One of the benefits of being a consumer tech and electronics editor is that I travel—a lot. From checking out the latest gadgets at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas to getting a first look at upcoming releases at Samsung Unpacked in San Jose, California, I’m always going on business trips, so it’s important to have a suitcase I can rely on. While searching for a checked suitcase that was both durable and lightweight, I began traveling with the Samsonite Winfield 2. After several months, I was impressed by its thoughtful features and spacious packing capability—though there were some caveats.
A trusted luggage brand, Samsonite makes suitcases that have popped up on several of Forbes Vetted’s guides to the best luggage. To get a true sense of how the Samsonite Winfield 2 held up in multiple situations, I traveled with it on months’ worth of transcontinental flights, including trips from the East Coast to San Francisco and Las Vegas. Aside from my many work trips, I also took it back to my hometown in Illinois to get a sense of how well the suitcase functioned after four months of wear and tear. Read my full review of the Samsonite Winfield 2 below.
Best for:
- Those who want a lightweight design
- Those who want comfortable grip handles
- Those who want smooth-rolling wheels
Skip if:
- You don’t like scuffs, scratches and scrapes on your luggage
Samsonite Winfield 2: Key Features
A TSA-Friendly Lock
The Samsonite Winfield 2 is built with a lightweight polycarbonate shell. But don’t let the thin exterior sway you from this suitcase. Although it experienced a plethora of permanent scuffs and scrapes, I didn’t see any cracks in the luggage, and it bends rather than dents. This showcases the durability of the luggage while also revealing one of my biggest issues with it: It’s prone to scratches, so if you prefer your suitcase to look pristine, this is not the luggage for you. The branded tag also didn’t hold up to rough handling, and it broke a few months in. Still, the colors and patterns can mask some of the scuffs—but not many.
Just off to the left of the side handle, you’ll find a TSA-friendly lock, which was easily one of my favorite features about the suitcase. It helped bring peace of mind when traveling with my tech, and it placed the zippers in an easy-to-access spot when I needed to pull out a sweatshirt in a pinch.
Handles Feel Like A Mixed Bag
Because it’s so large, the suitcase has three different handles: two on the top, with one that’s expandable to help you stroll through the airport, and one on the side, which I used to to haul the luggage upstairs like an old-fashioned suitcase. Oftentimes, with other luggage, my hands feel like I scraped sandpaper after hauling a heavy suitcase around. The Samsonite Winfield 2 is comfortable, thanks to its rubbery grip handle. When you pick it up and drag it upstairs, even with the handles that aren’t “expandable,” there’s still some give. They extend just a bit, which I felt was a mixed bag in practice. On one hand, I loved it because it gave me extra breathing room when I wore gloves in the dead of winter, but on the other hand, every once in a while, that give “popped” at an inopportune moment, and I was forced to reorient myself against suddenly shifting weight.
A Massive Interior
While the suitcase has an expandable 1.5-inch zipper to pack extra everything, what left me impressed was its interior design. On one side, you get a cross strap to keep larger items like sweatshirts, sneakers and more secure; the other has a privacy curtain with zippered organizational pockets. The pockets are a nice addition to keep smaller trinkets like toiletries, a purse or a Tile tracker securely tucked. For one of my weeklong trips, after a small shopping spree at home, I was able to pack five sweatshirts, 12 shirts, undergarments, five pairs of pants, one pajama set, one hardcover book, one massive toiletry bag, two small purses, a leather tote bag, one Lego box, a pair of shoes and a coffee mug.
I still had space to spare without using the suitcase’s zipper extension—but since the suitcase was clocking in at 46.5 pounds, I didn’t want to risk packing more books and going over my airline’s weight limit. After landing, I was also pleasantly surprised at just how well the suitcase’s straps, curtain and organization system kept everything in place. With other suitcases I’ve tested, opening it up after a flight can reveal a chaotic interior that looks like I haphazardly tossed all my gear in and zipped it shut. Despite finding a number of new scuffs on the suitcase after my trip, all of my gear looked the same as when I meticulously packed it.
Smooth-Rolling Wheels
A suitcase must have smooth wheels for easily maneuvering through busy airports, cobbled streets and more: This is a requirement for me. The Samsonite Winfield 2 ticked that box. The wheels are large enough to support the general bulk of the suitcase, but more importantly, they’re large enough to roll over large cement cracks and brick pavement with ease.
The Quad Cities International Airport in Moline, Illinois, has brick pavement in the main lobby area of the airport, and with my previous suitcases, it felt like I had to physically drag my luggage through this airport section. Comparatively, the Winfield 2 does a great job of smoothing out a lot of those bumps. It was significantly easier to maneuver through this section of the local airport. If you’re seeking a suitcase with large enough wheels to traverse pretty bumpy pathways, the Winfield 2 will work for you.
Samsonite Winfield 2: The Final Verdict
If you plan to haul around a lot of gear, the Samsonite Winfield 2 is a great option. The 28-inch suitcase can pack a surprisingly large amount of clothes and gear with plenty of room to spare (and if you don’t need that much space, it also comes in a 24-inch option). I particularly loved the privacy curtain with the zippered compartments—it was nice to shove my purses into those spots and know the leather wouldn’t get scratched.
While it doesn’t hold up well to scuffs and scrapes, the suitcase for the most part is sturdy enough to withstand rough handling. Don’t expect the branded tag on the front to last for a long time, as mine came off quickly. Otherwise, I was pleased with this suitcase after using it for travel for a few months. At around $200, it’s a more affordable option that promises to last a long time.
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