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How CarryScore Scores Luggage
Methodology · Published June 2026
Editorial Disclaimer: Scores on CarryScore represent editorial opinion based on publicly available product data (brand websites, Amazon.in, Flipkart) and are not objective measurements. We aim to be transparent and consistent, but scores should be used as a starting point for your research — not as a definitive verdict. All factual claims (weight, warranty, materials) are sourced from official brand product pages and may change over time.
How Scoring Works
Every product on CarryScore is evaluated across 5 dimensions, each scored 0–10. Scores are computed programmatically from structured product data — there is no manual override or subjective editorial star-rating. A product's final score depends on the use case profile selected: the same bag can rank differently for "Budget" vs. "Durability" because the weights assigned to each dimension shift based on what matters for that trip type.
Scores are relative, not absolute. A Value for Money score of 8 means the product is priced significantly below its category peers — not that it's an "8 out of 10" in absolute quality. A Portability score of 9.5 means the bag is 25%+ lighter than the average bag of its size and shell type.
Scores are computed from live data at page load. When a price changes, the Value for Money score updates automatically on the next cache refresh — typically within 5 minutes on the live site.
The 5 Scoring Dimensions
Each dimension is designed to be independently measurable from structured product data, without relying on subjective judgments:
💰
Value for Money
Discount % from MRP
Price vs category average
🔩
Build Quality
Shell type (Hard/Soft)
Material (PC, PP, ABS, Nylon)
Warranty years
Water resistance
✈️
Travel Ready
Wheel count (4 vs 8 spinner)
Expandable
Laptop sleeve
Compartments
🪶
Portability
Weight vs category average
Cabin size bonus
⚙️
Features
Laptop sleeve
Expandable
Spinner wheels
Compartments
Lock type
Score Thresholds & Point Breakdown
Each dimension accumulates points based on a product's specs. Points are capped at 10. Here is exactly what earns points in each dimension:
💰 Value for Money
| Condition | Points added |
|---|
| Discount ≥ 50% from MRP | 7.0 base |
| Discount ≥ 35% | 5.5 base |
| Discount ≥ 20% | 4.0 base |
| Discount ≥ 10% | 2.5 base |
| Discount > 0% | 1.5 base |
| Price >35% below category average | +3.0 |
| Price >20% below category average | +2.0 |
| Price >8% below category average | +1.0 |
| Price >10% above category average | −0.5 |
| Price >25% above category average | −1.5 |
🔩 Build Quality
| Condition | Points added |
|---|
| Hard shell | +3.5 |
| Soft shell | +1.0 |
| Polycarbonate (PC) material | +2.0 |
| Polypropylene (PP) material | +1.5 |
| ABS material | +1.0 |
| Warranty ≥ 5 years | +4.0 |
| Warranty ≥ 3 years | +3.0 |
| Warranty ≥ 2 years | +2.0 |
| Warranty ≥ 1 year | +1.0 |
| Water resistant | +1.5 |
✈️ Travel Ready
| Condition | Points added |
|---|
| 8 spinner wheels | +5.0 |
| 4 wheels | +3.5 |
| Any wheels (>0) | +1.5 |
| Expandable | +2.5 |
| Laptop sleeve | +1.5 |
| 3+ compartments | +1.0 |
| 2 compartments | +0.5 |
🪶 Portability
| Weight vs category average | Score |
|---|
| More than 25% lighter than avg | 9.5 |
| 12–25% lighter than avg | 8.0 |
| 3–12% lighter than avg | 6.5 |
| Within ±3% of avg | 5.0 |
| Heavier than avg | 3.0 |
| Cabin size (bonus) | +0.5 |
⚙️ Features
| Condition | Points added |
|---|
| Laptop sleeve | +3.5 |
| Expandable | +2.0 |
| 3+ compartments | +2.0 |
| 2 compartments | +1.0 |
| 8 spinner wheels | +1.5 |
| Lock included | +0.5 |
TSA Approved status is shown on product pages for reference but is not factored into any dimension score. TSA locks are primarily relevant for flights to the United States and are not a reliable quality signal for domestic Indian travel.
