SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable Large Checked Spinner (29-Inch)

The SwissGear Sion 29 is the bag to buy when the trip is once or twice a year, the budget is fixed, and you would rather have outside pockets than the last 20 liters of space. It sits in the lowest price class on our checked luggage list, and OutdoorGearLab gave it the value award among softshell suitcases in its 15-bag test. The scores behind that award were middling, 66 out of 100 and tenth place, which is the honest way to read the bag: nothing is bad, nothing is outstanding, and it costs the least.

The exterior is the practical advantage over every hardside here. Two zippered front pockets, a lid pocket and a side mesh pocket give you somewhere to put a jacket, a book or a bag of chargers without opening the case on the airport floor. Inside, SwissGear lists tie-down straps, a large mesh lid pocket, a small packing pocket and a removable zippered wet pouch for swimwear or a damp towel. None of the hardshell picks have an exterior pocket at all.

The dimensions are the second advantage. SwissGear states 30 by 18.5 by 12.5 inches overall, which adds up to 61 linear inches with the wheels and handle included. That is inside the 62-inch limit Delta and other US carriers publish for a standard checked bag, and the Sion is the only bag of our four that gets there by its exterior figures. The other three all run 65 inches or more with wheels counted. OutdoorGearLab's tape found it slightly smaller still.

Handling is better than the price suggests. OutdoorGearLab found the trolley handle held up to being hauled over curbs and stairs, called the grab handles large and comfortable, and noted that the wheel housings stick out far enough to act as corner bumpers. Its construction score, 7 out of 10, matched its design score, and both beat the Samsonite Freeform's marks on the same rubric.

SwissGear is a Wenger brand, and Wenger has belonged to Victorinox since 2005 according to NewCarryOn. The Sion carries a 10-year limited warranty on manufacturing defects.

Capacity per pound is the weakest number. SwissGear states 86 L and OutdoorGearLab measured 87 L unexpanded, from a bag that weighs 11.1 lb on both scales. The Samsonite Freeform carries about 25 L more and weighs 1.6 lb less. If you pack to the 50 lb limit, the Sion gives you roughly 39 lb of allowance and less room to use it in.

The wheels are the part most likely to disappoint. They are four small single-wheel spinners in hard plastic, and OutdoorGearLab reported noise and vibration at a brisk walk, a tendency to drift sideways, and poor performance on cobblestones and gravel. NewCarryOn's long-term notes on the Sion line describe the wheels as fine for two or three years before the tread starts to degrade, and the handle as looser than competitors' after drop testing.

There is no built-in lock. The zipper pulls have a loop for a separate padlock, so budget for a TSA-approved one if you want the bag secured. Water resistance is poor: OutdoorGearLab's hose test left the interior damp, and the polyester shell is thinner than the coated nylon on the Travelpro. NewCarryOn also reports slow and sometimes unsuccessful warranty claims, so treat the 10 years as a backstop rather than a promise.

The Samsonite Freeform Large 28 is the natural step up: lighter, much roomier, on double wheels, with a built-in TSA lock, in the next price class. It loses the Sion's pockets and its shell scratches, but for anyone who checks a full bag more than a couple of times a year it is the better buy.

The Travelpro Platinum Elite 29 is what a softside looks like without the compromises: coated nylon instead of polyester, eight self-aligning wheels, a suiter and a lifetime warranty on the parts that break. It sits two price classes higher, and it weighs slightly more.

The Samsonite Freeform 2-piece set is the answer if you need a carry-on too; its large bag is the Freeform 28, which holds about 25 L more than the Sion by OutdoorGearLab's tape and weighs less, but you give up the pockets and the 62-inch fit.

The SwissGear Sion 29 is the checked bag for occasional travelers who want pockets, a forgiving soft shell and a size that clears the 62-inch rule without argument. Its wheels are basic, it has no lock, and it holds the least per pound of our picks, so it is not the bag for monthly flights or for packing to the limit. For a family vacation or two a year in the lowest price class, it does the job.