle of the market, with both hardside and softside ranges, and has built its reputation on practical touches rather than flash: its best-known engineering feature is a zip design intended to be harder to force open with a pen than a standard coil zip. Delsey is a sensible, mid-priced, design-conscious choice that is easy to find across Europe.

American Tourister 🎨

American Tourister started in Providence, Rhode Island, in 1933 and has been part of the Samsonite group since 1993. It is the group's entry-level, colourful, family-oriented brand: bright shells, playful prints, licensed designs and prices that make it a first suitcase for a lot of teenagers and students. You are buying an approachable price point and a lot of colour choice, not a case that is engineered for abuse.

Peli 🛡️

Peli is the odd one out, and that is the whole point of this article. The company was founded in 1976 in Torrance, California, and its first customers were divers, then the fire service, the military, broadcasters and photographers. Peli did not set out to make suitcases. It set out to make cases that keep expensive, fragile equipment intact when it is dropped, rained on, sat on or thrown into the hold of a helicopter. The Protector, Air and Storm ranges are the same product families that ship cameras, medical devices and military electronics around the world. The travel-friendly models, above all the Peli Air 1535 and the classic Peli 1510, simply happen to fit cabin sizers.

Then there is the newer Peli ATX HC series, which is the first time Peli has built something that looks and behaves like a conventional suitcase: four 360-degree spinner wheels, a removable lined interior with compression elements, a telescopic handle, and TSA-approved locking latches instead of a zip, all wrapped around a polypropylene-blend shell. The ATX HC22 is the cabin model, the HC25 and HC30 cover checked baggage. For the purpose of this comparison, the HC series is the Peli that competes with the other four brands on their own terms, while the Protector and Air models compete on terms the other four do not attempt. In Europe the brand trades as Peli; in the Americas the same products are sold as Pelican, which is why you will see both names online.

The 9 questions that actually decide it

1. What is the shell really made of? 🔬

Brand marketing loves the word hardside, but a hard shell can be several very different plastics, and the difference between them is bigger than the difference between most brands.

• ABS is the cheapest common hardside plastic. It is stiff, light and easy to mould in bright colours, which is why it dominates entry-level ranges. It is also the most brittle of the group: it resists scratches reasonably well but tends to crack rather than flex under a hard impact, and it does not love very low temperatures.
• Polycarbonate (PC) is the mainstream premium hardside material. It is more impact-resistant than ABS and it flexes, which is why a polycarbonate shell can pop back into shape after being squashed. The trade-off is that the glossy surface scratches and scuffs easily, and many so-called polycarbonate cases are actually blends with ABS, so read the label.
• Polypropylene (PP) is tougher and more chemically stable than ABS and, unlike polycarbonate, does not tend to develop long cracks from a stress point. It is used in some mid-range mainstream cases, in copolymer form in the Peli Protector range, and as a proprietary blend that Peli calls Peli Armor™ in the ATX HC suitcases. Samsonite's Curv is a special case: sheets of oriented polypropylene pressed into a shell, giving an unusually light case for its strength.
• Aluminium is what Rimowa is famous for. It dents rather than cracks, which some owners regard as character and others regard as damage. It is heavy for its size and expensive, and a dented corner can affect how the lid closes.
• HPX² resin is Peli's proprietary lightweight polymer used in the Air range. Peli's stated goal with it was a case up to 40 percent lighter than its standard polymer cases while passing the same drop, crush and immersion tests. It is why an Air 1535 weighs noticeably less than the 1510 despite the same external footprint.

The practical takeaway: if two suitcases from two different brands are both injection-moulded ABS, they will fail in similar ways whatever the badge says. Material tells you more than brand. We go deeper on the plastics in ABS, polypropylene, HPX resin or polycarbonate? and in the head-to-head polypropylene vs polycarbonate.

