new travel luggage reviews

American Tourister

Briggs & riley, bric's, luggage faqs, the 11 best luggage brands of 2024, tested by experts.

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The best suitcases let you roll through the airport quickly and confidently, with assurance that your items are well-protected and sturdily organized within.

We selected our picks for the best luggage brands based on years of hands-on testing by several travel editors who regularly take up to 50 flights a year. Since the size of luggage you'll need will depend on your specific travel plans, we focused on the best brands rather than specific pieces. Our top picks are known for making sturdy and reliable luggage, with smart extras to make packing and traveling a breeze. 

Read on for our top choices for the best luggage brands at various price points to consider. If you're specifically looking for hand-luggage, check out our guide to the best carry-on bags . 

Our top picks for the best luggage brands

Shop all luggage at Samsonite

When it comes to value, Samsonite makes excellent luggage at some of the best prices, which is why we named it our top overall pick for the best carry-on . Samsonite offers numerous options for roller bags, including both hard-side and soft-side carry-ons and checked luggage, as well as wheeled underseat bags and even roller duffels. 

Samsonite also sells several two- and three-piece sets if you want to pair small, medium, and large roller bags together. In addition to traditional roller luggage, Samsonite also offers classic backpacks, wheeled backpacks, duffels, briefcases, wallets, dop kits, and more. There are even some cool wheeled garment bags that can fit under your seat and will fit far more than your typical folding or hanging garment bag. I've owned a Samsonite bag for over three years now and it's held up incredibly well.

You can read our full Samsonite Centric Carry-On review for more info.

Worth a look:

Shop all luggage at Away

Away has multiple options for roller luggage, including hard-sided, expandable, and aluminum. Bags are available in both neutral hues and bright, eye-catching colors.

Away's stand-out feature used to be the removable battery pack for charging your electronics on the go, which was previously available as an add-on to its carry-on bags. While the brand retired that feature, we still think its bags have thoughtful extras like in-bag compression, built-in TSA-approved locks, and a removable washable lining. 

In addition to roller bags, the brand also a range of other bags and travel accessories, including backpacks, duffels, pet carriers, totes, packing cubes, and more. I've personally owned Away luggage for years and can attest to its durability and practicality. 

Read our full Away luggage review and Away Carry-On review for more.

Shop all luggage at Travelpro

Travelpro mostly makes soft-side luggage and rightfully earned its spot as our top pick for the best soft-sided carry-on . I personally love the clear attention to detail that comes with a Travelpro bag, from the whisper-quiet spinner wheels to the tear-resistant material and sturdy buckles.

In addition to rolling luggage, Travelpro has options for underseat bags (rolling and not), toiletry bags, backpacks, foldable duffels, garment bags (which often come included with a carry-on), luggage tags, laptop bags, and more.

Read our full Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On review for more.

Shop all luggage at Monos

Monos is a newer start-up that doesn't have as many suitcase options as the other luggage brands on our list, but it's worth mentioning since it's one of the best suitcases on the market with a hard front pocket that gives you an easy place to safely store laptops and extras. Monos suitcases are durable, come in an array of colors, and are well-priced. Plus, all of the luggage comes with a 100-day trial period and a limited lifetime warranty. The same brand also makes some of our favorite durable packing cubes .

Currently, Monos has two sizes of carry-on that either come with a front pocket or not depending on your preferences, plus a medium-sized roller bag and a checked luggage option. Monos also make a backpack, duffel, and folio kit.

You can read our full Monos luggage review for more.

Shop all luggage at American Tourister

Many of American Tourister's carry-ons start under $100, and while they may not last you a lifetime, they certainly won't break down anytime soon either. The hard-sided bags are made from a sturdy ABS material, and the spinner wheels aren't quite as high-end as premium options but still easily roll on most surfaces. While these suitcases don't come with tons of extras (be aware that some don't come with built-in TSA locks), the interiors are still thoughtfully designed for easy packing. 

American Tourister has numerous roller bag options in varying sizes, including both hard-sided and soft-sided suitcases. There is also a line of Disney luggage that kids especially might love. While there are also some nice wheeled underseat bags, American Tourister hasn't branched out much from classic roller bags, so you'll want to look elsewhere if a duffel or weekender bag is more your aim.

Shop all luggage at Rimowa

When it comes to high-end luggage, Rimowa is a consistent standout that uses premium materials to create long-lasting and recognizable pieces. Its ribbed aluminum luggage, which comes in every color from simple silver to a cherry red, is particularly popular — though it will cost you upwards of $1,000. However, thanks to heavy-duty construction that still manages to be lightweight, the rollers might be worth it if budget isn't an issue for you.

For a slightly more cost-effective (though still pricey) option, I particularly love the Essential Lite collection, which I named the best high-end hard-side carry-on thanks to the fact that it's incredibly durable but weighs less than five pounds. Unfortunately, if you're a fan of soft-sided suitcases, Rimowa is not the brand for you, and there aren't as many accessories available as some other brands. 

Read our full Rimowa Essential Lite carry-on review .

Shop all luggage at Briggs & Riley

We named Briggs & Riley our top pick for the best high-end soft-side carry-on. I particularly like the super-smart interior features that truly elevate these suitcases, from a special CX compression-expansion system that increases packing capacity by 25%, to making sure the adjustable handle is entirely on the outside of the bag so no packing room is lost to the poles. These suitcases are certainly investment pieces, but they're built to last and also come with a lifetime warranty.

While I find the soft-sided bags to be some of Briggs & Riley's best options, there are also some nice hard-sided carry-ons and checked bags for those who prefer to go that route. In addition to roller bags, Briggs & Riley also makes backpacks, duffels, weekends, laptop bags, and travel accessories of all types, including packing cubes, bag ID tags, laundry bags, and more.

Shop all luggage at Bric's

Bric's is probably best known for its high-end Bellagio collection of luggage, both recognizable and revered for its durable, but ultra-light polycarbonate exterior with leather trim that gives it a nostalgic trunk feel. It's the little details that set this Italian brand apart, including Hinomoto wheels, matching interior linings, and premium zippers. That's why you've likely seen a luxury travel guru wheeling this bag through the airport, or, if you're an eagle-eyed "Schitt's Creek" fan, may have caught Alexis Rose using this collection to pack up her belongings. 

However, for those not ready to spend $600 on a carry-on, Bric's also has several more affordable suitcases in both hard-sided and soft-sided options. The Capri collection features striking exterior detailing in a wide range of colors at a mid-tier price point, while B/Y Zeus will appear to soft-sided fans.

The brand also has a sale section where you can sometimes score premium collections that typically start at $650 or more for under $200. 

Read our full Bric's Capri luggage review .     

Shop all luggage at Tumi

Like Rimowa, Tumi luggage pieces are an investment. But they're a worthy one since these suitcases will likely last you years, if not decades. With numerous options of all sizes for both hard-sided and soft-sided suitcases, Tumi has bags to suit just about all tastes. 

Its well-thought-out suitcases include premium spinner wheels, heavy-duty zippers, scratch- and tear-resistant exteriors, and well-designed interiors that help travelers maximize every last inch of space. In addition to roller luggage, Tumi is also well known for its premium totes and briefcases, and also makes travel wallets, backpacks, duffels, care kits, travel umbrellas, and more. 

Shop all luggage at Victorinox

Victorinox luggage falls in the mid- to high-tier of pricing but its durability makes it a good value choice. The brand also frequently has luggage on sale during big shopping holidays when you can score suitcases for less. As you might expect from a Swiss Army company, the interiors of most suitcases are also thoughtfully designed to maximize packing space. 

Victorinox offers both hard-sided and soft-sided roller bags of numerous sizes including classic carry-ons, checked bags, medium-sized suitcases, and smaller wheeled underseat bags that can fit laptops and accessories. Beyond roller bags, Victorinox also offers briefcases, duffels, backpacks, totes, toiletry kits, garment bags, and more.

Shop all luggage at Delsey

If you like the look of Bric's cream suitcases with leather trim, you may also want to consider Delsey's Chatelet line of hard-sided luggage. While these suitcases start around the same price as Bric's, they can be found on sale more frequently, often for half the price. Delsey's Titanium suitcases are also a fan-favorite option since they are ultra-lightweight but incredibly durable. 

Delsey has numerous options for roller bags for domestic and international travel in both hard-sided and soft-sided variations (though more hard-sided), as well as several luggage sets. It even has an eco-friendly line of laptop bags and duffels using recycled materials.  

Is hard-sided or soft-sided luggage better?

There are pros and cons to each. In general, hard-sided luggage offers more protection for your belongings than soft-sided luggage.

For checked bags, you're best bet is hard-sided luggage, since it can withstand tough handling and having other items stacked on top. Soft-sided luggage may be a good option if you want more flexibility, since fabric-made suitcases have a lot more give. Soft-sided pieces are a good option for carry-ons because they can flex and compress to fit into tight overhead bins.  

What size luggage should I buy?

We think it's best to start with a carry-on size, since it offers the most flexibility, whether you want to keep it in the cabin or check it. Most US airlines cap carry-on size at 22 inches long, 14 inches wide and 9 inches high, including handles and wheels.

When it comes to buying a checked bag, you'll want something between 25 and 29 inches long. Airlines typically charge a fixed fee for checked bags up to a certain weight, so it may be tempting to think a bigger suitcase is always better. However, bigger pieces of luggage come with more weight of their own, don't protect your items well when they're underpacked, and encourage overpacking, which can lead to higher baggage fees (or the dreaded airport floor repacking). 

You can purchase logo and accolade licensing to this story here . Disclosure: Written and researched by the Insider Reviews team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we may get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our partners. We may receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at [email protected] .

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Condé Nast Traveler’s Luggage Week 2023: The Essential Guide to Suitcases and Bags

By CNT Editors

All products featured on Condé Nast Traveler are independently selected by our editors. However, when you buy something through our retail links, we may earn an affiliate commission.

Wherever you're headed—be it a bucket list trip across the globe or a lowkey staycation in your own city—you're going to need luggage. Minimalists and overpackers alike need durable and easy-to-carry suitcases and bags to safely transport clothes, travel accessories , and any souvenirs picked up along the way. As travel editors, we have high expectations for our gear—requiring that reliable, long-lasting bags accompany us on every journey.

This often sparks debate among our team: What is the best luggage for travelers? Who are the top brands in the industry? Checked bags or carry-ons? Soft-sided or hard-shell? To help us hone in on the absolute best luggage to recommend to our readers, we decided to put the most talked-about checked suitcases, carry-ons, weekenders, and backpacks from best-selling travel brands to the test. More than a dozen Condé Nast Traveler editors and contributors spent months testing out luggage to determine the best of the best. We packed these bags to the brim, lifted them into overhead bins, rolled them down cobblestone streets, and inspected every bump and scuff they endured. With this, we bring you our first-ever Luggage Week: An honest review of the best checked suitcases, carry-ons, weekenders, and backpacks in the biz.

The testing process:

Over a dozen editors and contributors tested a variety of suitcases, backpacks, and duffels over a period of several months (and in some cases, several years), taking them for a spin as much as possible. These bags have gone on planes, trains, and buses, taking weekend trips to upstate New York and coming onboard for 10-day European cruises . We considered how heavy each bag is when empty, how much it can hold, how well it holds up or shows wear and tear, and how well-designed it is (looks matter, sometimes). And while some travelers are willing to splurge on a luxe piece of luggage, we know that's not always necessary to find great-quality bags that are built to last. Our favorite pieces vary in price, from budget-friendly Amazon finds to designer luggage you'll travel with for a lifetime.

After traveling with each bag, we carefully reviewed each one, keeping this criteria in mind while also identifying standout features to whittle down which ones are worthy of a spot in our Luggage Week lineup.

Below, the tried-and-true bags we highly recommend—well-made and absolutely-worth-it pieces we're taking on our next big adventure (and you should, too). —Meaghan Kenny

Luggage Week table of contents

Checked luggage, carry-on suitcases, hard-shell suitcases, soft-sided bags, kids luggage, travel experts' favorite brands.

• The best of Béis
• The best of Calpak
• The best of Away

The essentials

Checked bags are a staple for longer trips (anywhere from 10 to 14 days) and for anyone who wants or needs more room in their suitcase.

Read more →

Shown in safari green

Shown in shadow lavender

Shown in beige

Carry-ons are arguably the piece of luggage travelers pull out most often—these are the ones we turn to time and time again.

Shown in red

Shown in scout tan

Shown in nutria

Our favorite duffels, expandable totes, and garment bags to take on overnighters or use as a personal item.

Shown in oatmeal

Shown in black

Whether you're hopping on a bike , trekking across rugged terrain, sightseeing, shopping, or jetting off to a business meeting , the best travel backpacks give you the freedom to explore hands-free.

The great debate: hard-shell or soft-sided?

Hard-shell cases that will last for years to come, from trunks to lightweight spinners.

They may not be as popular these days, but they sure can fit a lot.

More luggage to consider

The bags frequent travelers trust for their little ones.

We've found our favorites, but we also wanted to know which luggage brands industry experts swear by.

Our favorites from Béis

This relative newcomer has turned out tons of stellar pieces, from its weekender bag to water bottle slings and suitcases.

Our favorites from Calpak

Calpak designs durable and practical luggage for frequent travelers—here are our editors' most-used pieces.

Our favorites from Away

Mixing durability, dependability, and style, Away changed the way we look at packing.

Still not sure?

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• Suitcases + Duffel Bags

The 11 Best Luggage Sets of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

For more efficient traveling, invest in a stylish and functional luggage set.

In This Article

• Our Top Picks
• Others We Liked

Our Testing Process

• Tips For Buying
• Why Trust T+L

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

When it comes to luggage, the most important thing is a high-quality, reliable design. But to many travelers, aesthetics are a close second. Just like an outfit, it's nice when your baggage looks cohesive and intentional. Plus, a matching set is useful when traveling with your family or partner and any time you need to bring more than one bag.

