Skip to content
Pack & Passport

Polycarbonate vs ABS luggage

Two plastics that look identical in a photograph and behave completely differently when a baggage belt drops your bag four feet.

By Michael W. · Last updated October 6, 2026

Hardside suitcases moving along a baggage conveyor

We earn a commission when you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we pick or how we rank it. How we’re funded.

Buy polycarbonate. It flexes under impact and returns to shape, where ABS is more brittle and cracks at the corners - and a cracked corner is the end of a hardside case. ABS exists because it is cheap to mould, which is why it dominates the budget end of the market, and it is a perfectly reasonable shell for a cabin bag that never goes in a hold.

The reason the distinction matters is what happens in a baggage system. A checked bag is dropped, stacked, and has other bags loaded on top of it. A material that deforms and recovers survives that; a material that resists until it fails does not. That is the entire argument, and it is why almost every manufacturer's better hardside line is polycarbonate and almost every entry line is ABS or an ABS blend.

Two other materials turn up in the same search. Polypropylene is light and tough but less rigid, so it bulges. Aluminum is extremely durable and extremely heavy, dents permanently instead of recovering, and costs several times as much. Both are covered below.

Hardside shell materials compared

General material properties, not a measured test of specific bags. Weight and durability both vary with shell thickness, so a thick ABS case can outlast a thin polycarbonate one.
MaterialOn impactWeightTypical price tierBest for
PolycarbonateFlexes and springs backLight to mediumMid to premiumChecked bags, frequent flying
ABSResists, then cracksLightBudgetCabin bags, occasional use
ABS / polycarbonate blendBetween the twoLightBudget to midCabin bags, light checking
PolypropyleneFlexes; bulges under loadVery lightBudget to midLight checked bags
AluminumDents permanentlyHeavyPremiumLooks and security, not weight

The difference is how they fail, not how strong they are

ABS is not weak. It is stiff and it holds a shape well, which is why it is used for everything from appliance housings to toy bricks. What it does not do well is absorb a sudden load. Beyond its limit it cracks, and once a hardside shell has a crack in it the bag is finished - there is no repair that restores a moulded shell.

Polycarbonate is tougher in the specific sense that matters here: it deforms a long way before it breaks, and it comes back. Drop a polycarbonate case on a corner and you usually get a scuff and a temporary dent. Drop an ABS case on the same corner from the same height and you may get a split.

Thickness matters as much as material

A thick ABS shell can outlast a thin polycarbonate one. Material tells you the behaviour; thickness and the quality of the moulding tell you the margin. That is why two polycarbonate bags at very different prices are not the same bag.

What a blend actually means

A great many bags are listed as ABS+PC, which is a blend or a laminate of the two. The intent is honest: ABS for cost and rigidity, polycarbonate for impact tolerance. The result sits between the two and the listing almost never says in what proportion.

Treat a blend as a budget material with better corner behaviour than pure ABS, not as polycarbonate at a lower price. For a cabin bag that is plenty. For a bag that gets checked twenty times a year, the pure material is the one to buy.

Polypropylene and aluminum

Polypropylene is the lightest of the common hardside plastics and genuinely tough, but it is less rigid than polycarbonate, so a packed case bulges. That costs you predictability at a sizer, which is a real disadvantage on a cabin bag and almost irrelevant on a checked one.

Aluminum is the opposite trade. It is extremely durable, it looks like nothing else, and it is heavy enough to matter against a weight limit - see how much does an empty suitcase weigh. It also dents permanently rather than recovering, so an aluminum case accumulates a visible history. Some owners consider that the point.

  • Checked, flown often: polycarbonate.
  • Cabin only, occasional: ABS or a blend is fine, and the money is better spent on wheels.
  • Weight is the binding constraint: polypropylene, or stop buying hardside and read hardside vs softside luggage.
  • You want it to look like that and do not care about weight: aluminum.

The shell is not usually what breaks

Worth saying plainly: most hardside bags are retired because of a wheel or a handle, not because of the shell. The material question is real, but it is second to whether the wheel housings are recessed and whether the telescoping handle has any slop in it when new.

So compare shells, then compare hardware, and weight the hardware more heavily. Best luggage for frequent travelers works through the failure points in order, and best hardside luggage is the shortlist.

Quick picks

The short list. Tap any row for the full write-up, including what each one is bad at.

#ProductBest forPrice
1
A hardside checked spinner suitcase

Samsonite Winfield 3 DLX Hardside Checked Spinner

A polycarbonate shell that flexes and recovers rather than cracking.

