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Choosing the perfect luggage for all your travel needs can be tough.
Luggage is not cheap, so you want to make sure it lasts a long time while being able to function for any trip that may come your way. In this article, we’ll be looking at two affordable brands of luggage, Ricardo Beverly Hills vs Samsonite.
There are some similarities and some key differences in these brands that may make or break your decision on which luggage to go with.
Bottom Line Up Front Summary: Price shop this one. If you can find the more durable Samsonite luggage you want even +15% higher than Ricardo, go with Samsonite here. If you are on a budget OR the price differential is higher, the clear value option becomes Ricardo here.
Main Differences Between Ricardo vs Samsonite
The main differences between Ricardo vs Samsonite are:
- Ricardo has only 29 pieces for you to choose from, whereas Samsonite has over 100 pieces
- Ricardo’s prices start off at cheap as $60 and go up to $560, whereas Samonsite’s cheapest product is $73 and the most expensive piece of luggage they offer is $850
- Ricardo offers a ten-year warranty, whereas Samsonite’s warranty ranges from three years to ten years
- Ricardo’s reported to have poor-quality customer support, whereas Samsonite’s said to have great customer support
- Ricardo focuses more on the fashionability of their luggage, whereas Samsonite focuses on the durability and offering generic luggage
- Ricardo isn’t a brand that’s well recognized by a lot of people, whereas Samsonite is a brand that’s known very well for creating luggage that’s long-lasting
All products are tested for strength, durability and performance based on the demands of frequent travelers. Orders of $150 or more qualify for free standard shipping, no code needed. Need it sooner? Choose expedited or priority.
Ricardo |
Samsonite |
|
| Selection | 29 pieces | Over 100 pieces |
| Price | $ 60- $ 560 | $ 73- $ 850 |
| Warranty | 10 years / Poor support | 3-10 years / Great support |
| Luggage sets | Yes | Yes |
| Durability | Built very durable | Known for durability |
| Design | More Features / Fashionable | Fewer Features / Generic |
| Brand recognition | Not well known | Known for long-lasting luggage |
Which to Choose at a Glance
When looking for affordable luggage that can work for any type of travel and last a long time, Ricardo Beverly Hills Luggage seems to be the way to go. Certain pieces, such as the Ocean Drive and the Mar Vista, are extremely durable, very affordable, have a ton of packing features, and have a far superior warranty.
What to Look For in Luggage
Durability
Everyone knows that luggage is bound to get treated roughly while traveling. It gets yanked on, thrown onto conveyor belts, and smashed into tiny spaces. When looking into luggage, you want something durable enough to withstand all of that while keeping your belongings safe inside. Hardshell luggage is going to be the most durable.
Helpful Features
Packing can become a hassle trying to fit everything you could possibly need while traveling into a tiny space.
Organization is very important when it comes to keeping things where they should be in your bag, making everything fit, and keeping it safe. It’s extremely helpful when your luggage has compartments, pockets, or water resistance to make it easier on you while packing.
Weight
When flying, you are limited to the amount of weight you are allowed to pack. You don’t need your bag adding a ton of weight to your packing. Most airlines allow around 50 pounds to be checked. The lightest weight suitcases are obviously going to be softshell whereas hardshell luggage is going to weigh more.
Warranty
Most luggage brands come with some sort of warranty. Having a warranty on your luggage is important because luggage is fairly expensive and it goes through a lot of mistreatment. Most warranties cover manufacturing defects, but not wear and tear. For example, they will cover a cracked hard shell, but not water damage.
Ricardo Beverly Hills Luggage
Pros |
Cons |
| Affordable | Bad customer support |
| Great warranty | |
| A ton of organization features | |
| Fashionable designs | |
| High-end, durable materials |
Background
Ricardo Beverly Hills Luggage started in 1978 in Beverly Hills, California. Their luggage is available in 40 different countries and they make a variety of travel needs. This includes garment bags, backpacks, toiletry bags, and packing organizers.
Even though they are a small company compared to Samsonite and other similar quality luggage, Ricardo luggage can be found in many department stores, specialty stores, and online retailers. Sister brands to Ricardo Beverly Hills are Stephanie Johnson, Skyway, and American Explorer.
Design
Design is a section that Ricardo luggage excels in. They have thought of everything that you could possibly need for travel and made it easier to pack. With pockets for everything you could pack, high-end features on every model, and fun elegant fashion, you are sure to fall in love with Ricardo’s luggage.
One organization feature that you can find in their carry-on luggage is a charging cord that goes from the inside of your luggage to the outside. You can also find included toiletry bags, waterproof pouches, and smaller mesh zippered pockets inside of all Ricardo luggage.
