Morgan Scott
April 8, 2019
Learning Guide
Wenger vs Victorinox vs Swiss Gear – What’s the difference?
Morgan Scott
April 8, 2019
Learning Guide
If you are in the market for a work or travel backpack then you might have come across the brands Victorinox, Wenger and Swissgear. Chances are you might have even thought they were the same brand at some point.
You aren’t the only one.
In this guide we are going to break down each brand’s history and take a look at the differences in style, price, and warranties. We hope this comparison explains why the brands are so similar as well as helps you navigate the waters a little better when shopping for your next backpack.
The Story: A Long Intertwined Brand History
The story begins with two competing Swiss Army knife brands; Victorinox and Wenger. Both brands supplied the Swiss army with multi-purpose knives until Victorinox purchased Wenger in 2005, making Victorinox the sole supplier of Swiss Army knives moving forward.
2013 marked the year when Victorinox and Wenger merged their product lines to only offer knives under the Victorinox brand name. Wenger has since shifted its focus to offering watches, luggage, backpacks and bags while Victorinox continues to produce the iconic Swiss Army knives.
In 2014, Victorinox introduced a new business unit, Victorinox Travel Gear AG which specializes in developing and expanding the brand’s offerings in travel goods. Today you can find a wide variety of Victorinox luggage, backpacks and briefcases for both work and travel.
Now here are where the stories get a bit more entangled.
In North America, the licenses for Wenger and SwissGear brands are held by Group III International. Group III International is a brand house that specializes in product licensing, manufacturing and distribution in the travel and work gear space. In addition to growing their in-house brands, Group III International also specializes in private labeling.
The story continues with SwissGear and Wenger luggage and bags being manufactured and distributed by the same company. All the while Wenger is owned by Victorinox and is marketed as Victorinox’s affordable budget brand.
Not complicated at all, right?
Swiss gear vs Wenger vs Victorinox
In a nutshell, you will see a lot of similar branding between Wenger and SwissGear because they share the same manufacturer and distributer. Outside of the backpack and luggage space, you may also see Victorinox and Wenger paired together because both brands are owned by the same company.
Although all three brands have different product lines, you will see lots of similarities in how they are branded and marketed. This is where most of the confusion comes from.
BrandingSimilarities
The most obvious brand cross-pollination is in each label’s branding. Wenger and Swissgear both share the exact same Swiss flag logo while Victorinox features a different variation of the Swiss flag in the form of a shield.
When comparing Wenger vs Swiss Gear backpacks you will notice that the share the same branding logo. You will also see the name brands being interchanged or combined as in the case of “Swissgear by Wenger” or “Swissgear Wenger”
Backpack Styles: Victorinox vs Wenger vs Swiss Gear
Since the expansion of Victorinox Travel Gear AG, Victorinox prides themselves in offering cool and contemporary backpack and bag designs for travel, work and everyday carry. Their signature Almont collection is a great example of how Victorinox focuses on offering sophisticated styles with a contemporary edge.
Victorinox Vx Sport Cadet Laptop Backpack Black Logo, One Size
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Victorinox Altmont 3.0 Flapover Laptop Backpack, Navy/Black
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Wenger focuses on functional bag designs for travel, work and laptop carry. Their Synergy laptop backpack is their most popular style thanks to its rugged construction and useful organization. Wenger also does a great job at offering men’s and women’s business backpacks that are both stylish and professional.
When it comes to a true Wenger vs Victorinox style comparison, both brands offer completely different backpack styles with Wenger being the more budget friendly option while Victorinox focuses on new stylish urban designs.
Wenger Synergy Backpack, Gray (GA-7305-14F00)
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SwissGear Wenger Ibex Laptop Backpack
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Swissgear on the other hand offers backpacks and bags in a large variety of styles from travel and business bags to school and urban carry backpacks. The brand does a great job at responding to up-and-coming backpack trends by releasing their own similar designs. Their specialty however is in the travel bag space where Swissgear offers TSA-Friendly laptop bags like the popular SwissGear 1900 Scansmart backpack.