2. What breaks first on any suitcase? 🛞

This is the question the brochures skip. Suitcases almost never fail in the middle of the shell. They fail at the moving and protruding parts, and the order is fairly predictable for every conventional wheeled suitcase on the market:

1. Wheels. Spinner wheels stick out below the body, so they take the first hit on every kerb, every escalator edge and every baggage belt. A four-wheel spinner is wonderfully manoeuvrable on a polished terminal floor and the most exposed component the moment you leave it.
2. Telescopic handle. Thin aluminium tubes, plastic buttons, and a mechanism that lives inside the case where it collects grit. Bent handle tubes are one of the most common reasons a suitcase is retired.
3. Zips. A coil zip is the most common closure on soft and hard cases alike. It can split under overpacking, the sliders wear out, and a zipped case is only as tamper-resistant as its zip.
4. Corners and edges. The stress points where cracks in ABS and polycarbonate start.

Notice that none of these are about the brand. A premium spinner and a budget spinner share the same weak points; the premium one usually uses better wheel bearings and a stiffer handle, so it lasts longer, but the failure mode is identical. This is also why choosing a durable large wheeled suitcase is mostly about wheels and handles.

Peli answers this in two different ways. The 1510 and Air 1535 use two large, inset polyurethane wheels rather than four exposed spinners, the handle assembly is designed to be replaced with a screwdriver, and the case closes with latches rather than a zip. The ATX HC series keeps the latches and the polypropylene shell but goes the other way on wheels: four 360-degree Hinomoto® spinners, from the Japanese wheel maker whose systems are found in high-end luggage, so you get the spinner convenience on a body that was built like equipment. Both approaches mean that the components that kill most suitcases are either absent, upgraded or user-replaceable.

3. Is it actually waterproof, or just water-resistant? 💧

Almost every suitcase on the market is described as water-resistant somewhere in its marketing. In practice, for a zipped case, this means the shell sheds rain and the zip does not. Leave a zipped hardside on a wet tarmac while the baggage handlers finish their coffee and water will find the zip. This is not a flaw specific to any brand; it is what a zip is.

Peli Protector and Air cases carry an IP67 rating. That means dust-tight and able to survive immersion in a metre of water for thirty minutes without water ingress, achieved with an O-ring seal in the lid, an automatic pressure-equalisation valve that lets air through but keeps water out, and latches that compress the seal. It is the same standard used for outdoor electronics. We explain exactly what the rating does and does not cover in Waterproof, water-resistant or submersible?. The ATX HC suitcases are a different design: a sealed, latched shell that protects the contents against moisture and dust without a zip seam running around the case, but not a submersible IP67 case, and we would not describe it as one.

Does full IP67 matter for a holiday to Mallorca? Usually not. Does it matter for a photographer, a diver, a sailor, a musician, someone flying into a monsoon or anyone who has watched their bag sit in the rain on a remote stand? Very much.

4. How heavy is it, and how much does that cost you? ⚖️

Weight is where honest comparisons get uncomfortable for everyone. Airline cabin allowances in Europe commonly sit between 8 and 12 kg, and some low-cost carriers count the bag against a tight limit. Every kilogram of suitcase is a kilogram of clothes you cannot bring.

• Lightweight polycarbonate and Curv cabin cases from the mainstream brands can weigh well under 3 kg, which is their strongest argument.
• Aluminium cabin cases are typically the heaviest conventional option in the cabin category.
• The Peli 1510 weighs roughly 5.4 kg with its foam, and it is not trying to be light; it is a polypropylene copolymer protective case with wheels.
• The Peli Air 1535 is the model built to answer exactly this objection: the HPX² shell brings it in under 4 kg empty while keeping the IP67 rating and the crush resistance.
• The ATX HC22 measures 55.9 × 35.6 × 23.1 cm externally with a 30-litre interior, which puts it squarely in the international cabin format. Exact weights for every model and configuration are on the product pages.

So the honest reading is this: if the only thing you care about is packing the maximum weight of clothes into a strict 10 kg cabin limit, a light mainstream polycarbonate case beats any protective case. If what you are carrying is a camera body and three lenses, a drone, a laptop and a hard drive, the weight you should be thinking about is the weight of the replacement bill.

