Is Samsonite or American tourister better?
Samsonite is the world's largest travel luggage company, and as well as its own brand, it also owns the American Tourister brand (as well as Tumi). That’s the number one and number two brands in the world, but is there any difference between them?
From Samsonite’s Darts Spinner, Lite-Box and Magnum to American Tourister’s Airconic, Triangolo and ECO Wanderer, it can be tricky to tell the difference between these two brands.
Here’s all you need to now to choose between Samsonite and American Tourister.
Samsonite vs American Tourister: brands
Samsonite and American Tourister are two good ‘ole American brands. It may sound Asian, but Samsonite was founded in Denver, Colorado in the US in 1910. Before its acquisition by Samsonite’s parent company in 1993, American Tourister had been around since 1933, heralding from Providence, Rhode Island in the US. Nowadays the Samsonite brand is best known for expensive luggage for business people and high-end leisure travellers (even personalised versions), while American Tourister is more about affordable, colourful lightweight luggage for mainstream leisure travellers.
Samsonite vs American Tourister: design
Generally speaking, Samsonite issues business-orientated luggage that’s designed to be tough and look professional, whereas American Tourister focuses more on bold colours and innovative designs. However, that’s not to say that Samsonite luggage looks boring. For example, its new Samsonite X Diesel collection (comprising spinner suitcases, laptop backpacks and weekend bags) is a team-up with Diesel featuring a unique with transparent casing fading into black, complete with eye-catching lime green accents. American Tourister’s latest is Airconic, a stylish spinner in five different colours that’s the brand’s lightest ever hardside suitcase. However, while Samsonite’s X Diesel is something different, American Tourister already has suitcases in every colour you can think of, and its products are very often expandable.
Samsonite vs American Tourister: popular ranges
Samsonite
(Image credit: Samsonite)
1. Samsonite Darts Spinner
Price: £189
Sizes: 55cm
Volume: 36L
Weight: 2.6kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: White or Petrol Blue
(Image credit: Samsonite)
2. Samsonite Lite-Box Alu
Price: £540/£595/£650
Sizes: 55cm/69cm/76cm
Volume: 40L/71L/91L
Weight: 4.7kg/5.9kg/6.7kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: Aluminium
(Image credit: Samsonite)
3. Samsonite Cosmolite Iridescent Spinner
Price: £375/£449/£485/£500
Sizes: 55cm/69cm/75cm/81cm
Volume: 36L/68L/94L/123L
Weight: 1.8kg/2.5kg/2.8kg/3kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: Iridescent
(Image credit: Samsonite)
4. Samsonite Neopulse X Diesel
Price: £299/£309/£329/£349
Sizes: 55cm/69cm/75cm/81cm
Volume: 38L/74L/94L/124L
Weight: 2.78kg/3.49kg/3.88kg/4.67kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: Black/Yellow
(Image credit: Samsonite)
5. Samsonite Proxis Biz laptop backpack
Price: £149/£159
Sizes: for 14-inch/15.6-inch laptop
Volume: 12L/18L
Weight: 0.9kg/1.1kg
Colours: Silver, Black, Petrol Blue, Honey Gold
(Image credit: Samsonite)
6. Samsonite Magnum
Price: £175/£195/£205
Sizes: 55cm/69cm/75cm
Volume: 38L/80L/104L
Weight: 2.5kg/3.8kg/3.9kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: Rust Red, Dark Blue, Black, Caribbean Blue, Dusty Green, Soft Rose
American Tourister
(Image credit: American Tourister)
1. American Tourister Airconic
Price: £115/£125/£135
Sizes: 55cm/67cm/77cm
Volume: 33.5L/67L/101L
Weight: 2kg/2.7kg/3.2kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: Cool Grey, Living Coral, Purist Blue, Onyx Black, Midnight Navy
(Image credit: American Tourister)
2. American Tourister Triangolo Spinner
Price: £135/£149/£159
Sizes: 55cm/67cm/76cm
Volume: 35L/57L/97L
Weight: 2.49kg/3.41kg/4.19kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: Halo Blue, Onyx Black, Rose Gold
(Image credit: American Tourister)
3. American Tourister Alumo
Price: £345/£395
Sizes: 55cm/67cm
Volume: 34L/64L
Weight: 4.3kg/5.3kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: Silver, Coral, Lime, Blue, Pink
(Image credit: American Tourister)
4. American Tourister Soundbox Spinner Expandable
Price: £119/£135/£149
Sizes: 55cm/67cm/77cm
Volume (expandable): 35.5-41L/71.5-81L/97-110L
Weight: 2.6kg/3.7kg/4.2kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: Jade Green, Bass Black, Midnight Navy, Lightning Pink, Golden Yellow, Coral Red, Purple Orchid, Hot Pink
(Image credit: American Tourister)
5. American Tourister Eco Wanderer
Price: £109/£125
Sizes: 67cm/79cm
Volume (expandable): 73.5-81L/113-121L
Weight: 3.2kg/3.7kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: Black, Navy, Grey
(Image credit: American Tourister)
6. American Tourister Flylife
Price: £119/£129/£139
Sizes: 55cm/67cm/77cm
Volume (expandable): 35.5-41L/70-81L/100-114 L
Weight: 2.6kg/3.7kg/4.3kg
Wheels: 4
Colours: Petrol Blue, Sky Silver, Black, Lavender, Coral Pink, Soft Mint
Samsonite vs American Tourister: availability
As the first and second biggest luggage brands in the world, Samsonite vs American Tourister is not hard to come by. As well as being sold on the Samsonite website and the American Tourister website.
