Amazon Basics 21-inch Hardside Spinner Review

If you’re looking for a high-end performance piece or a road-worthy luggage catch-all that will endure over a lifetime of getaways, the inexpensive Amazon Basics Hardshell Spinner isn’t it. But if you are on a tight budget and looking for a simple carry-on that will get you through the short-term without any bells and whistles, and you can handle a slightly jittery ride to boot, this unembellished case could be your answer.

Performance Comparison

Ease of Use

The Amazon Basics clamshell carry-on isn’t going to wow you with special features or a liquid-smooth ride. Inside, you’ll find room enough in its two open-layout halves to thoughtfully pack a week’s worth of summertime garments into a standard hard-sided case in which a limited collection of additional built-in components – fabric enclosure panel, accessory pockets, and minimally effective restraint straps — are available to lock items into place before you seal the bag for transit. Exterior organizational tools don’t exist (as is true with most hard shells). So, don’t count on extra pockets or access points, or even a lockable zipper loop to lock your luggage on travel days. But for those whose needs run oversized or who like to squeeze in one last souvenir, you can count on a simple expansion zipper to serve up a couple of inches of extra space for your return haul.

It's when you start handling your bag in transit that you begin to question how secure or functional the Amazon carry-on is. Clumsy, disappointing haul handles make carrying the case an uncomfortable task when dealing with awkward spaces, distances, or loading it into cars or planes. Similarly, a flimsy telescoping handle offers only two height options, further limiting the number of travelers who will find it a satisfactory tool for navigating crowds or tackling long walks between gates. A set of large double-spinner wheels offer significant clearance and decent maneuverability across standard flat terrain. But we found they struggled to remain in a straight line at different points during testing, in some cases pulling away from us or even shuddering in their housings as we tried to maintain a straight line. Eventually, the wheels always fell back into alignment so we could walk mostly unencumbered. But hiccups such as these appeared before the bag was put under real duress during drop tests, and continued to worsen over time of their own accord. And their occurrence undermined our confidence in the case’s ability to perform basic functions over the long term.

Packability

As noted with other hard shells, the Amazon isn’t going to offer up a lot of extra features when it comes to storing your gear. In standard form, one half of the bag is enclosed with a fabric panel while the other is home to a small accessory pocket and two crisscrossed elasticized restraint straps. A couple of additional mesh pockets are inlaid in that same interior panel as well, although we found they yielded limited benefits due to their awkward size. So yes, the Amason Basics model does in fact serve up the basics, but it's nothing particularly noteworthy. Packing cubes could be a real boon when trying to make the most of this space.

While we did manage to find a home for everything during our 7-day Summertime packing test, we also had to employ the expansion feature to ensure we weren’t straining exterior zippers in the process. The Bulky Gear test yielded similar results, although we weren't able to manage to squeeze in the climbing helmet, even with the expansion system. Perhaps if we’d had organizational cubes to pre-compress our items before packing we might have managed to do better. But without any such extra assists, we weren’t all that impressed with the results.

Design

Like some other bags in our test lineup, we were puzzled by the promotion of the Amazon Basics 21-inch Hardside as an airline-compliant carry-on when both its advertised dimensions and those we confirmed ourselves demonstrate that it’s built one inch too deep for requirements (before the bag is even packed or the expansion feature is unzipped). Although we realize many airlines are not diligent in double-checking before travelers board, it does seem odd to create confusion by not acknowledging that discrepancy. So if you are a stickler for rules and a frequent flyer, these dimension details are something to consider. Although under most circumstances, it’s quite possible you’d fly without issue.

The Amazon Basics carry-on is also among the heaviest hard shells in our test group, a strange honor to receive since it doesn’t offer many extra features, notably high-quality materials, or other helpful assets to account for that added weight. We also found the two mesh pockets embedded within the enclosure panel (sealing in one half of the clamshell opening) to be somewhat useless given their odd size. We struggled to find items small enough to fit in them, particularly when other packables were already stored within. The fabric and zippers all strained under the pressure. One of the other failures that really stood out was its poorly functioning master zipper. Although the exterior pull felt stronger in hand than the cheaper zipper models used on the inside, we found ourselves struggling to slide it around the outer edges of the bag when needed. And when the expansion feature was finally put to use, we found the two clamshell halves of the case would often end up misaligned at the expansion point. This would cause the zipper to run off track and create a real hassle for us to get the case closed and working again.

Durability

Whenever the material of choice is ABS hardshell, we’re already tipped off to some potential vulnerabilities that may be found in a bag. So, while we experienced no great failures upon testing with the Amazon Basics Hardside Carry-On, we did document a number of scrapes and scratches the case picked up in use, particularly after drop testing. We also noted the flimsy interior liner fabric felt cheap straight out of the gate and then quickly appeared worse for wear as pack testing continued. The double-spinner wheels also took a beating, especially during drop testing (which caused one “hubcap” to break off). We were able to reattach the offending wheel cap without problem, but continued use eventually resulted in all wheels developing an increasingly wobbly roll, particularly after the “big drop” tests. This left us questioning how much longer before major components of the bag might give out. Nothing in testing damaged the case so much that it was no longer serviceable, but the results certainly raised enough red flags we’d be worried about what prolonged abuse might serve up while out on the road.

Should You Buy the Amazon Basics 21-inch Carry-On?

The Amazon Basics 21-inch Hardshell reminds us that lower prices often means cutting corners on the big and little structural features that sit at the core of any product, and how much those details count. Its low-grade ABS construction, uncomfortable handles, and loose, wobbly wheels are enough to send us looking at upgraded options. Unless your budget absolutely demands going low and your travel plans have the flexibility to account for a myriad of potential headaches and unexpected mishaps on the road, we’d suggest you do too. We imagine students heading out for the occasional weekend away or those who just need an affordable, simple fix to an immediate problem (say you just need to pack up gifts to fly home for the holidays) might find this is an acceptable option.

What Other Carry-On Should You Consider?

Hitting the pavement with the Amazon Basics carry-on isn’t particularly noteworthy for any other reason other than price. But, while we don’t love many aspects of its construction and we are loath to promote the idea of disposable, minimal-use carry-on luggage that will likely end up in the trash after limited days of travel, we do also understand that sometimes cost is paramount. And if that’s the case, this inexpensive hardshell carry-on could be exactly the right tool for the job.