Another nice design aspect of Ricardo Beverly hills is they include premium features on every single model. These premium features include double spinner wheels and expandable zippers. You can find these even on their lower-priced lines.
These bags look great compared to Samsonite bags. There are lines that include fun designs, textures, and colors. But they also offer luggage with a more elegant, business-like look that includes leather zippers and accents.
Durability
Some of Ricardo Beverly Hill’s older luggage had some issues with durabilities, such as broken spinner wheels and torn zippers. Recently, Ricardo has done away with these problem pieces and revamped their lines to be extremely durable.
Almost all of their hard-sided luggage is made out of polycarbonate. Polycarbonate is an extremely durable, lightweight thermoplastic that is also used in riot shields, safety glasses, and molded housings in cars. So you can imagine these suitcases can take quite a beating.
Some other features you may find on Ricardo luggage that makes it more durable are scratch-resistant finishes, corner guards, recessed spinner wheels, and triangle-shaped telescoping handles. They also have an aluminum set if you need extreme durability.
All soft-sided luggage from Ricardo Beverly Hills is made of polyester or Dreamfel fabric. Polyester is the best fabric to use for luggage because it is water and abrasion-resistant. Dreamfel is a newer type of fabric that is eco-conscious and supposed to be even more light and durable than polyester.
Warranty
Ricardo Beverly Hills luggage comes with a 10-year warranty. The warranty covers any defects to the luggage caused by faulty materials or manufacturing.
It also includes a limited warranty that covers zippers and seams that wear out over time. If your luggage falls under warranty, you may get it fixed or replaced for free.
Even though this warranty is pretty great, there are reports of Ricardo’s customer service not being too great. People that have dealt with their customer service have said they are unfriendly and not super helpful.
Notable Luggage by Ricardo Beverly Hills
Rodeo Drive
This piece will last you your whole life. It includes some of the most durable materials and features and is full of useful compartments and straps.
Designed for travelers with a taste for refined craftsmanship and premium materials, the distinctive Rodeo Drive collection comprises a striking suite of luggage. Engineered with nearly indestructible Makrolon by Covestro polycarbonate exteriors, these exceptional cases additionally offer smooth, ergonomic handling, well-organized interiors, and TSA-lock security all to afford you travels with confidence.
Malibu Bay 2.0
Made with the new and improved Dreamfel fabric, you know this bag will last through whatever you put it through. IT also comes equipped with a ton of pockets, including a water-resistant pouch, an ID holder, and inside accessory pockets.
With a little extra room for packing a bit more, this great-looking carry-on was designed to fit the sizer of major US airlines. From Malibu Bay 2.0 - our most lightweight luggage collection - this versatile case features a durable, eco-conscious dreamfel fabric exterior, signature telescoping handle, any-direction dual wheels, and plenty of pockets for your accessories (toiletries, chargers, travel documents, a laptop, and more). 
Beaumont
If you’re looking for a suitcase that is bound to stand out, the Beaumont hard-side suitcase is for you. This suitcase comes in 2 fun patterns and has all the organizational features and durability of all the others.
Crafted from polycarbonate alloy material, the shell offers protection for packed items and lasting durability. 
Samsonite Luggage
Pros |
Cons |
| Has been around forever and is well known | Limited features except on premium models |
| A large variety to choose from | More expensive |
| Great customer support | |
| Built to last |
Background
Samsonite has been producing luggage for over 100 years. They were established in 1910 and have been focused on creating quality luggage since. Today, they are one of the leading manufacturers in luggage and are sold at many retailers.
On top of creating quality luggage, Samsonite has set out to be the most sustainable luggage brand out there. They have vowed to be carbon neutral by 2025, support reforestation and conservation efforts, and use recycled materials to build some of their luggage.
Durability
Samsonite is a brand that is known for luggage that lasts a lifetime. You’ll find people that still use Samsonite luggage that they bought over 20 years ago. Since they have been in the luggage industry for so long, they have a huge budget to spend on finding new ways to make their luggage more durable.
All of Samsonite’s hard-sided luggage is made with textured ABS or polycarbonate. ABS is more affordable and flexible than polycarbonate so it will bend slightly, absorbing stress.
Even though Samsonite uses cheaper plastics in some pieces, they are not priced that much cheaper than other models.
Samsonite’s soft-sided luggage is where their durability exceeds expectations. Almost all of their soft-sided suitcases include a water-resistant coating. Some are made of naturally water-resistant fabric, like ballistic nylon.
All products are tested for strength, durability and performance based on the demands of frequent travelers. Orders of $150 or more qualify for free standard shipping, no code needed. Need it sooner? Choose expedited or priority.
