Understanding the Types of Luggage Wheels

luggage wheels

One of the most vital factors when selecting a luggage, is the type of wheels that it comes with.

Wheels can be the determinant of the amount of effort and comfort users will enjoy when using the case.

Benefits of getting a luggage with the best wheels include the ease of use when it comes to scooting it around and less strain on the hand, hence saving users from wrist pains.

Broken or stuck wheels are an embarrassment not mentioning how they adversely affect your travel comfort.

Although most wheels can be repaired, it is not easy to track luggage shops especially in airports or train stations that offer maintenance services.

Additionally, as a frequent traveler and flier, I bet you do not have that much time to sit down and start fixing the screws that have fallen off as much as most luggage come with extra pairs of screws for the said purpose.

In the long run, repairing the wheels will cost you; both time and money, which may turn out to be much expensive compared to getting a new suitcase.

Types of Luggage Wheels

Spinner Wheels

Just as the name goes, these type of wheels offer a comfortable 360 degrees rotation when it comes to mobility.

They can move just into any direction as desired by the luggage owner.

Modern suitcase manufacturers are incorporating, four, six or eight wheels to suitcases depending on the size of the luggage.

spinner wheels

Spinner wheeled luggage can be pulled behind, scooted along beside the user or even pushed in front of the owner.

They can be pushed with less effort, saving owners the much required energy that comes with breezing through security checks in train or bus stations and even airports.

Under this category, we got the following spinner suitcases;

Soft Shell Spinners – This suitcases are made from ballistic nylon or polyester.

They are significantly expensive as quality material like leather is used to provide extra reinforcement.

Hard Shell Spinners – They are the most popular suitcases as they come in bright colors. You are most likely to enjoy lifetime warranty with this type of luggage.

Pros

• Easy to handle irrespective of the luggage size.

• Come in a wide number of designs and colors.

• Easy to maneuver in tight spaces irrespective of the bag size.

Cons

• Careless owners can lose their luggage as its can easily roll away if placed on a slope.

• They are prone to clogging after some time. This leads to breakage unlike the stake style wheels in other suitcases.

• Spinner wheeled suitcases are more expensive compared to other luggage options.

Top Spinner Wheeled Luggage Brands

Samsonite Silhouette Hardside Spinner

Delsey Helium Carry on (#1 Pick)

Travelpro’s Platinum Magna Luggage

Victorinox Luggage Avolve 22

In-Line Skate Wheels

This type of luggage wheels is made from polyurethane, a high resilient flexible plastic material.

Additionally, this luggage come with two or three wheels on the bottom side of its handle. On the other side, this bag has a stopper, enabling it stand upright when need be.

Inline Skate Wheel luggage

Most of this suitcases can only be pulled from behind. They are easy to pull through both rough and smooth surfaces, wrangling easily over any obstacles.

In line skate wheels are also less weighty to the bags in the long run.

Pros

• Easily wrangle over any obstacles. This is the reason why most users of this bags find them comfortable for use on rough concrete, grass and other uneven surfaces.

• The wheels are also recessed into their cases. This housing protects the wheels from snapping aimlessly when handling, unlike in spinner wheels.

• Recessed wheels comply with the overall dimensions fixed by most airlines.

Cons

• Recessed wheels eat up into the interiors packing space.

• The effort that comes with dragging of this type of luggage causes wrist and shoulder pains to users.

• Dragging an in-line skate wheeled luggage requires more space hence more distance between you and the bag.

This makes its cumbersome for owners to maneuver through crowded airports or train stations.

Top Fixed In-Line Wheeled Luggage Brands

American Tourister Luggage Splash

Olympia Luggage 8 Pocket Rolling Duffel

Rockland Luggage

Additional Considerations When Choosing the Type of Wheels on Suitcases

Wheel Material

Apart from polyurethane, there are other materials used in the making of luggage wheels.

For example, most luggage manufacturers use rubber and plastics to design the wheels. This materials wear down easily especially if you are a frequent traveler.

In addition, plastic and rubber wheels have a high rolling resistance in the long run.

Screws or Rivet Wheel Fasteners

Undoubtedly, screws offer better hold compared to rivets. Rivets on the other hand can only be used on short distance travel but are prone to falling off due to poor handling.

Most luggage manufactures provide buyers with extra pieces of screws to replace lost one ones.

Warranty

Of course, you do not want to waste time and money looking around for wheel repair services. A warranty will get you covered, catering for parts of your suitcase.

Most manufacturers are now offering a lifetime warranty, how great!

Online Shopping

I only recommend online shopping to experienced buyers. When it comes to luggage, novice online shoppers should first move to a store, get a sample of the bag, wheel it around so as to find what suits them.

From there on, they can proceed to placing their order.

Spinner Wheels or In-line Skate Wheels?

Admittedly, spinner wheels provide better mobility in crowded or narrow spaces like airport aisles.

In addition, the owner’s handles are freed from absorbing much of the bag’s weight in the long run.

Potential buyers of this type of luggage will be happy with this, not mentioning the ease that comes with the bag when gliding on smooth surfaces.

On the other hand, in-line skate wheels come in handy when rolling around rough or uneven surfaces.

For those that love road trips, this maybe the best bag for you.

This is because, the wheels will stand much of the abuse, because most in-line skate wheels are large and cannot get stuck easily.

loftyluggage

http://loftyluggage.com

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