I Tried Quince Luggage: An Honest Quince Suitcase Review

I have been on a Quince kick the past year; I tried Quince Clothing to see if the company's affordable luxury deserved the positive reviews. Then when Quince extended its size range, I invited a member of the Wardrobe Oxygen Community to do a Quince plus size clothing review. After my trip to Curaçao, I desired a carry-on rolling suitcase. I tried Quince luggage; my honest Quince suitcase review is below.

A little about me…

Age, clothing, and shoe size are important when reviewing suitcases. I am a 49-year-old soft, curvy size 14/16 with size 8W feet and a 36 F/G bust. I need more space for my clothing size; heck, I need more space just for my bras! So I hope this Quince suitcase review will help those who only find reviews by young men and petite women.

A little about Quince luggage…

Quince has a range of luggage: rolling suitcases, soft duffles and totes, toiletries bags, and even pet carriers. I have an international-sized rolling suitcase with a front laptop pocket and a matching large rolling suitcase that needs to be checked. I wanted something that holds more than my international suitcase but is still small enough to fit in the overhead compartment of all domestic flights.

Quince Suitcase Review of the 20″ Expandable Carry-On

At the time of writing this review, Quince offers four sizes of hard-sided rolling suitcases. Each size has a polycarbonate hard shell, water-resistant 75D polyester pongee lining, Japanese-crafted Hinomoto 360° spinner wheels, YKK zippers, and TSA-approved Travel Sentry® combination locks.

• Quince offers two 27″ size suitcases that would need to be checked for a flight: a standard 27″ suitcase and an expandable 27″ option
• Quince also has two 24″ size rolling suitcases that need to be checked for flights: a standard 24″ size and an expandable 24″ option
• Quince has three styles of 21″ suitcases; one has a front laptop pocket, one is expandable, and one is standard 21″.
• Quince has two 20″ size suitcases; one is a standard 20″ and one is a 20″ size with an expandable zipper. I chose the 20″ expandable suitcase.

Comparing Quince luggage to Away luggage

On its website, Quince compares its suitcases to Away luggage. I have never owned Away luggage, but I have many friends who own some. Most love their Away luggage; some complain they scuff easily, and the wheels don't work well on carpets or cobblestones. I had one friend whose Away suitcase zipper failed after only three uses. But in general, I have heard positive feedback on Away luggage. I liked the idea of a cheaper alternative.

The Quince 20″ Expandable Carry-on Hardshell Suitcase is 22″ H x 14.4″ W x 9.8″ D. The comparable Away Carry-on Flex is 21.7″ H x 13.7″ W x 9″ D. American Airlines, Alaska, Delta, United Airlines, and JetBlue all have a limit of 22″ H, 14″ W, and 9″ D. Southwest, Allegiant, Frontier, and Spirit Airlines allow larger carry-on luggage. I don't know if that fraction of an inch will make or break your ability to use the Quince 20″ suitcase as a carry-on with certain airlines.

Looking at the specs of the Away Carry-on Flex and the Quince 20″ Expandable Carry-on, the differences I see beyond the subtle size difference are that Away has leather trim and comes with a leather luggage tag, and that the Quince suitcase weighs a pound and a half less.

That pound-and-a-half difference is what made me decide to try Quince. These days, with luggage fees and having to haul a bag into an overhead compartment or down blocks of city streets, I want to be as lightweight as possible.

Delivery of my Quince suitcase

The suitcase arrived within a week in one of those heavyweight boxes with a flap closure (so nice to reuse to store holiday decorations or for under-bed storage). The bag came in a lightweight dust bag. The color was the same pretty deep green seen on the Quince website. Included was a sponge to remove scuffs and instructions for the combination lock.

Quince Expandable Carry-On Hard Shell Suitcase – 20″ design

Inside the Quince 20″ expandable suitcase, one side has a mesh zipper closure. On the other side, there is a framed zipper pouch (compartment side solid, top mesh) that has straps to compress it down. On the side with the framed top, there is a small zipper pocket at the bottom of the compartment. Inside the pocket is a laundry bag). The lining is black.

What I fit in my Quince suitcase

For my trip, I carried a large Dagne Dover Dakota backpack and the Quince Expandable Carry-On Hard Shell Suitcase – 20″. In the backpack, I had all my toiletries and entertainment as well as my travel/purse essentials. I kept the suitcase to hold clothing primarily. Without using the expanding zipper on the suitcase and by using one square and one smaller rectangular packing cube for organization, in the Quince suitcase I fit:

• A pair of HOKA sneakers
• A pair of soft leather flats
• Three pairs of wide-leg trousers (one twill, one matte satin, one crepe)
• One cable-knit cotton sweater
• Long-sleeved silk blouse
• Two short-sleeved knit tops/tees
• One sleeveless knit top/tank
• Printfresh cotton short-sleeved shorts pajamas (code WARDROBE_OXYGEN for 15% off)
• Workout leggings and sleeveless fitness top
• One padded underwire sports bra for a large bust
• One molded cup underwire bra for a large bust
• Five pairs of underwear, four pairs of athletic socks (ankle and quarter)
• The Talbots purse in this blog post
• A soft envelope-style clutch purse
• Belt, silk scarf, and small drawstring pouch statement earrings
• Cashmere pashmina, cashmere lined leather gloves, knit beanie
• This tech bag with all the necessities for my family (ALISON10 for 10% off)
• Microfiber hair towel

My experience using the Quince suitcase on travel

I found the telescoping handle easy to slide up and down, and securely locked in position. The combination lock worked in the same manner as other luggage I own. Zippers held up through use, moving easily. No flaws in stitching, materials, or construction. Color as seen on the Quince website.

I put the full and heavy backpack on top of the empty suitcase using the backpack's luggage sleeve and the Quince suitcase didn't tip over. With the suitcase full and the backpack on top also full, it was still easy to have it spin next to me on tile, concrete, and asphalt.

The only issue I found was that the Quince suitcase couldn't handle carpet. I was dragging the suitcase behind me in the hotel hallway to and from my room. As mentioned above, a friend with an Away suitcase shared she experienced the same. I have a decade-old Delsey (seen above) that moves easily on low-nap carpet; I haven't tried any other currently available brands/styles of rolling suitcases.

How did the Quince suitcase hold up?

I didn't try to maximize the capacity or strain the zippers. The suitcase was used for a road trip; it only rolled a little over a block from the car to the hotel and back. I have yet to try it on a flight or on rougher terrain than parking lots and New York City sidewalks. I hope to update this Quince suitcase review in the future after using it on future travels.

If you're like me you're being bombarded with ads for luggage on social media. It's hard to tell what is worth your hard-earned money. I hope this Quince suitcase review proves helpful.