So, what are the best luggage sets? That depends on your needs, preferences, and taste. To help you narrow it down, we tested over 450 pieces of luggage in our lab using our specially-made airplane set as well as in the real world. We packed up the suitcases, spun them around, rolled them over various surfaces, hoisted them into overhead bins, pushed them off tables, and whacked them with a metal baseball bat to see how they'd perform in a real-life setting. The winners here not only performed well in our tests, but are also available as part of a set. Check out our favorite luggage pieces that are available as matching sets below.

Best Overall

Samsonite hardside spinner.

• Capacity 5 /5
• Design 5 /5
• Maneuverability 5 /5
• Durability 5 /5

This two-piece suitcase set is lightweight, spacious, and super easy to maneuver.

The suitcases don't have laundry bags or smart features.

After trying 14 pieces of Samsonite luggage, we're big fans of the brand — particularly the Freeform line. This two-piece set includes the Freeform Carry-on (21-inch), plus the matching Checked Spinner (28-inch), both of which expand. The smaller size earned perfect scores in all our tests, thanks to its lightweight and compact yet spacious design. We didn't even need to use the expander to fit everything on our packing list . Though there's no removable laundry bag, these suitcases have various pockets within the main compartments and separators for dirty shoes. The high-strength thermoplastic exterior stood up well to our durability tests. After hitting it with a baseball bat and shoving it off a table, we observed no dents, scratches, or scuffs. It seems water-resistant and easy to wipe clean, too.

The suitcase we tested was a breeze to maneuver, gliding effortlessly on hard flooring, carpet, and even gravel. We also love the minimalist-modern appeal of the Freeform collection and appreciate the many styles and chic color options. All things considered, this luggage set is very reasonably priced, and the brand's 10-year warranty can give you peace of mind about your purchase.

The Details: 2 pieces (21-inch and 28-inch) | Hardside | 4 spinner wheels | Expandable

People / Tamara Staples

Best Overall, Runner-up

Away luggage set.

• Capacity 4.5 /5
• Design 4.6 /5
• Maneuverability 4.5 /5
• Durability 4 /5

Away offers discounted two- or three-piece suitcase sets and backs them with a limited lifetime warranty.

The price of this luggage set varies based on your selections.

Away gives you the option to build a set of two or three bags, with a discount of $50 or $100, respectively. We were generally impressed with the pieces we tested , particularly the brand's suitcases. The Large checked suitcase and The Carry-on both earned perfect scores thanks to spacious yet compact designs and enhanced durability. The hardside exteriors of the Bigger Carry-on Flex and Large Flex checked bag sustained zero dents from our bat swings, though we noticed a few scratches after pushing them off a table.

With dual compartments, expanders, compression systems, and dirty laundry bags, these suitcases make it easy to pack and stay organized. They're also a breeze to roll, thanks to the 360-degree spinner wheels. Away isn't the most affordable luggage, but the bundle-and-save deal is definitely worth considering. Plus, the brand has a generous 100-day return window and a lifetime warranty.

The Details: 2–3 pieces (21.7-inch or 22.7-inch, 26-inch, and/or 29-inch) | Hardside | 4 spinner wheels | Expandable | Smart

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Best Trunk Set

July trunk set.

We love the glossy exterior of these stylish matching trunks.

These trunks tend to acquire black scuffs, but in our experience, you can wipe them off easily.

These compact trunks are slightly smaller than other travel trunks , but for those who prefer this shape to traditional suitcases, the July Trunk Set is a great option. Both bags are sufficiently spacious and fit our entire packing lists, although we did need to do some strategic arranging in order to easily close the trunks. We do love that each trunk is designed with two durable clips to latch them closed as opposed to zippers, and each latch is built with a TSA-compliant lock right into the device.

Like much of July's luggage , these trunks are both extremely portable as they're relatively light. But that doesn't mean they're flimsy — the glazed polycarbonate shells are durable and only sustained minor dents after we hit each trunk with a bat multiple times. During long-term testing, we noticed that these trunks tend to scuff easily, but it's not hard to remove the marks by wiping them off. Plus, the interior nylon lining is water-resistant and stain-proof, enhancing the sets' longevity.

The Details: 2 pieces (21.7-inch and 28.25-inch) | Hardside | 4 spinner wheels

Best Budget

Amazon basics hardside spinner.

• Design 4 /5
• Value 4.7 /5

Amazon's luggage sets are not just affordable, they’re also durable with unexpectedly large capacities.

The suitcases don't have TSA locks or USB ports.

Amazon Basics makes our favorite budget-friendly luggage, and you can save even more by buying it in sets of two or three. We were pleasantly surprised by the hardside spinner suitcases we tested. While we would have appreciated a few more pockets, we had no problem fitting everything on our list without the expanders, which increase the capacities by 15 percent.

Not only that, but the thick thermoplastic shells took our bat swings and shoves like a champ — no dents or scratches to speak of. Though rolling over the gravel wasn't the smoothest, these suitcases were easy to maneuver as well. They don't have USB ports or TSA locks, and the color options are somewhat limited. But considering the agreeable price point and three-year warranty, this is a pretty sweet deal for a luggage set.

The Details: 2-3 pieces (21-inch, 26-inch, and/or 30-inch) | Hardside | 4 spinner wheels | Expandable

Travel + Leisure / Vicky Wasik

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Best Expandable

Travelpro hardside luggage set.

• Capacity 4.9 /5
• Design 4.5 /5
• Durability 4.8 /5
• Value 4.8 /5

Backed by a lifetime warranty, these smooth-rolling suitcases are notably spacious with built-in expanders.

You won't save money by purchasing the luggage as a set.

All of the Travelpro luggage models we tested earned high ratings, but the Platinum Elite hardside collection might be our favorite. This two-piece set includes a matching carry-on and checked bag, each with spacious, expandable capacities. You can also add matching bags like the underseat duffel or rolling garment bag for a more complete set that fits every travel occasion. We could fit every last item on our list with room to spare, and the expanders add another two inches to the depth. The various pockets, zipper panels, and cross straps help with packing, too.

While we noticed a couple of superficial marks after whacking and shoving the suitcases, they didn't dent or scratch. The carry-on rolled a little better on two wheels than four, but otherwise, the Platinum Elite line is very easy to maneuver. Another thing to note is that buying the suitcases as a set isn't actually more affordable than purchasing them separately. Still, we think the price is fair and appreciate the 100-day return policy and lifetime warranty.

The Details: 2 pieces (23-inch and 30-inch) | Hardside | 4 spinner wheels | Expandable | Smart

Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples

Most Durable

Delsey paris 2-piece luggage set.

• Maneuverability 4.2 /5
• Durability 4.3 /5

These suitcases have glossy exteriors in your choice of jewel tones, and they don't scuff.

The carry-on isn't as smooth on all four wheels, and the handle feels somewhat flimsy.

We like the stylish and functional design of Delsey's Helium Aero collection. The jewel-toned suitcases will be easy to spot on a baggage carousel, and they won't show up scuffed or damaged. After hitting the bags multiple times with baseball bats, they showed no signs of damage — a sure indicator that they will survive all of your long-haul flights. This glossy hardside luggage set comes with a compact carry-on and a checked spinner suitcase . We didn't need the expanders to fit everything on our packing lists, but since there aren't many interior pockets, you might want to use packing cubes . 

These lightweight suitcases are generally easy to maneuver and turn on a dime. However, the carry-on was slightly rickety on all four wheels, and we thought the handle felt a little flimsy. This luggage brand is one of the most affordable we tried, and you'll save even more by buying a set. Helium Aero suitcases are also backed by a 10-year warranty.

The Details: 2-3 pieces (21-inch, 25-inch, and/or 29-inch) | Hardside | 4 spinner wheels | Expandable

Best Lightweight

Kenneth cole reaction hardside spinner suitcase set.

These bags both have spacious two-compartment interiors while remaining lightweight.

The hard shells are prone to minor scuffs.

If you tend to overpack , lightweight luggage can help balance out your load. The Kenneth Cole Out of Bounds two-piece set comes with a 5.7-pound carry-on and a 9.6-pound checked suitcase. While they look small, the two-compartment interiors are surprisingly spacious. After packing the checked suitcase with enough stuff to get through a week-long trip, the spinner wheels still turned sharply and moved smoothly on hard floors and carpet.

The sleek yet rugged hardside exterior survived drops and bat hits during testing, sustaining only minor scuffs. These lightweight, durable, and stylish suitcases are an excellent value as is, but you'll save even more by buying them as a bundle. Plus, Kenneth Cole backs the set with a 10-year warranty.

The Details: 2 pieces (20-inch and 28-inch) | Hardside | 4 spinner wheels

Coolife Spinner Trolley Suitcase Set

• Capacity 4 /5
• Maneuverability 4 /5

Coolife Spinner Trolleys have strong yet flexible hard shells that resist dents, scratches, and scuffs.

They are not expandable.

Durability is essential for luggage, and Coolife doesn't disappoint. While this isn't the least expensive set on our list, the brand's two-piece Spinner Trolley Set includes a sizable checked suitcase and a carry-on that prove durable and long-lasting. These suitcases are made of ABS+PC (acrylonitrile butadiene and polycarbonate), a super-strong thermoplastic blend. After whacking the carry-on with a bat and shoving it off multiple surfaces, there was no visible damage.

These suitcases aren't expandable. However, the slightly flexible hardside exterior and stretchy cross bands made it easy to stuff in everything on our packing list in organized compartments. And the bags have TSA locks for an extra layer of protection. The four-wheel design is a piece of cake to maneuver, too, though it doesn't roll as smoothly on two wheels. Though Coolife's two-year warranty is relatively short, we wouldn't be surprised if this luggage set lasted several years. Considering the affordable price, you'll get plenty of bang for your buck.

Best Eco-friendly

Paravel aviator set.

• Design 4.9 /5

These durable, carbon-neutral suitcases are made of recycled materials and aircraft-grade aluminum.

We wish each side of the suitcase was a bit deeper to fit bulkier items.

Looking for eco-friendly luggage? Paravel is your best bet. Not only are these some of the most elegant suitcases out there, the brand is also dedicated to keeping its suitcases carbon-neutral , the brand offsets emissions at every point, from sourcing and assembly to shipping and delivery. We tried the Aviator Carry-on Plus and Grand Checked models, which are made of recycled materials and exceptionally durable aircraft-grade aluminum.

Though they don't expand, we loved the spacious compartments, dividers, pockets, compression panels, and removable laundry bags. For long trips, these suitcases were especially helpful since they are so light, you can really pack them to capacity without wasting any precious weight on the shell itself. Both suitcases stood up to our durability tests and only showed minor scuffing after being checked during six different flights. They were also easy to push, pull, and roll over multiple surfaces. The sophisticated aesthetic doesn't hurt either. While Paravel's price range is slightly steep, the brand backs its luggage with a 10-year warranty.

The Details: 2 pieces (21.7-inch and 28-inch) | Hardside | 4 spinner wheels

Best Maneuverability

Delsey paris chatelet 2-piece set.

The classically stylish suitcases are easy to maneuver over any surface.

They do not expand, so they can be difficult to pack.

If you're looking for a stylish luggage set that includes plenty of storage options, security locks, and easy-to-maneuver 360-degree wheels, consider the Delsey Paris Chatelet set. Whether you're interested in a carry-on and 28-inch checked bag , a 24-inch and 28-inch checked bag , or all three , this collection is perfect for every adventure. Despite their light, sleek coloring, all three bags survived being hit with bats multiple times without so much as a scratch during testing. In fact, after we checked them on multiple international flights, the 21-inch carry-on and 24-inch medium checked bag both survived with minimal scuffs that we could easily wipe away.

We also loved the bags' four 360-degree wheels that make rolling an absolute breeze. Throughout three months of real-world testing, we found ourselves running through airports, maneuvering onto escalators, and pulling the suitcases over curbs, sand, dirt, and asphalt without any issues whatsoever. And when it comes to lifting, the Chatelet set proved to be lightweight. Plus, the handles quickly slide back into the case, so you don't skip a beat going from pulling to carrying. We brought this set on planes, trains, and even cruise ships, and the suitcases easily navigated every surface and fit in every small corner.

The Details: 2 or 3 pieces (21-inch and 28-inch; 24-inch and 28-inch; or 19-inch, 24-inch, and 28-inch) | Hardside | 4 spinner wheels

Travel + Leisure / Leticia Almeida

Best Design

Béis hardside luggage set.

• Design 4.8 /5

Béis suitcases have roomy compartments, zippered sections, multiple pockets, laptop sleeves, and separate pouches for shoes or laundry.

The lighter colors may show scuffs.

Béis is already known for its accessible price points, but you can save 10 percent on a set of two hardside suitcases or 15 percent on three. Founded by actress Shay Mitchell , the brand is among the best for organization. Earning perfect scores for capacity, organization, design, and maneuverability during our tests, these are some of the easiest bags to pack and help keep your items easy-to-access throughout your whole vacation. We tried the Carry-on Roller and Large Check-in Roller, each with two roomy interior compartments, a zippered mesh section, multiple smaller pockets, a padded laptop sleeve, and a separate pouch for shoes or dirty clothes.

The suitcases are also conveniently expandable, and four-point compression straps help keep everything in place. The hard shells feel sturdy and thick yet flexible, and we only noticed a small scuff after hitting them with a bat. Béis luggage is easy to push on its spinner wheels, and we had no problem lifting it overhead. A 90-day return policy and a lifetime warranty are icing on the cake of an all-around great luggage set, and it's possible to add other smaller bags like weekenders in coordinating colors, too.

