CALPAK luggage is stylish and trendy, while Samsonite luggage is tried and true.
It would be hard for two luggage brands to be more different than CALPAK and Samsonite. They have very different designs and approaches to building luggage, so to choose between them, you need to decide what your priorities are.
CALPAK is known for its striking designs and clean aesthetic. These suitcases aren’t just about carrying your stuff, they’re meant to make a statement.
On the other hand, Samsonite luggage may not be as trendy as CALPAK, but it’s reliable (and you can find it everywhere). Samsonite has been around for over a century, and they’re the most well-known brand in the business. They sell a massive range of luggage, especially compared to CALPAK’s limited offering.
Our team has tested over 150 suitcases over the past 15 years, and I've put both CALPAK and Samsonite to the test on my own travels. It’s easy to read product pages and marketing info, but much harder to evaluate how a suitcase works in the real world.
I'll delve into the CALPAK versus Samsonite debate, covering everything from the quality of materials to key design features. I’ll share insights from using luggage from both brands on trips around the globe. I aim to help you make an informed decision that suits your travel style and needs.
| Scores |  |  |
|---|---|---|
Average Overall Score★ 9.4 and Above: Best in Class – It is very hard to earn this score. These suitcases perform well across every category, and we recommend them universally. These are the best of the best. ★ 8.9–9.3: Highly Recommended – These are excellent and high-performing bags. Depending on your specific needs, one of these may be a better fit than our best overall picks. ★ 8.3–8.8: Great for the Right Use – We typically recommend these bags for more specific use cases, because their outstanding performance in one area may have other tradeoffs. ★ 7.5–8.2: Good with Some Compromises – These are still good bags that we generally recommend. There are some compromises to be aware of depending on your use case. ★ 7.4 and Under: Not Recommended – We generally don’t review or recommend bags that score this low, except possibly as a budget pick. They typically have significant issues with quality or function. | 8.4 | 8.8 |
★ 9.4 and Above: Best in Class – It is very hard to earn this score. These suitcases perform well across every category, and we recommend them universally. These are the best of the best. ★ 8.9–9.3: Highly Recommended – These are excellent and high-performing bags. Depending on your specific needs, one of these may be a better fit than our best overall picks. ★ 8.3–8.8: Great for the Right Use – We typically recommend these bags for more specific use cases, because their outstanding performance in one area may have other tradeoffs. ★ 7.5–8.2: Good with Some Compromises – These are still good bags that we generally recommend. There are some compromises to be aware of depending on your use case. ★ 7.4 and Under: Not Recommended – We generally don’t review or recommend bags that score this low, except possibly as a budget pick. They typically have significant issues with quality or function. | ||
Average Build Quality ScoreAccounting for 30% of the Overall Score, we believe that Build Quality/durability is the single most important factor when it comes to rating and scoring a piece of luggage. It’s not the end-all-be-all, but we believe it should earn the highest weighting in our calculations. We rate luggage build quality on eight objective and subjective attributes. A backpack gets a 0-10 score for each attribute based on a standardized scale. Then we use a weighted average to calculate an overall Build Quality score. The six attributes we use to calculate the score are:
| 7.5 | 7.9 |
Accounting for 30% of the Overall Score, we believe that Build Quality/durability is the single most important factor when it comes to rating and scoring a piece of luggage. It’s not the end-all-be-all, but we believe it should earn the highest weighting in our calculations. We rate luggage build quality on eight objective and subjective attributes. A backpack gets a 0-10 score for each attribute based on a standardized scale. Then we use a weighted average to calculate an overall Build Quality score. The six attributes we use to calculate the score are:
| ||
Average Ease of Use ScoreAccounting for 20% of the Overall Score, Ease of Use refers to whether or not the suitcase is easy to pack, easy to move and easy to organize. We score Ease of Use based on four categories:
| 7.7 | 8.2 |
Accounting for 20% of the Overall Score, Ease of Use refers to whether or not the suitcase is easy to pack, easy to move and easy to organize. We score Ease of Use based on four categories:
| ||
Average Functionality ScoreAccounting for 20% of the Overall Score, our luggage Functionality rating is a subjective score based on how well the suitcase fulfills our needs during testing. | 8.7 | 8.9 |
Accounting for 20% of the Overall Score, our luggage Functionality rating is a subjective score based on how well the suitcase fulfills our needs during testing. | ||
Average Water Resistance ScoreAccounting for 5% of the Overall Score, we rate Water Resistance based on materials and zippers and how highly each is rated for water resistance. | 8.3 | 8.0 |
