Great case, it was exactly the size I needed, and I love the side lock system. I needed it for transporting medical equipment. It is not padded but the "hard' exterior is better suited for that than the soft-side cases.  It's too bad that the airlines ding them up because the color is really nice. Four stars because the handle slipped a bit and had to be pulled back up a couple of times, but that may just be the case that I received.