The Details: 2–3 pieces (21-inch, 26-inch, and/or 29-inch) | Hardside | 4 spinner wheels | Expandable

Other Luggage Sets We Liked

We have a few more luggage sets we feel confident recommending after testing, although we didn't like them quite as much as the others on our list.

Antler Brixham Set : We love that these softside bags are shockingly strong and let you squeeze in more items than more structured hardside suitcases. However, they have a fairly basic design without additional pockets or storage compartments.

Travelpro Roundtrip Carry-on/Medium Check-in Hardside Set : We like this set for how spacious and stylish the suitcases are, but the checked size held up much better than the carry-on in our durability tests; when we hit the carry-on with the baseball bat, the reinforced corner of the suitcase chipped and flew off.

The Travel + Leisure team has tested more than 450 pieces of luggage in the lab, our New York City testing facility that features an airplane set with a real row of seats and overhead bins. To see how they'd hold up in a real-life setting, we packed them full of clothing and other items; rolled them over hard floors, carpet, and gravel; placed them in an overhead bin ; hit them with a metal baseball bat; and shoved them off tables.

Travel + Leisure/Joy Kim

After awarding each model a score for capacity, maneuverability, durability, design, and value, we narrowed it down to those with the highest average ratings. The winners of this roundup not only performed well in the lab and during six months of real-world travels but are also available in matching sets. We will update this article as we continue to test even more luggage sets that we like.

Tips for Buying a Luggage Set

Decide if you want hardside or softside.

You'll see many hardside and softside options when browsing luggage sets. Rigid exteriors offer better protection against crushing, and while lighter colors are often prone to scuffing, they're easy to wipe clean. Softside suitcases are sometimes trickier to clean, but they conceal dirt and scuffs (and can be just as durable as hardside models). Softside suitcases are a bit more flexible when packing, too.

Only get what you need

It might be tempting to buy a luggage set with three or even four pieces, especially if it's available at a discount. However, we recommend getting only what you need and know you'll use. Two suitcases are plenty for most individual travelers, but you may need more if you're traveling as a family, with a partner, or heading on an extended trip.

Look for luggage that you can nest

Some luggage sets are designed in a way that allows you to nest the smaller pieces inside the larger pieces. This is ideal for storage so that you only have to find space in your home for one large suitcase rather than two or three various sizes. The product listings will sometimes indicate this, like when Away's carry-on suitcases note "Nests in checked." If it does not say this in the product description, use your judgement and try to get two bags with a significant size difference so that you can try to fit one inside the other, like fitting a 21-inch carry-on suitcase inside a 28-inch checked bag, like our best overall Samsonite suitcases in this article.

Prioritize well-made items

Even the least expensive luggage sets are an investment, so you want to choose a long-lasting design. It's important to select high-quality luggage that can withstand rough baggage handlers and other stresses of travel while protecting all of your items. When looking for a new luggage set, you should prioritize durable cases that won't scuff or tear, sturdy wheels that can handle the bag's weight, comfortable handles that won't break, and quality interiors that will keep everything you pack safe.

Frequently Asked Questions

Many travelers appreciate the crush-resistant exterior of hardside suitcases , especially if they're traveling with tech equipment or want to avoid wrinkling delicate clothing . The rigid exteriors are also easy to clean and flaunt a sleek, modern appearance.

That said, softside luggage can be very durable, plus it's easier to stuff full and often has external pockets where hardside models don't. The choice is ultimately a matter of personal preference, though all of our winning sets in this article happen to be hardside suitcases.

Oftentimes, buying sets can save you money since many luggage brands offer suitcase sets at a discount. However, other companies simply bundle pieces to demonstrate the ability to build your own matching set, which can be helpful when searching for your bag at a luggage carousel. If a discount isn't mentioned when you're buying a luggage set, you can add up the individual bag prices and compare that total to the bundled price to see if it's a better deal.

Most sets include two or three pieces of luggage with at least one carry-on item and one checked item. Sets that offer three bags usually provide an additional checked bag of a different size. If you're a frequent traveler, heading off on a long adventure, or traveling with family, you may want a three-piece luggage set to give yourself more options and packing space while maintaining the convenience of matching.

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

For this story, commerce writer Theresa Holland combed through our luggage testing insights, researched each brand, checked warranties and return policies, and crunched the numbers on buying luggage sets versus individual pieces. T+L editors personally tested each luggage piece in our lab, and we will continue to update this article as we test even more luggage sets.

Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.

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13 best carry-on luggage pieces 2024 - we tested them all.

Discover the best carry-on luggage for your unique travel style and needs.

The Best Carry-on Luggage

Rachael Hood | U.S. News

Things aren't always as they seem – especially when it comes to luggage. In our quest to find the best carry-on bags, we discovered that while some suitcases look good, they don't always hold up to the demands of travel. Some designs have attractive features that add bulk but not additional functionality, while others just don't live up to the hype.

To determine the best carry-on luggage, we tested dozens of bags on countless trips to find the ideal bag for every travel need. Read on to find the best option in a variety of categories, tested and reviewed by our team of experts.

Best Overall: Solgaard Carry-On Closet Original – Large

• Jump to features and expert insights ↓
• Overall Runner-up: Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-on Hardside Spinner

Best Hard-sided: Away The Carry-On

Best soft-sided: samsonite solyte dlx carry-on spinner, best lightweight: july carry on light, best for international travel: delsey paris helium aero international carry-on - expandable spinner, best affordable: amazon basics 20-inch hardside spinner.

• Best Expandability: Briggs & Riley Essential 22" Carry-on Expandable Spinner
• Best Underseater: CALPAK Luka Soft-sided Mini Carry-On Luggage

Best for Business Travel: Amazon Basics Expandable Softside Carry-On Spinner – 20.4 Inch

Best luxury: carl friedrik the carry-on pro.

• Best Carry-on Duffel: The North Face Rolling Thunder–22"

Best Carry-on Backpack: Cotopaxi Allpa 35L

(Note: Prices were accurate at the time this article was published; they may fluctuate due to demand or other factors. Original photos were taken by our editors during luggage testing.)

Price:  $315 or less

Dimensions: 22.4 x 14.6 x 9.6 inches | Weight: 8.1 pounds; 8.85 pounds with closet insert Packing capacity: 4-7 days |  Color options:  Red, purple, navy or 6 others, plus precious metals options Hard- or soft-sided:  Hard-sided   | Warranty: Lifetime

Sturdy and attractive, this suitcase is set apart from the rest by its patented and removable shelving system. This unique design feature makes packing easier, keeps items in place and removes the need for unpacking at your destination. Rather than a zippered clamshell design, the Solgaard Carry-on Closet has two latches that open with just the squeeze of two levers together; it secures with a TSA-approved lock.

The waterproof polycarbonate exterior has an aluminum frame and corner guards so this suitcase can withstand all the rigors of travel. There's also an ergonomic handle and frictionless wheels, which make it easy to maneuver on all types of terrain. What's more, this sustainable suitcase helps to repurpose 6 pounds of plastics that may have ended up in the ocean.

What our editors say:

This carry-on suitcase has it all! From the power bank (sold separately) to the super sturdy and comfortable handle to the removable closet feature – not to mention the attractive yet functional appearance – this suitcase packs a punch. I really like how easy it is to pull on a variety of surfaces, including carpet and brick. – Rachael Hood, Senior Editor

Best Overall Runner-up: Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On Hardside Spinner

Leilani Osmundson | U.S. News

Price: $369.99 or less

Dimensions: 23 x 14.5 x 9.5 inches | Weight: 8.1 pounds Packing capacity: Up to 10 days; 45 liters | Color options: White, red, blue, green or gray Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: Limited lifetime

The Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On Hardside Spinner is a truly well-rounded carry-on with a plethora of unique features. USB A & C ports on the outside of the bag give easy access to charging. (A power bank is not included, though the bag does have a pocket for one inside the expansion zipper.) Self-aligning magnetic wheels – a reviewer-favorite feature – allow painless travel through the airport as well as on roads, sidewalks, uneven surfaces and more. A built-in TSA zipper lock offers ultimate protection for your possessions.

Even without the features listed above, this Travelpro spinner is, at its core, a high-quality piece. The hard outer shell is ultra-strong and 100% polycarbonate; aluminum corner guards further protect your belongings. The clamshell-style suitcase has two large interior compartments along with three extra pockets, one of which is water-resistant, and the expansion zipper allows for an extra 2 inches of packing room. Plus, this carry-on is made with genuine leather trim, so you can travel in style as well as comfort.

There are some amazing features on this carry-on, but my favorite is the wheels – as someone who typically prefers hands-free travel (primarily backpacks), I found that the way this suitcase easily glides around everywhere absolutely changed my mind about wheeled luggage. Just know that since this is one of the larger bags on this list, I would still check your airline's carry-on size requirements before traveling (though it's been tested for most major domestic airlines, and it fit perfectly on Delta). – Leilani Osmundson, Senior Digital Producer

Amanda Norcross | U.S. News

Price: $275 or less

Dimensions: 21.7 x 14.4 x 9 inches | Weight: 7.5 pounds Packing capacity: Up to 5 days; 39.8 liters | Color options: Black, navy, blue gray or olive, plus 2 glossy options Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: Limited

When it comes to hard-sided carry-on luggage , nothing beats The Carry-On by Away. The bag is lightweight yet indestructible thanks to a 100% polycarbonate exterior. Plus, you can easily wipe away most scratches with a magic eraser.

In late 2023, Away launched a new iteration of The Carry-On that somehow made it even more efficient. The most notable new features are an additional underside grab handle, three extra interior compartments, and an enhanced compression system that upholds the bag's ability to accommodate nearly a week's worth of clothing. The bag's 360-degree wheels are also slimmer than those of its predecessor for improved maneuverability. While Away has long been known for its neutral colored matte options, glossy options of this bag are now available.

The Away Carry-On is my ride or die. I've taken it on so many trips over the past five-plus years and it's still in perfect shape. I know I'll have it with me for many years to come. – Amanda Norcross, Senior Content and SEO Strategist

Catriona Kendall | U.S. News

Price: $199.99 or less

Dimensions: 22 x 14 x 9.5 inches | Weight: 7.1 pounds Packing capacity: Up to 7 days; 32 liters | Color options: Black, gray, green, aqua blue or royal blue Hard- or soft-sided: Soft-sided | Warranty: 10-year limited

This classic soft-sided option from Samsonite offers everything you need for a smooth trip. There are three spacious pockets and a trolley strap on the outside so you can stack it on top of another rolling suitcase, as well as a USB port for charging your phone (though you'll have to purchase a battery separately).

Inside the suitcase, three more zippered pockets – including one for wet items – help you stay organized, while buckles keep the main compartment's tie-down straps out of your way while packing. This spinner can conveniently expand by 0.75 inches, but keep in mind if you're flying that overpacking may put it over your carry-on size allowance.

I've used other spinner suitcases in the past, but none of them glide as smoothly as this bag, with its 360-degree dual-spinner wheels. I also love the high-quality, lightweight material, but my favorite part is its organizational features – especially the WetPak pocket. I'd highly recommend the Samsonite SoLyte DLX for anyone who needs a trusty soft-sided carry-on for a flight; it definitely fits more than I thought it would. – Catriona Kendall, Editor

Price: $245 or less

Dimensions: 21.25 x 14.17 x 7.5 inches | Weight: 3.9 pounds Packing capacity: Up to 7 days; 32 liters | Color options: Beige, light green, dark green, lilac, charcoal or 3 others Hard- or soft-sided: Hard | Warranty: Lifetime with 100-day returns

Weighing just under 4 pounds, this bag is the lightest hard-sided carry-on we found on the market. It's constructed with an extremely durable German polycarbonate shell, and the interior has two mesh zippered compartments to keep your belongings from shifting. The inner nylon lining is also resistant to water and stains. To make the suitcase easy to maneuver, there's a top carry handle, a telescoping handle and dual-spinner wheels.

I was absolutely shocked by how light this suitcase is. While some lightweight designs can be extremely flimsy, this July carry-on is very durable and holds a good amount of clothing. With compression packing cubes I was able to pack enough clothing for a week. It was extremely easy to put in the plane's overhead compartment, and the wheels rolled very smoothly for my entire journey. The only thing I noticed is that since the bag is so lightweight, the trolley bag I had was making it want to topple. Next time, I'd use a smaller tote or a north-south design to avoid that issue. – Rachael Hood

Erin Evans | U.S. News

Price: $179.99 or less

Dimensions: 21 x 14 x 10 inches | Weight: 8.16 pounds Packing capacity: 5-7 days; 41 liters | Color options: Black, blue, red or gray Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: 10-year limited

This DELSEY PARIS carry-on is a well-built piece of hard-sided luggage. It meets carry-on suitcase size restrictions for most international airlines and offers an easily accessible front compartment – ideal for a laptop up to 15.6 inches or other items you want to be able to grab quickly. The suitcase has a TSA lock and two spacious internal compartments for clothing, shoes and travel gear. The double-spinner wheels glide smoothly across all types of surfaces, and the handle pulls out and retracts with ease.

I was incredibly impressed by this little workhorse of a carry-on bag. There are so many different pockets and compartments within it for organization, and it fits a surprising amount of clothes, shoes and accessories. The handle and wheels make it easy to maneuver, and the glossy exterior makes it look sleek and chic. – Erin Evans, Managing Editor

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Price: $80 or less

Dimensions: 21.46 x 14.76 x 9.45 inches | Weight: 7.34 pounds Packing capacity: Up to 7 days; 23 liters | Color options: Black, navy blue, orange or light blue Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: 1-year

The Amazon Basics 20-inch Hardside Spinner is similar to many other hard-sided luggage products on the market, but it's available at a fraction of the price. The ABS shell is textured, so even if you – or luggage handlers – bang it around a bit, it does not show scuffs or scratches easily. The double-spinner wheels (a must, honestly, in today's luggage landscape) make the bag effortless to maneuver.