Cabin-size Peli cases that fit European sizers

Peli ATX HC22 Carry-On Suitcase

Peli ATX HC22 Blue Carry-On Suitcase

Peli Air 1535 Carry-On Case

Peli 1510 Protector Carry-On Case

5. Zip or latches? 🔒

Nearly every conventional suitcase, including the premium polycarbonate models from the mainstream brands, closes with a zip; aluminium cases and Peli cases close with latches. This one decision drives several others.

A zip is light, cheap, and lets the case flex a little when you overpack it. Some brands, Delsey among them, have engineered zips that are designed to be harder to force open with a pen than a standard coil, which addresses one well-known weakness of zipped luggage. But a zip is still the seam where water gets in and the component that fails when a case is stuffed beyond its design volume.

Latches are heavier and slower to open. They do not stretch, so there is no overpacking a latched case: what fits, fits. In exchange you get a compressible seal, a closure that cannot be forced with a pen, and hardware that is usually replaceable as a part. Peli's double-throw latches on the Protector and Air cases are designed to be easy to open when you want them open and impossible to pop open when the case lands on its corner; the ATX HC suitcases use integrated TSA-approved locking latches in zinc alloy, so security staff can open and relock the case without cutting anything. If you have ever found a suitcase on the carousel with the zip open and a sock hanging out, you already understand the appeal.

6. What actually happens to a suitcase in the hold? 🛄

Baggage systems are not gentle. A checked bag can be tipped down chutes, pushed along belts with hard edges, stacked under other bags in a container, dragged across a wet apron and thrown into a hold. None of that is malicious; it is simply what moving thousands of bags an hour looks like. We described the process in detail in What really happens to your suitcase after check-in.

The mainstream brands respond with impact-resistant shells and, on premium lines, reinforced corners. Rimowa's aluminium is famous for coming back from a trip with a new dent, which the brand's fans consider part of the look. Peli's response is the one used for shipping cameras and medical kit: a shell that is tested by being dropped repeatedly on its corners, stainless-steel hardware, and an interior that can be foam, padded dividers or a TrekPak grid so that the contents cannot move. The HC series applies the same shell thinking to a lined suitcase, with compression elements inside so that a full case arrives packed the way it left. If you want to see the full range of interior options for the equipment cases, read Foam, dividers or TrekPak?.

7. What does the warranty actually cover? 📄

This is where you need to read the small print, because the headline number and the coverage are different things. Broadly:

• Mainstream brands typically offer a limited warranty of a few years, with the length varying by collection and sometimes by country of purchase. These warranties normally cover manufacturing defects and normally exclude airline damage, which is the damage most suitcases actually suffer. Always check the current terms for the exact model you are buying rather than relying on a summary you read online.
• Rimowa introduced a lifetime guarantee for its cases in recent years; again, the definition of what counts as a covered fault is in the terms, not the headline.
• Peli's Lifetime Guarantee of Excellence covers the Protector, Air and Storm cases against breakage or defects in workmanship for the life of the product. Wear items such as O-rings, foam and wheels are treated as consumables and are sold as spare parts, and Peli excludes deliberate abuse and a few memorable scenarios written into the guarantee text. The practical effect is that a Peli Protector case is the one of the five that is routinely still in use twenty years after purchase. For the ATX HC travel series, check the guarantee terms shown on the product page, because travel luggage lines can be covered differently from the equipment cases.

Whatever you buy, photograph the case before you check it in for the first time. That single habit does more for a successful airline damage claim than any warranty.

8. Can you repair it, or do you replace it? 🔧

The quiet difference between a case designed for travel and a case designed for professionals is what happens after something breaks. For most consumer luggage, a broken wheel or handle means a repair centre if one exists in your country, or more often a new suitcase. Some premium brands maintain repair networks; check whether one exists where you live before you rely on it.

