After 6 years with the same checked luggage, my Samsonite hard shell finally bit the dust with one of the wheels nearly falling apart and a crack on the shell after my most recent trip. Now I am looking for a checked luggage recommendations. Some of the brands I have seen mentioned are the Monos, Away, July, Travel Pro Maxlite, Briggs and Riley or are their any other suggestion I should take a look into?

I am still unsure whether or not I should go for another hard shell check luggage like the Trunk series from Monos, July or Away or should I get a soft-shelled one like the Travel Pro Maxlite 5.

Is their any reason to go one or the other and which size 25" or 29" and brands should I take a look into?

One of the main features I am looking for is either a top opening or something along the line 20/80 or 30/80 opening bags since I truly don't like the clamshell designs. It takes up so much space when fully opened and if it ever gets packed fully either side tend to get heavy so trying to open and close it can be an annoyance. I do not care about their lifetime warranty since I live in Panama and most lifetime warranty are not applicable to me.