Inside, one side of the bag features a compression strap, while the other has a large fabric zippered closure, complete with a few organizer pockets for smaller items. Thanks to its availability on Amazon Prime, the carry-on luggage ships quickly, so it's also a great option if you need new luggage in a crunch.

This carry-on bag is a superb selection for the budget-conscious traveler. I appreciated how much I was able to get into this bag (it doesn't look huge, but it fit quite a lot), and the textured exterior really ups the durability factor. The compression straps and the interior organizer even helped me squeeze in a bit more. – Erin Evans

Best Expandability: Briggs & Riley Essential 22" Carry-on Expandable Spinner

Price: $699 or less

Dimensions: 22 x 14 x 9 (up to 11.5) inches | Weight: 10 pounds Packing capacity: Up to 7 days; 37-48 liters | Color options: Black, navy or olive Hard- or soft-sided: Soft-sided | Warranty: Lifetime

The Briggs & Riley Essential 22" Carry-on Expandable Spinner has a standout feature that other bags on this list don't: one-touch CX expansion. Exclusive to Briggs & Riley, this technology allows your bag to expand and compress in one swift motion. Simply press and pull up on the red levers found at opposite ends of the bag, and it will grow 2.5 inches. Once you've packed your belongings, push down on the buttons to compress the bag before zipping it up.

This bag also features a garment folder to reduce wrinkles in a suit or dress, as well as cinch-down garment panels to secure the clothing in place. Other convenient features include interior mesh compartments for organization, an exterior pocket for airport essentials (or even your laptop) and a signature PowerPocket where you can charge your smartphone.

While the bag is undoubtedly an investment at $700, its "simple as that" guarantee (free repairs forever, no questions asked) – plus sturdy features like impact-resistant corner guards and self-repairing zippers – means you'll have it for life.

When it comes to quality, this is the best luggage I've ever used – period. The compression/expansion system is just the icing on the cake. – Amanda Norcross

Best Underseater: CALPAK Luka Soft-Sided Mini Carry-On Luggage

Price: $165 or less

Dimensions: 16 x 14.5 x 9 inches | Weight: 5.1 pounds Packing capacity: 2-4 days; 34 liters | Color options: Chocolate, oatmeal or rose quartz Hard- or soft-sided: Soft-sided | Warranty: 2-year limited

Compact and filled with useful features, this CALPAK underseater has a water-resistant exterior, a TSA-approved lock, and side and top handles for easy lifting into the overhead or pushing under the seat. There's a telescoping handle, a luggage trolley sleeve and two exterior pockets for stowing small items like your passport, boarding pass and earbuds.

On the inside, there's a padded laptop sleeve, multiple interior pockets and compression straps. For added convenience, the main panel can be secured via built-in snaps to get your laptop out while traveling (and keep your other belongings from spilling out), or you can unsnap it while packing to maximize the interior storage space.

When I'm traveling on a quick trip with my laptop, this is my go-to bag. Its compact size glides easily under the seat, and it's also compact and light enough to fit into the overhead bin even on the smallest regional planes. I love the laptop sleeve and the zippered exterior pocket for my book, earbuds and wipes. To maximize the interior space, I use compression cubes from Lug , and I'm able to squeeze in four to five outfits, a pair of shoes and daily necessities. – Rachael Hood

Price: $83 or less

Dimensions: 20.4 x 14.9 x 8.2 inches | Weight: 6.35 pounds Packing capacity: 2-3 days; 26 liters | Color options: Black, olive, gray, red, blue or purple Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: 1-year

This simple but sturdy carry-on piece from Amazon is a great option for business travelers, thanks to its front pocket for easy laptop access, smooth double-spinner wheels and TSA lock. This Amazon Basics soft-sided carry-on also features a handle on the bottom between the wheels, which makes it easy to put the bag up into and pull it out of the overhead bin. On some airplanes, it may even be small enough to fit under the seat.

The interior of the bag features one large compartment with two compression straps, plus two zippered pockets on the opposite site. The 20.4-inch option is ideal for shorter trips, but this style is available in larger sizes as well. Another bonus: It's available on Amazon Prime, so it ships quickly.

This Amazon Basics option is on the smaller side for a carry-on, but that's what makes it a solid choice for business travelers going on short trips who only need to pack a few things. The laptop pocket is easily accessible, and the handle on the bottom of the bag is super useful for hauling it out of an overhead bin. The black color is professional, and the price can't be beat. – Erin Evans

Price: $565 or less

Dimensions: 21.7 x 15 x 9.6 inches | Weight: 9.5 pounds Packing capacity: 5-7 days; 43 liters | Color options: Gray/cognac, gray/chocolate, gray/black or black Hard- or soft-sided: Hard-sided | Warranty: Lifetime with a 100-day trial

Constructed with premium materials, this luxury carry-on has Italian leather accents, Japanese spinner wheels and a polycarbonate exterior with an aluminum metal frame for stability. It closes via two secure latches with combination locks (rather than a zipper). There's a front laptop compartment with a smaller pocket and pen slots to keep business essentials or travel documents easy to access.

The interior has leather details, compression straps and a removable compression pad with a pocket – ideal for small items like ties, fashion jewelry or silk scarves. Travelers can also purchase an additional compression pad to have a pad on each side of the interior compartment.

This suitcase exudes luxury with its Italian leather trim and understated elegance. The design of it looks very sleek, the interior is spacious, the handle is very sturdy and the wheels glide with ease. I especially liked that the top of the suitcase is very flat, which gave my trolley bag a secure base so it wasn't moving around while I was at the airport, and the front compartment was ideal for accessing my laptop on the go. It feels very sturdy, but the only downside is it weighs more than a typical carry-on. – Rachael Hood

Best Carry-on Duffel: The North Face Rolling Thunder – 22"

Price: $270 or less

Dimensions: 22 x 14 x 8.5 inches | Weight: 7.34 pounds Packing capacity: Up to 5 days; 40 liters | Color options: Black Hard- or soft-sided: Soft-sided | Warranty: Limited lifetime

The North Face's 22-inch Rolling Thunder duffel doesn't have the bells and whistles of other carry-on options, but it's a sturdy and reliable option for those who want a duffel style on wheels. The duffel has a hard-sided back panel, two wheels that can withstand various terrain and plastic bumpers for abrasion resistance. The soft-sided top of the bag is made of water-resistant Base Camp material and nylon for extra durability. There are two zippered pockets on the outside to stash small items and a mesh pocket inside for some added organization.

I brought this duffel on a trip to New Zealand, and it held up very well. The Rolling Thunder had no issues after being checked on six different flights, and the flexibility of the style allowed me to easily store it out of the way in my campervan once I had unpacked. It's definitely a simpler style, but it does its job well. Be aware, though, that this wheeled style doesn't have straps that would allow you to carry it like a duffel; it can only be rolled. – Catriona Kendall

Price: $200 or less

Dimensions: 22 x 12 x 10 inches | Weight: 3.5 pounds Packing capacity: 5-10 days; 35 liters | Color options: Multiple options but color availability changes frequently Hard- or soft-sided: Soft-sided | Warranty: Lifetime

When it comes to hands-free and adventure travel, the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L can't be beat. This lightweight carry-on backpack comes with a sternum strap, a removable waist belt and a weight-distributing harness system, all to make for a comfortable carry (since sore shoulders can be a concern when it comes to carrying backpacks through time-consuming airport experiences).

Organization is a breeze with a top zippered pocket – perfect for storing travel documents or a Cotopaxi hip pack – and a padded laptop sleeve on the outside. Internally, you'll find two mesh compartments, one large and one subdivided, that work great with Cotopaxi packing cubes . The backpack's straps can be tucked away for more streamlined travel, and the bag even comes with a rain cover (though the Allpa is already TPU-coated to be water-resistant).

Furthermore, Cotopaxi is dedicated to sustainability : 94% of Cotopaxi products contain repurposed, recycled or responsible materials. The vibrant, one-of-a-kind Del Dia Allpa backpacks , for example, use remnant fabric.

I've taken my Cotopaxi Allpa on countless adventures and it's survived everything – wind, rain, being shoved into tiny rental cars, you name it. Besides being incredibly durable, I love how much this backpack can fit; my longest trip so far with only the Allpa 35L as my luggage has been a comfortable nine days, and that included packing bulky cold-weather gear. I just wish it had a water bottle pocket like the Allpa 42L does! – Leilani Osmundson

Also Recommended

Solo New York Re:Serve Carry-On Spinner: While the Solo New York Re:Serve Carry-On Spinner is a solid (and sustainable) carry-on bag for less than $200, it doesn't offer quite enough space – especially for someone who may be traveling for longer.

Away The Aluminum Carry-On Bag: This is a well-built carry-on bag. The only downfall is that it's on the heavier side, weighing nearly 11 pounds. Away's Aluminum Carry-On is also more than twice the cost of the standard carry-on by Away, which works just as well.

Lipault Plume Cabin Size Spinner: This is a great soft-sided option if you're looking for a lightweight suitcase. Featuring a sleek nylon construction, a large front exterior pocket and internal zippered pockets, the Lipault Plume Cabin Size Spinner works well but isn't as lightweight as the July Carry-on Light.

Monos Carry-on Plus: It's a high-quality suitcase with a lot of internal details, but given its larger size this bag doesn't fit in the overhead compartment on multiple planes (especially regional jets). That said, if you're traveling domestically on larger planes, the Monos Carry-on Plus could be an option to consider. Or, the smaller standard Monos Carry-on could be a good option as well.

Pros and Cons of Hard-sided Luggage

Pros and cons of soft-sided luggage, frequently asked questions.

Aside from traditional rolling suitcases, the following items can be used as carry-on luggage provided they meet carry-on size limitations (which vary by airline) and fit in the overhead bin or fully under the seat (not sticking out) in front of you.

• Duffel and weekender bags:  This includes weekenders and duffel bags with wheels . Just note that wheels are included in carry-on dimension restrictions.
• Garment bags:  These are also considered carry-on baggage by most airlines. You can place your garment bag in the overhead bin, or in some cases, a small closet on the plane.
• Pet carriers:  Some airlines consider pet carriers to be carry-on luggage. Check with your chosen airline when preparing for your trip with Fido.
• Backpacks:  If your carry-on backpack fits under the seat, it will count toward your personal item allowance on most major airlines. This means you'll have the option to bring an additional bag for the overhead bin.
• Diaper bags: If you're traveling with a baby, diaper bags and other baby travel gear generally don't count toward either allowance – meaning you can bring these items in addition to your carry-on bag and personal item.

Purses , briefcases and camera bags can be carried on the plane as well, but usually aren't considered carry-on bags and are instead labeled personal items. Underseater bags – often designed specifically to fit comfortably under a plane seat – are also ideal as a personal item.

Typically, travelers can bring one carry-on bag (for the overhead bin) and one personal item (for under the seat) on the plane, free of charge.

Carry-on luggage sizes can vary by airline. Several major U.S. carriers, such as American Airlines and United, impose a 22 x 14 x 9-inch rule. If you're buying new carry-on luggage, this is a good default size to choose – especially if you fly with a variety of airlines.

For international airlines, it's often 21.5 x 15.5 x 9 inches. To be sure about dimensions as well as any weight restrictions, see our guide to Carry-on Luggage Size & Weight by Airline . It usually doesn't matter how heavy your carry-on bag is, though some airlines do monitor the weight.

• Hard-sided: The hard-sided July Carry On Light weighs less than 4 pounds, making it one of the most lightweight carry-on bags on the market. Other lightweight carry-on bags we recommend include the hard-sided Away The Carry-On (7.5 pounds) and the Amazon 20-Inch Hardside Spinner (7.3 pounds).
• Soft-sided: If you're looking for a lightweight, soft-sided carry-on bag, consider the Lipault Plume Cabin Size Spinner (4.8 pounds) and the Samsonite SoLyte DLX Carry-On Spinner (7.1 pounds).

Hard-sided luggage is often heavier than soft-sided luggage – but only by a few pounds. If you're planning to purchase a hard-sided carry-on bag, look for something that's made of polycarbonate or polypropylene, both of which are lightweight yet durable materials.

How We Tested

Our team tested 26 carry-on bags across several price points and on a variety of trips spanning overseas flights, weekend getaways, overnight trips and more. We traveled by car, plane, train and cruise and packed for a variety of climates and activities, from shore excursions in Mexico to rainy road trips around Iceland. For bags with wheels, we tested their maneuverability on multiple surfaces, including gravel, pavement, grass, moving walkways, cobblestone and carpet. After four months of testing, we deem these carry-on bags the best of the best for 2024.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

The following editors personally tested the luggage recommended in this article:

Erin Evans , Managing Editor: Evans loves a durable bag and also can't say no to a good deal. Considering how banged up luggage can get, her picks on this list are both well-made and affordable.

Rachael Hood , Senior Editor: Hood rarely checks a bag, yet she loves to pack a lot and pick up some new finds along her journey. She looks for a combination of durability, functionality, interior space and overall appearance.

Catriona Kendall , Associate Editor: Kendall opts for convenient and versatile carry-ons that can work well for weekend and weekslong trips alike.

Amanda Norcross , Content & SEO Strategist: Norcross has mastered the art of traveling with a carry-on bag only, but believes this is only possible with the right luggage.

Leilani Osmundson , Digital Producer: Osmundson prefers lightweight, streamlined luggage that's ideal for adventure travel.

