Amazon Basics
20-Inch Hardside Spinner
About the product
A simple bag for those who prefer straightforward, durable luggage
The Amazon Basics 20-inch Hardside Spinner is almost everything you expect from a contemporary hard-shell cabin-sized suitcase, but at the fraction of the price of the competition.
While it isn’t the lightest, toughest, sleekest or most stylish hard-sided carry-on available, the BestReviews Testing Lab discovered it delivered plenty of value when we ran it through a gamut of tests, from rough handling to sticking it in the shower to going on an actual trip. Although it may not last as long as more premium suitcases, for a suitcase under $100, we think it’s a worthwhile purchase.
What is the Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner?
Product specifications
Dimensions: 13.58” W x 9.45” D x 20.87” H | Capacity: 23 L | Weight: 6.9 lb (tested) | Material: ABS | Expandable: Yes
The Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner is a hard-sided upright suitcase designed to fit within the carry-on limits of most major airlines. It has a textured scratch-resistant shell made of ABS plastic that didn’t even slightly dent after the rough treatment we put it through during testing. Featuring a clamshell design, the suitcase has two interior sections: one has a zippered divider that integrates two zip mesh pockets, while the other has elastic compression straps and a small zippered convenience pouch along the spine. It offers a 23-liter interior storage capacity and an expandable zipper that lets you increase capacity if needed.
The 20-Inch Hardside Spinner rolls on four double fully swiveling spinner wheels that moved smoothly and nimbly in our tests. It has a three-level telescoping handle, so you can adjust it to a comfortable height, plus two grip handles, one on the top and one on the side. It comes in four colors — black, dark blue, purple and orange — and is perfectly priced for those not looking to make a big investment on their luggage.
See how it compares to other products in its space — check out our reviews for the best suitcases.
Price and where to buy
The Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner typically sells for around $83 but is frequently discounted. It’s available directly from Amazon.
Why we like it
Expansion
The Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner has a wraparound baffle that, when unzipped, provides almost 1.5 inches of additional depth, ideal for return trips when you need to squeeze in souvenirs and other travel purchases.
Price
The 20-inch Hardside Spinner averages $80 to $85. This is at least $20 cheaper than the lowest-priced similarly sized suitcase from a leading luggage brand and nearly a third of the price of the top premium luggage brands. While it isn’t the lowest-priced bag in its class, it provides all the basics and stood up very well to our durability tests, making it a solid value.
Water resistance
The 20-Inch Hardside Spinner isn’t truly waterproof, but in our testing, it kept its contents almost completely dry. We left it under a running shower for 10 minutes, and after opening it we found only minimal dampness in its interior.
Durability
During our tests, the Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner withstood being dropped from heights of 3 and 6 feet and thrown down a flight of stairs, showing only minimal scratches and no dents on its ABS shell. Its wheels did show wear from being rolled on a city sidewalk, however.
What we don’t like
No TSA lock
There’s no lock or locking mechanism built into the Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner. If you want to secure its contents, you need to supply your own travel lock or padlock.
Minimal interior organization
Unlike some premium-priced hard-shell carry-ons, the Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner doesn’t include a compression system, packing cubes or laundry bags. All it has is a divider with two zip pockets, which didn’t appear to us to be of the best quality, plus standard interior straps and a small sundries pocket.
Wobbly handle
During our mobility testing we noted that the telescoping trolley handle, although at first stable, began to wobble over time when used to guide or pull the suitcase. We also noted a rattling noise during usage, which we grew to dislike.
Durability and build quality
The Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner has a shell made of reasonably durable and lightweight ABS plastic. We found that it held up well under our drop testing, including drops from 3 feet and 6 feet and a fall down a flight of stairs. This resulted in only minor scuffing and scratching of the Amazon Basics spinner’s shell, which has ridges to absorb impacts and a raised scratch-resistant texture. While ABS is less durable and won’t last as long as polycarbonate, a material used in other hard-shell suitcases, it performed well enough for us in our brief testing. Its waterproof shell successfully kept water out during our shower test, but a little moisture did come through the zipper and fabric baffle.