Design
One thing that Samsonite has going for them with their features is they have been in the luggage industry for so long that they have come up with a few unique things. Not all of their luggage has a ton of extra features, but their more premium models have all the bells and whistles.
The nicest thing that they have done with their luggage is creating integrated TSA locks on almost all of their hard-sided luggage and even some of their soft-sided luggage.
Some of these locks even have cables that can go through all of the zippers to make sure all pockets are secure instead of only the main compartment.
Other features you can find on some premium models are charging cords that go from the outside to the inside to charge batteries, their right height retractable handle with 8 stopping points, and expandable zippers. Some soft-sided models have options for pockets, water-resistant bags, and included organizers.
Samsonite’s luggage is more on the sleek, business professional side of style. Their soft-sided luggage is fairly boring with not a whole lot of color or design options. The hard-sided luggage is a bit more fun with some bright colors and cool textures but tends to look more conservative overall.
Warranty
All Samsonite luggage comes with a 3 or 10-year limited warranty depending on the model. Their warranty covers manufacturing defects and faulty materials. It does not cover any wear and tear that generally happens over time.
You can take your luggage to a Samsonite retailer and pay to have them send your luggage or ship it yourself to be fixed under warranty.
Although Samsonite’s warranty isn’t quite as nice as Ricardo Beverly Hill’s they do have excellent customer service. They have been known to fix things for free that aren’t technically under warranty. Customer loyalty is very important to Samsonite.
Notable Luggage by Samsonite
Omni PC
One of Samsonite’s more affordable hard-sided luggage. It’s extremely durable with expanding zippers and an integrated TSA lock.
Omni PC combines scratch-resistant textures with the lightest 100% polycarbonate construction, ensuring your luggage looks as great on the 100th trip as it does on the first.
Winfield 2 Fashion
This model is one of their more stylish pieces with a brushed look. It’s very lightweight for its size and includes a mesh pocket in the divider.
Impossibly cool. Makes carefree travel possible. The Winfield 2 Fashion hard shell suitcase is crafted with 100% polycarbonate material for maximum durability and versatility. 
Mobile Solution
Samsonite’s best soft-sided model with zippered pockets, outside to inside charging cord, and a water-resistant coating. It also looks good with gold accents.
Designed to suit your needs and compliment your style, the Deluxe Backpack is filled with functionality without compromising an ounce of fashion.
FAQs
Answer: You can’t wash a whole entire fabric suitcase. But you can spot clean it with warm water, mild detergent, and a washcloth or scrub brush. Let it air dry.
Answer: Ricardo luggage is more affordable than Samsonite with more organizational features, similar durability, and a great warranty.
Answer: Samsonite has been around for over 100 years, whereas Ricardo Beverly Hills has only been around for a little over 40 years.
Answer: If you want something extremely durable that will protect your belongings, hard-sided luggage is the way to go. On the other hand, if you’re wanting something more lightweight and flexible to be able to pack more, soft-sided luggage is for you.
Answer: Soft-sided luggage usually weighs a considerable amount less than hard-sided luggage. Hard-sided luggage typically weighs 2-5 pounds more than soft-sided luggage.
Which is the Better Choice?
If you are looking for an affordable piece of luggage that has everything you will need, Ricardo Beverly Hills is the best luggage. They are very similar to Samsonite, if not better, in terms of durability but have way more organizational features, fun designs, and a great warranty.
You can find pieces similar to Ricardo’s in Samsonite’s lineup, but at a way higher cost. Models that are similar to Ricardo’s luggage are almost double the price. Samsonite’s luggage does not come with outside to inside charging cords, or water-resistant pouches and organizational pockets unless you are looking at their premium luggage.
Although Ricardo’s customer support is not as good as Samsonite’s, their warranty is far better. With their 10 year warranty on every piece of luggage and limited warranty on zippers and seams, Ricardo Beverly Hills wins as the best suitcase on specs.
That said, it’s still hard to beat the track record and tangible durable quality of a Samsonite spinner suitcase.
Bottom Line Summary: Price shop this one. If you can find the more durable Samsonite luggage you want even +15% higher than Ricardo, go with Samsonite here. If you are on a budget OR the price differential is higher, the clear value option becomes Ricardo here.
Further Reading on the Best Luggage Brand & Hardside Luggage for the Frequent Traveler:
- Samsonite Luggage Set vs TravelPro Hard Sided Luggage
- Samsonite Luggage Pieces vs Delsey Luggage Brand
- Samsonite vs American Tourister Luggage Brand
- Best Samsonite Travel Backpacks as Carry on Luggage