This High-End Luxury Luggage Comes 'Pre-Dented' To Poke Fun At Rough Baggage Handling

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

Waiting for your luggage to come out onto the baggage carousel has to be one of most anxiety-inducing situations upon arrival in a new place. You might be gritting your teeth as you anticipate what shape your expensive suitcase will appear in. Will all the wheels and zippers be intact? Or will it be destroyed beyond recognition, its handle missing and the lock broken from an unnecessarily aggressive search? While there are certainly things you can do when an airline damages your luggage, it's not a great way to start a vacation. You may have even resorted to wrapping your suitcases in plastic at the airport to prevent any harm. But what if your luggage came "dented by design" — would that remove some of the stress in traveling? Well, that's exactly the question that founder Francesco Pavia aimed to answer with his brand, Crash Baggage.

Pavia was inspired by watching rough baggage handling at the airport. This got him thinking about why travelers worry so much about the condition of their luggage, when the very purpose of it is to act as a protective shell (and get banged up along the way). Pavia created his first prototype at home, heating up the exterior of a suitcase with a heat gun. Then, he began smashing the hot plastic, creating bumps and indentations in its surface. Before long, he had a product that not only looked unique but also sent a powerful message about the way we should be traveling.

Launched in 2013 in Venice, Crash Baggage produces high-end luxury luggage that comes "pre-dented". The company's motto is "Handle Without Care," and the idea behind it is that owners will be able to travel more freely when they're not constantly fretting about the state of their suitcases.

Crash Baggage luggage comes in five designs: Icon, Trunk, Lunar, Stripe, and Share. Icon is the company's original and most popular style, while Trunk is its largest model, for travelers who don't understand the meaning of "packing light." Each design is available in a variety of hues — for example, you'll find Stripe in black, olive green, yellow, purple, light blue, and gray — and has similar features. The exterior is made of a durable, 100% polycarbonate frame, while the interior comes with so many compartments and pockets that it should be on the list of the best hard-shell suitcases for easy packing. The handle can be adjusted to three heights, and the four double wheels swivel 360 degrees, gliding smoothly across most surfaces. It also contains a secure and simple locking mechanism — and yes, this luggage lock really is TSA-approved, meaning that North American airport personnel won't need to destroy your suitcase during a search. Additionally, the products come in different sizes to fit their many users' needs.

On the review site Thingtesting, one purchaser shared their experience with an Icon suitcase: "Absurd? Of course! But, also functional and just a wee bit delightful. I purchased mine in 2019 and it's an absolute pleasure to pack and then wheel from door to boarding gate. (Seriously, the wheels are a dream, even 5 years later!)"

As of this writing, the cabin-size Icon retails for $350 on Amazon, where it has a four-star rating. The medium model costs $395, while the large is $455. Prices are comparable but slightly higher on Crash Baggage's official online store, but keep an eye out for discounts on both platforms.