HAUPTSTADTKOFFER – Alex – Set of 3 Hard-side Luggages
HAUPTSTADTKOFFER – Alex – Set of 3 Hard-side Luggages Trolley Suitces Expandable, (S, M & L), cyanblue
Robust Material
- Hard shell made from ABS + polycarbonate
- Smooth high gloss surface
- Stable and impact-proof
- Water-resistant and easy to clean
- 4 stable wheels (with 360° rotation)
- High-quality rubber synthetic wheels
Comfortable Handling
- Length of the telescopic handle can be altered
- Can be conveniently dragged or rolled alongside you in an upright position
- Telescopic rod on one level – transport up to 4 cases simultaneously
- Carry handle on the top and side
- 15% more volume thanks to expansion
Practical Interior
- Intermediate floor with zip
- Zip pocket (1 x net pocket)
- Main compartment lined with fabric
- Elastic cross-straps hold the contents in place
- Secure zip
- Multiple suitcases can be stored inside each other
 |  |  | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hand luggage | Medium sized suitcase | Big suitcase | |
| Dimensions with handles and wheels | 55 x 35 x 20 cm | 65 x 41 x 26 cm | 75 x 50 x 30 cm |
| Dimensions without handles and wheels | 50 x 35 x 20 cm | 60 x 41 x 26 cm | 70 x 50 x 30 cm |
| Weight | 3,2 kg | 4,2 kg | 5,2 kg |
| Material | ABS + polycarbonate | ABS + polycarbonate | ABS + polycarbonate |
| Surface | Hard shell shiny | Hard shell shiny | Hard shell shiny |
| Lock | Combination lock | Combination lock | Combination lock |
| Features | 4 wheels | 4 wheels | 4 wheels |
| Handles | Top and side carrying handles | Top and side carrying handles | Top and side carrying handles |
| Dimensions: | 50 x 30 x 75 cm; 12.6 Kilograms |
| Model: | HK-35783597-T707172 |
| Manufacture: | HAUPTSTADTKOFFER |
| Department: | Unisex |
| Dimensions: | 50 x 30 x 75 cm; 12.6 Kilograms |
| Origin: | China |
I recently purchase this item and took it on a two week holiday.
To make this as honest and fair as possible I compared this suitcase to the same brand and one size down.
One important part for me which stand out the most for me is the weight of the suitcase.
This made it difficult to buy or add to my suitcase due compromising what I was allow time take on the flight.
Otherwise the suitcase is a good size and good depth. Including the inside straps.
It was able with stand 25hour travel from two different countries.
I didn’t use the key lock due to reviewing previous reviews. I find it better and easier to use my own personal locks.
The wheels was able to with stands the different types of flooring and outer shell had minimal damage.
I have a smaller size and I find the company easy to deal with when I needing a replacement.
Very cute suitcase in a gorgeous burgundy shade! I bought the 65cm one for a month long trip. It held up pretty well so am thinking of buying this in the cabin size too, perhaps in the dark green.
The only problem with it is the wheels don’t glide very easily on bumps in the pavement, which got rather annoying. I did have a rather heavy backpack on top it it though, which may have impeded manouvreability, but all the same I would have liked it to have been better. Even though it’s medium it feels smaller than I expected. Thank god for the expandable section otherwise I would have really struggled on the way back! Not too many scratches at the end of a long trip, though I don’t mind a few scratches anyway.
Nice spacious sturdy suitcase.
4 double wheels is a nice feature.
Lock is ok but plastic & looks easy to force.
Telescopic handle feels a bit flimsy.
Overall good value for money.
Warning !!! I have the bright green one & it’s very attractive to bees (and customs officers as I just found out coming back from holidays when I was treated to a thorough luggage search)
I know there is updated model of this case. I am writing this review more as a general review of Hauptstadtkoffer and their terrific customer service.
I bought this case about 4 years ago. It has served me well throughout that time.
On my last trip I managed to snap the telescopic handle. Warranty only lasts 2 years for that handle.
I checked their website for repairs. 20 pp, for a new handle unit. Arrived within the week from DHL.
Simple fitting ( a few screws ) bish bosh, Alex is back in the game!
So, I recommend the old Alex model, as it is a solid case. I’ve never had any issues with stuff being damaged in transit.