SwissGear 1900 Scansmart TSA Laptop Backpack – Black
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SwissGear
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Quality and Price Comparison
Wenger is marketed as a budget brand to Victorinox’s premium offerings so when it comes to pricing it should come as no surprise that Wenger bags and luggage are generally less expensive than Victorinox. Swissgear offers backpacks in a variety of prices while most land in the $50-100 range.
Despite their Swiss branding, none of the brands make their bags in Switzerland. You can expect the quality across the three brands to be very similar.
Warranty Comparison
Most Victorinox bags and luggage include their 1+10 Warranty which warranties the product for 11 years. Wenger bags and luggage are only backed by a 3 year warranty.
SwissGear offers a 3 year limited warranty on backpacks and business cases while their luggage and travel bags include a 5 year limited warranty.
Sources and Further Reading
Wenger (Wikipedia)
Victorinox (Wikipedia)
Victorinox Taking Over Travel Gear Ops from Licensee (InsideOutdoor)
Group III International (DotWeekly)
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FAQs
Is SwissGear and Wenger the same? ›
The company is owned by Wenger SA and its products are licensed in North America by Group III International Ltd. SwissGear also sells watches that are manufactured by Wenger and branded under the SwissGear name, known as "SwissGear Legacy Watches".
Are Victorinox and Wenger the same company? ›Founded in 1893, it was best known as one of two companies to manufacture Swiss Army knives. Based in Delémont, Wenger was acquired in 2005 by Victorinox and partially absorbed. Since 2013, Wenger Swiss Army knives are integrated in the Victorinox collection as the "Delémont collection". Wenger & Co.
Is Victorinox and SwissGear the same? ›In a nutshell, you will see a lot of similar branding between Wenger and SwissGear because they share the same manufacturer and distributer. Outside of the backpack and luggage space, you may also see Victorinox and Wenger paired together because both brands are owned by the same company.
What is the difference between SwissGear and Swiss military? ›The Swiss Army and Swiss Military watches are not the same. Swiss Army watches are a brand of watches produced by the Swiss company Victorinox, which is best known for its line of Swiss Army knives. Swiss Military watches, on the other hand, are a brand of watches produced by the Swiss company Hanowa.
Is Victorinox luggage a good brand? ›Victorinox. The same brand that makes premium Swiss Army knives and watches also makes high-quality luggage built to last. Victorinox luggage falls in the mid- to high-tier of pricing but its durability makes it a good value choice.
Is Victorinox a luxury brand? ›Victorinox has various collections of watches which range from luxury dress watches to rugged dive watches. They feature mechanical and quartz movements. Collections include Infantry, Divemaster, Airboss, I.N.O.X. The timepieces are produced in Switzerland.
Is Wenger made in China? ›In fact, the luggage was made in China. The Wenger cross therefore falsely created high expectations in terms of the Swiss quality and reliability of the luggage.
Is Victorinox made in China? ›The Victorinox knives are all made in Switzerland.
Is Swiss Wenger a good brand? ›The use of quality Swiss movements means Wenger manages to ensure accurate timekeeping with its watches with durable and reliable mechanisms. They opt for high scratch resistance materials like specially hardened mineral or sapphire crystal glass depending if you're looking at their affordable or higher end watches.
What are the two brands of Swiss Army Knife? ›The officer's knife, with a second blade and corkscrew, appeared in 1897. The knives continue to be supplied by two Swiss manufacturers, Victorinox (Elsener's firm) and Wenger, and both the military and civilian models bear the Swiss federal cross logo.
What are the two brands of Swiss Army knives? ›
Technically, the term "Swiss Army Knife" is a registered trademark that refers only to products manufactured by two Swiss-based brands, Victorinox and Wenger (Victorinox recently purchased Wenger, but some models bearing the Wenger name are still available).
What brand is the Original Swiss Army Knife? ›Victorinox – Maker of the Swiss Army Knife Since 1897
The original Swiss Army Knife, created by Karl Elsener in 1897, embodies the essence of Victorinox.
Today, Victorinox produces and sells unique, high quality products worldwide which are of practical use in differing areas of life: Swiss Army Knives, Cutlery, Watches, Travel Gear and Fragrances. The head office of the company is in Ibach, Schwyz, in the heart of Switzerland.