Both are sold on Amazon as well as by the likes of John Lewis, House Of Fraser and Selfridges and Walmart.
Samsonite has its own stores in Tottenham Court Road, London and Westfield London shopping centre in White City, London.
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Last Updated: July 20, 2023
Samsonite produces some of the best luggage in the world and actually owns both the Samsonite and American Tourister brands. And although they are both the same company, these suitcase brands differ quite a bit.
So, it is certainly worth seeing a detailed comparison of these two renowned travel brands, to figure out which you want to buy.
In this review, I will show you how these two manufacturers’ top models of luggage compare, as well as in-depth reviews of each piece of the luggage itself.
In the end, you will have all the information you need to decide whether it is going to be American Tourister or Samsonite for your next purchase.
American Tourister has added a couple of nice features on this luggage range for those looking for a little more comfort and pleasure while traveling. Although they are a little more expensive than the bottom end Fieldbrook series, it is well worth the price.
These are the upmarket line from AT and have a lot more top-end features and materials which you will love.
The Ilite Max from American Tourister is a nice light weight option if you are after an affordable soft case.
No frills or pointless features on these cases, and at under 100 bucks hardly much to complain about on the price too.
The Fieldbrook luggage is simple, light and easy to use.
Here are some of the features you will like:
Functional, simple, durable, and affordable. What is not to like.
The Fieldbrook ii is one of American Tourister’s most popular cases.
You can see all the Silhouette features in detail in the video review below:
This is more of a case for the frequent or business traveler who appreciates that some of the smaller details on a suitcase can make all the difference.
The 8 positions telescopic handle (that finally addresses the “height” issue people have with suitcases) that also has some padding to alleviate the pain you get from pulling the handle for ages is one of the most notable features on this case. I have never seen such a multi-level handle on a case.
The interior of this case has the typical soft case large packing area, which many people love. What is also impressive are the two big mesh pockets on the lid, one of which has a hanger for your more wrinkle-prone items. Included in this case is also a wetpac which is great for when you have wet or dirty items (or toiletries if you wish). Normally you have to bring plastic bags or pack your own dirty laundry bag .
So, what does the Silhouette 17 include that is so impressive:
Softcases give you a little more packing flexibility because you can have outside pockets. It also seems to handle the rough life of a suitcase through airports better too. As long as you don’t pack breakables (or not protect them).
The Samsonite Silhouette 17 on the other hand is a little more expensive and more of a top-end softcase that Samsonite has packed full of great features.
You can also get a quick rundown of the features in the video below:
With the Omni you get a top-end suitcase at a budget price, with features normally reserved for suitcases costing many hundreds of dollars.
They are cost-effective, strong, durable, and have all the standard features that keep travelers happy again and again.
The Samsonite Omni PC range is a great entry-level suitcase for those wanting the protection of a hardcase. And the runner up in terms of quality, price and ppopularity is definitely the Winfield 2 !
Samsonite vs American Tourister Buying Guide
Comparing the Samsonites and the American Tourister, you have to look at a few things in detail.
