American Tourister Curio Review

If you want a pop of color in your travels, this is the perfect suitcase for you. It comes in a few very bright colors, and then there are also the classic black and white.

American Tourister is actually owned by Samsonite – one of the leaders of the luggage manufacturing market. So, you can expect their suitcases to be pretty high quality, just with a more affordable price tag – and that’s exactly what the Curio is.

But of course, you won’t buy the suitcase just because of its color – you want to buy it because of its awesome features. And I’m here to tell you all about the features of the Curio, so let’s begin!

Overview Of The Curio Collection

As always, the first thing we will look at is the basic specifications of this luggage. The Curio collection features three suitcases; the smallest one is a carry-on, and the other two would have to be checked at an airport.

What’s the first thing you noticed? The weight, right? Yeah, I was also surprised to see that the Curio luggage was this lightweight. Generally, 20″ suitcases weigh about 6-7 lbs, so this is really impressive. I like to say that every ounce counts – when we are talking about air travel. That’s because airlines have weight restrictions for both in-cabin and checked baggage, and going over those restrictions means paying extra.

The other thing you can see is the dimensions – it’s always good to have the actual dimensions of a suitcase with the wheels and everything. That’s the only way you can be sure an airline will accept your carry-on, and you won’t have to check it.

I would love to tell you the exact capacity of each suitcase, but sadly I can’t. It’s not listed on American Tourister’s website, or on Amazon. But I presume it’s not too different from other luggage of similar size.

And that’s it for now. It’s time to take a look at all the features that this luggage is equipped with, and whether they are the bomb or not.

Luggage Materials

The Curio is a hard side suitcase and its shell is made of polypropylene. That material is often used in luggage because it is really lightweight. It is one of the lightest plastics used in luggage, and you can definitely see that in the weight of these suitcases.

However, polypropylene is not as sturdy or durable as other materials, namely polycarbonate. But it is just as prone to scratches as polycarbonate is, and you might want to consider getting a suitcase cover.

The good thing about the Curio is that it has a ribbed shell, which really helps hide those scuffs. They won’t be as visible as they would be on a suitcase with a completely smooth shell, and your luggage will look as good as new for a while.

Double Spinner Wheels

This American Tourister suitcase is equipped with four double spinner wheels – but you would expect spinners from any self-respecting hardshell. Because they have two wheels, something Samsonite puts on their more expensive suitcases, you can expect them to roll very smoothly, and you shouldn’t experience any issues with them.

In general, a spinner wheel is a suitcase wheel that can turn 360 degrees. So, you don’t have to tilt your suitcase to get the wheels rolling and you can actually push it or pull it however you want. That also means that there won’t be any strain on your arm, since you are not dragging a ton of bricks behind you anymore.

An upside to these wheels is that they give you superb maneuverability of your luggage. A downside, on the other hand, is that they are pretty fragile and can easily break them if you don’t treat them right – basically, just avoid dragging your luggage up or down the stairs, or across extremely uneven terrain if you want them to last.

Handles Of The Curio

The wheel handle of this suitcase is a telescopic double-barrel handle. You can lock it into position when it’s stored and when it’s fully extended, but you can’t lock it into multiple height positions. That could be a problem who is rather tall or rather short since they won’t be able to adjust the height of the handle to suit them perfectly.

But you could always carry the suitcase in your hands – you know, preserve those wheels! It has two carry handles for that scenario, which match the color of the suitcase. Oh, and the top of the wheel handle matches the color of the shell and I really like that.

TSA Approved Lock

If you fly frequently, then you know how important it is to have a lock on your suitcase. Especially when looking at checked baggage – you DO NOT want someone else to be able to open up your suitcase. Not just because they could steal something, but because they could hide something illegal in your luggage, and then you would have to bear the consequences.

And if you frequently fly to and from the United States, then you are probably familiar with the TSA. You know, those friendly agents that are basically the reason why you have to get to the airport about a week before your flight.

Jokes aside, TSA agents can choose to randomly inspect your suitcase. If your luggage has a TSA-friendly lock, the agents can unlock easily, inspect the contents of the suitcase and then lock it back when they are done with it. And that is exactly the type of lock that the Curio is equipped it. It’s also a recessed three-digit combination lock, and you get to set up the combination yourself.

About The Packing Compartments

My favorite thing about hard shells, in general, is the two packing compartments. It’s just so much easier to organize your stuff when you don’t have to shove everything into one tiny compartment!

The Curio also has two; one compartment features a zippered divider with a pocket, and the other is equipped with elastic cross straps. And what I really like about the yellow suitcase, in particular, is that all the details inside match the color of the shell.

If you aren’t as impressed with that feature as I am, then just buy any other color. The matchy-matchy interior is characteristic only to the yellow luggage, and not the rest.

The bottom compartment of Curio also features a single zippered pocket, for any of your smaller items. It’s not a lot, in terms of organization, but it is better than nothing – like we saw on the Neopulse.

What We Don't Like

I told you what I loved about the suitcase, and now I’ll tell you exactly what I don’t like so much. Just keep in mind that I have very high standards when it comes to luggage, so I might be a bit more critical than you are.

• That there are no external pockets. I like to organize my clothes because I generally keep everything in my suitcase throughout my trips. And so I like to have pockets for my socks, underwear, and a few external ones for maybe a book or my giant inflatable unicorn. And we saw that Delsey loves to put external pockets on their luggage. However, this is a hard shell, so it’s not very common to find this on such suitcases.
• The phantom handle. The photos of the luggage on both Amazon and americantourister.com depict a side carry handle. But, when you check out the reviews, a lot of people complained that their suitcase didn’t come with that handle. I find that disappointing because I generally prefer the side handle when I actually have to pick up the suitcase since the weight is more evenly distributed that way.
• Protrusion of the wheel handle. But this is not just about this one suitcase, this is something I generally don’t like dealing with in hard side luggage. However, the fact is that double-barrel handles often protrude into the packing compartment and you have to pack around them. Be prepared for that.
• Polypropylene construction. I’m ambivalent on this one – on the one hand, I love that the luggage is so lightweight because it means you can pack more stuff in it. And I love what it does for the price of the Curio. But, I prefer as strong a piece of luggage as I can find. However, given the price, you have to make compromises, and this is one of them. But if you’re looking to get a carry-on, you won’t have to worry about this so much. 
• Capacity is not expandable. This isn’t that big a deal, but it’s something you should be aware of. And I find this confusing, since most photos of the luggage show two zippers to the main compartment. But then again, they also show that phantom handle.

American Tourister Curio: Thumbs Up Or Down?

For now, I would still give it a thumbs up.

I think that the upsides outweigh the downsides. Yes, there are quite a few things that I’m not a fan of, but there are more things that I really like about this collection from American Tourister. I love the spinner wheels, the TSA-friendly lock, and the double packing compartments. But most of all, I really like the attractive price tag.

Yes, this luggage is very affordable, and so I don’t expect it to be top-notch. It’s definitely not for people who fly very often, but for people who fly just several times a year, it will do just fine. And with Samsonite as the parent company, you just know that the luggage is going to perform really well.

And there you have it – all you need to know about the Curio suitcase. If you like it, head over to Amazon to get a great deal on it. If not, maybe check out what our favorite hardshell suitcases are – there is something for everyone’s price range.