I will, more than likely, upgrade to the newer model in a couple of years time.
I give a solid 5 stars to their customer service. Very helpful and friendly.
Highly Recommended.
I’ve been happily using this suitcase since 2014 and have gone around the world with it without any issues. The reason I’m writing a review in 2019 is because the handles finally broke – so if anyone is interested to know – the handles may break when weighting nearly 20KG in total. Granted that’s a lot, but since some airlines allow luggage to be up to 22KG, it should be able to handle this.
Am reaching out to the manufacturer for spare parts and repair, hopefully they will respond, but I hope this helps anyone wondering about max weight capacity.
i purchased this item on 7 Sep 2014, I’m just now finding a replacement – Overall it’s been a fairly good purchase for the cost. the luggage won’t last you a life time but it’ll last a few years at least
After 4 years my luggage has plenty of scratches and black marks after so many trips and an internal zip has broken (though could probably be repaired). wheels are fine, handle is fine
I’d struggle to claim this is carry on luggage however, you’d likely struggle with that definition with most airlines.
Bought in April 2015 it survived lots of flights (more than 100) during that period.
After a while it started to peel but continued to work well.
In 2018 the lock decided not to work, so I had to break it and replace with an external lock.
And now, after the last flight, the telescopic handle got broken, so no way I can pull it up.
I am thinking of buying another one as it looks like it can resist well the airport handling.
Took this for a trip to the US, 3 flights there, 3 flights back plus some road trips inbetween. It got beat up a little but is still working perfectly fine. I had it completely stuffed full so it was heavy. I reckon that is why it got beat up a bit as it’ll have been lobbed about. My last case from a no name company did not survive the same trip last year, despite being not as well packed and thus lighter. I strongly recommend this case. It is worth the extra expense. They obviously used a better plastic in the construction that lets it take the beating without breaking. Cheaper cases split, particularly around the wheel mounts, this makes them useless. This one didn’t.
DO NOT get this if you don’t like to see scratches on your case. The glossy finish shows up every scratch or scuff. (I personally don’t care, it adds character!)
As others have reported, it comes wrapped in film, to protect it during transit, but I found this to be a doddle to remove.
The Forest Green colour is really nice andit seems to have been well put together, to boot.
It isn’t quite as big as indicated; the overall dimensions, including wheels and handles being given, and looses about 5cm / 2 inches in lenght and 1cm, or a little under1/2 inch in width, when measured internally. Approximately 2cm of internal depth is lost to the aluminium tubes and plastic fittings for the extendable handle.
I’ve actually fitted it out as a camera case, rather than usinging it as a suitcase, and have had no problems with the extendable handle sticking, whilst it seemst to wheel around quite well, with the heavier items at the bottom of the vertical case.
Whilst the, non-TSA, combination lock appears quite adequate for an item which, in theory, you won’t be checking in and will keep with you at all times, I will admit to having purchased a TSA lock separately, and retro-fitting it, just because I’d rather have something airport security can open without damaging if they want to.
I’ve recently also bought a Samsonite case, as a true cabin bag, which is wonderful, but which is actually less pratctical than the Alex, due to the curved lines, and the not inconsiderable amount of space taken up by inset handles and locks.
Durable, attractive and functional cases. Unbeatable at the price.
These fairly lightweight cases are durable enough to take years of punishment. I must have flown 20+ times with these over three years, and all I have to show is a zipper pull that eventually broke off. Still works.
Hard shell is great and will keep your fragile belongings safe from careless baggage handlers. Soft cases suck if you’re a frequent traveller.
Locks are TSA-compliant. Sadly this is a must these days unless you want the Americans taking bolt cutters to your case to examine your suspicious electronics. They also lock the zippers in place, instead of just locking them together. This helpfully prevents someone from popping open your zip with a ballpoint pen, tampering with your stuff and then zipping it shut again.
Four-way rolling wheels are brilliant, the handles telescope to multiple lengths – and the lengths match up, making them easy to pull two at a time.
A zip around the edge of all three cases allows the compartment to expand and increase capacity, or zip it back up to squash extra stuff into the smaller size.
Colour looks great too.
Are there lighter, tougher cases out there? Sure, but why spend hundreds of pounds on the latest Samsonite case just to squeeze a few grams more out of your baggage allowance?