You might also be interested in:

• What to Pack in Your Carry-on Bag
• What Is Allowed in a Carry-on Bag
• The Best Travel Insurance Companies

Tags: Travel , Travel Gear

World's Best Places To Visit

• # 1 South Island, New Zealand
• # 4 Bora Bora

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The 11 Very Best Pieces of Rolling Luggage

“it has survived being dragged across sand, dirt, and cobblestones.”.

In this article

Best rolling luggage overall.

• Best less expensive
• Best for frequent fliers
• Best mixed material
• Best aluminum
• Best for overpackers

Best rolling-luggage set

• Best soft-side

Whether I’m running frantically toward the gate or strolling through security at a more leisurely pace, my trusty spinner suitcase makes travel so much easier. It’s helpful for keeping me organized once I arrive at my destination, too. Unlike most backpacks or duffels, the best rolling luggage has storage compartments, sturdy handles, and plenty of space. There’s something so pleasing about packing your items neatly before a trip, especially if your suit case has built-in compression storage.

To find rolling luggage for every kind of traveler, fellow Strategist travel writer Rachael Griffiths and I tested a dozen or so different pieces, from stretchy nylon cases with warranties that last a lifetime to bash-resistant plastic luggage. We tended to prefer hard-side cases over a soft-side, and especially those with the aforementioned compression dividers, which allow for a bit of overpacking. While some pieces may cost more than others, we’ve also learned that if you’re not fussy about the type of plastics used (ABS costs less than polycarbonate but can withstand some real rattling in transit), there are bargains to be found. While you’re here, you may want to check out my guides to the best  Dopp kits  and the best  refillable toiletry bottles .

What we’re looking for

Hard-shell vs. soft-side.

Most experts I spoke to prefer hard-shell luggage, and I agree. It’s durable and easy to clean, it protects your clothes if it rains, and it’s harder for bedbugs to penetrate if you encounter any on your trip. The hard-shells on this list are made from either ABS, an inexpensive but less durable plastic; polycarbonate, a more durable but also lightweight material; or aluminum, which is slightly heavier, but the most durable. Most on this list are polycarbonate, but there are a few soft-sided pieces too, for those who haven’t made the switch yet. While they aren’t as durable, “from a repair standpoint, we always feel that the canvas soft-sided luggage is better than the hard-side luggage because you can repair canvas,” Tony Pecorella, president and CEO of Modern Leather Goods, a repair shop in Manhattan, says. He’s an authorized repairman for many of the luggage brands below and says someone comes in with a cracked hard-shell every day and “there’s no repairing them at all.” So in addition to soft-side suitcases being fixable, they’re also overpacking-friendly because you can stuff more in them than a rigid polycarbonate case (and finesse a larger carry-on to fit in an overhead bin, too.)

Our experts continuously raved about the wheels on their favorite suitcases, describing them as smooth and sturdy. Most were talking about their four spinner wheels, which make the suitcase much easier to push along as it can glide in all directions. For comfort and ease of use, four wheels is definitely the way to go and is our recommendation, but again, Pecorella says it’s not the best choice from a repair standpoint. “It is always stronger to have the case that has the two wheels on it,” he says. “Those wheels are encased, so the only thing that can really happen on those wheels is that they wear out eventually like tires on your car.” With the four spinners — which Pecorella fully admits to using personally — he says because they aren’t encased and just are attached to the bottom of the suitcase, you run the risk of them being banged off. “If you’re rolling off a curb or if you hit the escalator too hard, it’ll just snap the wheel right off,” he says. “That’s one of the biggest repairs we do here all day.” However, a good warranty should cover this (more on that below.)

Almost none of the suitcases on this list go the easy-repair route of being soft-side and having two wheels, and that’s because most have pretty good warranties. The biggest phrase you want to avoid is “limited to manufacturer’s defects,” which Pecorella says means they basically cover nothing and will attribute damage to wear and tear, or say it’s your fault or the airline’s fault. “Lifetime warranty” is ideal.

If you’ve checked an overweight bag before, you’ll know how much those extra charges can sting. Lightweight suitcases are ideal for overpackers — including myself — so I’ve included each case’s weight when empty.

Hard-shell vs. soft-side: Polycarbonate hard-shell | Wheels: 360-degree spinner wheels | Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty | Weight: From 7.4 pounds  

If you’re after a relatively affordable suitcase that doesn’t have to be babied on cobbled streets and will survive being dragged up several flights of stairs, I’m not sure you can do much better than Away. The brand’s sturdy spinner wheels can truly take a battering, and they’ll also glide joyfully across flat surfaces when given the opportunity. I’ve been testing the Bigger Carry-on, which has a 50-liter capacity yet still fits in most overhead bins, over the past couple of months. Griffiths, who lives in Europe (where airline luggage requirements are much stingier), tested the original, smaller size and was surprised by how much she could fit into it. All of the brand’s rolling-luggage pieces feature the same qualities essential to a modern suitcase and come highly praised by travel experts. Stephanie Be from travelbreak.net and Buena calls out the “TSA-approved lock, 360-degree wheels, tough hardware, and sleek design.” Kelly Farber , founder of KF Literary Scouting, took only the larger size on a three-week, seven-city business trip, and says, “That thing just would not quit.” Strategist editor Maxine Builder also has experience with the Away warranty after her internal zipper broke in 2019: “There was a fair bit of back-and-forth over the next four months, but I ended up with a replacement suitcase in exactly the same limited-edition colorway with the same hand-painted monogram, all for free.” Five years later, she’s still traveling with it.

Best less expensive polycarbonate rolling luggage

Hard-shell vs. soft-side: Polycarbonate hard-shell | Wheels: 360-degree spinner wheels | Warranty: Limited ten year | Weight: 7.9 pounds

Usually, cheaper hardside suitcases are made from ABS, a less durable plastic than the polycarbonate more expensive brands use. That’s why this case is such a rarity: It costs less than $200 (and is often on sale), and it’s made from the more durable polycarbonate. It also includes all of the features I’d expect from more expensive brands, like four 365-degree spinner wheels, TSA-approved locks, and a built-in USB port to use with a power bank. Travel blogger Courtney Vondran says that “it’s a great option for budget travelers or first-timer carry-on travelers who want nice pieces for more affordable prices.” So far, Vondran has taken her case with her on “road trips throughout the Midwest, a work trip to Egypt, vacation to L.A. , travel conference in Memphis, romantic getaway to Maine,” — and it’s all been protected by the case’s limited ten-year warranty, which covers any major damages beyond reasonable wear and tear.

Hard-shell vs. soft-side: Polycarbonate hard-shell | Wheels: 360-degree spinner wheels | Warranty: Limited lifetime | Weight: From 6.2 pounds

Quince , the five-year-old start-up that seems to make a little bit of everything, recently added rolling luggage to its growing inventory . I’ve been testing out the brand’s carry-on-size suitcase as well as its larger, checked one, both made from the same durable polycarbonate that Away and Open Story use. In terms of weight and feel, Quince’s affordable suitcases are surprisingly similar to Away’s in particular. When I nudged an Away Bigger Carry-on and Quince Carry-on across my apartment floor side by side, their wheels carried them about the same distance, and their retractable handles are almost identical in form and function. Both brands use YKK zippers and TSA-approved combination locks. Inside, the compression compartments and removable laundry bag are also essentially the same. And Quince recently introduced a limited lifetime warranty on its suitcases that offers protection against defects like broken handles and zippers — mimicking Away’s famous replacement guarantee.

Best less-expensive ABS rolling luggage

Hard-shell vs. soft-side: ABS hard-shell | Wheels: 360-degree spinner wheels | Warranty: Limited warranty | Weight: 7.3 pounds

This Amazon Basics case is made from the less durable plastic ABS, but it’s still one of Griffiths’s favorites. “In my experience, it’s rare to find a case that costs under $100 that can compete with more expensive brands,” she says. “As it is made from a cheaper plastic, I was surprised by how thick and sturdy the suitcase feels — it has a nice thud when you knock against the exterior.” As well as being thick, the exterior is also scratch resistant , and the case also has a well-designed handle, smoothly rolling wheels, handles for comfort, and a built-in lock. The warranty is where this bag falls slightly short, though (and may explain the cheaper price tag): it’s only a three-year limited warranty that protects against defects in materials and workmanship — which Pecorella says is the type to avoid.

Best rolling luggage for frequent fliers

Hard-shell vs. soft-side: Polycarbonate hard-shell | Wheels: 360-degree spinner wheels | Warranty: Five -year manufacturer’s guarantee | Weight: 7.1 pounds

The Rimowa Essential line of suitcases is excellent; more than ten experts we spoke with recommended the brand, but its extravagant price prevents it from taking the top spot on this list. If you do have the money to spare, it comes in 11 colors and two finishes and works like a dream. Owners especially praise the wheels. “I won’t pretend to understand all the physics behind the bearings and axles on Rimowa’s bags, but I do know they spin amazingly well through the airport,” Summer Hull, director of travel content at the Points Guy , says. Fellow travel writer Hillary Eaton also told me she had no problem lugging the case on a 48-hour journey from Vancouver to Machu Picchu by “tiny floatplane, three long-haul flights, a five-hour bus, and a two-hour train ride.” Several owners also pointed out how easy it is to get this suitcase repaired if anything goes wrong. However, while there’s a manufacturer’s guarantee of five years, it only applies if you remember to register your product when you purchase it. Otherwise, it lasts for only two.

Best rolling luggage for budget airlines

Hard-shell vs. soft-side: ABS hard-shell | Wheels: 360-degree spinner wheels | Warranty: One-year limited | Weight: 6 pounds

I first learned about this teeny-tiny rolling case when researching the best personal-item-size luggage . It came recommended by Jasmine Anderson and Natasha Wilson , travel agents and co-hosts of the podcast  Travel Fly Sexy , as well as packing expert  Lauren Kelly . They all praise its snap-off spinner wheels that can slide miraculously into the cruelest of budget-airline baggage-sizers. (“Frontier lately is charging people for wheels and handles sticking out of the sizers,” says Kelly. “That means $100 extra for each leg of the trip.”) Measuring 18 by 14 by eight inches, the suitcase’s rectangular shape maximizes space and allows you to use packing cubes: “I have put a laptop and a week’s worth of clothes in the Take Off,” says Anderson. Kelly agrees that “it will give you the most packing space if your goal is a weeklong trip where you pack a personal item only.” The suitcase comes with a small bag to put its wheels in while your bag is being sized by airline staff; you can also just stash them in your pockets.

Best customizable rolling luggage

Hard-shell vs. soft-side: Polycarbonate hard-shell | Wheels: 360-degree spinner wheels | Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty | Weight: 7.9 pounds

Strategist associate editor Jenna Milliner-Waddell calls July the “the Away of the Down Under.” And while the July Carry-on offers a lot of the same features as the Away, it has the added perk of a USB-C port so you can charge your iPhone or your laptop straight from the bag. July’s smallest carry-on weighs about half as much as Away’s, even though they both have similar liter capacities, and you can personalize it. This particular case sets itself apart with a removable fabric front pocket, which came in handy for Christine Wang, founder of TheSkiGirl who is generally a fan of soft-side luggage. If you’re traveling for work, everything you need is easily accessible, and instead of digging through your bag to remove your laptop at TSA, you can easily just snap this pouch off instead.

Best aluminum rolling luggage

Hard-shell vs. soft-side: Aluminum hard-shell | Wheels: 360-degree spinner wheels | Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty | Weight: 10.1 pounds

Aluminum cases are as tough as they come: unlike with plastic cases, you don’t need to worry about them cracking and spilling all your belongings. They often have the added security of a clamp rather than a zip, which again is less likely to burst. This case comes from Away and has all the same specs as my favorite case overall, though it’s slightly heavier, so you may have to pack a bit lighter if you’re checking it in. Despite this, travel writer Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon says there’s plenty of space for all the essentials she’d need for a three- or four-day trip. Swede White, who works for Amazon and has to travel monthly for his job, told me the only downside to this case is that he finds it scuffs easily. Away acknowledges that this will happen, alluding to it as developing a patina over time — if you prefer a pristine case, it all boils down to personal taste.

Best rolling luggage for overpackers

Hard-shell vs. soft-side: Polycarbonate hard-shell | Wheels: 360-degree spinner wheels | Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty | Weight: 8.36 pounds

If, like me, you can’t travel without taking your entire closet, Béis’s luggage is for you. By unzipping an internal section, the bag expands by up to three inches — meaning you can shove that extra sweater inside. More stuff means a heavier bag, but Béis’s built-in weight-limit indicator ensures you don’t teeter over the 50-pound weight restriction for many checked bags. A red mark will appear if the luggage is over, which should save you some stress and money at the check-in counter. As well as a water-resistant zipper, travel blogger HeyCiara told me she appreciates how the case also has a TSA lock, a handle with ergonomic support, and a built-in laundry and shoe bag to prevent your clothes from getting soiled.

Material: Polycarbonate hard-shell | Wheels: 360-degree spinner wheels | Warranty: Lifetime | Weight: Various

If you’re traveling as a family, a set of luggage can be the most efficient and economic way to go. This suitcase set has accompanied Strategist senior editor Ailbhe Malone’s family on trips for two years. Aside from having everything you would expect from a great quality suitcase — “smooth wheels, extremely comfortable handle, more than enough space,” Malone says — these cases are eminently easy to store. That’s because they slot inside one another, meaning you can stash a whole family’s worth of luggage in the space of a single suitcase. The polycarbonate cases come in a range of 11 pleasing colors, and thanks to their construction, any scratches or scuffs will appear as the same shade as the case, no matter how deep. For bigger concerns, the set comes with a lifetime warranty, which covers the wheels, handles, and shells.

