Choosing A Luggage Shell ABS PC Or PP

What the three materials actually do

ABS is the lowest-cost of the three moulded shells. It takes deep colour and surface texture well, which is why so many entry and mid-tier ranges are built on it. Its weakness is impact at low temperature, where it is more likely to crack than to flex.

PC flexes further before it marks and recovers better from a knock. That is what customers notice after a baggage belt, and it is why PC dominates the tier above ABS. It is also the shell that takes full-surface printing best.

PP sits slightly apart. It flexes more than either and is very hard to crack, but it does not hold fine surface detail or deep colour in the same way. It suits value retail, rental fleets and markets where handling is rough.

How to decide

Start from the landed price and the market, not from the material. Tell your supplier the shelf price you have to hit and the country the goods are going to, and ask for the same silhouette quoted in all three. The differences will be obvious in the quotation.

Then ask what happens on a repeat order. A shell that needs new tooling for every colourway is a different commercial proposition from one that only needs a new print file.

Questions worth asking your supplier

Can I have the same model in ABS, PC and PP so I can compare price and weight directly?

Which shell will hold my brand colour most predictably across repeat runs?

If I want to widen the range next season, does that need tooling or artwork?