I need to replace the gigantic suitcase my mom gave me when I grad high school. It’s gotten eewww inside after X number of years (basically, the fabric started disintegrating). I don’t recognize what’s being sold today. I’m thinking about a hard shell and 360 degree wheels, but whatever I get I need to get in the next week. I have access to a lot of stores in dept type settings but am willing to online order. Thanks for any recommendations. FWIW I’m about to fly in United, but I want something that can go pretty much anywhere. I might buy a matching carry on but I have lots of carry ons that are good. I have another large suitcase it’s just not big enough for my stuff plus extra room for souvenirs.
I have Away suitcases and carry ons. I ordered them online and they xame pretty qujckly. You might xall them to see if it would arrive on time.
Their customer service has been excellent.
When it comes to gigantic suitcases, I’m a huge fan of rolling duffles.
We have 2. This is our more recent one. It easily holds up to the airline weight limit of 50 lbs or whatever but flattens down quite a bit for storage.
I think that one is only available at authorized dealers, but there are similar products on Amazon.
Wow, I didn’t even know that was a thing. Our duffels don’t roll.
I updated and purchased two bags a few years ago (rolling carry on and a 27" suitcase…and Amazon is telling me I purchased them in 2018). After researching and deliberating, I ended up with Delsey.
I really like them. They don’t weigh much when empty, have been sturdy when checked, and can expand if I need to overpack a bit. Both cases are also smooth as silk when they roll. Other than some scuffs, they still look great.
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We also have a wheeled duffel. I can’t find the one we have (purchased it 10+ years ago at Target), but it is similar to this one with a separate compartment on the bottom.
Does this have any hard frame parts? I’m thinking specifically as related to the wheels area on the underside? I need a large soft-sided piece of luggage for my trip next year. I have a max luggage capacity of 30lbs, but/and something with wheels might still be nice for traipsing through the airports.
IIRC, there is a solid frame on the bottom. I’ll try to remember to check when I get home tonight.
There was one on Amazon when I was peeking last night that didn’t have a frame so could be rolled up pretty small when not in use. Nice to have options depending on needs!
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We have an older version of this set that we received as wedding gifts (literally 8 years ago today to be exact). I highly, highly recommend. They are very light but somehow extremely sturdy as well as expandable. They have been to at least 5 or 6 US states (including Hawaii) as well as 4-5 countries. They are easy to push/pull and ours are bright colors that are easy to spot.
The large one in the wild! We have replaced the wheels since 2014 but that was partly due to an incident on Martha’s Vineyard for my sister’s bachelorette…
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Congratulations! 
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Though it can be pricy, I highly recommend Samsonite. I’ve got one checked bag sized suitcase that is going on 8 years old – the only wear and tear is on the outside (mostly scuffs and one scratch), but the inside is still strong and sturdy (with one wheel that’s a little squeaky). It looks like this, but is probably the Winfield 1. I’ve also got a carry-on sized piece from them that’s only 4 years old and looks nearly brand new (This one… I guess I like the Winfield!). Whichever piece you get, I’d recommend making sure it doesn’t have bump outs or grooves on the front or back of the piece, since that’s where most of the color has been scratched on my checked size.
This is what it looks like collapsed, less than 5” height.
Inside
Inside unzipped so you can see it’s guts. It’s a stiff solid piece on the bottom.
Underside has 2 stiff rails.
We were looking for one like our older one (below), and I ended up liking the new one more than I thought I would. It has 4 really roomy exterior pockets that I use to keep everyone’s socks/undies sorted by person. The top unzips to a separate compartment where you can stash anything you want easily accessible (like gloves/hats for cold weather destinations). Then quite a few inner pockets too.
Below is our older one (we often take both for the 6 of us if we’re being bulky). It doesn’t have all the pockets (just one large one on top), but it splits open in half so you lay it out open and find things easily. (It does take a chunk of floor space to do that though.)
It has solid panels on the bottom so doesn’t fold down nearly as flat (keeps about 11” height)
This is the closest I was able to find of that brand that’s currently available.
High Sierra Fairlead 34 Inch Drop Bottom Portable Wheeled Rolling Polyester Duffel Travel Bag with Recessed Telescoping Handle, Mercury https://smile.amazon.com/dp/B09QGYY66F/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_1FHMW402BVXT8Y86GGK9
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Thank you. That might work. They suggest duffle-type luggage because the space in the trucks is so small IIRC.
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Oh, and they’ve both been very durable. No zipper or seam issues at all. (Our very first rolling duffle we every had, it periodically had seams need repair.)
We have had to replace the wheels on one or both of them (I can’t remember) when they eventually shred. When that happens, the wheels still work, but not smoothly (kind of like the outer wheel shredded and it’s riding on the interior rims). We have a really good luggage shop in Houston that does the repairs pretty reasonably so wasn’t a big deal. I do recommend if one wheel shreds, have them replace both because the second probably doesn’t have much life left in it in our experience.
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Never expected to find a twss in a luggage thread, but here we are.
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I love my Tumi. Hard shell, 360 wheels and well made.
Tumi, Samsonite, American Tourister all have large hardshell / polycarbonite cases.
Tumi is 3x more expensive but the quality is amazing. They are closer to Rimowa whose pricing has become ridicilous after they went from luggage brand to luxury brand.
Obviously, this is pretty cool:
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That winfield one caught my eye and already was on my shortlist.