These two lifestyle brands are known for their fashion-sense and innovative luggage designs which offer a range of unique styles. Additionally, these brands are known for designs which offer high quality materials with extra packing space for all your adventures. The questions: which is better? If you could only choose one bag from one brand, which fashion-conscious company should you choose?
A Brief Review of Steve Madden Luggage
The Steve Madden brand started as a low investment in the 1990’s, only 1100 dollars, and since it has branched away from its targeted footwear apparel to include all kinds of travel accessories. Their luggage designs have been inspired by rock and roll, New York fashion, and the most recent trends for men and women. Steve Madden luggage is now sold in over 80 countries world-wide.
A Brief Review of Tommy Hilfiger Luggage
Launched in 1985, this brand is best known for creating the ‘cool’ American fashion which today’s kids, teens, and even adults still wear and trust with their money for high quality products. Their luggage is no exception and is designed to be stylish while also highly durable. Today their brand operates in over 100 different countries.
How we Organized our Research
In comparing the above-mentioned brands, we separated their massive catalogues into four categories: hardshell luggage, softside carry-on luggage, underseat luggage, and luggage sets. The following suitcases in these categories are compared side by side so you can easily draw your own conclusions between the materials and designs one brand typically offers verses those of the other brand. It’s our hope that these reviews will make your buying process easier and teach you a little more about what qualifies as the best luggage.
Best Hardside Luggage
The best hardshell bags offer plenty of packing space – typically with zippered expansions – and highly durable materials, while still trying to remain quite light. The best materials for a hardshell bag include aluminum and polycarbonate, with ABS materials often being the least durable.
Steve Madden Large Hard Case Luggage With Spinner Wheels
Suitcase Storage
This suitcase offers 81 liters of packing space with an unpacked weight of only 9.1 pounds. Interiors include tight integrated tie-down straps and a zippered mesh pocket with tons of room for nice wrinkle-free shirts and others.
Materials/Durability
A unique design, this hardshell bag features an ABS shell with PC Film that is coated in an extra layer of highly protective and scratch resistant polycarbonate. Against minor to medium abrasions and hard handling, this bag should be just fine. Additionally, it includes an equally durable aluminum telescopic push-button handle.
Additional Features
This hardshell suitcase includes top and side handles for easy lifting and 8-spinner wheels for optimum maneuverability
Size Options
This unique unisex suitcase which reflects an unforgettable sense of style, this bag impressively can be purchased as part of a set which also includes a 20-inch carry-on item and 24-inch medium bag.
Tommy Hilfiger 28-inch Floral Hardshell with Spinner Wheels
Suitcase Storage
This suitcase is very lightweight at only 6.6 pounds (unpacked), it includes an interior with 81 liters of packing space and a fully lined body with a mesh organizer pocket. Additionally the zippered expander allows for an additional inch of packing space.
Materials/Durability
This composite polycarbonate luggage is semi-durable though very scratch resistant. It’s sides and body are reinforced with interior aluminum sidings, and additionally it has a very strong aluminum trolley system.
Additional Features
Extras include 8-wheels with 360-degree spin, a telescopic push-button handle, and TSA locking zippers.
Size Options
A 24-inch medium suitcase is also available for in this style.
Best Softside Carry-On Luggage
For the best softside bags you want a lot of packing space, that’s because these bags can easily include zippered expansions, plenty of pockets, and semi-stretching materials to fit more things. Second in importance is durability and the most durable softside bags should use nylon (highest durability) or cotton canvas (medium durability). Unfortunately, polyester can be rather on the weak side.
Steve Madden 20-inch Expandable Softside Carry-On
Suitcase Storage
For storage space this bag is one of the best; it offers 35 liters of packing space and an additional 2-inches of room with a zippered side expander. That’s easily enough room to pack clothing for 1-2 weeks of travel. On the interior this suitcase comes with tie-down straps and a deep zippered mesh pocket. The best organizational pockets are on the outside, of which there are 3 separate zippered pockets.
Materials/Durability
This suitcase is made from 100% polyester fabric with a medium denier rating that should hold up against minor drops, all scratches, and semi-hard handling. What’s most durable about this suitcase, however, are its aluminum telescopic handle and integrated spinner wheels.
Additional Features
Bag includes 4 spinner wheels for optimum mobility, a fully lined water-tight interior, and an ergonomic telescopic handle.
Size Options
Size options also include a 24-inch medium suitcase and a 28-inch large suitcase.
Tommy Hilfiger Signature 20-inch Expandable Softside
Suitcase Storage
Expandable zippers allow for additional packing up to 40-liters of space (easily enough room for nearly 2-weeks of packed clothing). For your convenience this bag includes a fully lined interior and multiple organizational pockets with tie-down straps.
