Samsonite Ascella 3.0 Softside Expandable Luggage with Spinners, Black, 2PC SET (Carry-on/Medium)

I don't typically review products immediately after purchase. I prefer to use them extensively to form a truly honest opinion. This Samsonite Freeform 2-piece set, purchased back in August, has now been put through its paces and has proven to be an exceptional travel companion (for someone other than myself, though!). Let me explain:I purchased this Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable 2-Piece Set with my daughter in mind, as she was about to embark on her year-long study abroad adventure. Needing a new carry-on myself, I decided to invest in this bundle. The price was surprisingly affordable for Samsonite, so I opted for the stylish navy color.The moment I laid my hands on these suitcases, I was impressed by their lightweight design. Despite their spacious interiors, they feel surprisingly light when fully packed. The smooth-rolling spinner wheels glide effortlessly, making navigating busy airports a breeze. The expandable feature is a game-changer, allowing for extra packing space. The built-in TSA-approved locks provide peace of mind. The interior compartments are well-designed, making packing and unpacking a breeze. The telescopic handle is sturdy and extends smoothly, making it easy to maneuver the suitcase.Unfortunately, my joy was short-lived. My daughter, smitten with the Samsonite's sleek design and effortless maneuverability, claimed my carry-on as her own. She justified her theft by claiming she needed it for her frequent weekend trips. I guess she couldn't exactly "find herself" without a stylish suitcase!While I initially mourned the loss of my beloved carry-on, I can't deny the quality and functionality of Samsonite luggage.Overall, the Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable 2-Piece Set is a fantastic investment for frequent travelers. If you're looking for luggage that can withstand the test of time and make your travels more enjoyable, I highly recommend this set. Just be prepared to defend your luggage from family members who may have a sudden case of "luggage envy."

So I just got the 24-inch size, after previously getting a set of the 21-inch and 28-inch. With the size difference between the 21-inch carry-on model and the 28-inch checked baggage size, there is of course no problem with putting the smaller one inside the 28-inch.Unfortunately the 21-inch, like all carry-on luggage, really only holds enough for a couple of days by itself. So I wanted to get the 24-inch middle size. Anything larger than 21 inches will need to be checked, in case anyone is still not sure about that. Some airlines will even complain if your 21-inch case is expanded and can't fit easily in the provided metal frame baggage size tester you see at a lot of gates or check-in counters. So be careful about leaving the 21-inch size expanded when you're actually trying to use it as a carry-on.I was hesitant to order the 24-inch because I wasn't certain that it would successfully nest inside the 28-inch model. I could find no information on this in the answered questions or anywhere in online reviews of these exact "Freeform" luggage models. The dimensional difference between the 24 and 28-inch models isn't nearly as much as between the 21 and 28-inch models.This is potentially very important if you either A) live in a very small place to begin with, or B) wind up in a very cramped hotel room (or even just one with a really awkward layout) where they don't provide a decent spot to store both a 24-inch and a 28-inch luggage case separately without one of them really being in the way. Closets are typically just big enough to store one or the other size, but probably not both if you can't nest them first. Trying to stack them vertically will typically just use up all available space for hanging outerwear in an already tiny hotel closet.I took a chance and ordered it anyway, without knowing the answer. The news is mostly good. I found that the 21-inch fits easily within the 24-inch. So that was a very good start. But the 28-inch won't quite close with the 24-inch inside. Not nearly as easily as when I fit the 21-inch into the 24-inch. Seems like the 24-inch is a bit too thick. Luckily, all three models have an expansion zipper around the middle. Once the largest case is expanded, the main zipper will successfully close all the way around with the 24-inch inside.So, technically, you can nest all three together, 21/24/28, as a set. You just have to expand the 28-inch case first. The complete set of three cases will then take up a couple of inches more room than expected in the front-side to back-side dimension wherever you decide to store it. I don't think I would recommend trying to compress it to re-close the expansion zipper and then leave it that way in long term storage. Probably not a good idea.As for a review of the cases themselves, they have been pretty sturdy so far, and they are pretty lightweight without really feeling flimsy at all. The double wheels on each corner provide more stability and ability to roll over slightly rough surfaces like tiled walkways, moderate carpeting and asphalt, compared to spinner cases that only put a single inline-skate type wheel on each corner. I really dislike those. And of course they are all spinners, which is a far superior arrangement to tilt-and-roll types of luggage. You can actually put quite a large bag (like a ~30LB backpack) on top of any of these sizes and still roll the whole thing around on its four wheels without too much trouble. The larger sizes will be more stable, but even the 21-inch isn't too bad.Put two of these spinners back to back and it's not too difficult to hold the extended handles together with one hand and angle the two so that you can use your knee behind the larger one to get it going, and then push the smaller one along in front of the bigger one. Once they start moving it works out pretty well.The sides are plastic and tend to develop a lot of static when the humidity is low. So you may wind up with a lot of dust/hair all over them if you lay them down on a carpet before a thorough vacuuming. Rubbing the outside with a dryer sheet may help with this.Some colors seem to have a glossy finish. The navy blue and others have a sort of tiny diamond-shaped matte texture except in the grooves. They will all get scratched as soon as they go through even a single airport baggage system. It may be less obvious on the lighter colors. But the really light colors will show the black marks from luggage belts much more easily. Just remember that they are hard sided, so no outer pockets or fabric on front/back to get torn up easily like soft-sided luggage, and they have expansion zippers, which a lot of hard-sided luggage don't include. So just pick the color you like and try not to worry about it. And they do go on sale now and then. I was able to get the first set of 21/28 for under two hundred. I think they are kind of overpriced most of the time.

I love this luggage! It’s so cute and sturdy! I love that the combo lock is on the top of the suitcase, others I have had were on the side. The handle feels very sturdy and the wheels rolls effortlessly. The inside has a good amount of storage and the material is good quality. I love samsonite, can’t go wrong with this brand.

the dimension stated here are not accurate it. It’s actually 23 inches tall, not 21 inches. It rolls along nicely on smooth surfaces, and I can fit a lot of things in there. I like the expander. So far, it is the largest spinner suitcase I could find in compliance with Sun-country maximum carry-on size, even with the expander out. The telescoping handle feels firm and works better than any other spinner suitcase I tried. My only complaint is that the lining is smaller than the actual shell on the side with the telescoping handle. I actually unzipped it to put my flip-flops between the lining and the plastic part. Also, the zipper pulls are sewn in facing the plastic part. I suppose so that you don’t snag your clothing. I was able to pack a straw sun hat with pretty wide brim into the suitcase. I just filled the crown part of the hat with rolled clothing and placed it face down inside the suitcase, then put the rest of my rolled clothing on top of the brim. I like how there’s a divider between the two sides making it really easy to pack and ZIP closed.It made it through two round trips so far. Something about the carpeting in the MCO airport makes it harder to drag along though. Otherwise it’s pretty much the best spinner suitcase for flying Suncountry.