Best soft-side rolling luggage

Hard-shell vs. soft-side: Nylon soft-side | Compression strap | Wheels: Encased wheels | Warranty: Limited lifetime warranty | Weight: 5.4 pounds

From a repair standpoint, this suitcase is a dream. It’s made from easy-to-repair nylon and has just two encased wheels that won’t snap off. It expands up to two inches and has multiple compartments. None of this is groundbreaking, but that’s why I like this bag: It’s simple, effective, and on the less expensive side at under $200. TripSavvy ’s former general manager Molly Fergus told me she’s traveled with the bag across Miami, Cancun, and all over Europe: “It’s survived being dragged across sand, dirt, and cobblestones,” she says. Travelpro’s limited lifetime guarantee covers defects to the wheels, zippers, extension handles, and carrying handles, and this lasts for however long you own it. On top of that, for the first year, your product is backed by its Trusted Companion Promise, which covers the cost of repair for damage caused by an airline and covers the shipping cost for any product that needs to be shipped to one of its repair facilities.

Update on May 23, 2024:  Updated Quince lifetime warranty information; updated prices and checked stock for all other products.

Additional reporting by Rachael Griffiths .

Some more rolling luggage we’ve written about

Our experts

•  Jasmine Anderson , co-host,  Travel Fly Sexy • Alexandra Baackes, travel blogger and founder of Wander Woman Retreats • Stephanie Be, founder of BUENA and blog Travel Break • Gabby Beckford , travel blogger • Kiana Brooks , luxury fashion buyer • Maxine Builder , Strategist editor • Hillary Eaton , food and travel writer • Kelly Farber, founder of KF Literary Scouting • Molly Fergus, former general manager of TripSavvy • Jacqui Gifford, Travel + Leisure editor-in-chief • Nicholas Gill , writer and photographer • Sarah Greaves-Gabbadon , travel writer • Summer Hull, director of travel content at The Points Guy • Jessie Hyman , co-founder of Pruzan Running • Ciara Johnson, travel blogger HeyCiara • Brian Kelly, The Points Guy • Lauren Kelly , packing expert • Ailbhe Malone , Strategist senior editor • Tom Marchant, co-founder of luxury travel and lifestyle brand Black Tomato • Tony Pecorella, president and CEO of Modern Leather Goods • Laura Ratliff , travel writer • Robin Reetz, writer and VP of marketing at Rag & Bone • Lauren Ro, Strategist writer • Alex Sanchez , consumer marketing manager at G Adventures • Chris Schalkx, co-founder of Rice/Potato • Jane Stoller , author of Decluttering for Dummies • Courtney Vondran , travel writer • Christine Wang, founder of TheSkiGirl • Swede White, principal content strategist at Amazon Web Services •  Natasha Wilson , co-host,  Travel Fly Sexy

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The Best Travel Bags for Wherever You’re Headed

If you buy something using links in our stories, we may earn a commission. This helps support our journalism. Learn more . Please also consider subscribing to WIRED

Best Carry-On for Most People Travelpro Maxlite 5 Read more

Best Hard-Shell Carry-On Away Carry-On Read more

Best Soft-Shell Carry-On Yeti Crossroads 35L Read more

Best Bag for a Lifetime Briggs & Riley Baseline CX Read more

Whew! You've made it all the way across the globe. But have your toothbrush, pajamas, and running shoes made it, too? If you're a frequent traveler, it's easy to obsess over the logistics of getting your stuff clean, organized, and in good working condition upon arrival. Paying for a decent travel bag and a few useful accessories means buying a little peace of mind, especially when a few yards of zippers and some nylon are the only barriers between your precious belongings and the belly of an airliner.

Whether you're slinging a duffel into a car trunk for a weekend trip or packing for a whirlwind jaunt across Asia, we've got you covered. Need a bag for your passport or groceries? Don't forget to check out our other guides, like the Best Laptop Backpacks and the Best Recycled Bags , for more picks.

Updated April 2024: We reorganized this guide and added new picks, such as the Yeti Crossroads, Tom Bihn Aeronaut and Trinity, the Frame Carry-On Max, the Lo & Sons O.G. 2, the Camelbak A.T.P. 20, the Calpak Luka Duffel, and the Rux 70. We also updated the information on sizing and checked links and prices.

Special offer for Gear readers: Get a 1-year subscription to WIRED for $5 ($25 off) . This includes unlimited access to WIRED. com. Subscriptions help fund the work we do every day.

Best Carry-On for Most People

Look around any airport—if you see flight attendants or pilots, they will probably be rolling around a Travelpro suitcase. We like Travelpros because you get a lot of bang for your buck. They're durable, light, and not too expensive.

For only a little over $100, the Maxlite 5 is one of the more affordable Travelpro suitcases, and at 5.4 pounds, it's very light! The exterior toiletry pocket is a nice touch for when you go through security and need to take out your liquids, and the zippers are also quite strong and don't tend to get stuck. The wheels also rolled nicely on both the spinner and roll-aboard versions. Reviewer Matt Jancer did note that the aluminum handle extensions did sometimes stick and the main grab handle on the bag is only single-stitched, which may cause durability issues farther down the line. However, he has seen no issues yet. This probably the best bag you can get in the $100 to $150 price range.

Best Hard-Shell Carry-On

Away's business practices may have raised some eyebrows , but there's no denying that this company changed the travel market entirely. It has increased in price since we first tested it, but multiple WIRED staffers still use the classic Away hard-shell carry-on ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ) as their travel suitcase.

Hard-shell suitcases tend to be heavier. There's also not as much give in the case, so you may find it hard to squeeze in more items than in a soft-shell bag, bu they look a lot sleeker than their soft-shell counterparts and protect fragile items better. The Away weighs 7.5 pounds, which is pretty standard for a hard-shell carry-on. When I tested it, I liked that it had multiple height settings and that the polycarbonate shell wiped clean and stayed mostly scuff-free (it helped that my tester was in the darker navy color). Away's suitcases also come with a built-in TSA-approved combination lock, four spinner wheels capable of rotating 360 degrees, and an included laundry bag to keep dirty clothes separate from the rest of your stuff. The handle did feel a bit wobbly, though.

★ Alternatives: So many companies now offer a direct-to-consumer, stylish, hard-shell carry-on similar to the Away's. We've tried ones by Monos ($255) and July ($295) . Besides price, the differences are mostly negligible. I like July's aluminum bumpers, but they do add weight. The Monos's handle rolls out more smoothly, but the July's pebbled surface doesn't show scuffs as badly. Both have survived multiple cross-country trips, being checked as baggage, and being ridden on by two small children with no damage.

Paravel also offers an Aviator carry-on ($395) that touts itself as the world's first carbon-neutral carry-on; it has an interior lining made of recycled plastic bottles, a telescoping handle made of recycled aluminum, and vegan leather trim to help it stand out from all the plain black bags at the airport. Product reviewer Jaina Grey fell in love with its roomy interior and durable, anti-scuff hard-shell exterior.

Best Soft-Shell Carry-On

Yeti's coolers and cups are famous for being bomb-proof. The company recently launched a luggage line that's similarly overbuilt. The Yeti Crossroads 35L is a 22-inch roller bag that's carry-on size for most major airlines. It weighs 7.7 pounds, on par with soft-sided competitors of the same size.

I recently spent a week dragging the Crossroads up and down grimy subway station escalators, thumping it across cobblestones, and scrunching it into overfull overhead bins during a trip to London, Paris, and Brussels. The blue 700D nylon on the front and sides looks just as fresh as it did out of the box while the molded polycarbonate shell on the back has a few well-earned battle scratches. The two extra-large fixed wheels are rolling as smoothly as ever and hopped up curbs so well that I grew to favor them over smaller spinner wheels. The Crossroads has a half-dozen well-placed pockets and sturdy zippers that didn't give me any anxiety even as I tugged them hard while smooshing down to fit souvenirs into a carry-on with 8 days of clothing. —Martin Cizmar

Best Bag for a Lifetime

Do you only want to buy one suitcase and never think about it, ever again? Briggs & Riley is one of the few companies with a lifetime unlimited warranty. I bought a Briggs & Riley carry-on as my first and only post-college purchase. Right now, it has lasted over 20 years. Periodically, I bring it into the one Briggs & Riley-approved dealership in my town to get a zipper pull put back on, and it's fixed for free in a few days. Its components are top-of-the-line. The face fabric is a heavy-duty ballistic nylon that’s water-repellent and abrasion-resistant. After having been dragged all over the globe, from the Philippines to Turkey to Iceland, the gleaming red is just as bright.

The low-profile wheels nor handles have never broken. The grab handles are also luxuriously smooth and padded, and there's an interior folding garment bag for my husband's suits. The only downside is that at 9.3 pounds, it’s pretty heavy.

★ Alternatives: If you need an absolutely bomber-tough rolling suitcase and don't mind its 9.6-pound weight, the Pro Front-Access Carry ($799) will stand up to more abuse than most rolling bags, with its aluminum frame and 70-percent-recycled polycarbonate body. WIRED reviewer Chris Haslam says it's his favorite rolling bag in years. Jancer also likes Travelpro's Platinum Elite carry-on ($315) , which he calls one of the most high-end polycarbonate bags on the market.

Brenda Stolyar

Boone Ashworth

Julian Chokkattu

Best Backpack

When I reviewed the Cotopaxi Allpa in 2018 ( 9/10, WIRED Recommends ), it had only recently launched. Now, a half-dozen years later, it is one of the most popular travel backpacks that I see online and in airports all over the world. It's a combination of a camping backpack, a suitcase, and a soft, frameless duffel. You can splay it open like a sandwich to pack it easily; access items through a side zip; put it on your backpack and secure its weight with a sternum strap; or squash or stomp it into any overhead compartment or corner of your car trunk. The use case for this bag is extremely specific—the same people who are bopping around Thailand for several weeks in one backpack are not the same people trying to look professional at a work conference. But it is sturdy and comfortable.

★ Alternative: I took the Ekster Packable Duffel ($250) on several weekend trips this spring, and found that it more than upheld its claims of being built for “smoother journeys, on and off the grid.” This travel bag converts from a backpack to a duffel, with two separate compartments that also splay open for easier packing. The 600-denier exterior and water-resistant zippers are so sturdy that when we ran out of space in the car, we lashed it to the roof rack with surf straps and drove for hours in the rain. It, and its contents, remained pristine.

Best Convertible Bag

Every serious traveler knows the name of Seattle-based Tom Bihn, manufacturer of bomber bags that will last you a lifetime. The Aeronaut 45 is the classic Tom Bihn convertible carry-on, which the size of the maximum allowable carryon bag on a plane.

You get everything from a Tom Bihn bag that you pay for. It’s made of incredibly sturdy 1050 denier ballistic nylon, with bombproof YKK zippers. It has both hidden backpack straps and an extremely comfortable cross-body strap. This is commerce director Martin Cizmar's bag, and he's tossed it around and lugged it down rough streets and through crowds where roller bags are a liability. He owns two and the first lasted for more than a decade. This is the bag that both he and I would use, if we didn't have to constantly test other bags.

Best Personal Item

Some airlines are not content with charging you extra for checking a bag and now charge you for overhead bin space . The Tom Bihn Trinity ( 7/10, WIRED Recommends ) addresses that problem by providing a space for you to pack everything you need while still fitting underneath the seat in front of you. As the name suggests, it has three main compartments and three ways to carry—either as a briefcase with padded grab handles, a backpack, or as a shoulder bag with two attachment points.

It has three main compartments which can be arranged to your liking; for example, on one of the side compartments, you can zip a water bottle holder into place or unzip it for more room. It wasn't quite as versatile as I expected; I found that I prefer a small duffel with one main compartment that I can organize as I like. However, it does fit under the seat in front of me, even with clothes, laptop, and four (four!) hardcover books that I somehow stuffed inside it.

Best Work Bag

I've been traveling a lot for work and for family reasons in the past few months, and the bag I prefer for my personal item is the Lo & Sons O.G. 2, which is the larger version of the brand's Nouvelle purse ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ). It comes in a medium and a large version; the medium is adequate as an everyday bag, but the large turns it into a versatile work/travel bag. It’s low-profile and has both smooth leather grab handles as well as a shoulder strap. I have kicked it under plane seats and around airports, and the nylon doesn't show any damage. There's a hidden separate compartment if you spill water on yourself, and it has sturdy feet so you can put it on an airplane bathroom counter and dig for your makeup without it falling over or getting the bottom of the bag too disgusting. The toothed zippers do tend to crinkle and snatch at your knuckles when the bag gets overstuffed, but I suppose you could always, uh, avoid overstuffing your bag.

★ Alternatives: We have plenty of recommendations in our guide to the Best Laptop Totes , but we love Lo & Sons. The Catalina Supreme Tote ($338) is also great for weekend trips. Again, there's also a bottom compartment for a pair of shoes, or anything else you need to keep separate.

The Best Hiking Daypack

The Camelbak A.T.P. is so useful that I’m always startled to realize it only has a 20-liter capacity. I have it in the 100 percent recycled white color, which saves water and only emits half the greenhouse gas emissions by eliminating the dying process. It’s a panel loader, which means you can unzip the top and see exactly where everything goes, like a duffel. This is convenient when packing for trips—I was able to fit clothes, a Dopp kit, and electronics for an overnight trip. (I know these types of zippers fail more often than top loaders, but it does make it easier to arrange and sort items near the bottom of the pack.)

I particularly like how narrow it is. It fits my back and goes under airplane seats that even my children’s backpacks can’t. The bottle pocket has a zipper that makes it expandable so it can fit a little coffee thermos or my giant Yeti water bottle . Exterior compression straps also help squeeze my clothes even smaller. This is a great backpack if you want something that looks sleek enough for a work bag but is durable enough to take on a weekend trip to Yosemite.

