The $49 Kmart carry-on suitcase that's as good as high-end labels

When it comes to buying a suitcase you want to get something fairly lightweight but still sturdy enough to last through the luggage carousel without coming out battered or damaged.

And more often than not, you expect to fork out the big bucks to find a suitcase of such quality.

But once again Kmart is coming through with the goods, offering a $49 carry-on suitcase that regular travellers are saying is as good as any high-end label.

According to a recent survey by Australian consumer group Choice, both the $49 soft, lightweight case and the $38 hard case from Kmart finished in their top six when tested for water resistance, durability and stability.

A $70 hard case suitcase from Big W also made the top six, alongside a $239 American Tourister model which placed first, and a $329 Samsonite case.

Frequent flyer Tim Melwood, who travels for 40% of the year, told Escape that the Kmart bag is one of the best he’s ever had.

Interestingly the high-priced Samsonite’s Cosmolite 3.0 – which costs $579 – ranked below both Big W and Kmart’s cases.

Also scoring lower than the cheapies were a $349 Crumpler Vis-a-Vis, a $499 Delsey Chatelet, and a $289 Antler case.

According to Escape, there are five key things that you need to consider when picking a suitcase:

Weight, size and sturdiness are important elements considering the weight of it counts towards your total baggage allowance.

Wheels and waterproofing are also crucial as you need sturdy wheels to roll your case through streets and no one wants their valuables soaked through by rain.

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