NEW Delsey Chatelet Review: Is This Hardside Luggage Worth It?

Delsey Luggage Review: The Delsey Chatelet 

Is Delsey a good luggage brand? Yes, Delsey Paris is one of the best, most well-respected luggage brands in the industry.  The company makes durable suitcases – the Delsey Chatelet is made from 100% polycarbonate material – and they are lightweight, high quality, and beautifully designed. 

I won my Delsey Chatelet 24” suitcase at a women’s travel conference. There were three grand prize suitcase giveaways at this conference, but the only suitcase that everyone had their eye on was the Delsey Chatelet. Why? It is an absolutely gorgeous piece of luggage. 

Because the Delsey Chatelet is such a stunning product, it actually puts the user in a bit of a predicament. The suitcase has many functional features, but it is also quite intimidating to use something so pretty.  

If I were to purchase a Delsey Chatelet suitcase, I would go with the carryon style as opposed to buying a checked bag for a couple of reasons. First off, I imagine it would get a lot less dinged up if I had it in my possession as opposed to handing it over to TSA.  Secondly, the bag oozes expensive taste; I prefer to check a more nondescript suitcase for safety reasons as opposed to bags that look like they cost a lot. I worry that people see a beautiful suitcase and wonder if the contents inside are equally as luxurious.

To its credit, the Delsey Chatelet does have an integrated TSA approved lock system on the side of the suitcase. This feature is extremely pragmatic and is much more efficient than having to purchase your own lock and then dragging it on the floor of the airport when you forget to align your zippers properly, and then forgetting where you put the lock in your hotel room on the day you’re headed home. You’ll create your own combination using three numbers and will unlock the Delsey luggage lock by inputing those numbers and sliding the unlock button with your finger. The spinner luggage also has zip SECURITECH for maximum security which sounds good and I am happy to have it but also not entirely sure if that makes any sort of significant difference. 

The Delsey Chatelet is more suited for a girl’s weekend or a romantic getaway — a one-city stay and not for a multi-city trip to Europe or a South American adventure trekking through Argentina and Chile. The carry on weighs 9.3 lbs which isn’t outrageously heavy, but isn’t as light as you would want for a more involved trip. 

Compare sales prices for the Delsey Chatalet on Amazon | Bloomingdales | Dillards | JCPenny

If you are looking for a practical luggage option for a Europe trip or equivalent, I recommend checking out the Travelpro MaxLite 5 softside case or the Away hardside suitcase.

Delsey Company History

DELSEY Paris is one of the world’s premier luggage brands. The company, originally called DELAHAYE, started selling leather camera cases and protective boxes for typewriters and phonographs in 1911. In 1946, DELAHAYE merged with another company SEYNHAEVE and combined the prefix of both company names to create DELSEY. It was in 1970 when DELSEY first created luggage with a hard shell and in 1972 when they first put wheels on the hard shell suitcases. Where is Delsey luggage made? Today, DELSEY headquarters are located in the Paris suburbs of Tremblay-en-France and is the world’s second largest luggage company, behind Samsonite. The Chatelet is named after the famous central district in Paris. 

Let’s take a look at the features of the Delsey Chatelet: 

There are two versions of the suitcase. The Hard + is the original version and the suitcase that I own whereas the Hard Air is the next generation. Most of the features remain the same, but the Hard + style is about two pounds heavier which means that the Hard Air is about 20% lighter. The Hard Air does not have the same break system lock like the Hard +.

Delsey Luggage: Chatelet Hard + Dimensions 

Delsey Chatelet Hard + Carry On

• OVERALL DIMENSIONS ( The case plus the handle and the wheels but not expanded)
  • 23.5 x 15.25 x 9.75 inches
• BODY DIMENSIONS (The size of the case/the area available for packing)
  • 20.25 x 14.25 x 9.5 inches
• WEIGHT
  • 9.3 lbs

24” Delsey Spinner Suitcase

• OVERALL DIMENSIONS 
  • 27 x 17.5 x 11.5 inches
• BODY DIMENSIONS 
  • 24 x 16.5 x 11 inches
• WEIGHT
  • 10.8 lbs

28” Delsey Spinner Suitcase

• OVERALL DIMENSIONS 
  • 30.25 x21 x 12.75 inches
• BODY DIMENSIONS 
  • 27.5 x 20 x 12.5 inches
• WEIGHT
  • 12.6 lbs