★ Alternative: I also love the Patagonia Black Hole Backpack ($149) . This 25-liter bag is the perfect combination work/adventure bag. The suspended 15-inch laptop pocket clips shut, and the rest of the pockets are thoughtfully placed. It’s extremely light (a little over a pound) and is made from 100 percent recycled ripstop fabric.

Best Duffel Bag

The Big Haul ( 8/10, WIRED Recommends ) is our favorite duffel because it hits the right balance of robust build materials and pockets without being too heavy to lug around all day. The standout feature of the Big Haul series, which comes in 28-liter to 120-liter options, is the ability to easily reposition the carrying straps, which feature plastic fishhook-style ends that slip into fabric loops. You can connect one strap end-to-end or double up on two straps in an H pattern for more stability with heavy loads. Adding and removing the straps isn't super fast, but it's not difficult, either, and six low-profile loops seems less intrusive than six rattling plastic buckles.

Two small interior pockets and an exterior pocket keep small things organized, and its water-resistant fabric is thick and tough without being stiff. All the sewing around the grab handles feels very robust too. Padded backpack straps hide away under a padded pocket on the top of the bag. This means that when you sling the Big Haul over your shoulders to give your arms a rest, your back is against the relatively clean top of the duffel, rather than a wet, dirty bottom side that's been set down on the ground. The current iteration of the Big Haul is also made with recycled nylon. What's not to love? —Matt Jancer

★ Alternative: For slightly more money, the classic duffel in this category is the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel ($159) , which also comes in a variety of colorways and sizes. You can either carry it by the grab handles or with the shoulder straps, and it's made from 100 percent recycled polyester with a TPU-film laminate. I (Adrienne) have had the 40-liter version for almost 15 years now and the laminate has yet to peel. It also fits as a carry-on on flights.

The Best Expedition Bag

If you like outdoor sports, you probably need a good expedition bag—that is, a huge, burly duffel that you can just throw all your pointy ice axes, trekking poles, or camp chairs into that you can take anywhere and everywhere. Reviewer Matt Jancer's expedition bag of choice is the Red Oxx PR5. He's used it for whitewater paddling trips and to lug mountain climbing equipment from coast to coast without a single frayed thread. Everything about Red Oxx is overbuilt. The zippers are huge, its thick pieces of nylon webbing are robustly sewn, and chunky metal rings hang the detachable carrying strap. All that said, it's not abominably heavy. At 3.4 pounds it's still lighter than many wheeled bags.

★ Alternative: If you've ever gone to a popular outdoor destination, like Yosemite or Everest, you've probably seen stacks of North Face Base Camp duffels . This is the quintessential expedition bag. My own personal bag is the OnSight Tarmac EPO , but the company no longer exists; I also have a Mountain Hardware duffel ($180) and after 20 years, the coating has finally started to peel.

Best for Camping

We love everything from Rux; I'm currently testing the waterproof adventure tote ($150) and I use it for everything from my climbing gear, to picnic gear, to bringing my kids' roller skates and soccer balls to the park. I have also leaked an entire water bottle in it and it stayed contained and out of the bottom of my car.

But for camping (or any outdoor pursuit, really), what you need is a Rux storage system , which, as the artist and filmmaker Van Neistat puts it, will help you kit your shit . It holds its frame shape, which means you can stack and organize inside of it just like a box, but it folds down like a bag for easy storage once you're at your destination. It's also light and waterproof and comes with a wide array of accessories . This is an upgrade for everyone who currently sorts their camping, climbing, or snowboarding gear in a series of $5 plastic totes and stacks them in their trunk.

The Best Aluminum Suitcase

Perhaps you've seen those Instagram-friendly, shiny aluminum suitcases and wonder whether it's worth the investment. Aluminum is extremely durable and can be machined with precision. That means it will protect your belongings better, and you can close them with latches instead of zippers. Your suitcase will last longer and be more secure— zippers are pretty easy to break into —and generally have fewer points of failure.

In my opinion, the cost-benefit analysis generally weighs against them. Aluminum suitcases are usually heavier and won't flex as much if you have overpacking tendencies, and I find them painfully conspicuous. Any suitcase with a decent warranty policy will painlessly cover any repairs. If you must have one, we like Arlo Skye's the Frame. Arlo Skye was founded by alumni from Louis Vuitton and Tumi, and reviewer Matt Jancer says that everything about the Frame screams robust quality, from the leather grab handles to the combination-lock latches. It also comes with a removable battery bank and has a few more liters of carrying capacity than the similarly-sized Away. The main disadvantage is that the interior organization is a bit lacking.

★ Alternative: Do you want the benefits of an aluminum suitcase without the drawbacks? You might want to consider Monos's Hybrid Carry-On ($325) . You won't fool anyone into thinking you've shelled out for a 100 percent aluminum suitcase, but Jancer notes that it's only a pound or so heavier than the competition and the aluminum frame offered better protection than any 100 percent polycarbonate suitcase that he tried.

A Good Emergency Go Bag

To be clear, any bag here could be considered a go-bag—even a grocery bag works when you have to leave the house imminently. But reviewer Nena Farrell used Calpak's duffel for an emergency surgery, and she is kicking herself for not getting it sooner. It was big enough for everything from makeup bags and extra outfits to a massive book and Nintendo Switch, and was comfortable to carry thanks to the large straps.

The shoe compartment was big enough for sandals and slides, but not big enough for shoes with an ankle. It was also a great place to stash haphazard Ziplocs of emergency toiletries and medications. There are some side pockets inside too, plus an exterior side pocket and a pass-through panel to place it on top of your luggage. It was a great hospital companion, but Farrell can't wait to take the Luka somewhere a little more fun.

Other Bags We Like

Not every good product can snag a best-in-category title, but there are several more bags we've tested that get our thumbs-up.

Osprey Ozone 40L for $280 : At 4.47 pounds, Osprey claims this bag is the lightest carry-on suitcase. It's also made from 400D recycled bluesign-approved nylon and is treated with DWR. This bag is light enough to easily hoist above my head and has also been checked multiple times.

Gregory Alpaca 40 Duffel for $140 : This duffel weighs a scant 2.7 pounds, but the water-resistant fabric and extraordinarily beefy (though plastic) buckles make it a solid bag for adventuring. There's an exterior pocket for storing shoes or dirty clothes. The backpack straps don't tuck away for storage—you have to unclip them—but might be the most well-padded, comfortable straps I've encountered on a duffel. Exterior daisy chains and an interior zippered pocket round out the impressive features list.

Land's End Waxed Canvas Duffel for $180 : Most duffel bags these days are made of nylon, and while it's tough to call a material that's been popular since the 1940s “modern,” nylon bags don't have the old-school charm that this waxed canvas bag does.

Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler 40L for $149 : This bag weighs 1 pound, 13 ounces, which is only slightly heavier than air. It also has backpack straps that stow away in a front pocket.

Skyway Epic Carry-On for $160 : At 7.1 pounds, the Epic is an average weight. The handle is a wee bit more finicky than our top pick, and the Travelpro's wheels glide a little more nicely. Still, the Epic is a solid choice.

Target Signature Weekender Bag for $81 : Looking like a cross between a duffel and a handbag, the Weekender has a structure that product reviewer Louryn Strampe says can become overfilled, so keep that in mind if you plan to bring it onto a plane as a carry-on. She appreciates its durability and the many internal pockets for organization, though, and its rather long five-year warranty.

Solgaard Carry-On Closet Plus for $345 : It's a tiny bit over what most airlines list as the maximum dimensions, but the difference is so small that it's accepted 95 percent of the time. WIRED reviewer Louryn Strampe praises its optional clip-in closet clothing organizer, which makes for efficient packing. The built-in TSA lock is easy to use, and there's an internal power-bank pocket. This suitcase is included in our Favorite Recycled Products guide.

Samsonite Outline Pro Carry-On for $200 : This is a hard-side, four-wheeled spinner carry-on made from an outer shell of durable polypropylene. Standout features include an interior fabric made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles and a “WetPak” storage pocket for keeping damp items separated from the rest of your luggage.

Adidas Defender Duffel for $40 : If you're looking for an inexpensive duffel that'll handle some light-duty traveling, this is a good way to save $100. The fabric is significantly thinner and less sturdy than that of other duffels in this guide, and it lacks backpack straps. But for taking on the train or tossing into a car trunk, it'll do the trick.

Bags We Don’t Like

Some bags just aren't worth the asking price, especially with so many good alternatives at all price points.

Peugeot Voyages Carry-On Spinner for $595 : What a price tag for a plastic-case suitcase. You can see where Peugeot tried to imbue the Voyages with some luxury, such as the metal riveting and built-in travel locks, but the case felt no more solid than a budget hard-sided bag, and the USB charging port felt cheap, like an outlet you'd find built into a seat in an airport terminal.

Eagle Creek Caldera Convertible International Carry-On for $469 : At 6 pounds, 2 ounces, this bag is a bit heavy. There's a zip-off 19-liter backpack that you can separate from the rest of the 37-liter bag, but when they're zipped together, the combined size doesn't meet carry-on restrictions.

Ebags CTS Carry-On Spinner for $200 : This one wasn't awful, but there are much better options for the money. Its hard plastic sides felt more brittle than the hard-sided plastic Away suitcases. The handle rattles a lot and it didn't roll quite as smoothly as other bags.

A Few Travel Accessories

Once you've got your bag, you'll want to pack it with a few more useful items:

Apple AirTag for $24 : If you have an iPhone, it's one of the best ways to keep a digital eye on your bags. Drop an AirTag into an interior pocket to make sure you and your luggage are reunited at your destination. Don't have an iPhone? We suggest the Chipolo in our guide to the Best Bluetooth Trackers .

Eagle Creek Specter Pack-It Cubes Three-Pack for $35 keep everything inside your bags organized by allowing you to separate it into different cubes, so you won't ever have to hunt through seven pairs of socks to find your bathing suit again.

Calpak Clear Cosmetics Case for $75 : Calpak’s viral clear cases come in three sizes and a ton of colors for the edge trims. Reviewer Nena Farrell loved the small size for my gym bag and traveling with a smaller carry-on bag, while the medium was a great size for my daily makeup or larger suitcases.

Troubadour Buddy 2.0 Tech Case for $75 : You probably need a case to organize your spare charging cables and power banks. I've been testing this compact, waterproof, and recycled bag that fits neatly into my personal item.

UrPower Portable Steamer for $24 beats a travel iron because it's far lighter and you don't need to hunt down an ironing board at your hotel. WIRED reviewer Medea Giordano and I both have been using UrPowers for years. For a tiny thing, it's powerful and effective at steaming practically anything. You just need to refill it often.

Samsonite Manual Luggage Scale for $15 is handy when you're packing a heavy bag for an upcoming trip. Use it to weigh your luggage and make sure it's within the weight limits. International airlines are sticklers for carry-on weight, and even American airlines will be unforgiving about weight for checked bags.

InCase MacBook Sleeves for $50 will keep your laptop from bearing the damage caused by airport security lines. Travel through an airport without a case and it's only a matter of time before a bare laptop or tablet picks up nasty scratches and dents. Check our guide to the Best MacBook Accessories for more.

How to Pick the Right Size Bag

Every airline sets its own dimensional requirements for carry-on baggage, so if you want to be safe, you should check your airline's requirements before packing. But broadly, they're split into two categories: domestic and international.

Domestic flights by US airlines (and a few others) have standardized on 22 x 14 x 9 inches.

International carry-on bag sizes tend to be about 21 inches tall and a bit narrower, but they're all over the place. It's tough, because many international airlines will measure your bags at the airport and reject anything even slightly bigger than the allowed size. If you fly outside the US a lot, you may as well buy a bag sized for international flights.

You'll also want to check each airline's weight limits. They vary wildly, but some international airlines restrict you to 15 or 20 pounds, including the weight of the bag itself. For example, there are some East Asian airlines that limit carry-on bags to 11 pounds. Once you subtract 6 or more pounds for the bag, you're not left with much wiggle room to put stuff inside.

When to Remove Battery Banks

Battery banks, also known as power banks, are a travel must-have. Whether you're using a tablet to watch movies on your flight or relying on your phone to coordinate rideshares, hotel check-in, and handle your boarding passes, you've got to keep those devices charged and topped up. Many bags offer a removable battery bank that slides into a special pocket or notch of the suitcase.

For carry-on luggage on a flight in the US, you're allowed to bring a lithium-ion battery of 100 watt-hours or less. You don't need to remove it from the suitcase's pocket if you're storing your bag in the overhead bin.

Lithium-ion battery banks are not allowed in checked luggage. If you check your bag or have to gate-check it, make sure to remove the battery bank before you give your suitcase to the gate agent. Slip the battery bank into your purse, backpack, or pocket for the duration of the flight.

Louryn Strampe

Scott Gilbertson

Adrienne So

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The Best Checked Luggage to Solve All Your Travel Needs

Every product on this page was chosen by a Harper's BAZAAR editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

Kristen Shirley , founder of the luxury encyclopedia La Patiala , knows a thing or two about good luggage. An avid traveler (who previously worked at a travel magazine), she stresses the importance of investing in quality checked bags. “Checked luggage can be expensive, but it’s well worth the money,” she tells Bazaar . “ High-quality luggage will not only last for years—I’ve had some of my luggage for over a decade—but it [also] makes your travel experience so much more enjoyable.” It can save you from certain aches and pains, too (which for Shirley included shoulder pain, caused by using a two-wheel bag instead of a four-wheeler).

Best Soft-Sided

Tumi alpha extended trip expandable 4-wheeled suitcase.

Best Hard-Sided

Away the large suitcase.

Best Sustainable

Paravel aviator grand recycled-hardshell suitcase.