A great suitcase that has travelled to Africa and back. Easily held upto 23kg of weight with no handle snaps, though I agree with other reviewers, that it seems far to flimsy.
The wheels make it a delight and so easy to move a heavy bag around flat surfaces with ease. No cracks, no breaks, everything still works upon my return. My only gripe with it, is how easy the case is to mark. It now has lots of ugly black marks from where it’s hit rubber end points in travelling down conveyers through the airport!
So far though, so good.
I’d give this 5 stars if only it had a good method to hold the clothes in on both sides. One side is held in well with a separator but the other side just has some elastic straps and if you open up the wrong way everything pretty much falls out. It could also be helped with a few more pockets to keep things separate. That said the rest of the case is great. I’ve been on 4 flights already with it and it has gained a couple of scratches but is still fine. It wheels along fine on most surfaces (it struggled a little on a gravelly carpark). I am a little worried by the handle which from the start felt wobbly and a bit weak but so far no issues. The colour is great and I don’t have my old issue with my black suitcase of having to look at luggage tickets and tie coloured ribbon on the handle as the bags pass on the carousel
This is the second set of Hauptstadtkoffer suitcases I’ve purchased in the last few years, and I absolutely love them! I purchased my first set about 3 years ago, and have used them for air travel extensively. They have held up extremely well, and are very light weight (that’s esp. important now that airlines around the world seem to have reduced the weight limits from 60 pounds to 50 pounds/23 kilograms. An additional bonus is the fact that they come in various colors (a *lot* easier to identify them coming off a luggage carousal when all other suitcases look alike).
As an aside, I purchased both sets & had them delivered to my relatives in the UK, even though I live in the US (we travel frequently so picking it up was no big deal). A couple of years ago, I had to contact the manufacturer by email about a defective wheel on one of my original suitcases (sent them a picture as well). They were extremely prompt in answering, and shipped me a free set of replacement wheels (to our UK address unfortunately which meant it took me a couple of months to retrieve them). Really impressed with the service; they obviously stand by them.
Overall, a light, sturdy suitcase, that’s easy to roll. Just what you need for today’s reduced-weight airlines. Highly recommend it!
The case is what I expected but not the colour. I ordered 3 of different colours but the colour ‘Titane’ is not as shown on Amazon, it has a olive green tint to it, something you might paint a tank in. Not happy but no time to send back, should have gone with my first choice of silver.
Update, Amazon were very good in replacing for a different colour (Dark Blue) in time for my flight, thank you.
Punt on the dark green “Alex” set because they were good value and seem the best of the bunch in the price bracket. Seems sturdy and no better/ worst than ones looked at in the shops. Only wished they were of crossed-weave shell rather than smooth. The largest one may have too much flexing to it, but other posting seems to say it is strong enough. Points for being exact to low budget flights carrying on size criteria and bonus at being expandable for the occasional need. Hard to find expandable ones and in 4 wheels variety amongst this price range. Interiors are well fitted. Design, colour, weight, interior and volume (impressive) capacity seems the best on specs-to-price ratio. Onward to sorting out trips with luggages now purchased and will update once they have been subjected to the usual in-use conditions.
Nothing wrong with the case or the service. Just be a bit careful of the colours – we thought this looked like a reasonably refined ‘old gold’ but it turned out to be bright custard yellow. These are real bright kids-toys primary colours, so make sure you go for one you can live with. We sent this back and bought a ‘silver’ one, which is fine. The whole returns thing went well, by the way – new one arrived, old one collected within 3 working days.
My wife an I usually manage to travel with just hand luggage for short-haul trips/ I bought one of these by using the Amazon luggage finder utility to make sure it would meet Ryanair, EasyJet and BA hand luggage size requirements. I was so impressed, I bought a second one (and stopped carrying a backpack.) Then we gave one to our daughter, so this is our third HAUPTSTADTKOFFER.
The first one is still in perfect condition after 7 years: wheels, handles, zips, lock and internal straps all good. They have sometimes been put in the hold, so I really do think these are robust (unlike all our previous hand luggage cases).
It’s amazing how much you can fit in a case this size. It has an expansion zip, so you can close the case with the expansion open, then sit on it and zip it back down to hand baggage size.