Checked bags
2
A hardside cabin suitcase standing upright

Away The Carry-On

Polycarbonate with an interior compression panel, in a cabin footprint.

Cabin hardside
3
A hardside cabin suitcase standing upright

Amazon Basics 20-inch Hardside Spinner

Budget hardside in a size that clears a strict gate, for a bag that stays with you.

Cabin, occasional use
Best polycarbonate checkedPick 1

The one for the hold, in the material built for it

Samsonite Winfield 3 DLX Hardside Checked Spinner

Anyone checking a hardside bag regularly. Polycarbonate is the right material for a baggage system because it absorbs an impact by deforming, and the warranty terms on this line are among the better ones in the mainstream market.

The specs that decide it

  • Shell: Polycarbonate - flexes under load and recovers
  • Security: Integrated TSA-accepted combination lock
  • Wheels: Spinner, recessed housings
  • Interior: Divider, cross straps and a zipped panel

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Hardshells scuff and the marks are permanent, so a bag flown often looks tired long before it is worn out. A rigid shell also has no give at a sizer, so an overpacked hardside simply does not fit.

A hardside checked spinner suitcase
Best polycarbonate carry-onPick 2

The one if you want the better shell above the seat

Away The Carry-On

Travelers who want a wipe-clean shell in the cabin and are prepared to pay for the better plastic. The interior compression panel is the detail that makes a rigid case pack properly rather than fighting you.

The specs that decide it

  • Shell: Polycarbonate - flexes and recovers rather than cracking
  • Interior: Compression panel, which is what makes a hardside pack well
  • Wheels: Spinner
  • Footprint: Cabin size unexpanded - measure over wheels and handle

Flaws but not dealbreakers

You are paying a premium over cases using the same shell material, and a cabin bag is the use case where the material matters least because it never meets a baggage belt. Light shells also show scuffs most.

A hardside cabin suitcase standing upright
Where ABS is the right callPick 3

The one that proves a cheap shell is sometimes correct

Amazon Basics 20-inch Hardside Spinner

Occasional flyers who want a cabin bag and will never check it. In the cabin the shell takes no impacts at all, so paying for polycarbonate buys you very little - and at 20 inches this clears a strict sizer, which is worth more than the material.

The specs that decide it

  • Label: 20 inch - a size below the limit, so it clears a sizer
  • Shell: Budget hardside - fine where it is never checked
  • Wheels: Spinner
  • Use case: Cabin only; this is not the bag to put in a hold

Flaws but not dealbreakers

Budget construction means the wheels and handle are the first parts to complain, and a brittle shell in a hold is exactly where a cracked corner happens. Rigid shells also have no give, so overpacking is not an option.

A hardside cabin suitcase standing upright

Frequently asked questions

Is polycarbonate or ABS better for luggage?
Polycarbonate, for any bag that gets checked. It flexes under impact and returns to shape, where ABS is more brittle and can crack at the corners - and a cracked hardside shell cannot be repaired. For a cabin bag that never goes in a hold, ABS is perfectly adequate.
What is the most durable luggage material?
Among hardside shells, polycarbonate for the balance of toughness and weight, and aluminum if you accept the weight penalty and permanent denting. Among softside fabrics, high-denier ballistic nylon. Shell thickness and hardware quality matter as much as the material itself.
What does ABS+PC mean on a suitcase?
A blend or laminate of ABS and polycarbonate, intended to get ABS's low cost with some of polycarbonate's impact tolerance. Listings rarely state the proportions, so treat it as a budget shell with better corner behaviour than pure ABS - not as cheap polycarbonate.
Is polypropylene luggage any good?
Yes, and it is the lightest of the common hardside plastics. The trade is rigidity: a polypropylene case flexes and bulges when packed full, which costs you predictability at a gate sizer. That matters on a cabin bag and barely matters on a checked one.
Does aluminum luggage dent easily?
It dents rather than flexing, and the dents are permanent - aluminum does not spring back the way polycarbonate does. It is extremely durable in the sense that it will not crack or fail, but it will carry a visible record of every trip.
Does the shell material matter for a carry-on?
Much less than for a checked bag. A cabin bag is not dropped by a baggage system or stacked under other bags, so the impact tolerance you are paying for never gets tested. Spend the money on wheels, the handle and a size that clears a sizer instead.

Read next

More in Luggage, or see every roundup and comparison on the site.