Editorial Team
Our content team
8 min read
Florence, month fourteen. Cobblestones in the old town, 28 degrees, and I'm dragging our medium suitcase behind me. One wheel wobbles. Not catastrophic, but I notice it immediately. That was the moment I knew this luggage set had peaked.
But I'm getting ahead of myself.
Eighteen months ago, my partner and I bought an ABS hard-shell suitcase set for about 200 euros. Three pieces: carry-on, medium, large. The promise? A complete travel setup for the price of a single brand-name suitcase. I was sold immediately. My partner was more skeptical. She wanted to spend more upfront. We compromised: test first, judge later. Here's our honest account after 12 flights, 3 road trips, and one transatlantic journey.
Quick verdict: Our 200-euro ABS suitcase set held up reasonably well for 18 months and 12 flights, with noticeable wear appearing around month 9. Durability: 6/10. Value for money: 8/10. Recommendation: fine for occasional travelers, too weak for regular long-haul trips.
Months 1 Through 6: The Honeymoon Phase. First Impressions from Our Budget Suitcase Set Test
The first months were genuinely surprising. We took the set on four short trips (Barcelona, Vienna, Amsterdam, a weekend at the Baltic Sea) and the first real stress test was a Ryanair flight to Malaga.
The carry-on fit in the overhead bin. The wheels rolled like butter across airport floors. The TSA lock worked. I told my partner: "200 euros for the entire set? Absolute bargain."
She just laughed: "Ask me again in a year."
What I noticed by month three: the glossy ABS surface collects scratches like a magnet. After four flights, the carry-on looked like someone had gone at it with a fork. Purely cosmetic, sure. But it shows how ABS plastic handles impacts. I ended up reading about this. ABS is a softer plastic. It cracks rather than flexes on impact; the surface scratches permanently. Polycarbonate bends and returns to its shape. That's why brand-name suitcases cost more, and why they still look new after five years.
Still: in this long-term suitcase set test, the first six months? All good.
Months 7 Through 12: Cracks in the System
The Italy road trip in month nine changed everything. Florence, Siena, Bologna. Three cities, cobblestones everywhere. We dragged our cases from the car to Airbnbs, across stone alleys, up and down stairs.
After that trip: the medium suitcase developed a slight wheel wobble. Not terrible. But noticeable.
The telescopic handle on the large case had a faint play when fully extended. We'd stacked all three suitcases in the car boot. ABS shells don't love pressure from above. Cobblestones and stacking in the car boot are stresses no lab replicates. Luggage handle testing measures thousands of lift cycles, but not 500 metres of basalt pavement on an uphill incline.
Here's something I think no other suitcase set long-term review mentions: the carry-on looked significantly older than the large case after 12 months. Makes sense, right? As a couple, you use the small one on every trip, including weekend getaways. The large one stays home for short trips. Asymmetric wear. After a year, the difference is obvious.
Most budget spinner wheels last roughly 2,000 to 2,500 kilometres before the bearings give out. On wheels without ball bearings, that point arrives much sooner. Luggage durability isn't just about material. It's about usage patterns too.
Months 13 Through 18: The Honest Verdict. When the Suitcase Set Long-Term Test Gets Real
Then came the transatlantic flight to New York in month fifteen. Connection in London. Two baggage transfer points. The large suitcase arrived at JFK with a fresh crack in the corner. Not broken through, but visible. My partner looked at it. I held my breath for a moment. Then it was clear: this suitcase was done with transatlantic travel.
Worth knowing: if the airline clearly damaged your bag, you have concrete rights for damaged luggage: up to 1,900 euros under the Montreal Convention.
Baggage handlers throw suitcases. ABS cracks. That's not bad luck, that's physics.
The zipper pull on the carry-on broke off in month sixteen. Not the zipper itself, just the tab. Fixable with a paperclip? Yes. Pretty? No.
Current state after 18 months:
Carry-on: Heavy scratches, zipper pull missing, wheels still functional
Medium case: One wheel wobbles noticeably, telescopic handle has play
Large case: Corner crack, but structurally still intact
Usable? Yes. Confidence-inspiring for the next holiday? Honestly, I'm not sure anymore.
If you're currently facing the same decision, our current suitcase set comparison covers sets across different price ranges with airline compatibility checks.
The Math: Cost Per Flight
200 euros across 12 flights plus 3 road trips. That's roughly 13.30 euros per flight for our entire luggage setup as a couple. Sounds like a good deal, doesn't it?
We've documented similar experiences with a budget hard-shell suitcase over 12 months, and the cost-per-trip calculation there looks equally interesting.
The counter-calculation: a 300-euro suitcase over ten years costs 7.50 euros per trip. Our set will probably last another six months, realistically. That puts us at 200 euros divided by maybe 20 total flights. Works out to 10 euros per flight. Not bad. But not the incredible deal we initially thought.
For occasional travelers (four or five flights per year), a budget set like the BEIBYE Kofferset 3-teilig – XL 76 cm, L 66 cm, M 55 cm, Hartschalenkoffer ABS, leicht, 360° Doppelrollen, Zahlenschloss works just fine. If you travel more frequently, something slightly better saves money long-term. The SHOWKOO Kofferset 3 Teilig Hartschale Leicht ABS+PC Erweiterbar Reisekoffer Haltbar Trolley Handgepäck Sets mit TSA Schloss und 4 Rollen with an ABS+PC mix tends to last longer and won't break the bank.
Something you can do right now: invest in a Elastisch Reise Kofferschutzhülle Abdeckung Waschbar Kofferhülle Schutz Bezug Luggage Cover für 18-32 Zoll Koffer for the large suitcase. It protects the ABS surface on long-haul flights. And when wheels start wobbling, 4 Stück Kofferrollen Ersatzrollen 55x11mm Koffer Ersatzrollen Schwarz Verschleißfeste Gummi Ersatzräder für Koffer mit Doppelrollen costs under 15 euros. We gave our medium case an extra three months of life that way.
BEIBYE Kofferset 3-teilig – XL 76 cm, L 66 cm, M 55 cm, Hartschalenkoffer ABS, leicht, 360° Doppelrollen, Zahlenschloss
4.4
(14,455)
EUR 89.9
Amazon
What We'd Do Differently Next Time With Our Suitcase Set Purchase
I think the 200-euro budget set was the right call for us when we started traveling together. We didn't know how often we'd fly. We didn't know if we were road-trip people or beach people. Now we do.
Next time, we're going polypropylene instead of ABS. We'll probably buy pieces individually rather than as a set. The large case in better quality, the carry-on can be cheaper (gets replaced after two years regardless of material anyway). If you want to extend the life of any set, our guide on packing more efficiently (Coming Soon) has practical tips that actually help.
Our verdict on this suitcase set long-term test after 18 months: ABS shows its limits, polypropylene is the smarter choice for frequent travelers. The set held up. Not brilliantly, not perfectly, but honestly for its price.
If you rarely travel and don't want to spend a fortune, you won't regret this. If you fly regularly or have transatlantic trips planned: spend an extra 100 euros and enjoy ten years of peace of mind.