AMAZON TIP: there is a wide range of prices for the same case depending on the colour. So our three cases are dark green, bright green and orange – none of them my wife’s choice of colours, but saved us about 30-45
Did my research and had already bought the brown version of these for work travel. I wasn’t disappointed at all when I purchased these, the reason I like this so much is how easy it is to push them.
If you are used to 2 wheels then you can drag on 2 wheels. However, once you try these you won’t want to go back to 2 wheels. It simply drifts on 4 wheels effortlessly and you don’t need to apply much pressure at all.
They also extend if you want to pack it out a little more. They do have locks built in to them, one of them I forgot so I attached my own lock instead!
My only slight niggle is that I can never guess which way is the up when I open it, but not enough to lose a star. Will definitely buy again if I need to.
My work one has been on numerous journeys with me and only has scuff marks.
Original review:
Really annoyed as the handle for this suitcase has sheared off after 3 trips since I got it in December last year (< 8 months ago). Otherwise the case has been great - plenty of space inside, seemed good quality (except handle did always feel a bit flimsy but put this down to it being lightweight). This time, luckily it lasted until near the end of my trip, although I had to cross London on the underground (after returning from France on the Eurostar), rolling it as best I could as the case is a bit too difficult for me to carry with the handle for more than a few metres. I think the handle must have been defective as I have no subjected the case to anything out of the ordinary for a small, hand luggage-sized case. The handle firstly bent as I was rolling the case through the train station (I noticed when I tried to collapse the handle to carry it down some steps) and then as I pulled it a bit further on the flat, one side sheared off. I rolled the case upright, as far as I could, with the remaining side of the handle still attached but it eventually sheared off too. Otherwise the case is fine and I would like to keep using it, but not without a handle! I think it would be possible to replace the handle, if Amazon (?) can send me another, but I can't work out how to contact them (the deadline for the standard return has long since passed - but the case was not fit for purpose / of sufficient quality, so legally, I believe it should be possible to get a replacement or repair. Any advice on what to do next would be very gratefully received! *** UPDATE A WEEK LATER: I emailed Hauptstadtkoffer (via the customer support email on their website) and they replied the same day, apologising for the broken handle and asking me to send a copy of my invoice and photos of the case, so they could dispatch a new handle asap. New handle unit arrived today, and it's a simple job to unscrew the old one from inside the case to replace it. Very impressed with Hauptstadtkoffer's customer service! Still, first handle shouldn't have broken so soon - must have been defective, so knocking a star off for that but otherwise it really is a super little case, sturdy, fits loads inside (even without using the expansion zip), stylish, and backed up with excellent customer service from the manufacturer.
My husband has had one of these cases for a year or so and they are pretty hard-wearing – his has a few scrapes/scratches from holidays but is still in pretty good condition so far. So I decided to join the club! It’s lasted through one holiday no problem (return flights) which also included having to walk along a bumpy/rocky path for about 10 minutes – this left a few marks which was a shame on my nice new case, but fine apart from that. My only criticism would be that I wish it had a zip compartment on one side, as this makes packing and opening/closing the case so much easier. However I have bought various packing cubes to try to help with that issue.
As soon as it hits the baggage carousel you can immediately sit back and adopt a chilled nonchalance whilst everyone else is on point looking to fight over cases. There’s no mistaking this case.
Also the wheels have amazing action on them. I enjoyed just rolling it around. It goes for miles with a gentle push.
The key-lock thing wasn’t nearly as complicated as feared either.
The case will scuff up pretty bad but that’s to be expected and indeed it’s nice to see a case that has clearly been somewhere.
Great and good value.
Neat and sturdy luggage. Handle was a bit stiff to pull up to max height. Needed some practice to do. However hubby didn’t find it stiff. He uses it regularly for his business trips. So far it’s holding up just fine. The plastic wrap that covers the entire luggage starts peeling off almost after first use. By second use, best to remove them as it’s unsightly. Love the brown colour.
*** Had to add this negative review:-
After 6 months of regular usage for business trips, the handle started getting stuck. It required a bit of struggle to push handle down. This really is annoying and can disrupt a smooth flow in airplanes and other areas. I hope they improve on the handle quality. Otherwise it’s a pretty decent luggage.
We have returned the faulty luggage and have received a new replacement. Hope this one last longer.
