When shopping for new luggage, it’s best to purchase the best suitcase or set that you can. However, because luggage is expensive, it’s so easy to be tempted by the price of a set of bargain luggage.

Some people who don’t travel frequently have bought bargain luggage — not to be confused with quality luggage bought on sale or online at a good price — and have no problems. However, you get what you pay for, as the saying goes. Poor quality luggage can be an imminent disaster during your next trip.

If you fly a lot, you are probably familiar with stories of baggage handling and the treatment your luggage goes through. You possibly even have a couple of stories of your own about suitcases being returned to you damaged. Although any piece of luggage runs the risk of damage at the airport, cheap luggage is even more susceptible to it.

Low quality hardside luggage can end up returning to you with cracks and holes in it. A polyester case rips and frays easier than its more expensive ballistic nylon counterpart. A broken zipper can end up with personal items falling out into the street or in the terminal. Broken straps and handles make your luggage more difficult to carry around. Sometimes, it’s worth spending a little more money for something more durable that will not be a source of stress while you travel.

Watch out for designer luggage as well. Though at the other end of the price spectrum from bargain brands, designer brands are often made similarly to them, with only a label or signature pattern as the major difference. It’s best to look for luggage priced in the middle range — not as expensive as designer luggage, but not as cheap as bargain luggage.

So when going out to buy new luggage, don’t be swayed by the low prices of poor quality luggage. Instead, invest in luggage that will hold together for not only this trip, but for many trips in the future. You’ll save both time and money, since you won’t need to replace your luggage every few trips.