Is a three-piece luggage set worth it? Thinking it through with the Safari Pentagon Pro

Luggage sets have a quiet trick. The price per bag looks great, so you buy three. Then the large one lives on top of the wardrobe for five years and only comes down for a wedding.

Before you look at wheels and shells, work out whether a set fits the way you actually travel. This Safari Pentagon Pro set is a useful example: a cabin bag, a medium and a large, all with hard polypropylene shells, eight wheels that turn 360 degrees, in Luxury Beige and several other colours.

Do you need all three sizes?

Think about your last year of travel:

• Weekend trips and work travel use a cabin bag.
• A week away, or a family holiday, usually means a medium checked bag.
• Long trips, moving cities or a big family wedding are when the large one earns its keep.

If two of those three describe your life, a set makes sense. If only one does, buy that one bag.

Also think about storage. Hard shells nest inside each other in many sets, which helps, but three suitcases still take up a cupboard.

For what it is worth, our editor and their family typically buy luggage as a set. Between family holidays, weekend trips and the odd wedding, all three sizes get used, the bags match on the belt, and buying them together usually works out kinder on the wallet than buying one at a time.

What the listing tells us

Polypropylene shells

Polypropylene is a common material for hard luggage. It is light and tends to flex under pressure rather than crack, which is what you want when bags are thrown around at the belt. It does scuff, like every hard shell.

Eight wheels instead of four

Eight wheels means four pairs of double wheels. The idea is a smoother, more stable glide, especially with a heavy bag on a long airport floor. The trade-off is more small parts. Wheels are the part of a suitcase most likely to break, so look at how they are attached in the photos and read recent reviews about them.

If you are torn between eight and four wheels, our note on the Safari Genius Alley set covers the four-wheel version.

The colours

This is where the set really shines. The vibrant choice of colours, Luxury Beige, Navy Blue, Cyan and Rose Gold, is just perfect: smart, a little bold, and easy to spot on the belt. On Amazon you can also choose Dusk Green and Dark Grey, so take a moment to go through the colour options on the listing before you buy.

One practical note: lighter shades like beige show scuffs and trolley marks more than the darker ones. If your bags take a beating, navy blue, dusk green or dark grey will hide the wear better.

What to check before you buy

1. Empty weight of each bag. Airline limits include the bag itself. A heavy large suitcase eats into your allowance before you pack a single shirt.
2. Cabin bag size. Compare the listed dimensions with your airline's cabin rules, especially on low-cost airlines.
3. Warranty. The title does not mention one, so look for it in the listing details.
4. Locks and zips. Check the lock type and how the zip looks in close-up photos.
5. Handles. The telescopic handle and side grips get used every trip. Wobbly handles are the most common complaint with any luggage.

A quick word on care

Wipe hard shells with a damp cloth after a trip, store the bags upright, and do not overstuff them so the zip strains. Small habits like these add years to a suitcase.

Our take

The Pentagon Pro set is a solid choice for a family that travels in more than one way and likes a matching look. Light shells, smooth eight-wheel movement and three sizes cover almost every trip.

But a set is only good value if all three bags travel. If your trips are mostly short, buy the cabin bag on its own and spend the difference on the trip itself.