So I decided with this green case to use the combination lock. All I done at home was pack and put the combination on the default setting of 000. Can you believe it, when I went to open the case it would not open and as the cab had arrived to take me to the airport I could not do anything. At the airport I went to 2 suitcase shops and non of these shops could not help – you would think as shops that sell suitcases they should at least something to cut locks off. Customer services and lost and found were unable to help me. Eventually I saw some electricians who saved the moment and cut the zips off in the middle which solved the problem.
The good thing about this suitcase is that it is visible on the luggage carousel and it is sturdy.
Ok for one of the hard shells, but the shell is not that sturdy. The wheels, zipper and handles are good quality. I have had it for about a year, and it has held up fine so far, but I pack carefully and use a strap for extra security, if you travel only a few times a year and don’t carry too many heavy things, this is perfectly suitable and a good value. If you travel constantly and carry books and equipment, spend more money and get something stronger, I also suggest- not a clam shell design but a trunk design because it puts less stress on the zipper and is easier to pack.
The case itself is the perfect size. Large enough for me to travel to Ozz for a month. The quality of the case itself is fantastic, very hard, but very flexible, risk of shattering is near on impossible. The four wheels spin 360 degrees and are very strongly built and also glide very easily. The inside, locks and handles and again fantastically made. I can’t sing the praises of this suitcase enough. I would highly recommend this item and I’m positive you won’t be disappointed.
In regards to how it survives a flight, that is a million dollar question. It all depends on the mood of the baggage handlers!!!
The case itself is the perfect size. Large enough for me to travel to Ozz for a month. The quality of the case itself is fantastic, very hard, but very flexible, risk of shattering is near on impossible. The four wheels spin 360 degrees and are very strongly built and also glide very easily. The inside, locks and handles and again fantastically made. I can’t sing the praises of this suitcase enough. I would highly recommend this item and I’m positive you won’t be disappointed.
In regards to how it survives a flight, that is a million dollar question. It all depends on the mood of the baggage handlers!!!
Bought these for our recent trip to florida. The sizes are great with the largest suiting two adults easily. They expand loads too which is very useful. The locks work well although we use separate locks as the US seem to cut them off regardless. They weigh very little too with the largest coming in under 5kg. They wheel well and have good length handles (I’m 6’2″ so this is important). The only complaint is that they mark very easily and one has a dented corner which I can’t pop out. They appear to have double skins though so this may be an added bonus.
I bought this in yellow colour because when travelling I am travelling, it takes a long time for the luggage to arrive at the moving belt. Most confusing is the fact that majority of the luggage look and of the similar colour. This one stands out and I don’t have to wait long to pick out my suitcase. If the colour does not bother you, then look at the built of the product. Its huge inside and would take your belongings without having to squeeze the load. There is the four wheels, which also doubles up to two wheels. It has two strong handles as well. Recommend it if the colour does not bother you.
Suitcase arrived promptly. It appeared to be well made & of good quality. The colour is certainly different.
I took it on a trip to Prague for a week & it easily held all my bits & pieces. It stood out like a sore thumb on the luggage carousel, as I intended.
The reason that i haven’t given it five stars is that the elastic cross straps on the one half of the case are not strong enough to retain the luggage as intended when the case is opened. As I was using zippered organiser bags, this wasn’t too much of a problem & my clothes didn’t end up on the floor in disarray.
Otherwise, I am perfectly happy with it.
Came today, just unpacked.
Box seemed to be repacked once (used) – has a lot of that tape on it. Inside the box was another box which had the suitcase in it. Suitcase itself had a couple of scratches and that safe cling film thing (kind of protection on all new stuff) is a bit torn off. Anyway, the suitcase looks more o less OK.
Although, I wouldn’t trust those “half-sided” suitcases (with zipper which divides it by half) which seem to be not sturdy enough when you try to hold_&_carry them using simple handle on the top or on the side. I’m afraid if I put a lot of heavy stuff inside it will just break in halves eventually.
4 stars max.
I bought these in Jan 2014, and the set has been tested on a trip to the US, Italy, and around the UK. These cases are amazing for this price. The quality of the wheels, the zips, and the overall construction is excellent, and lighter than some fabric suitcases.
While these cases seem flimsy, they are tough. The flex in the case means there is give, but the zips hold and the seams are well stitched. the corner protection make the cases look old fashioned, like old leather cases. This is where the designers have figured out where the weak points are, and protected accrodingly.