Size
Each brand has three main sizes that usually suit:
- 20-21 inch is a small carry on that you can take on the plane
- 24-25 inch is a mid-size that suits smaller trips or one person for a week if you don’t overpack
- 28-29 inch is the largest size that you can use for longer trips or include two people (or more for shorter trips.
If you are looking to invest in something for a big trip, you will want a carry-on and a large case. If you just want options, you can grab the mid and large case (which is what I did – week trips, and long trips). I use a backpack to carry on in any case.
Weight
Most suitcases these days are pretty light. But, some go the extra mile to make their cases even lighter.
Samsonite is known for the super-lightweight hard cases – The Omni listed above, is very light, and they take it even a step further with the weight-focused cases – Cosmolite and Firelite.
In the comparison chart above, you will see that actually the lightest case in the list is Omni, but the American Tourister Max Lite are quite light for their low price point. These are a great option if you don’t want to spend the kind of money you will need to fork out for a Samsonite. There is of course, a difference in quality.
Durability & Quality
Hardcases can handle a lot of knocks, but, in the long run, you will often find that soft cases last even longer.
Why? Because they do not have the stress put on them that hard cases do. They compress and squish down where a hardcase has to “take” the knock or stress put on it.
In terms of materials on softcases, Nylon is a better, more durable option. So, the Samsonite Silhouette XV is the best of the three soft cases in this review. American Tourister tries to save you money wherever they can, which means they have to go with cheaper materials like Polyester. It won’t last as long, but it is a lot cheaper.
Companies like Samsonite tend to put more money and research into their materials (including their handles, zippers, wheels etc) and that is usually the reason why the cases cost more and last longer.
That is not to say that a American Tourister cases will break the minute you use them, but if you want something to last longer, it often makes more sense to pay more money if you can. I have had Delsey’s and Samsonites last me nearly a decade of heavy travel. Sometimes, it is worth paying a little more.
Features
Almost all of the cases from both Samsonite and American Tourister have the same basic features that you will love:
- Lots of room for packing
- Internal and external (not on the Omni because it is a hard case) pockets for extra packing
- 2 Wheels or 4 Spinner wheels to help make your life easy pushing or pulling your case to/from their airport
Where things differ a little is in the following:
- TSA locks built-in to the Samsonites
All Samsonites have 4 spinner wheels that are often quality Japanese made (best in the industry). American Tourister only has spinners on the better models like the iLite Max
Samsonite invests a little more in the details like the 8 position telescopic handle and wetpac on the Silhouette XV Cases
Price
This is the biggest difference, apart from the quality of these two luggage brands.
Samsonite cases are towards the top of the spectrum (although some cases are not too expensive – mid-range I would say). Although, one of the reasons I include the Samsonite Omni in this review is that it is a best seller and one of the most affordable and durable Samsonites on the market, with single cases often around or below 100 bucks too.
American Tourister is at the bottom end of the luggage spectrum and their cases rarely cost over 100 bucks. Even their three-piece sets like the Fieldbrook II are super cheap.
So, if money is your only concern, go with American Tourister for sure.
Which Suitcase To Choose?
Both Samsonite and American Tourister know how to make good cases, so in many ways, it’s hard to choose.
But, let me quickly give you a few easy choices:
Price: The lower price options are the Omni hardcase and the American Tourister Fieldbrook.
Weight: The Omni hardcase is suprisingly the lightest, with the American Tourister Ilite Max the lightest softcase.
Durability and Strength:
For sheer protection, a hardcase is always best. So, if you plan on taking things that might break, I would go with a Samsonite, with the Omni being the entry level model.
In general Samsonites are going to last you longer, or Delsey’s if you want to check out the options they have. American Tourister just lacks the materials and quality of their more expensive competitor.
Features & Comfort: The top end models always have more options. That means more pockets (including wet packs), better handles (8 positions on the Silhouette, with a foam grip for comfort!), better wheels and a TSA lock on the Samsonites. The American Tourister Ilite Max has a reasonable compromise here with spinner wheels and a wetpack included for a still reasonable price.
In the end, it all depends on what is important to you when you travel, and how much money you want to spend on the case.
So, my advice: read over the features lists. Check the prices. Read the reviews of the one or two models you like the best. Then – pull the trigger.
There is no perfect case, but all 4 in this comparison are decent choices.
Safe travels!