Use Case Profiles & Weights
When you select a use case in the Compare section, the 5 dimension scores are combined using different weightings. This reflects what actually matters for that trip context. The weights always sum to 100%.
| Use Case |
💰 Value |
🔩 Build |
✈️ Travel |
🪶 Portability |
⚙️ Features |
| ⭐ Overall |
25% | 20% | 25% | 15% | 15% |
| 💼 Business Travel |
15% | 20% | 30% | 20% | 15% |
| 🏖️ Weekend Getaway |
25% | 15% | 20% | 30% | 10% |
| 👨👩👧 Family Trip |
20% | 20% | 15% | 15% | 30% |
| 💰 Budget Pick |
45% | 15% | 15% | 15% | 10% |
| 🛡️ Durability First |
10% | 50% | 10% | 15% | 15% |
Why the weights differ
- Business Travel prioritises Travel Readiness (smooth 8-spinner wheels, laptop sleeve, expandability) and Portability (you're carrying this into cabins, not checking it). Value matters less because reliability justifies a premium at this use case.
- Weekend Getaway flips Portability to the top — the whole point is a light, grab-and-go bag you don't have to think about. Value matters too since weekend bags are usually secondary purchases.
- Family Trip weights Features highest — multiple compartments, a laptop pouch, expandability, all the organisational features that matter when packing for several people.
- Budget Pick is almost entirely Value-driven (45%). Build and other dimensions are weighted minimally — a Budget score tells you who gives the most bag per rupee, not who has the best warranty.
- Durability First puts half the weight on Build Quality — shell type, material, and warranty are everything here. Price barely matters if the bag lasts a decade.
The same product can rank #1 in one use case and rank #4 in another. That's by design — it's not a flaw in the score, it's the point. A ₹7,000 ABS hard-shell with a 1-year warranty might be the top Budget Pick, but score poorly on Durability First.
Data Sources
All product data is sourced from publicly available information. No brand relationship or sponsorship influences any score.
- Prices & discounts — sourced from brand direct stores (e.g. mokobara.com, safari-bags.com, american-tourister.in), Amazon.in, and Flipkart. Prices reflect the listed price at the time of the most recent scrape. MRP is taken from the brand's own listing.
- Specs: weight, material, warranty, dimensions — sourced from official brand product pages. Where a spec is not listed on the product page, the field is left blank and does not count against the score.
- Ratings & review counts — pulled from Amazon.in and Flipkart product listings.
- Category averages — computed from all products in the same peer group (size + shell + wheel configuration). For example, the average price for "Hard Cabin" bags is used as the benchmark for Value for Money scores within that group.
If you notice a factual error — wrong weight listed, wrong warranty year, incorrect material — please use the feedback option on the product page. We aim to fix spec errors within 48 hours.
How We Frame Lower Scores
CarryScore never labels a product or brand as "bad." A low score on one dimension tells you what trade-off you're making — not that the product is low quality overall. When a product scores lower than its peers, we describe why in factual, verifiable terms.
Some examples of how we frame this:
- Not "bad value" → "priced above the Hard Cabin category average; scored lower on Value for Money for this peer group"
- Not "poor build" → "1-year warranty; most Hard Shell bags in this price range carry 3–5 year warranties"
- Not "heavy" → "0.4 kg above the average weight for Hard Cabin bags; scored lower on Portability"
- Not "outdated" → "4-wheel inline spinner; 8-spinner wheels are now standard at this price point"
A budget soft-shell cabin bag will naturally score lower on Build Quality than a premium polycarbonate option — but may score higher on Value and Portability. The right bag depends on your priorities, which is exactly what use cases are designed to surface.
Update Frequency
- Prices & discounts — updated multiple times daily via automated scraping
- Ratings & review counts — updated periodically
- Product specs — updated when new products are added or when specs change on brand pages
- Scoring algorithm — any methodology change is documented here with the date of change