The cases have experienced transatlantic and transAsia travel and even worse, annoying concrete steps at home in the UK.
The cases have not a singl dent, damaged zip, broken handle or wheel. I travel both economy and business with family, and so scratches are inevitable, but they do not look scruffy (except for the awful stickers that they put on at check-in!).
The locks are good, convenient to use, and the handles are also good, although I’d prefer a soft touch material. The wheels may not look shiny and flashy like some other suitcases, but they are solid and the lugs are fully protected and covered.
These have been dragged and scraped, but do what they are designed for, protecting the prescious contents from fluids and damage. The interior is unremarkable, but there are shirt pockets and a cloth interior that you would expect at this budget. The glossy look is still excellent, and in brown. For the price of two suitcases, you get the cabin bag for free, it’s a near steal. Highly recommended. I’ve bought a second set for a growing family this year, and of course all store inside the largest case perfectly so they don’t take up so much space. I hope they are as good, I’ll keep you posted.
Good quality for the price paid. Aesthetically pleasing too, a shame the glossiness blemishes (naturally expected) in transit.
Used it via Ryanair to and fro for the journey to the Baltics, and have no complaints that spring to my mind whatsoever.
Good use of the compartments, the number lock works well (although, if someone would want to get in they could easily slit with a blade along the zip), the casing seems flexible enough to withstand pressure without cracking (unless major pressure, of say, the weigh of a car, ala the Samsonite one) the wheels run along smoothly without the annoyance of the dreaded twisting-off-balance-turning malarkey that results in frustration and wrist pain, the handles are sturdy enough – the extendable handle is fine and will no doubt be durable, could be better, but meh.
So, all-in-all, am very happy with this purchase and I’m certain that it will see myself and partner travel in safe knowledge that we won’t be at an airport terminal picking our clothes off the conveyor belt.
I ordered 4 each in a different colour as xmas presents They started arriving from different places ,not a particular worry except no one told me so when first one arrive on its own I went in to a panic After a 20 min wait on the phone i began a chat with a nice guy who explained what was happening Then he told me that the first parcel should have had 2 in it IT DIDN”T so he got back to me the carrier had lost one ?? Odd in one parcel So he arranged another in the missing colour but from a different supplier because first one didnt have right colour in stock STILL WITH ME??????? then a third arrived then the fourth didnt come on date advised !!! Xmas now days away!!!!!! 40 mins on phone to lady in Jamacia Fourth one arrived AND next day the missing 5th second one so now i had 5 instead of 4 and incidently in colours that didnt correspond to origional order.Christmas eve an e mail from you telling me I now had 5 so I owed for one more OR send back case or youd deduct at end of month the cost from my card I was hours from leaving on a flight to Greece for Christmas and could face the bother of returning case So gave up the will to live!!!!!!!
I ended up with 5 cases not the four I ordered, the recipients are happy I have one i didnt order but I like and you have the money but I dont have any apology for the anxious days and long waits on you customer lines and time wasted talking to 4 of your staff thousands of miles away
SO product is ACE look and perform well BUT getting them from you a nightmare I doubt anyone at your end read these comments so i am certain I will not hear anything from you
They are well built and have survived with only scuffs to the outside. I’ve used the smallest on every trip (as hand luggage) and the choice of which of the medium/large case to use was dependent on the length of stay. The largest case is easily adequate for a 2 week trip and the medium case is good for a week’s trip (including running shoes, squash shoes and 2 racketball rackets).
The only sign of wear and tear after this use is the lock on the smallest case is broken. And that was deliberately broken off by me after I inadvertently locked it with the worng combination and had to break into it, rendering the lock unusable.
Overall I’ve been really impressed.
PS, I haven’t seen any cases of the same type (or even the same colour) on my travels, so the baggage reclaim is a breeze.
Update – After 15 months, I’ve had the first casualty of the dreaded luggage handlers – the lock on the medium sized suitcase was broken. Not bad after 11 transatlantic and 20+ european trips. This is easily fixed by buying a pair of TSA approved locks for less than 10. I’ve seen a few more Hauptstadtkoffer cases recently, but still not in yellow!
