The American Tourister Soundbox looks great on the carousel, but will it survive the trip?

Those vinyl-record grooves turn heads at every baggage carousel, but is there a properly good suitcase underneath the looks? This American Tourister luggage review puts the Soundbox 67 to the test, from the wheels to the warranty small print, so you know exactly what you’re getting before you buy.

Look, we all know the struggle of finding chic yet reliable luggage. I’ve been there. But there are other challenges that frequent travellers know all too well.

When I buy luggage, I have a couple of non-negotiables: I want my swish new case to be stylish and practical and, above all, to have wheels that don’t squeak (that’s my pet peeve).

Or, even worse, eagerly waiting at baggage claim only to find that your case looks like every other one on the belt. Yikes.

That’s where American Tourister’s luggage comes in, and more specifically, their American Tourister Soundbox 67, the medium-sized case in the range.

I tested this case on several trips, and I really wanted to love it. Here’s how it held up, what it does well, where it falls down and which cases I’d rather spend my money on.

Quick verdict

My rating: 2/5

The Soundbox 67 is a good-looking hard-shell case with super-smooth spinner wheels, clever interior straps and a bold design that makes it easy to spot at the airport. Sadly, the looks don’t last. Mine warped after a few uses, it scuffed easily and the whole case feels flimsy.

There are better-value cases on the market. Having tested the Soundbox on several trips, I much prefer my Level8 and Away cases, even though they’re more expensive.

The other catches: the interior lining looks a little cheap, the handle felt slightly wobbly out of the box, and the warranty won’t cover damage done by an airline.

The Soundbox at a glance

Overall, it’s a looker. The bright colours make it easy to identify at an airport, I enjoy its snazzy but stylish design, and the wheels are excellent (no squeaky wheels!). The trouble is that the build quality doesn’t match the looks.

• What it is: an expandable four-wheel spinner suitcase with a 100% polypropylene shell and a concentric-circle design inspired by vinyl records.
• Sizes: 55cm cabin, 67cm medium, 77cm large and a newer 80cm extra large.
• The 67 in numbers: 67 x 46.5 x 29cm (32cm expanded), 71.5 litres (81 litres expanded) and 3.7kg.
• Price: UK list prices are £155 (55cm), £175 (67cm), £195 (77cm) and £209 (80cm), and the range is often discounted.
• Lock: fixed three-digit TSA-approved combination lock.
• Warranty: limited three-year global warranty covering manufacturing defects.
• US readers: the Soundbox is sold through American Tourister’s UK and European stores, not its US store (more on that below).

Check prices for American Tourister’s Soundbox on Amazon

How the Soundbox 67 held up on my trips

You know the dull, dreaded sea of luggage that awaits at the end of your flight? Yeah, you won’t have to deal with that here. With its striking, colourful design, you’ll find it easy to spot your American Tourister Soundbox among the typically boring cases on the carousel.

What I love most about it is the super-smooth wheels, which make it really easy to get around with. No awkward wrestling with stubborn wheels through the airport here.

Where it falls down is the shell. After only a few uses, mine had warped. It scuffed easily too, and the case feels flimsy in a way you notice as soon as you lift it.

It isn’t the cheapest case out there, and you might be wondering whether American Tourister suitcases are any good before you part with the money. It does cost less than Level8 or Away, but in my experience that saving isn’t worth it: there are better-value cases on the market, and I’d happily pay more for one of the cases I prefer.

The shell of this case does hide some great interior details, such as straps to keep your packing flat and zipped compartments for organising smaller items like travel-sized bottles of cosmetics.

Now, let’s get down to the nitty-gritty. At first glance, you might pick up the American Tourister Soundbox 67 for its vivid colours and retro, vinyl-inspired design. Here’s how each part of it stacks up once you’re on the road.

A colour for every personality

You can almost roll the rainbow with the Soundbox. The 55cm and 67cm cases currently come in around 13 to 14 colours each, from classic Bass Black and Midnight Navy to Golden Yellow, Stone Blue, Lavender, Kiwi Green and Papaya Pop. The larger sizes come in fewer shades, and the range rotates, so expect a few colours to come and go.

If you do buy one, I recommend Bass Black. This case scuffs easily, and the deep black is the most forgiving shade for hiding the marks.

Note: paler shades such as Pastel Yellow, Pastel Pink and Coconut Sand show scuff marks more readily and can lose a little of their sheen over time, even after a thorough clean. Boo, because they’re so pretty.

As you can see from the photos, I went for a marine blue that’s bright enough but not too bright, and very easy to spot on the carousel.

Which size is right for you?

The Soundbox does give you plenty of choice. Plenty of brands make suitcases in several sizes, but few are this cheerful to look at.

