Samsonite Duranxt Lite

Wheels don't hold up for very long at all – I bought this as a set of three. The 55cm is still holding up reasonably well and gets the most use but, like the other reviewer, I quickly became aware that the wheels on the two larger suitcases didn't hold up to much use at all. After two overseas trips in airports and train stations, the medium sized one was unable to steer and quickly saw tears in the material at the rear of the case. The larger one (80cm) has only been used once for a trip to Europe with minimal transport but I wouldn't be confident of its ability to steer for much longer. 3 years is not a lot for suitcases that get moderate use - particularly for samsonite and their so-called 10 year warranty. It was my first samsonite set and I won't buy this brand again.

Beware and Avoid - Wheels No Go! – Bought this bag for $239 on sale, attracted by the brand name and 10 year (limited) warranty. I had concerns about the robustness of the wheels from the beginning, and I was right. With a load totalling under 30 Kg I used it twice on holidays, once to France and once to Delhi, both trips of 3 weeks within 14 months of each other. Although the bag travelled well on smooth air terminal floors to begin with, it often seemed to have added drag and sometimes would not steer easily. It was used only between airport and taxis, and taxis and hotels, not much distance at all. Coming home from my last trip, I had to exert a lot of force to drag it, and like a dud supermarket trolley, it was becoming unmanageable on all four wheels.

I kept checking to see that the wheels had not seized up. They had not, but I then saw the problem. Both of the wheels at the back side (where the pulling handle is located) were worn at acute angles, one almost to the rim. It was clearly a case of wheel mis-alignment. A car with such uneven wear on its tyres would be deemed unroadworthy right away.

With a new trip pending, there was no way I was going to subject myself to the burdens of this bag again. I took it back to the store with receipt and warranty. The assistant assured me it would be repaired, but I requested my money back. He said that the warranty covered only workmanship and my problem was from normal wear and tear. He also said that the bag was not supposed to be tilted onto two wheels, but kept on all four wheels when mobile.

What rubbish. Not only could he not show any manufacturers instructions supporting this, he had to acknowledge that you cannot move the bag over cobblestones or uneven pavement in this position. Trying to do so puts strain on the pulling handle and causes unbalancing, and this in turn transmits a whole series of potentially injurious forces to the body of the person trying to move it. I felt shoulder and back aches myself long after my last encounter.

I let him know that I would not trust the bag again, even if fully repaired. I stated that it was a lemon and not fit for purpose and that I wanted a full refund. He conceded and then admitted that my problem was not the first he had seen with this model.

So make up your own minds. Was I just unlucky with my purchase, or is there a basic design flaw in the range because the wheels are inadequate for a bag of this size? I stand by the latter suggestion and will ensure that my next bag has sturdy and durable wheels to begin with. The body of the case is excellent, but the wheels are weaklings.