Accounting for 5% of the Overall Score, we rate Water Resistance based on materials and zippers and how highly each is rated for water resistance. | ||
Average Brand Impact ScoreIt is important to us to recommend brands that we believe are doing good in the world. Cheap and unethical mass production of consumer goods has created innumerable problems globally, and we don’t want to be part of the problem by promoting mass-produced goods. Because of that, we rate every brand we review based on their global impact. This score accounts for 5% of the Overall Score and incorporates:
| 4.5 | 6.2 |
It is important to us to recommend brands that we believe are doing good in the world. Cheap and unethical mass production of consumer goods has created innumerable problems globally, and we don’t want to be part of the problem by promoting mass-produced goods. Because of that, we rate every brand we review based on their global impact. This score accounts for 5% of the Overall Score and incorporates:
| ||
Average Buying Experience ScoreAccounting for 5% of the Overall Score, we value companies that implement specific policies to reduce the stress and risk of buying a product. We give higher ratings to companies with free shipping and no-nonsense satisfaction policies. This score is made of the following four attributes:
| 5.0 | 6.8 |
Accounting for 5% of the Overall Score, we value companies that implement specific policies to reduce the stress and risk of buying a product. We give higher ratings to companies with free shipping and no-nonsense satisfaction policies. This score is made of the following four attributes:
| ||
Average Warranty ScoreIt’s always a good idea to buy from companies that stand behind their products with solid lifetime warranties. The Warranty score is an objective metric based on the brand’s warranty policy which accounts for 5% of the Overall Score. | 6.9 | 5.0 |
It’s always a good idea to buy from companies that stand behind their products with solid lifetime warranties. The Warranty score is an objective metric based on the brand’s warranty policy which accounts for 5% of the Overall Score. | ||
Average Price-to-Performance ScoreWe rate products based on the bang for your buck they provide. We measure that using a Cost-to-Performance ratio, which enables us to evaluate whether a higher-end product is really worth the extra cost or whether it’s better to save some cash. We calculate the Cost-to-Performance ratio by comparing the MSRP to the testing and scoring of all the previous categories. A product that performs well at a lower cost has a higher Cost-to-Performance ratio. This is an important data piece to look at if you are on a budget but still want the best quality and design possible. | 8.7 | 8.6 |
We rate products based on the bang for your buck they provide. We measure that using a Cost-to-Performance ratio, which enables us to evaluate whether a higher-end product is really worth the extra cost or whether it’s better to save some cash. We calculate the Cost-to-Performance ratio by comparing the MSRP to the testing and scoring of all the previous categories. A product that performs well at a lower cost has a higher Cost-to-Performance ratio. This is an important data piece to look at if you are on a budget but still want the best quality and design possible. | ||
| Specs | ||
| Type | Hardside, Softside | Hardside, Softside |
| Warranty | 2-year | 10-year |
| Returns | Pay for return shipping, 30-day | Pay for return shipping, 90-day |
| Manufacturing Location(s) | China | India, China, Hungary |
| Browse CALPAK | Browse Samsonite | |
Buy CALPAK if you…
Buy Samsonite if you…
CALPAK uses 100% polycarbonate for their hardshell suitcases—just like pricier brands like Monos and Away. If you’ve been eyeing these uber-trendy suitcases, but can’t quite justify the spend, CALPAK may be a great option for you.
Samsonite uses a wide range of materials for their suitcases. Budget models are made with ABS or polypropylene, both of which are weaker than polycarbonate. The high-end Samsonite models use fancy high-tech materials that are even stronger than polycarbonate.
CALPAK uses double spinner wheels, which are stronger than single spinners. Samsonite also uses double spinner wheels on everything except a few of their cheapest models.
That is pretty much the pattern you’ll see across the board when comparing CALPAK and Samsonite. Samsonite’s low-end models are cheaper and less durable than CALPAK, but Samsonite’s higher-priced models are stronger and use better components.
Samsonite scored 7.9 on average for Build Quality—a bit higher than CALPAK’s 7.5 Build Quality score. Remember, though, that is an average from every suitcase we tested from each brand.
If you care about style, CALPAK is a pretty clear winner. Their suitcases are sleek, minimalist, and on-trend. I especially love the super dialed-back look of the Hue Carry-On and vintage-style TRNK.
Each piece has some personality built in, whether you prefer flashy or understated. Plus, they’re all available in a wide range of fun colors. This type of chic hardside luggage design has become really popular in recent years as a bunch of new luggage startups like Away, Monos, and July hit the scene. CALPAK keeps up with the best of them.
Honestly, style is one of the main reasons to choose CALPAK over Samsonite.