Materials/Durability
Made from long-lasting polyester fabric, this isn’t exact the most durable bag but it should do well against minor to medium abrasions; it’s also quite scratch proof. An aircraft aluminum trolley system also increases this bags durability, along with strong zippers and an aluminum telescopic handle.
Additional Features
This suitcase is designed with the signature Tommy Hilfiger Stripe down the center of the front panel; additionally, this bag includes 4 spinner wheels and a deep outside pocket.
Size Options
This same Hilfiger Bag comes with a similar hardshell design, however in softside luggage is only available in this 20-inch expandable size.
Best Luggage Sets
The best sets include a mix of three factors: purpose, durability, and space. The last two are pretty obvious, but ‘purpose’ means that no part of the set should seem worthless or useless. The best sets offer you several bags and you should be able to use all of those bags without any one of them seeming non-essential.
Steve Madden 4-Piece Expandable Set with Spinner Wheels
Suitcase Storage
Suitcases included in this set allow for a total of 200+ liters of packing space, along with the extra included tote bag/personal item.
Materials/Durability
These bags are made from strong ballistic nylon.
Additional Features
All suitcases in this set offer two stylish exterior pockets and interior functions with shoe pockets, a mesh pocket, and tie-down straps. For packing purposes, all suitcases in this set offer full expandability.
Size Options
Sizes in this set include a tote, a 20-inch carry-on, 24-inch medium, and 28-inch large.
Tommy Hilfiger North Harbour 4-Piece Luggage Set
Suitcase Storage
This set includes two upright suitcases, a medium duffel, and a small toiletry kit. Both upright suitcases come with two large exterior pockets and inner mesh pocket with tie-down straps.
Materials/Durability
All bags and suitcases in this set are designed from polyester with a cross-weave stitch pattern that somewhat improves their medium-low durability.
Additional Features
The duffel bag carry-on is very expandable and quite water-tight, while the toiletry kit will fit comfortably under any airline seat.
Size Options
Uprights include a 28-inch large bag and 21-inch carry-on (or checked) bag. The duffel is 18x12x29 inches, and the toiletry kit can easily fit under any airline seat.
Best Underseat Luggage
Underseat luggage can count as the personal item you’re allowed to bring on the plane additional to your carry-on and it gives you a little extra packing space in a limited bag. The best underseat bags have phenomenal designs with these tight packing options to provide plenty of room for small necessities, while still being able to tuck nicely under your seat without resulting in extra charges.
Steve Madden Luggage Wheeled Suitcase Under Seat Bag
Suitcase Storage
One of our favorite things about this bag is its stylish look, on top of this it has a massive domed space with tons of inner organizational pockets. On the exterior it offers three stylish pockets with tassel-pull tabs and further space for the little necessities of travel.
Materials/Durability
Designed with a mixture of nylon and polyester materials, this bag is durable enough to withstand all the rigors of travel while still being able to fold and fit under your seat or sit at your feet. Additionally, it includes a very strong single rod telescopic handle.
Additional Features
This bag offers kickstand in-line skate wheels and strong self-repairing zippers.
Size Options
Underseat option is part of a larger set which also includes a carry-on bag, checked medium, and checked large. Alone, this wheeled underseat comes in nine different unique styles.
Tommy Hilfiger Mini Duffle Bag
Suitcase Storage
With a regular duffel design this bag offers some expandability to fit extra things (though make sure it will still fit under your seat or in those overhead compartments), and additionally it offers two slip pockets and one zippered pocket for added storage space.
Materials/Durability
Made with textile cotton-canvas materials and additional nylon interior padding, this is a very durable choices which can also fold quite nicely to fit under any seat or into an overhead
Additional Features
This mini duffel features double handles and a removable side strap.
Size Options
This mink duffel matches a larger full-sized duffel which is also part of the Tommy Hilfiger luggage collection.
Steve Madden vs Tommy Hilfiger Luggage – Which is the best pick?
It’s clear that both of these brands are clear choices for any fashion-conscious individual, however for the stylish traveler who also wants more packing space and better materials the Steve Madden brand truly proves itself in all the ways that count. Tommy Hilfiger has better underseat options, however in most of the side-by-side luggage categories their materials fall short of being protective and long-lasting.
Summary
Travelling in style means having the right suitcase which brings out your individuality while also proving time and again to have all the features you find necessary while out conquering the world. For a mixture of fashion and necessity, Steve Madden and Tommy Hilfiger are both well-established brands with a good fit. However, with a budget and the need to travel today, which of these fashion-conscious luggage companies is the best pick for you?
