Luggage · Buying Guide
10 Reasons British Travellers Are Replacing Their £500 Polycarbonate Case With Aluminium
Most suitcases are designed to be thrown away. A wheel seizes, a zip splits, a handle jams, and the whole case goes in the bin because nobody sells the part. We built FORTE the other way round. Here is why people are switching.
"[REAL CUSTOMER QUOTE GOES HERE. Two sentences maximum, in their own words.]"
[First name, Surname initial] · Verified buyer, [Date]Aluminium vs polycarbonate, side by side
| FORTE | Typical polycarbonate case | |
|---|---|---|
| Shell | 5-series aluminium-magnesium alloy, riveted frame | Moulded plastic shell |
| Closure | Zipperless clamshell, dual TSA 007 locks | Zip, the most common failure point |
| When a wheel goes | Swap it yourself in about 30 seconds | Case is usually written off |
| Spare parts | Wheels, handles and locks sold separately | Rarely available to the customer |
| Marks over time | Patina. The finish is the material | Cracks and scuffs in the coating |
| Warranty | Lifetime frame warranty | Typically 2 to 10 years |
Same money, two completely different ideas about what a suitcase is for.
Security
There is no zip to open
A zip can be opened with a ballpoint pen and pressed shut again, leaving no sign anyone was in there. FORTE has no zip. The case is a riveted aluminium clamshell that closes on two TSA 007 combination latches. To get inside it you need the combination or a TSA master key.
Repairability
The wheels come off in about 30 seconds
Press the red switch, pull the release lever, the wheel is out. No tools, no hex key, no workshop. A new set of 360 wheels is £44.99 and fits in a jacket pocket. On most cases at this price a single seized wheel ends the life of the whole case.
Parts
Every wearing part is something you can buy
Wheels, handles and locks are all replaceable at home. Wheels and locks need no tools. Handles take a Phillips screwdriver and a few minutes. This was designed in from the first case we shipped, not bolted on afterwards, which is why the parts actually fit.
Material
Aluminium-magnesium alloy, not plastic
The shell is anodised 5-series aluminium-magnesium alloy on a riveted frame. It holds its shape under load instead of flexing, and it does not go brittle with age or UV the way a plastic shell does. The Cabin weighs 4.5kg empty, which is normal for a metal case and the price of a shell that lasts.
Interior
Compression on one side, privacy on the other
The clamshell opens flat into two halves that do different jobs. One side has compression straps to hold a packed stack still. The other has a full zipped compartment for the things you would rather not unpack in front of a room. It stops the pile-collapse you get in a single-cavity case.
What you get today
Free Protective Cover with every suitcase
The tailored Protective Cover normally sells for £29.99. It goes over the shell for hold flights and takes the belt rash so the aluminium does not have to. Right now it is included with every FORTE case.
- Free UK delivery
- 30 day returns
- Lifetime frame warranty
- Protective Cover included, worth £29.99
The honest bit
Yes, aluminium marks. That is the point
This is the objection we hear most, so here it is straight. An aluminium case will pick up marks. Belt scuffs, corner knocks, the odd scratch from a carousel. They do not weaken anything and they do not spread, because the finish is the metal itself rather than a coating sitting on top of plastic.
After a few years the case looks like it has been somewhere. Some people love that. If you do not, the Protective Cover keeps the shell close to new. Either way, a marked FORTE still works. A cracked shell does not.
Sizing
Sized against real airline limits, and it shrinks
Cabin is 55 x 36 x 20cm and 36 litres. Check-In is 67 x 43.7 x 24cm and 62 litres. Check-In XL is 77 x 53.5 x 29cm and 97 litres.
Because the wheels are removable, the Cabin drops to 50cm tall with them off. That is a genuinely useful trick when a gate agent is measuring, and it is only possible because the wheels were designed to come off in the first place.
Longevity
The cheapest case is the one you do not replace
A £150 case replaced every three years costs more over a decade than one case and a set of wheels. That is the whole argument for buying properly once. It is also the only sustainability claim we will make, because it is the one we can actually stand behind: a case that stays in use is a case that is not in landfill.
Risk
Lifetime frame warranty
The frame is covered for life. If the structure of the case fails, we deal with it. Wearing parts are treated separately, because wheels and handles are consumables by design and we would rather sell you a £44.99 wheel set than a whole new case.
You also get 30 days to send it back. Pack it, live with it, take it somewhere. If it is not for you, return it.
Three sizes · Three finishes
Pick your case
What owners say
Common questions
The Cabin is 55 x 36 x 20cm, which meets the standard European carry-on allowance. Take the wheels off and it drops to 50cm. Always check your specific airline, since budget carriers vary.
Red switch, release lever, wheel out. About 30 seconds and no tools. Handles are a Phillips screwdriver job and take a few minutes.
Yes, over time. The marks are cosmetic and do not affect how the case works. The Protective Cover keeps the shell close to new if you would rather it stayed that way.
Slightly. The Cabin is 4.5kg empty. That is the trade for a shell that holds its shape and does not go brittle.
The frame, for life. Wearing parts such as wheels, handles and locks are sold separately as replacements, which is how the case is designed to be kept going.
30 days, in resalable condition. Full terms on the returns page.
FORTE TRVL is a trading name of Remote Nomads Ltd. Prices correct at the time of publishing and include VAT. Comparison figures refer to typical polycarbonate cases in a similar price bracket and are not specific to any named brand. Lifetime frame warranty applies to the frame of the case; wearing parts including wheels, handles and locks are available separately. Airline size allowances vary, please check with your carrier.