Peli equipment cases are built as an assembly of replaceable parts: wheels, handles, latches, O-rings, pressure valves, foam sets and lid organisers are all sold separately and fitted with basic tools. We keep a range of them in stock, from replacement foam to replacement latches. The HC suitcases carry the same philosophy into the interior, where the entire liner lifts out for cleaning or replacement. A case you can service is a case you keep, and over ten years that changes the arithmetic of the purchase price completely. This is the argument we set out in 5 reasons why investing in a durable suitcase is worth it.

9. What is the suitcase really for? 🎯

The last question is the one that decides most purchases once people are honest with themselves.

• If the contents are clothes and toiletries, the cost of a suitcase failing is inconvenience. Any of the mainstream brands will serve you well, and a lighter case will let you pack more. If you want the same job done with latches and a polypropylene shell, the ATX HC series is Peli's answer for exactly this traveller.
• If the contents are worth more than the case many times over, whether that is camera bodies, lenses, drones, audio gear, laptops, medical equipment, instruments or samples, then the case is insurance, and the calculation changes.
• If you travel into weather, off-road, by boat, or anywhere baggage is handled roughly and left outside, waterproofing and crush resistance stop being luxuries.

A Peli Protector or Air is bought for the second and third situation. It is bought by people who have already lost a lens to a cracked shell, or who have decided in advance that they would rather not. For the first situation, it is perfectly usable and many customers use it that way, but it is the HC series that was designed with that traveller in mind.

Checked-baggage Peli cases for longer trps

Peli ATX HC25 Check-In Suitcase

Peli ATX HC30 Check-In Suitcase

Peli Air 1615 Checked Baggage Case

Peli Air 1615 Travel Suitcase with Laptop Pocket

Side by side: the five brands at a glance

The table below summarises the differences that matter. Prices are deliberately described as tiers rather than figures, because every brand has multiple collections and prices move; the Peli prices are visible on each product page.

Which suitcase for which traveller 🧭

Choose Samsonite if...

You want the widest choice, easy availability in almost every European city, and a range that goes from a first budget spinner to a light premium cabin case. It is the sensible default for regular holiday and business travel where the contents are clothes.

Choose Rimowa if...

The way the case looks matters as much as what it does, you are comfortable with aluminium picking up dents as it ages, and the price is not the main constraint. It is a design object first and a suitcase second, and its owners are happy with that order.

Choose Delsey if...

You want a mid-priced, well-thought-out case with practical security details and French design, and you are not planning to subject it to anything harsher than a normal airport.

Choose American Tourister if...

You need an affordable, cheerful suitcase for a child, a student or an occasional traveller, and you accept that an entry-level ABS shell is not built for a decade of weekly flights.

Choose Peli if...

The contents are worth protecting. Photographers, videographers, drone pilots, musicians, sailors, divers, field engineers, medics and anyone who travels with electronics into weather or rough handling are the people the Protector and Air cases were designed for. If you want a conventional four-wheel travel suitcase but are tired of replacing zipped ones, the ATX HC22, HC25 and HC30 are the Peli answer. If you are deciding between the two classic cabin models, our Peli 1510 vs Peli Air 1535 comparison walks through the seven differences, and what Peli model numbers actually mean decodes the naming.

Where Peli loses, honestly 🙃

Because this article would not be worth much if it only listed the positives, here is where a Peli case is the wrong choice.

• Weight. A 1510 is heavier than any light polycarbonate cabin case, and even the Air 1535 gives up a kilogram or so to the lightest mainstream models. On a strict 10 kg all-in cabin allowance, that is a real cost.
• Two wheels on the classic models. A 1510 or Air 1535 tilts and rolls; it does not glide sideways through a crowded aisle. On smooth floors a spinner is simply more pleasant to push. The ATX HC series answers this with four spinners, but at a higher price than the equipment cases.
• No expansion. A latched case has a fixed volume. If you habitually come home with more than you left with, a zipped expandable case is kinder.
• Looks. A Protector or Air looks like what it is, a piece of equipment. Some people love that; it will never be mistaken for a Rimowa in a hotel lobby. The HC series is closer to a conventional suitcase, but it is still a black, blue, grey or beige box built for function.
• Interior on the equipment cases. A standard Protector or Air comes with foam or dividers designed for equipment, not clothes. The TRVL versions add a lid organiser, and the HC series is lined from the factory, but if you want garment straps and shoe pockets out of the box on a cabin case, the mainstream brands do that better.
• Price for the use case. If you fly twice a year with clothes, a Protector case is more case than you need. There is no shame in that; buy a good light spinner and enjoy it.

