Launched out of Denver in 1910 and going public in 2011 with its first IPO on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, luggage brand Samsonite (SMSOF) is often associated with Cosmolite, a collection of seashell-style suitcases that are easily spotted on airport baggage carousels.
Originally known as the Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company, the luggage company had many iconic products over 115 years. It rebranded as Samsonite after the namesake shell suitcase without wheels, which it first introduced in 1939, became its best-selling product in 1965.
In recent decades, collections such as Cosmolite and Silhouette have proven to be some of its most popular.
Samsonite Paralux Collection has attachable bags, suitcases made of recycled materials
Now, the luggage brand with headquarters split between Hong Kong and Luxembourg, Massachusetts, dropped a new luggage line of hardshell suitcases, a detachable duffel bag, and a travel backpack.
The Paralux Collection’s spinner suitcases are made out of partially recycled materials — 50% post-consumer recycled polypropylene for the hard and 100% recycled aluminum for the trolley tubes — and come in large, medium, and carry-on sizes.
The weekender duffel bag and travel backpack are both designed to be split into multiple compartments and attach to the larger suitcase when moving through an airport.
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The square shape of the main suitcases mirrors older collections like Freeform and Outline Pro but stands out with a ridged frontal section that can be separated with a zipper and used to store flat items or separate a piece of clothing to prevent it from wrinkling.
The backpack and duffel bag, meanwhile, tap into the trend for modular luggage with compartments that can be detached and split into smaller bags.
Image source: Samsonite
Samsonite is part of these luggage trends emerging in 2025
“Paralux is more than a collection — it’s a reflection of our global team’s shared commitment to pushing the boundaries of what travel gear can be,” Samsonite Group CEO Kyle Gendreau said in a statement. “[…] We’re proud to deliver a system that not only meets today’s travel demands but also honors our responsibility to the planet we all share.”
According to a market report from the Travel Goods Association, the global roller luggage market is expected to grow from $14.9 billion in 2024 to $28.5 billion in 2034 at a CAGR of 6.7%.
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The carry-on spinner suitcase remains the most popular luggage choice and makes up to 60% of all luggage purchases in the U.S.
In addition, polycarbonate is quickly growing in popularity as a luggage material; suitcases made primarily from it make up 37.7% of all sales (Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene, or a plastic compound more commonly referred to ABS in the luggage world, came in second before softshell materials like nylon and polyester).
Travelers are also purchasing carry-on suitcases at significantly higher rates than full-sized ones that will need to be checked when traveling by plane. Suitcases with a height smaller than 56 centimeters (22 inches) took up a 59.3% share of the market.
“The preference shift toward check-in luggage also reflects changing airline policies and travelers’ willingness to pay baggage fees in exchange for packing convenience and reduced physical strain during airport navigation,” the report’s authors wrote of their findings.
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