Aluminium Frame Cabin Suitcase, 20 & 24 Inch Hard Case

Zips are where suitcases fail. They split under a full load, they are the easiest part of a case to force open, and once one goes the whole bag is finished. An aluminium frame closes with latches instead, which is why the cases you see coming off the belt still working after twenty years are almost always framed ones.

The shell is polycarbonate, which flexes under impact and springs back rather than cracking the way cheaper ABS does, mounted into an aluminium frame that holds the case square even when it is packed hard. The handle is unusually wide, which sounds like a small thing until you have wheeled a heavy case one-handed across an airport and felt the difference in your wrist. Spinner wheels roll in any direction, and the interior splits into two compartments with retaining straps.

Twenty inch is a cabin size for most carriers, though check your airline's limits, as carry-on allowances vary. Twenty-four inch is a check-in size for longer trips. Five colours: lark yellow, rock grey, blue, avocado green and smoke white.

• Frame: aluminium with latch closure, no zip to split
• Shell: polycarbonate, flexes on impact
• Handle: wide-grip telescopic
• Wheels: spinner, multi-directional
• Sizes: 20 inch cabin, 24 inch check-in
• Colours: Lark Yellow, Rock Grey, Blue, Avocado Green, Smoke White