Category rating — not an assessment of any specific brand
This rating covers a typical, mass-market
travel accessories product based on publicly available data.
It does not name or assess any specific manufacturer or product.
Individual products may perform better or worse.
Learn about verified ratings →
Below HIP Mark threshold
Score 2.6/10 — Standard mark requires 6.0
Standard
Silver
Gold
Category best achievable: 7.0
Depleting — materials are being used up with no way to replace them
This is what a typical luggage & suitcase looks like today. It's built to last longer than the typical one. If the maker shares their data, the score usually goes up.
Category baseline
2.6 HIP
Below Standard
Category ceiling: 7.0 HIP
Regenerative Index
-7.0
Depleting
Category ceiling RI: -3.0
What this score means
This is the starting score for Luggage & Suitcases, based only on public data. No maker has sent us
their own data yet. The ceiling score (shown below) is what a product can reach when the maker
shares real evidence. To close the gap, makers apply for a verified rating.
Make this product? You can raise this score.
The starting score for this category is 2.6 HIP.
With full evidence, a product in this category can reach 7.0 HIP.
Our first verified product scored 6.9 and earned the HIP Mark.
Share your product data and we score what you can prove.
Apply for verified assessment
What to Check Before You Buy
- Confirm the wheels are sold as spare parts. Wheels are the first failure point and the most common reason functioning luggage is discarded; a wheel set should cost under £20.
- Check the handle mechanism (telescopic rod) is serviceable. The handle is the second most common failure; for premium luggage, a confirmed repair pathway is a basic expectation.
- Look for polycarbonate or aluminium shell over ABS plastic. Polycarbonate is more impact-resistant and flexible; ABS is lighter but brittle under repeated stress. Aluminium is the most durable.
- Check the zip is YKK or equivalent rated for a minimum cycle count. The zip is a cheap component and a common early failure; a rated YKK zip outlasts a cheap alternative by years.
Score Breakdown
How rare are the materials?
MSI · 20%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product contains zinc alloy, which is designated as a critical raw material by the EU, and relies on virgin plastics with zero recycled content. The absence of submitted data for extraction origins and material percentages necessitates a conservative assessment assuming potential supply concentration risks. This combination of critical material usage and lack of recycled content places the product in the scarce category.
Where do the materials come from?
SCR · 18%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product is assembled in China, a primary source for luggage materials like steel, aluminum, and plastics, which presents concentration risk. No due-diligence programme or alternative suppliers are documented, and the single supplier structure limits resilience against supply disruptions.
Can it be recycled?
RC · 18%
2.0
Why this score ▸
The product is classified as luggage with no submitted take-back scheme or recycling labels, and disassembly is assumed to be glued, preventing practical material separation. Only an estimated 20% of the weight enters practical recycling streams, with the majority of composite materials and plastics remaining unrecovered in standard infrastructure.
Can you fix it?
R · 13%
1.0
Why this score ▸
The product is a sealed luggage item with glued fasteners and no available spare parts or service manual. It falls within the unrepairable category typical of fashion accessories and disposable goods designed for replacement rather than repair.
Is it made fairly?
SEI · 8%
3.5
Why this score ▸
The product is manufactured in China, a jurisdiction with elevated labour risk profiles, and no third-party audits or environmental certifications were submitted. The absence of verified evidence such as RBA audits, ISO 14001, or B Corp certification places the score at the pre-verification baseline for this category.
How long will it last?
PL · 8%
4.0
Why this score ▸
The product has a 2-year warranty and an estimated design life of 5 years based on luggage category norms. It lacks an IP rating and modular design features, placing it at the upper end of the typical mass-market lifespan range.
Does it give back to nature?
RI · 15% · scale −10 to +10
-7.0
Why this score ▸
The product is scored in the Depleting band (-7) because primary materials are assumed to be conventionally mined with zero recycled content and no take-back scheme. This does not meet the Extractive band criteria which requires substantial recycled content or a verified take-back programme. The absence of bio-based renewable materials or certifications prevents eligibility for the Renewable band.
MSI 20% · SCR 18% · RC 18% · R 13% · SEI 8% · PL 8% · RI 15% = 100%
About the HIP Methodology ▸
Starting scores are low on purpose. We only count what we can confirm from public data,
so most products sit between 2 and 4 out of 10 before a maker shares their own evidence.