While I have the Soundbox 67, which is the medium-sized case, there are three other sizes to choose from.

Soundbox 55 (cabin): at 55 x 40 x 20cm, the small Soundbox works well as carry-on luggage on many European airlines, which commonly ask for 55 x 40 x 20cm. Keep it unexpanded, though: expanded, it’s 23cm deep and too big for those limits. It’s also too wide for the 22 x 14 x 9 inch (roughly 56 x 36 x 23cm) carry-on limit used by most US airlines, so check your airline before you rely on it as cabin luggage.

Soundbox 67 (medium): going up a size gives you the Soundbox 67, which is sized for trips of about a week. You’ll be able to pack far more blouses and shirts than in its little brother, and then some. With 81 litres of space when expanded, you can easily fit a healthy amount of clothes, shoes, toiletries and gadgets for a seven-day adventure.

Soundbox 77 (large): if you thought the medium was quite big, think again. With up to 110 litres of space, it may seem like overkill, but it makes sense for long trips, family packing or anyone travelling with bulky kit like photography gear.

Soundbox 80 (extra large): the newest and biggest size holds 131 litres, or 145 expanded, and weighs 4.6kg. When I checked, it came in just two colours, Bass Black and Golden Yellow. At that capacity, it’s easy to pack past a standard 23kg checked-bag allowance, so a luggage scale is a good idea.

Tough enough for the baggage hold?

Durability is the question that comes up in almost every luggage review, and it’s the one that matters most for a checked case.

No one wants to spend their hard-earned money on something that won’t last (especially in this economic climate, but that’s a rant for another time).

On paper, the Soundbox should be up to it. American Tourister makes the Soundbox shell from 100% polypropylene, a plastic that is light but tough. Polypropylene is lighter than polycarbonate and generally tougher than cheaper ABS (acrylonitrile butadiene styrene) shells, and it’s designed to flex under impact rather than crack.

In practice, mine didn’t live up to that. After a few uses, the shell had warped, it scuffed easily, and the case feels flimsy next to the Level8 and Away cases I much prefer to travel with. For a case that’s going in the hold, that’s the part that matters most.

What the warranty does and doesn’t cover

The Soundbox comes with a limited three-year global warranty, which isn’t unusual for a suitcase at this price.

It covers defects in materials and workmanship, and American Tourister decides whether to repair or replace the case. The exclusions are fairly broad, so I recommend reading them in full on American Tourister’s website before you buy.

I will say, though, that it excludes misuse, accidents, normal wear and tear and transport damage, with airlines named as the example. So if an airline damages your brand new suitcase through no fault of your own, the warranty won’t cover it. Annoying. And with a case that scuffs as easily as this one, expect most of the marks to count as normal wear and tear.

Don’t lose hope, though. Damage in transit is a claim for the airline: report it at the arrival airport, ideally before you leave the baggage hall. For anything the warranty does cover, take the case to an approved American Tourister service centre (rather than posting it to the brand) with your receipt or completed warranty card. You pay to get it there; if the claim is accepted, the repair or replacement and the return postage are covered.

Inside the Soundbox 67

The American Tourister Soundbox 67 has great interior details. The elastic cross straps, colour-matched to the shell, do an excellent job of keeping your packing flat, which is a struggle every frequent traveller knows.

Plus, the zipped compartments help to separate out smaller things like swimming costumes and small toiletry items.

Having said that, I must add that I was a bit let down by the interior lining.

Don’t get me wrong: this isn’t as expensive as some of its rivals, so you get what you pay for. But the lining does look a little cheap (then again, who’s going to see it?). On the plus side, American Tourister now makes it from at least 95% recycled PET.

The compartments themselves are nifty, though.

One half has a lined divider with its own zipped pocket, which is great for keeping loose items secure. The other half keeps your tops and jeans in place with its cross straps, and there’s a zipped apron pocket for extra storage.

Apart from keeping things tidy (and admit it, you do toss things in), what about when you need to bring more home than you set off with?

Well, there’s plenty of internal space for whatever you throw in it.

The case expands by 3cm to give you much-needed extra room. It may not sound like much, but it adds 9.5 litres to the volume. With a little strategic folding here and there, you can fit in a few extra pieces of clothing or the souvenirs you couldn’t resist.

The medium case strikes a good balance of space and portability on paper. It will cut into your baggage allowance, though: it weighs 3.7kg, which is more than many soft-shell cases, so keep that in mind when you pack.

Wheels that glide (and a handle to watch)

The wheels are the best thing about this case. You’ll feel like a kid wheeling it around on your journey.

All four double wheels spin 360 degrees and make no noise when you push the case in any direction.

