Do you prefer extra protection or convenient flexibility?

Modern luggage comes in a wide variety of sizes, shapes and colors, and it may be difficult for even a seasoned traveler to figure out what type of suitcase or bag is perfect for his or her needs. One of the primary differences between pieces of luggage is the material of manufacture — an easy way to start your search for the ultimate travel bag or luggage set is by taking a look at the two major luggage categories: hard plastic and soft nylon or fabric. Each of these styles of luggage has its own particular strengths, and understanding your own travel needs will help you choose which is best for you.

Lynn Staneff has been an avid traveler for more than 25 years, during which time she has made every possible packing error, and learned the lessons of these mistakes. As Coordinator of Media Relations for Magellan's, she has the opportunity to try all of the new travel goodies that make packing, and travel, a little easier. Here she lists the specific advantages of both hard and soft-sided luggage.

• Checked luggage.
  With new, time-consuming security measures for carry-on luggage, more and more people are choosing to save the hassle by checking their bags. This has sparked a resurgence in the popularity of hard-sided luggage. Whenever a piece of luggage leaves your hands, you can never be sure what exactly will be done to it, so hard plastic is often the best choice in this situation.

• Breakables.
  One of the joys of traveling is shopping for gifts and souvenirs, and it's always a shame to get home to find that items have been damaged or destroyed in transit. If you're planning on packing breakables in your luggage, a hard-shelled suitcase may be the best way to keep them safe and sound.

• New plastics.
  According to Staneff, new plastics are making hard luggage even more rugged than ever. Some manufactures now use EBS plastic, which is the same material used to make downhill skis, so you know you're getting something that can take more than a few hard knocks.

• Soft and expandable.
  One of the chief advantages of choosing soft-sided luggage, says Staneff, is its incredible expandability. If you're the type of person who likes to pack a dozen outfits for a weekend trip of who knows that you'll be buying more clothes to bring back from your destination, you'll like the fact that soft luggage cal expand to fit whatever you stuff inside it.

• Soft but rugged.
  In many ways, the word "soft" no longer applies to the average piece of soft luggage. Made from ballistic nylon, many of these expandable suitcases are extremely tough and damage resistant, taking scrapes and bashes from both handlers and machines and coming out looking great.

For more information about travel, travel supplies and luggage, check out the following website:

TravelSmith
www.travelsmith.com