Not that Samsonite cases look bad, they just don’t have quite the same dialed-in, Instagram-ready look. Samsonite’s style tends to lean either toward professional or techy. If you’re headed on a business trip, something like their Elevation Plus Carry-On may fit in better than a colorful CALPAK bag.
Once you get past the surface, all CALPAK suitcases are pretty much identical. Inside they have a zippered divider with a few mesh pockets on one side and a set of elastic compression straps on the other. It’s nothing fancy, but it works. I would probably recommend buying a few quality packing cubes to stay organized, though.
There are only a few models that diverge from this basic design. Their front pocket carry-ons (available for the Hue or Ambeur styles) include an external zippered pocket that’s perfect for a laptop or tablet and has a few smaller pockets inside for things like a passport, phone, boarding pass, and notebook. Their softside models (like the Terra 45L) also have more pockets to keep smaller things tidy.
In general, though, if you prefer more pockets and organization, you’ll be happier with Samsonite’s Outline Pro than with anything from CALPAK. Our Samsonite luggage review revealed a surprisingly wide range of clever, functional features, and it seems like their designers are always coming up with new innovative features, like built-in packing cubes and a wireless charging pocket on the Just Right Carry-On or the included folding garment storage in the Samsonite Pro. There’s even a model that has built-in LED lights to keep you visible at night on city streets.
Basically, if you want a certain feature, Samsonite probably has it.
Samsonite is more practical, and the organization features make it easier to pack. Samsonite scored 8.9 for Ease of Use, where CALPAK only scored 7.5. Samsonite also scored slightly higher for functionality.
Even though CALPAK focuses on style and didn’t score as high in our ratings, their suitcases work well during real-world travel. Still, if style isn’t the most important thing, and you want more advanced features, Samsonite has more to offer.
Both CALPAK and Samsonite scored very well in our Price-to-Performance category: 8.7 for CALPAK and 8.6 for Samsonite. If you want to get a great bang for your buck, either brand is an excellent choice.
CALPAK really shines in terms of the sheer value and quality you get for the money. Their luggage is pretty comparable to brands like Monos and July—you get the same polycarbonate shell material and sleek aesthetic—but it costs significantly less.
If you like the modern, trendy polycarbonate suitcase designs, CALPAK offers pretty much the most affordable luggage options out there.
That said, if you’re on a really tight budget, Samsonite does have cheaper models than CALPAK, especially if you find them on sale, which is common.
CALPAK’s warranty is not great compared to the competition. They only have a two-year limited warranty, whereas many similar brands have lifetime warranties. I think this is one of the places where CALPAK is cutting costs to sell their suitcases for cheaper. That’s not necessarily a bad thing, you just have to decide if saving money or having a great warranty is more important.
Samsonite does better, with a 10-year warranty on most models. They also have a pretty good reputation for replacing or repairing suitcases under warranty, so if you want that peace of mind, Samsonite is probably the better choice.
If you care about buying sustainable products and reducing your impact on the environment, you’ll want to choose Samsonite over CALPAK. Neither brand is outstanding when it comes to sustainability, but Samsonite scored significantly higher for our Brand Impact category: 6.2. CALPAK only scored 4.5.
Samsonite uses recycled materials for most of their suitcases, and their Essens and Maxsum Eco models use 70% recycled material for the hard shell. Samsonite also has programs to reduce carbon footprint, use more sustainable energy, and support fair working rights. The brand still has a long way to go, but those are steps in the right direction.
CALPAK doesn’t use recycled materials and has virtually no sustainability initiatives in place. Their focus is making good products at an affordable price rather than making those products good for the environment.
The debate between CALPAK and Samsonite ultimately comes down to this: do you prioritize style or practicality more?
CALPAK is the cheapest brand selling trendy, well-built polycarbonate luggage right now. The main draw is the dialed-in style, so if aesthetics are important to you, you’ll probably be happier with CALPAK. Their luggage is also well-built and well-designed, so you won’t be sacrificing on function.
Samsonite suitcases are just a bit more practical, though. They are sturdier, have more pockets and features, and come with a better warranty. If you travel for work (or just travel a lot), you’ll probably prefer Samsonite’s reliability.
Here’s one last question that may help you decide: what are the odds you’ll be taking photos with your luggage on your next trip?
Yes, CALPAK is renowned for its stylish, functional luggage (including carry on luggage) with innovative features like 360-degree spinner wheels. They offer great value and durability.
CALPAK carry-ons are designed to meet most airline size restrictions.
Samsonite is highly regarded for its quality, innovative luggage solutions, and global warranty, making it a top choice among frequent travelers.
Samsonite's use of polycarbonate and ballistic nylon materials often gives it an edge in longevity.
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