With these four wheels, you’ll glide through the airport like an Olympic skater. It’s a welcome change from dragging the squeaky, stubborn wheels that nearly every traveller has come up against.

While the case is a dream on smooth surfaces, the handle felt a little wobbly out of the box. It hasn’t given me any trouble since, but it adds to the flimsy feel.

Award-winning design and a built-in TSA lock

This American Tourister luggage review wouldn’t be fair if I didn’t highlight the fabulous design.

The Soundbox range is a Red Dot Design Award winner, which is about as good a stamp of approval as a design can get.

That isn’t in the least bit surprising: the attention-grabbing concentric circles, inspired by vinyl records, don’t look like anything else on the carousel. The case also has a fixed, recessed TSA lock for extra security.

That means only you and airport security staff can unlock it. If US security officers (TSA) pick your bag for inspection, they can open a TSA-approved lock with their own key rather than cutting it off, which is what can happen to a case without one.

Soundbox sizes and specs compared

Now, I’m well aware that the focus of this review is the American Tourister Soundbox 67. But I’ve prepared a little something for those of you who may want a smaller or larger size.

There are currently four Soundbox suitcases to choose from. To help you compare them, I’ve compiled a table with the key specs for each size.

Size	Dimensions	Expanded	Volume	Weight	UK list price
Cabin (55cm)	55 x 40 x 20cm	55 x 40 x 23cm	35.5 to 41 litres	2.6kg	£155
Medium (67cm)	67 x 46.5 x 29cm	67 x 46.5 x 32cm	71.5 to 81 litres	3.7kg	£175
Large (77cm)	77 x 51.5 x 29.5cm	77 x 51.5 x 32.5cm	97 to 110 litres	4.2kg	£195
Extra large (80cm)	80 x 56 x 34cm	80 x 56 x 37cm	131 to 145 litres	4.6kg	£209

Every size has a 100% polypropylene shell, four double spinner wheels, a fixed three-digit TSA combination lock, top and side carry handles and a limited three-year global warranty. Colours vary by size, from 13 or 14 on the cabin and medium cases to just two on the extra large.

Can you buy the Soundbox in the US?

Not easily from the brand itself. The Soundbox is part of American Tourister’s European range: it’s sold on the UK and European American Tourister stores and through European retailers, but not on American Tourister’s US store, where it can only turn up through third-party sellers.

If you’re in the US and like the idea of a light polypropylene spinner, the closest thing on the US store is the Airconic range, which comes in carry-on, medium and large sizes. Just bear in mind that US carry-on limits are narrower than European ones, so check the dimensions against your airline before you buy.

What works and what doesn’t

What works

• A great choice of colours and sizes
• Easy to spot on the baggage carousel
• Clever interior details: straps to keep your packing flat and zipped compartments for smaller things
• Super-smooth wheels that make it really easy to get around with
• Cheaper upfront than Level8 or Away

What doesn’t

• Mine warped after a few uses
• It scuffs easily
• It feels flimsy, and there are better-value cases on the market
• The interior lining looks a little cheap (then again, who’s going to see it?)
• The handle felt a little wobbly out of the box
• The warranty doesn’t cover damage done by airlines or normal wear and tear
• At 3.7kg, the medium eats into your baggage allowance more than a soft-shell case would

Practical tips if you do buy a Soundbox

• If you’ve chosen a lighter colour and want to keep it looking new, consider a luggage cover for when you check it in. That said, cleaning the polypropylene shell is a breeze: when you get home, simply wipe it down with a cloth and warm, soapy water.
• If you don’t need the space of the medium case, I’d strongly suggest the smaller Soundbox 55. It’s small enough for the cabin on many European airlines (unexpanded) and, because it stays with you, it’s less likely to get scuffed in the hold.
• Set your own combination on the TSA lock as soon as the case arrives, following the instructions that come with it. To open it, roll the three dials to your combination.
• Weigh your case before you leave for the airport: on the 77cm and 80cm sizes, it’s easy to fill the space and end up over a 23kg allowance.

So, should you buy an American Tourister Soundbox?

My rating: 2/5

I’ve tried plenty of luggage in my time as a travel writer, and I really wanted to like the American Tourister Soundbox 67.

Its vibrant colours, smooth wheels and clever interior details all work in its favour. But I tested it on several trips, and after a few uses the shell had warped. It scuffed easily, it feels flimsy, and there are better-value cases on the market.

I much prefer my Level8 and Away cases, even though they’re more expensive. If you travel often and need a case you can rely on, I’d put your money towards one of those instead.

Read next

• Level8 luggage review: the perfect suitcase for your next trip?
• Away luggage review: is The Carry-On worth the hype?
• Best cabin luggage: rated and reviewed
• Away The Everywhere Bag review
• The best packing cubes: rated and reviewed

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