Checklist before you buy any suitcase ✅

1. Check the actual shell material on the label, not the collection name. ABS, ABS blend, polycarbonate, polypropylene, aluminium and HPX behave differently under impact.
2. Measure your airline's real cabin sizer, including wheels and handles, and then compare it with the case's external dimensions, not the internal ones.
3. Weigh the empty case against the allowance you fly with most often.
4. Look at the wheels: how far they stick out, whether they are replaceable, and whether the bearings are enclosed.
5. Look at the closure: zip or latch, and whether the zip is a security design.
6. Ask what is waterproof: the shell only, or the whole case.
7. Read the warranty terms for the exact model, including what is excluded and where the repair centres are.
8. Ask whether spare parts are sold to end users.
9. Photograph the case before its first flight, so that an airline damage claim has a baseline.

Frequently asked questions

Is a polycarbonate suitcase better than ABS?

For impact resistance, yes: polycarbonate flexes where ABS cracks. It also scratches more easily and costs more, and many cases sold as polycarbonate are blends. If durability under rough handling is the priority, polypropylene copolymer and HPX resin go further still, which is why Peli uses them.

Are Peli cases really waterproof?

The Protector, Air and Storm cases are, to the IP67 standard, which covers dust and temporary immersion, provided the O-ring is clean and the latches are closed. The pressure-equalisation valve is what lets you open the case after a flight without it being vacuum-sealed shut. The ATX HC suitcases are sealed against moisture and dust but are not rated for immersion.

Does Peli make a normal suitcase with four wheels?

Yes. The ATX HC series, with the HC22 for cabin use and the HC25 and HC30 for checked baggage, has four Hinomoto spinner wheels, a telescopic handle, a removable lined interior and TSA-approved locking latches instead of a zip.

Can I use a Peli 1510, Air 1535 or ATX HC22 as normal cabin luggage in Europe?

All three are designed to meet common international carry-on dimensions. Because airline sizers vary and some low-cost carriers have unusually small free allowances, always compare the external dimensions on the product page with your airline's current limits before you fly.

Why is Peli called Pelican in some countries?

Same company, same products. Pelican is the name used in the Americas; Peli is the name used in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. The model numbers are identical.

Do I need foam in a suitcase?

Not for clothes. Foam and dividers are for equipment. For travel, the TRVL editions of the Air 1535 and Air 1615 come with a lid organiser and an interior laid out for packing, and the ATX HC suitcases come lined from the factory. Foam sets and divider sets for the equipment cases are available separately if your needs change.

Which is the most durable suitcase overall?

Durability follows material and construction, not the badge. Among the five brands here, a latched, sealed, polypropylene or HPX case with replaceable components will outlast a zipped ABS or polycarbonate spinner under rough handling. That is a description of a Peli, but it is also a description of what to look for if you buy anything else. We rank the strongest options in the toughest suitcases for air travel.

The short version

Samsonite for choice and availability, Rimowa for design, Delsey for a sensible French mid-range, American Tourister for a first case on a budget, and Peli for when what is inside matters more than what the case weighs or looks like, with the ATX HC series as the bridge for travellers who want a normal four-wheel suitcase built the Peli way. The best suitcase is not the most expensive one; it is the one whose failure modes you have thought about before you check it in. If that thought process ends at a Peli, we are here. If it ends at a light spinner from someone else, you have still made a better decision than most people standing in front of the luggage wall, and that was the point of writing this. 🌍