Why do suitcases have plastic wheels instead of, maybe, rubber tyres?

Question

Why do suitcases have plastic wheels instead of, maybe, rubber tyres?

In: Engineering

Answer 1

Rubber tires are great, but they’re more expensive and they wear quicker than plastic. Because the weight is fairly limited, and the kinds of terrain are fairly uniform, the plastic does the job and lasts a little bit longer than rubber might at a slightly reduced cost.