I would like to have given this suitcase 4.5 stars. I really like it overall - especially because you can put it on a luggage rack and just open the lid. Much, much better than the clamshell style. It is lightweight, smooth zippers, the handle is long enough for a tall person, and the wheels seem good. I used it for a road trip and it slid around a little in the bed of a pickup truck, yet the outside did not scratch.
There are two things that, if changed, would make it deserving of more than 5 stars: 1) It would be helpful to have a grab handle on the bottom. 2) More importantly, when pulling your computer bag off the extendable handle, the sleeve snags on the "overhang" part of the plastic handle that you pull the suitcase with. Because of this, you need two hands to pull your computer bag off - the second hand is needed to spread open the sleeve on your computer bag so it clears that overhang.
All in all, it's a very nice product.

I love the easiness of rolling a hard side but absolutely hate the book opening style. Takes up too much room and stuff flops around. I'd always wondered why they couldn't make a standard opening for hardsides - and Hanke did it!
This thing rolls like butter even when crammed full and a full tote bag sitting on top. It's slightly bigger than a regular softside so it holds a lot (especially with packing cubes). It's been on several flights and has held up great, not a scratch so far.
I cannot love this suitcase more and wish I'd found it sooner!

I wanted to wait until we had a major trip before writing a review. We completed a 22-day trip overseas and this luggage handled spectacularly. Here is a breakdown of what we wanted, and how it performed:

Hard shell that won't crack or dent- I literally tripped trying to get both mine and my wife's suitcases onto a shinkansen (bullet train) and drove my knee with 190 pounds behind it right into the the center of one suitcase. Nothing. No damage at all.

Wheels that move and don't break- Japan has yellow raised textures on the sidewalks for the visually impaired throughout the cities, it can can play merry havoc with suitcase wheels. These wheels danced right over them and always stayed on track. On smooth surfaces the suitcases felt like they were floating. Side note: Put the suitcase on its side when on a train or hill, if you cannot hold on to it, the suitcase will take off on you!

Zipper: So far, so good. Easy to use, didn't get stuck, and didn't come open.

Lock and zipper pull-tabs: the built in lock is nice, but I know just how rough airlines are, almost all of my past suitcases have had zipper tabs ripped off. I used a suitcase cover to ensure these were protected. I wish the company had a little bump-out on either side of the zipper lock so that the zipper pulls would be better protected, but we had no issues.

FRONT OPENING!!: This was a really big deal for us. We wanted hard shell, but I hate the clam-shell designs that are everywhere. Hanke got it! It worked perfectly. So happy with how this functioned. We had a Delsey, front opening suitcase, and the zipper really could not handle the corners, just not a good design. The zippers failed too quickly, which was a shame, because otherwise Delsey makes a good bag.

Handle: So comfortable and easy to adjust. I like a recessed button so that I am not constantly changing the handle height accidentally (looking at you Samsonite).

Size: We got the 26-inch and thought it was overkill, but we wanted a slightly larger checked bag because there is no option to expand this suitcase. We left for Japan with half-empty bags, and they were packed when we came home. It was relaxing not worrying about organizing and space for the return, we just shoved everything in, and still came in under weight. Again, it was a longer trip, and we picked up some nice ceramics on our travels (nothing broke on the way home, the hard-shell did its job!) but maybe a smaller one for week-long trips.

Hard-shell and color: Let's face it, white is going to show everything, but I'd rather be able to pick my suitcase out at luggage return and the suitcase covers not only protected the zipper pulls, but kept the scuff marks off the luggage. The luggage was strong! Very strong.

Overall: I have to say, with a few domestic trips, and its first international under its belt, these suitcases have proven to be the best we have had in ages. At this price-point, I have not had anything perform as well- and I have gone through a few! I have been so frustrated with wheels that don't track, handles that break, zippers that fail, or soft-shells that look like box cutters were taken to them during loading.
Let's put it this way, even if the wheels had broken off, I would buy this suitcase again. We brutalized the luggage this trip, and it took it all. I fully expected something to break at some point, just the fact that it didn't has made me a fan.

I was not sure if this suitcase would stand up to the rigors of airline travel because I have had numerous other brand suitcases damaged over the years! This suitcase delivered! It really took a beating-some of it I witnessed!. The body did not scratch and the wheels held up well! I purchased the 26inch it was the perfect size for a two week trip. I LOVE the zipper top opening instead of the clamshell like other hard suit cases-really makes it so much easier to open and close! I will never buy another clamshell opening case again! I plan on purchasing a smaller version of this case for weekend travel!

Ok so I've traveled with this a few times now, and I have mainly great things to say:
-very smooth to roll
-on the lighter side means more weight for your stuff before you hit the max allowed for checked baggage
-LOVE that it doesn't open clamshell style and that the lid has straps to keep it from flopping back so it feels very tidy
-even though there's no expander, the lid isn't super rigid, you can still stuff a lot in there and get it closed with a little bit of bulge (maybe not so great for your stuff, though...)
-looks attractive at a reasonable price point
-use a Mr Clean magic eraser to keep looking like new, doesn't hold dirt the way fabric suitcases do
-LOVE the zipper lock. Didn't know I needed that.

I have only one concern: it did fall out of my car and one of the corners got dented in. I tried to push it back out to no avail. It doesn't seem to have affected the structural integrity but, you know, now there's a dent in one corner of my otherwise beautiful suitcase. Not sure what would have saved it, maybe a plastic guard on those top corners?
I also agree with someone who wrote elsewhere that they wished there was a bottom handle by the wheels. Maybe that would have kept me from dropping it when I was trying to get it into my car...

Nevertheless, I love my suitcase and I feel very smart and stylish romping around with it :-) Would recommend to a friend!