Further update Nov 2014 – the medium suitcase finally succombed to ill-treatment. During a mile long walk dragging the case behind me, one of the wheels gave up the ghost. However, all 4 wheels are interchangeable with 4 screws on the inside of the case, so I simply unscrewed one from the less used side and swapped it round. It’s now up and running again. I love these cases!
The instructions are in German so I’ll have to study the combination lock to figure out how to set it – I’m sure it’ll be simple enough. After opening all the cases I found a little zip-lock bag in the smaller one with three sets of sticky alphabet transfers in it to put our initials on each case – nice little touch.
There’s a separate zipped compartment in each of the cases with a mesh front which is very handy for those little extras that you want to find quickly – I had a Samsonite for the last twenty years which served me well though only had one loose, elasticated pouch on each side and that was it – also it was a lot heavier and more cumbersome to pull along than these cases – and it was much more expensive than these at the time.
There’s not a chance of missing these beauties on a conveyor belt with their distinctive colour – we wasted nearly an hour at the port searching for our black cases on our last cruise! Each case has an extra zip which allows for up to 4cms expansion – haven’t tested these yet as they’ve just arrived but I’ll give an update when we return from our holiday – for now I’m just happy to sit here with my morning coffee admiring them!
As promised I’ve returned to give an update on these cases after using them for the first time on a cruise recently. I have to say they lived up to all expectations and more! The cases can hold a serious amount of luggage yet still manage to remain stable when upright, gliding along on the four wheels as though they’re empty. The smallest case fits into the medium one, which then fits into the largest one – this may not seem too much of a bonus until you actually arrive in your hotel room or cabin, the fact that I was able to slot the large case (stuffed with the two smaller cases) into one little inconspicuous space was a real bonus when space is at a premium, last year I had suitcases sticking out under the bed, inside the wardrobe as well as poking out on top of it – taking up too much valuable space.
I used the expansion zips on all three cases yet this did not affect the stability of any of them. I had duty-free drink packed in two of the cases and despite the cases taking obvious hard knocks during the journey, nothing was broken. Everyone’s luggage was placed in allocated areas on departure to make it easier for everyone to find their cases – I have to say though that we didn’t have to look which area our cases had been allocated, as soon as we entered the luggage area we could see ours immediately in the distance – the bright green made them stand out very vividly amongst all the dark coloured cases – any of the bright colours would be as distinctive.
The taxi driver who kindly took our cases and packed them into the back of his car actually commented that he wished everyone’s cases were as easy to wheel as these – as mentioned before, they really do seem to float alongside you whether they’re full or empty. I did manage to suss out the combination lock by the way – just pulled back the tab slightly and moved the numbers to the combination I wanted then released the tab – I didn’t have to remove the lock as mentioned by another user.
The bright colours may not be to everyone’s taste which is fair enough – but for practical purposes, they really will expedite your departure from airports/ports etc due to their high visibility – no more wasting time sifting through dark cases trying to read the name tags to see if it’s yours or not – there’s no mistaking these!! They attract a few backward glances (I like to think admiring ones) from the odd passer-by, 99% of the luggage that I saw was either black or dark-coloured, these cases are bright, colourful and very distinctive – and they do a fantastic job!!
I’m very, very pleased with them – they stood up well to the rigours of being thrown about by the luggage handlers – a few scrape marks here and there but I can see these are going to be around for a long time – incidentally, there’s a video on YouTube you can watch – just type in hauptstadtkoffer – you’ll see it’s possible to jump up and down on these cases and they’ll still retain their shape – nice to know they’re well equipped to fight the luggage handlers!!
I measured it and it is indeed 55cm from top to bottom, IF you don’t include the handle on the top. With the handle, the complete height is more like 57cm. If you really are desperate to make sure your suitcase fits the cages for budget airlines, the handle can be unscrewed, making the true height of the suitcase 55cm (including the wheels)! Had no problem with the other dimensions.
The side with the telescopic handle has a cardboard piece glued to the inside of the case behind the lining, to smooth out the inside. The cardboard adds a surprising amount of weight and limits capacity. This is fine for some, but for me, I wanted as much space as humanly possible so I removed the card and the polystyrene blocks holding it in place.
It also came with a 18x18cm clear zip-pouch for liquids. How considerate of them – I’m super excited to use it now!
