Intro: There is an old Chinese saying: 'The journey of a thousand miles begins with your footstep.' To successfully finish a long-lasting journey, your foot means the most. As for a suitcase, we can say it is composed of four parts: case body, trolley, handle, and wheels. So we can conclude that the wheels for the luggage are what foot for a journey.
Years ago, I bought my first luggage for traveling. It was smooth, light, and of course, good-looking. At that moment, I once believed this one would stay with me for a long period. Unfortunately, when I was pulling the case through the security check, it was like tons of resistance from the ground pulling back from the case. You can imagine the embarrassing image. One person fights against luggage without pulling forward the luggage for an inch. In a word, the wheels are essential for luggage and our face. To avoid the awkward situation above, you might wonder what high-quality wheels should be and how we can spot the best luggage wheels.
Types of the wheels
Inline skate wheels
Four-spinner wheels Eight-spinner wheels
How to identify a good luggage wheel?
Tips for maintenance of the wheels
Conclusion
Types of the wheels
Nowadays, three types of wheels are prevalent in the current luggage industry. They are inline skate wheels, four-spinner wheels, and eight-spinner wheels.
Inline skate wheels
Inline skate wheels are also known as directional wheels. As its name implies, it is simple in construction with directional wheels. Generally, it is half buried in the case and attached to the whole case. The unique structure limits the luggage to move only back and forth and cannot turn in place. The picture below is from the famous luggage brand Samsonite.
Characteristics:
Structure: two single wheels buried in the case
Feature: large and stable
Advantage: durable
Suitability: smooth on gravel roads
Example:
Brand: Samsonite
Item Name: SXK Wheeled Duffel
Size: Domestic Carry On
Four-spinner wheels
The four-spinner wheel is the legendary movable castor. Its structural design allows the wheel to rotate freely at 360 degrees. After applying the suitcase, it also realizes the 360-degree movement of the suitcase. The four-spinner wheel is fixed at the bottom of the box. The wheel is relatively small, and the joint is thin. Compared with the box of two wheels, it is much higher in the same volume.
Characteristics:
Structure: four-wheel configuration
Feature: Flexible
Advantage: labor-saving
Suitability: smooth on parallel roads
Example:
Brand: Proteca
Item Name: Step Walker
Size: Check-in luggage
Eight-spinner wheels
Eight-spinner wheels are subordinated to four-spinner wheels. So, what's the difference? The eight-spinner wheel is mainly made of mute rubber, so its sound is extremely small. The eight spinner wheels are not steerable and are embedded under the luggage, so they are hard to break. Thus, the stability of the eight-spinner wheel is strong. According to different conditions, the four-spinner wheel is suitable for a smooth intersection. If on smooth roads, the four-spinner wheel will be flexible and energy-saving; If on rough roads, the pulling process could be a little hard. That's where you need the eight-spinner wheel. Since the eight spinner wheels are normally larger, it will be much easier to pull up.
Characteristics:
Structure: four-wheel configuration
Feature: durable
Advantage: quiet
Suitability: smooth on rough roads
Example:
Brand: Delsey
Item Name: CRUISE 3.0
Size: Check-in friendly
How to identify a good luggage wheel?
Generally, the factory would operate amounts of tests on luggage before shipment. Here are the different standards of load for luggage.
No. | Size | Load |
1 | 20 inches | 15 KG |
2 | 24 inches | 20 KG |
3 | 28 inches | 25 KG |
Moreover, examining the luggage in person is also a reliable measure. Put the case flat so that the wheel is suspended. Fingers together to hold up the wheel to feel the weight. A good four-spinner wheel must not be light and is 360 degrees fluent while observing the rotation.
A good wheel's friction sound is very small. And the rotation process drape is particularly good so that you feel the wheel is a solid metal body inside. This wheel will be strong and weight-bearing. Besides, the wheels that shake slightly are better.
Tips for maintenance of the wheels
use lubricants to avoid rusty
try not to fill in the case with overload staff
choose suitable wheels for your journey
Conclusion
A favorable luggage wheel is smooth, durable, wearable, and energy-saving. And remember the most important factor, suitability ranks first.
To be cautious, the testing standards vary for different brands. The three tests in this article come from our factory. Certainly, most well-known luggage brands can accomplish the test.