That said, we did have some minor concerns. The durability of the 2-inch plastic wheels was a little worrying to us during testing, as they were quickly scuffed and scratched by city streets and sidewalks. They may be best for smooth or carpeted interior surfaces like what you’d find inside an airport terminal. As for the extendable trolley handle made of aluminum with a plastic grip, it started out feeling stable, but we found it quickly became wobbly and loose in our hands, an issue mentioned in many user reviews. We didn’t feel it was the most secure element of this suitcase.
Design and features
The Amazon Basics 20-inch Hardside Spinner is designed to resemble its higher-priced competitors with its ribbed plastic shell and rounded corners. These ribs are concave rather than convex as seen in some brand-name competitors but add visual interest and help absorb impacts. The Hardside Spinner comes in four colors, which is a more limited selection than other competing carry-on bags, but includes colors like purple and orange that stand out on a luggage carousel if you ever need to check it.
The Hardside Spinner, true to its Basics branding, has basic functional features. Its lack of any kind of lock means you’ll need to supply your own if you want to secure its contents. It also lacks organizational features like packing cubes or multiple internal partitions; there’s only a zip partition with two mesh pockets we found somewhat disappointing in construction, and the interior fabric is polyester. Two elastic straps are all the compression you get. And the omnidirectional wheels simply have thin rubber strips on their otherwise plastic construction. We did find the top and side handles to be useful, and they can act as side bumpers for extra protection.
We were especially pleased by the expansion capabilities of the suitcase, and we used it to fit a week’s worth of clothes into its original 23-liter capacity. It’s important to note that its given depth of 9.5 inches is half an inch larger than the maximum 9 inches recommended by the TSA for carry-on luggage. This rule is not often strictly enforced but can be an issue on some airlines. Use the expansion zip to its full extent of 1.5 inches, and you might be asked to check the Hardside Spinner at the gate.
Maneuverability and travel convenience
We were pleased by the maneuverability of the Amazon Basics 20-inch Hardside Spinner. While we noted how easy it was to scuff the rubber layers on the wheels, the wheels themselves were both smooth and stable during our testing even over multiple types of terrain. The Hardside Spinner remained stable in sudden movements and sharp turns, and overall it remained responsive even when fully packed to a weight of 20 pounds. It was also easy and convenient to lift and carry the Hardside Spinner with its top and side handles, such as when loading it into an overhead bin.
Our biggest maneuverability concern was the trolley handle, which felt and sounded flimsy, and grew more wobbly as we tested it on city streets. We share concerns raised by others that this handle may not be very durable over time. Other user reviews note they couldn’t fit a second bag, such as a backpack with a pass-through sleeve, onto this handle.
How does it compare to other luggage we’ve tested?
We tested the $275 Away Carry-On, a premium hard-shell suitcase, along with the Amazon Basics Hardside Spinner. The Hardside Spinner had less interior organization and almost no compression, and its maneuverability and build quality was inferior. However, it matched up well to the Away bag with its scratch-resistance and offered, in our opinion, superior value to the expensive Away option.
Testing the Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner
We tested the Amazon Basics spinner on the streets of San Francisco. We rolled the fully packed suitcase on sidewalks and across streets up and down hills to measure its maneuverability and stability. This test also allowed us to evaluate the durability and fluidity of its wheels and the strength of its trolley handle. We also tested its wheels on interiors, including tile, carpet and hardwood.
We packed as many clothes as we could into the Hardside Spinner, managing ultimately to get a week’s worth of outfits into it with its expansion zipper.
To test the strength and durability of its hard shell, we dropped the Hardside Spinner from heights of 3 feet and 6 feet onto hard surfaces, as well as letting it tumble down a flight of stairs, after which we inspected it closely for scratches, dents and punctures.
Finally, we zipped up the suitcase and placed it under a running shower for 10 minutes, and then opened it to inspect for any signs of moisture.
Should you get the Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner?
If you’re looking for a hard-shell suitcase that fits most airlines’ overhead bins and you don’t want to spend over a hundred dollars for it, we think the Amazon Basics 20-inch Hardside Spinner is a good option. While its materials and features aren’t the best available, its reasonable durability and pleasing maneuverability make it a worthwhile value in a small hard-sided suitcase.