Samsonite Freeform Large Checked Luggage with Dual 360° Spinner Wheels - TSA Lock, Airline-Approved - Lightweight Durable Polypropylene Expandable Hardshell - Black

Why it's worth it

The Freeform is a polypropylene hardshell with a built-in TSA combination lock, dual 360-degree spinner wheels, and a 27-by-19.8-by-13-inch interior. It weighs 9.5 pounds and carries a 10-year limited warranty, which is a lot of suitcase for a fraction of what our top pick costs.

Polypropylene is the underrated shell material. It's more flexible than polycarbonate and much harder to crack, which is why it turns up on bags built for people who check luggage constantly. It scratches, and you'll see swirls after a season of belts and bins. But the scratches stay cosmetic. For a bag you hand to strangers twice a trip, that's the right kind of tough.

This is the roomiest bag we're recommending. The interior measures 27 by 19.8 by 13 inches, with elastic straps, a divider, and a pouch to keep things from sliding into one heap. If you're packing a family's clothes into one checked bag instead of two, that space is worth more to you than nicer hardware. The shell expands, too, if you need the extra depth on the way home.

From our review of 5 checked luggage

What we like

• +Polypropylene is the underrated shell material
• +This is the roomiest bag we're recommending
• +At 9.5 pounds it sits in the middle of this lineup, four pounds lighter than the Briggs & Riley
• +The warranty is good, not great

What to know

• –The hardware is where the savings show
• –It's also a big bag. The shell alone is listed at 29.8 by 20.5 by 13 inches, which already adds up past the 62 total linear…