I bought this case, as it had a hard shell which would stand being thrown about at airports and it was lighter than most others of this size. It is small enough to take on as hand luggage if required, and is easy to pull along as it has four wheels, but this only works on smooth surfaces. I was rather disappointed that it was not a little larger, but I now realize that the wheels were included in the dimensions quoted. However, it will hold enough for a week’s holiday.
I was looking for a board size case, which was sturdy (did not want fabric type, as they get slashed to get into your case), of which they are many available on Amazon, but this one immediately caught my eye. Although red was not my first choice of colour but I thought maybe easier to spot in the event it had to go into the holdall of the plane.
What a superb surprise when I opened the box and found a superbly made case, with a tasteful darker polished red case and at a fraction of the cost of many more . The quality of the shell is superb and the four wheel allowed a smooth rolling of the case on hard and soft floors. The case is also expandable to make it a full 25” which some airlines permit.
The interior is extremely well laid out and designed. The interior is covered in a slightly cushioned material. One side of the case has the typical crossover elasticated straps to hold cloths securely in place. This side is also the expandable side.
The other side of the case can also hold clothing or a laptop, secured by a sturdy material flap, which has a netted pocket and two extra slip pockets.
When closed the case is secured with its built in combination lock.
Simply amazing product at a really reasonable price given the quality and design. I happily recommend this case to any of my friends and family. I will be purchasing a bigger version shorlty
It is quite lightweight but still protective enough. After packing a PS3 and taking x2 longhaul flights from GB to the far east nothing inside was damaged at all. Also the case still looks as good as new.
Only one thing i would mention as a downside was there is nowhere to write your address on the luggage (not everybody likes to do this these days anyway) so needed to stick on the address with tape.
That said, this is a high quality item and well worth its price.
UPDATE (19/04/2015)
Well, I have been using this suitcase now for the last 3 years and have travelled long-haul flights another 6+ times. This suitcase is most definitely the best I have purchased so far. Previously using other suitcases I would get around 2 trips before having a problem with a wheel falling off or handles braking etc. to date, this suitcase has held up perfectly with no damage apart from black scuffs from the airport conveyer belts.
I recommend this item 100 percent.
Buying cases sight-unseen and without recommendation is always a bit of a lottery, but this looked like the one most up to the job after I checked out the info on the manufacturers website. I was a bit wary of buying from abroad in case of any difficulty with delivery – but I really needn’t have worried.
The case arrived perfectly undamaged in record fast time (three days!!!) and I have to say, I love it. It feels much more solid and sturdy than similar ones for more money that I have seen in department stores or TK Maxx; it’s a great colour – bright enough to stand out on a conveyor but not too garish; and there’s plenty of attention to detail in the design, not least the expansion ability which will likely prove extremely useful when returning with souvenirs.The handles seem very sturdy and so does the towing handle – though as with all wheeled cases, I wouldn’t want to pick up the case by the latter if it’s full. The inside is nicely lined and fitted with straps and a separator for clothes that will make packing much tidier. It has good, chunky bumper protectors and though I haven’t tried out the lock yet, that seems also to be perfectly fine and advantageous in that it doesn’t leave the zipper-pulls loose to be caught on anything.
If I had to be picky, I’d suggest the manufacturer consider a different zipper system – though I should add that the nylon coil one it is equipped with is of the same standard as those on other higher-end cases. It’s just that I’d have happily paid a bit more for a metal YKK style one for strength, and I think many other travellers would too when looking at a case for 100 or above. But that’s certainly no reason to downgrade it a star, since apart from that personal preference, I can’t think of much you could do to improve it.
I’ll add to my review after the holiday to report how it performs “in the field” but at this stage I am pretty sure I have the perfect suitcase for my needs. Honestly I’d have paid the full price for it, but at 49.99 I feel I got a bargain compared to others I have looked at.
EDIT: Well, just a quick note to say that it survived my holiday just fine, was a perfect size for lockers and train racks, and easy to pull along. It is also an easy size to manhandle one-handed up and down the (many) staircases and steps in railways stations/on streets in Japan. I initially worried that the handle wouldn’t stand up well to being dragged around on uneven ground but actually it dealt pretty well with some of the less well maintained pavement I encountered once or twice. No complaints whatever and I think I will get a larger one too for single destination holidays. Great stuff!