That gap between the starting score and what a product could reach is the whole point.
When a maker proves what their product is really made of, the score goes up.
The HIP Mark shows it has been checked.
Read the full methodology →
Consumer Summary
This luggage item has a HIP Score of 2.6 out of 10, which aligns with the current market baseline for this category. Its Regenerative Index is -7.0, indicating that the product relies heavily on virgin materials and lacks a system for returning or recycling the item after use. Overall, the design prioritizes standard manufacturing over circularity, with limited options for repair or end-of-life recovery.
What This Means For You
When shopping for luggage, look for brands that offer clear take-back programs or repair services to extend the product's life. Prioritize items made with recycled content and those designed for easy disassembly to support a more circular economy. Avoid products that are permanently sealed or lack any information on how to recycle them once they reach the end of their useful life.
Data Transparency
This is a category rating based on publicly available data. The following data fields were not submitted by a manufacturer and have been estimated conservatively using open reference data and the category default assumptions table v0.1 (provisional — sources pending full citation):
material_percentagescountry_of_primary_extractionprimary_sourcing_countriestier1_supplier_countdue_diligence_standardalternative_supplier_existsdisassembly_typerecyclable_streams_pctrecycling_label_compliantdesign_for_disassemblyfastener_typespare_parts_availablespare_parts_years_committedservice_manual_publicifixit_scoreecodesign_in_scopemanufacturing_countriesenvironmental_certificationsthird_party_certificationrba_audit_completedmodern_slavery_statementilo_compliance_claimedip_ratingmodular_designsoftware_support_yearsprimary_material_originregenerative_certificationsclosed_loop_programmeend_of_life_programmematerial_origin_certifiedregenerative_practices
A verified rating uses manufacturer-submitted data and produces a more accurate, product-specific score.
Material Watch Points
- Recycled content 0% — below 20% threshold
- Single primary supplier with no documented alternative
- No due-diligence programme documented
- Assembly in China presents concentration risk for steel and aluminum
How this score was calculated
The HIP Score is a weighted average of seven dimensions measuring material
resilience, supply chain integrity, and end-of-life characteristics.
| Code |
Dimension |
Weight |
Score |
| MSI |
Material Scarcity Index |
0.20 |
3.5 / 10 |
| SCR |
Supply Chain Risk |
0.18 |
3.5 / 10 |
| RC |
Recyclability and Circularity |
0.18 |
2.0 / 10 |
| R |
Repairability |
0.13 |
1.0 / 10 |
| SEI |
Social and Environmental Impact |
0.08 |
3.5 / 10 |
| PL |
Product Longevity |
0.08 |
4.0 / 10 |
| RI |
Regenerative Index |
0.15 |
-7.0 (raw) |
Regenerative Index note: RI scores on a unique scale of -10 to +10.
Before weighting, the raw score is normalised: RI normalised = (RI raw + 10) / 2.
This product's RI band is Depleting.
Weighted HIP Score: 2.6 / 10
· Methodology v1.5
Base weights shown. Some product types use category-specific weight profiles —
see full methodology for details.
Read the full methodology →
Data Sources
This rating draws on the following public sources:
USGS Mineral Resources Program (public domain) · EU Critical Raw Materials List 2023 (CC BY 4.0) · World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators (CC BY 4.0) · Category default assumptions table v0.1 (provisional — sources pending full citation)
All sources are public domain or published under open data licences.
Full source list →
About this rating:
HIP scores are based on public data at the date shown.
They show how well a product holds up over time — not a promise about safety or future supply.
Resourcehip is not liable for choices made based on these ratings.
Scope:
This is a category rating for Luggage & Suitcases and does not assess any specific brand or manufacturer.
Individual products may perform better or worse than this baseline.
Produced under Resourcehip Scoring Methodology 1.5 (CC BY-NC 4.0).
AI disclosure:
An AI model scored this rating on our own hardware — no data was sent to the cloud.
A human reviewer checked and approved it before it went live.
Model: qwen3.5:35b.
AI transparency notice →
Not financial or investment advice.
Ratings are for consumer information only.
Dispute this rating · Our methodology · All ratings
Assessed: 2026-06-17 · Next review: 2027-06-02 · Methodology 1.5