Delsey Luggage: Chatelet Hard Air Dimensions 

Delsey Chatelet Hard Air Carry On

• OVERALL DIMENSIONS ( The case plus the handle and the wheels but not expanded)
  • 22.5 x 15.25 x 10 inches
• BODY DIMENSIONS (The size of the case/the area available for packing)
  • 21 x 14 x 10 inches
• WEIGHT
  • 7.9 lbs

24” Delsey Spinner Suitcase

• OVERALL DIMENSIONS 
  • 27 x 17.25 x 11.25 inches
• BODY DIMENSIONS 
  • 23.75 x 16 x 11.25 inches
• WEIGHT
  • 9.3 lbs

28” Delsey Spinner Suitcase

• OVERALL DIMENSIONS 
  • 30.25 x 21.25 x 12.5 inches
• BODY DIMENSIONS 
  • 27.5 x 20 x 12.5 inches
• WEIGHT
  • 11.5 lbs

Material: Polycarbonate

The trim is made from a beautiful faux leather. 

Brake System Locks + Spinner Wheels

Spinner wheels are hugely important, but most new luggage is made with spinner wheels today so you aren’t getting anything exeedingly different than you would with any other modern style of suitcase. Delsey markets these particular spinner wheels as “silent running double spinner wheels.” The brake system is an interesting, and somewhat exciting perk — the brake locks the two front wheels of the luggage preventing the bag from drifting away — although I wouldn’t say that you will get a ton of usage from this particular feature.  Please keep in mind that the brake system is only available on the slightly older, Chatelet Hard + model that I have and not the slightly lighter, newer version, the Chatelet Hard Air. 

Removable Hanger + Laundry/Shoe Bags

One thing that really sets the quality of the Delsey Chatelet apart from other suitcases on the market is the interior of the suitcase. The fabric used for the interior feels incredibly luxurious and well-made. Not only is there a removable hanger and laundry/shoe bags stored in the interior, but the middle flap has a spot to zip up shoes or other items that you would want separated in the suitcase. I always look for two designated shoe pockets in the interior of suitcases when I am in the market for a new piece of luggage and the Delsey suitcase does a phenomenal job of offering multiple compartments and utilizing the space to its full capacity. 

One thing that I don’t like about hardside suitcases in particular is that they unzip in the middle. The case splits equally in two so you can pack both sides. I don’t like this method for two reasons. 1) the suitcase takes up much more area on the floor of a small hotel room than a piece of luggage that opens at the top does 2) I inevitably open the side that does not contain the item I am looking for no matter how organized I have tried to be. I go into more detail about the pros and cons of hardside and softside luggage in my Complete Europe Packing List: Here’s What to Pack for Europe post. 

 If you are looking for a hard-side case that doesn’t open up in the middle, I recommend checking out the suitcases from Tommy Bahama. 

Tracking Plate

I’ll be honest…I didn’t know this was a feature until I wrote this post. Apparently, you can register your bag on the Delsey website as each suitcase features a tracking plate should your luggage get lost. 

How to Clean Your Delsey Chatelet 

So I did check my 24” one time on a short trip to Arizona and I do have some inevitable damage from it. The cream color makes this particular piece of luggage especially delicate.  

The remedy that worked best was to to buff out the scuff marks using a Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. The scrapes, black marks, and smudges are still there but I would say that the eraser improved them by about 50%.

Delsey Chatelet Pricepoint

Both the Chatelet Hard + and Hard Air suitcases retail at $520 for the carryon, $600 for the 24”, $700 for the 28”, and $1220 for the carryon and 28” 2-piece set.  No, I don’t recommend that you pay full-price for them. You might be able to find the suitcases for as much as 50% off  and even 60% off the 2-piece set. Along with shopping direct, you will want to check prices on Amazon as well as department stores like Macy’s and Bloomingdales. I’ve even seen it on Nordstrom Rack. Speaking of Nordstrom Rack, they always have an excellent selection of luggage and the prices can be pretty incredible when they go on clearance. 

Compare sales prices for the Delsey Chatalet on Amazon | Bloomingdales | Dillards | JCPenny

The Delsey 10-Year Warranty

Yes, Delsey has a 10-year warranty and no, chances are this won’t help you if you have an issue with your suitcase. Just like many warranties on the market, you have almost a false sense of security. Read reviews of the Delsey Chatelet and you will hear people complaining about how the warranty didn’t cover their issue. You are probably better off reaching out to the airline about a problem with your luggage than you are to Delsey citing the warranty.

If you do think that your issue might be covered under Delsey’s warranty, you will need to send your suitcase to be evaluated at an Delsey Authorized Repair Center.

Have you purchased a Delsey hardside luggage? What has been your experience with the Delsey Paris brand? Give us your own Delsey Chatelet review in the comments below!