Frequent travelers tend to obsess over luggage—especially when weight limits, durability, and design all matter. While searching for the “perfect” bag, it’s not unusual to encounter unusual concepts. But few are as visually unexpected as luggage that arrives pre-dented by design.
But today I think I hit a luggage design where no luggage has purposefully gone before. Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you — pre-dented luggage!
Made by Crash Baggage, the design is made by founder Francesco Pavia.
Why Crash Baggage looks the way it does
Because it’s supposed to. The dents aren’t damage — they’re the design.
The idea behind pre-dented luggage
Crash Baggage explains it like this:
Francesco Pavia, our founder, was watching suitcases being tossed around like balls, and overheard two travelers panicking about the state of their luggage.
That’s when it hit him (and luckily not his bag): why are we so worried about something that’s meant to get banged up anyway?
So Francesco did what any reasonable person would do: he went home, heated up his suitcase with a heat gun and started smashing it. Just to see how it’d look.
Spoiler: it looked awesome.
That was the beginning of Crash Baggage — Venice, 2013.
A brand built around a simple idea: take the stress out of travel by embracing the dents before they happen.
Because when you stop worrying about scratches, you start living more freely. You try new things. You miss a train and discover a new city. You get lost — and it’s the best part of the trip.
Sizes, features and pricing
The bags have a 100% polycarbonate shock-resistant frame, four 360° spinner wheels, TSA locks, and come in three sizes:
- Cabin: 21.6″ x 15.8″ x 8.6″, 6.6 lbs. (price ranges from $355.63 to $416.29)
- Medium: 26.8″ x 17.7″ x 10.2″, 8.5 pounds (price ranges from $404.40 to $463.87)
- Large: 31.1″ x 19.6″ x 11.8″, 9.9 pounds (prices range from mid-$400s to the low-$500s)
They describe the bags as having an interior with various pockets and versatile compartments.
And if you don’t want to be stuck with a black bag, they’ve got over a dozen different colors to choose from.
What reviews — good and bad
Because we haven’t used Crash Baggage ourselves, we looked at reviews from multiple platforms to get a broader sense of how the luggage performs over time.
Amazon
The bags are sold on Amazon, and apparently have 27 ratings, with a 4/5 average rating.
5 star
- The size one was purchased over 6 years ago and still looks new. (Feb, 2024)
- The price certainly isn’t cute, and it doesn’t have that much capacity… but there’s no other carrying case this cute. (Sept. 2024 – translated from Japanese)
- Super fast!! excellent condition!! (Oct., 2023)
4 star
- Everything very well except inside zip to change the zip (June, 2021 – translated from French)
3 star
No Amazon reviews
2 star
- Love the color and size but the quality is not great. The handle doesn’t lock in place. (March, 2022)
- After several overseas trips there were cracks in the carry-on; design is good but durability concerns. (July, 2023 – translated from Japanese)
1 star
- My suitcase cracked after a few uses… cracks are not covered under warranty. (July, 2025)
Someone was looking for luggage 2 years ago and was contemplating a Monos Pro vs Crash baggage. One reply was:
I’ve had Crash Baggage in several sizes since 2013 and they’re still in great condition despite heavy use. One thing to note: because of the dents and branding, airport handlers may toss them around more than usual.
Our take on it
The concept behind Crash Baggage is undeniably clever, and the range of colors and designs will appeal to travelers who want something different. That said, the mixed reviews—especially those mentioning cracks, handle issues, and durability—raise valid concerns given the price point. If you’re paying $400–$500, you’re in the same range as Monos / Away / etc., so durability complaints matter more. For travelers who prioritize function over form, this may be a case where the design is more compelling than the long-term performance.
Pre-dented luggage is certainly one way to remove the stress of the first scratch. Whether that tradeoff is worth the cost and potential durability concerns will depend on how—and how often—you travel.
Photos/screenshots: CrashBaggage.com and public product listings.
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