When searching for the best checked luggage, she recommends you first consider what you will be using it for. Sometimes a midsize bag (with a volume around 125 liters) is more useful in the long run, over an enormous 140-liter option that might be necessary only for a journey of three weeks or longer. (A reminder: The bigger the suitcase, the more it will generally weigh empty.) A brand that offers luggage sets is also a smart way to shop. Shirley says her nonnegotiable luggage features are: four spinner wheels, a telescoping handle with at least three different heights or full adjustability, and two carry handles (one on the top, and one on the side).

Next, you’ll need to decide whether a soft-sided suitcase or hardshell better suits your needs. Shirley prefers soft-sided cases, which are more flexible when it comes to packing. “Many soft-sided suitcases are also expandable, which is important to have if you only invest in one checked bag,” she says. Soft-sided suitcases also commonly include an exterior pocket, which Shirley notes is great for slipping last-minute additions inside without opening the entire bag.

Whichever your preference, we’ve rounded up the 12 best checked luggage options below, including a mix of both soft and hard shells, to help you find the suitcase that fits your style and travel needs.

“I bought this Tumi Alpha suitcase in Paris after an inexpensive suitcase broke on my way to Paris Fashion Week,” Shirley tells Bazaar . “Getting the tax rebate made it more affordable!” Although an investment, it has been put to the test and remains a favorite of this expert. “I’ve had it for over a decade and have put it through every test imaginable: long trips, short trips, planes, trains, buses, yachts, subways, and cars,” she says. “It can handle anything, and it makes long travel journeys with lots of connections easier to navigate, thanks to the four spinning wheels and sturdy handle.”

The 30-inch height and expansive capabilities make a long journey (or even an editor’s Fashion Week, where major looks are a must!) completely possible with one case. No more extra baggage fees in your future. And don’t worry, there are still all the classic Tumi features customers love—including a TSA-approved lock and compartments galore.

What reviewers are saying: “Just as the description says ‘Don't think twice what to pack’. Take it all. Whether you’re driving, flying, or going on a cruise, you will not regret having this case. Everything about it says quality. I honestly haven’t found anything I don’t like about it. Would you really expect anything less from Tumi. Absolutely not. ”

Exterior dimensions: 12.99" x 22.05" x 30.91"

Weight: 17.9 pounds

Colors: Black, anthracite

“I have the Away Carry-On bag, which is great for short trips, and my family uses the Large checked bag, so I’ve seen it in action,” Shirley says. “It’s a great, affordable choice for people who prefer hard-sided bags.” Although simple in design, the durable shell has been tested for high impact, while the compressive interior packs it all in. The 36o-degree wheels and a removable laundry bag are additional noteworthy details that, while simple, make this suitcase so great. “Away also offers a limited lifetime warranty, should you have any problems with it, which is unique,” Shirley notes. “Most companies offer a five-year warranty.”

She also recommends using a unique luggage tag, given the brand’s immense popularity, so it won’t get lost in the sea of matching cases on the carousel. Or try one of the limited-edition standout colors that Away sporadically introduces. (Get ’em while they’re hot, though—they go fast.)

What reviewers are saying: “Very nice case, the blue color distinguishes it from all others. The sturdiness is great along with the room. This is our second large case. The first one is holding up perfectly. This size case isn’t that much more than others but the lifetime warranty makes up for the price.”

Exterior dimensions: 29" x 20.5" x 12.5"

Weight: 12.1 pounds

Colors: Navy blue, coast blue, olive green, sorbet orange, jet black, salt white

“Paravel’s Aviator Grand is the first-ever carbon-neutral checked luggage,” Shirley tells us. “It’s constructed from many recycled materials that are sustainably sourced, and all production and shipping emissions are offset by the company. It even estimates the emissions that your first trip will generate and offsets those too!” This eco-friendly option doesn’t sacrifice on style, either.

“The Aviator design is elegant and unique, with two contrasting stripes of vegan leather that wrap around the bag, and it is sure to stand out on the baggage carousel,” Shirley says. “The unique textured finish isn’t just for show—it helps hides the inevitable scuffs that any bag will get once it’s checked.” She also loves the included laundry bag to help keep you organized when traveling.

What reviewers are saying: “The aviator luggage is the best. I have the carry-on and the matching checked luggage. The checked luggage is the perfect size for longer-term trips, and the color selection is great.”

Exterior Dimensions: 18.25" x 28" x 11"

Weight: 11.8 pounds

Colors: Safari green, scuba navy, derby black, scout tan, domino black

Rimowa Essential Check-In Large Suitcase

“Rimowa is the ultimate cool-girl luggage, and has been on my wish list for years,” Shirley says. “The Rimowa Essential Check-in L comes in a lot of fun, fashionable colors.” She suggests this matte blue, noting it won’t get dinged up too badly in the airport during travel. Although an investment, Shirley notes that Rimowa created the world’s first polycarbonate suitcase, and that the brand has been responsible for a lot of advances in luggage design, making the price tag worth it. She recommends this suitcase for trips lasting a week to 10 days. A favorite feature? “It has a telescoping handle that you can stop at any height, not just a couple predetermined ones, which is very convenient.”

What reviewers are saying: “I came for a different piece of luggage and loved that too, but the sheer beauty of the Rimowa stole my heart. As beautiful as it is, it is equally functional. It has super smooth wheels and makes a statement on any flight or hotel check-in.”

Exterior dimensions: 30.6" x 20.5" x 11.1"

Weight: 10.6 pounds

Colors: Matte blue, matte black, black gloss, sea blue gloss, slate gloss, green gloss, petal pink gloss

Monos Hybrid Check-In Large Suitcase

Minimalist-inspired luggage that is crafted with high-quality parts and materials, without the designer markup, is the founding concept behind the brand Monos. Its clean, durable luggage has become a favorite due to its lasting appeal and thoughtful designs. The Hybrid Check-In Large was made with longer treks in mind, or for those who are notorious over-packers. Notable features include an aerospace-grade, water-resistant polycarbonate hard shell made from partially recycled materials, aluminum frame and corner guards for protection from damage in transit, reinforced wheel housing that supports extra weight, and two TSA-approved locks. With countless customer reviews, this one is a no-brainer, especially given the price point.

What reviewers are saying: “My first piece of ‘expensive’ luggage has been great for my first 8 day trip. It’s sturdy… I sat on new luggage after finally getting it packed and the sides didn’t fold in or flex holding 140+ pounds! Wheels rolled well through the journey and the locking system is great. Only disappointed in how the luggage crew scuffled up my new hauler. Worth the money and excited to buy the smaller sizes soon.”

Exterior dimensions: 30" x 21" x 11"

Weight: 13 pounds

Colors: Obsidian, silver, champagne

SteamLine Luggage The Editor 27-Inch Check-In Spinner Packing Case

If you ever lusted after the old-fashioned travel trunks of the Hollywood golden era, SteamLine Luggage offers the same authentic look, updated for modern use. This spinner suitcase is surprisingly lightweight, given the unique, structured shape, weighing in at only 9.3 pounds. The outside is covered with a luxe, linen fabric and leather straps for chic styling. This is one suitcase that you won’t want sitting in your closet after travel. Modern features include TSA-approved locks, silent glide wheels, and a three-tier telescopic handle. Extras include a hanging travel kit and organization zippers and pockets to keep contents secure. There is also a ripstop cover included, which will keep this beautiful case clean and protected while in transit, so you won’t have to worry about damage.

What reviewers are saying: “My SteamLine Luggage editor case is one of the most beautiful items that I own. It has a vintage look and very high quality. I hope to pass on one day, as they are pieces I use for much of my travels, especially to places like Paris and New York. I love that when traveling with this luggage I am always stopped and asked about it, is it vintage? There is SO much detail in these crafted luggage pieces, from the leather straps and brass hardware to the gorgeous liners that are full of character. Every time I open up one of my cases to pack I am excited, these luggage pieces come on all of my special trips with my stylish pals, they make for the best bags!”

Exterior dimensions: 25" x 17" x 10"

Weight: 9.3 pounds

Colors: Black, brown, navy

July Checked Plus Suitcase

When July was created, the brand’s founders looked at over 4,000 reviews of competitors’ products to determine what consumers wanted. After extensive research, the brand created its signature eggshell shape, which houses wheels in a new way and protects corners from damage on long journeys. The wheels are also custom to the brand, to create a silent-yet-functional system that can withstand anything from European cobblestones to a gravel sidewalk. The aerospace-grade German polycarbonate shell is a match for wear and tear, as well. And the included nylon, stain-proof laundry bag is just the icing on the cake. Take yours for a spin with July’s 100-day return policy to truly experience the quality.

What reviewers are saying: “When I go on holiday for the long term, I use this Checked Plus. It’s big and so much stuff you can put in it. I like the design and the size. I’m glad I have it.”

Exterior dimensions: 30.25" x 19.75" x 12.5"

Weight: 10.5 pounds

Colors: Navy, sand, moss, forest, shadow lavender, charcoal, monochrome, and clay, plus seven limited-edition shades

Tumi Alpha Worldwide Trip Expandable 4-Wheeled Packing Case

“The Tumi Alpha Worldwide is a monster suitcase, but it’s great for really long trips, when having two bags would be difficult,” Shirley says. “It’s definitely too large to be your only bag, though, so I only recommend it to frequent travelers.” Trust the expert when she says it’s a monster. This bag has a whopping 34-inch height and 22-inch depth, for monthlong vacations or an excessive packer. Of course, there are zippers aplenty for organization, zipper-to-zipper expansion capabilities, dual spinner wheels, a TSA-friendly lock, and even bumper rails and impact-resistant side panels for all the bumps, falls, and throws it might see along the way.

Shirley likes to use this one when hitting the slopes. “I use this bag when I go skiing, so I can bring all of my thick sweaters and ski clothes,” she says. “It has all the same features I love about my smaller checked bag.”

What reviewers are saying: “My wife tends to pack a lot of things, and our previous bag was a bit challenging for her to get everything in that she wanted to pack for trips. I decided to get this bag, since it was the largest Tumi bag I could find. Home run! She loves the bag, and she can pack away to her heart’s desire and still have room left over. She particularly likes the four-wheel design, which makes moving the bag through the airport easier. She also likes the locking zippers of this bag.”

Exterior dimensions: 13" x 22" x 34"

Weight: 18.6 pounds

Colors: Black

Samsonite Omni 2 Hardside Expandable Luggage

If you are looking for an under-$200 option, this Samsonite case is highly recommended by reviewers. This large, 30-inch bag sits atop four dual spinner wheels for easy maneuvering through airports, train stations, and taxi lines. Inside are two pockets (one zipped and one with compression straps) to organize all your personal belongs for a longer trek. A scratch-resistant, hard outer shell made from polycarbonate will keep this bag from looking worn from wear over time. A built-in lock along the zippered side will keep all your stuff secure, as well.

What reviewers are saying: “I used this for a 5 day / 4 night trip for two and it fit everything we needed. It’s the perfect sized checked bag. It’s sturdy and light. The bag is zippered on one side and has straps on the other. The wheels are easily maneuverable, the handle works as designed. The only con about this luggage is that I got black and it looks like every other bag on the conveyor belt but that’s not much to complain about. Great price too.”

Exterior dimensions: 30.4” x 20.9”x 12.4”

Weight: 10.8 pounds

Colors: Midnight black, arctic silver, Caribbean blue, lagoon blue, nova teal, rose gold, solid charcoal, purple

Briggs & Riley Torq 33-Inch Extra-Large Wheeled Trunk Suitcase

If you favor the look and convenience of a trunk-style suitcase, this one from Briggs & Riley checks all the boxes. Its large, 80/20 interior makes packing for long journeys a breeze. The three-layer, hard-side shell is scratch-resistant, and will withstand plenty of spins on conveyer belts and any sort of careless tosses at baggage claim. Free-spinning, metal ball-bearing, 360-degree wheels were designed to make long walks, either within your terminal or upon arrival at your destination, all the easier. Organization is easy with internal compression straps and a mesh divider. And finally, a built-in TSA lock will keep everything safe and secure. The best part? The brand offers a lifetime warranty and will repair the case free of charge.

What reviewers are saying: “3 years and counting. We have had this style luggage in the 22" and 26" too. This has taken 50-60 airport trips and is in excellent condition. At one point my husband used it for work supplies. It wiped out easily. I’m buying another size!”

Exterior dimensions: 30" x 16" x 15"

Weight: 10.4 pounds

Colors: Hunter, stealth

Béis The 29-Inch Check-In Roller Suitcase

Instagram-friendly luggage brand Béis makes chic, travel options without a huge markup, but did you also know that actress Shay Mitchell is the founder? The celeb-approved brand has many of the amazing features you might be looking for—including a durable, hard-sided polycarbonate exterior shell, 360-degree wheels, a cushioned handle, and TSA locks—and one smart tech feature that sets it apart from the rest. A built-in weight-limit indicator ensures you never go over your airline’s restrictions, as a little red light will bring it to your attention when you’ve packed more than 50 pounds. Fidgeting with your at-home scale or having to unpack an overweight bag at the airport will never be a problem again.

What reviewers are saying: “This is all you need with this suitcase! This will fit everything plus some! The expanding zipper is VERY nice for you buy things on your trip and need that little bit of additional room. The locking zippers give that extra feeling of security while still allowing TSA to access anything if needed. I recommend this bag and the carry on size for the perfect set.”

Exterior dimensions: 31" x 18" x 11.5"

Weight: 12 pounds

Colors: Black, beige, teal

Antler Brixham Large Suitcase

Getting the most out of your checked luggage includes considering the weight of the piece. Since we all know how cumbersome large suitcases can be and how many extra pounds they add to the scale, when it comes time to check it, consider this soft-shell option from Antler. Made from strong and durable polyester, this suitcase has four 360-degree spinner wheels, an expander zip, a zip-front pocket for grab-and-go, and two internal pockets for organizing all your belongings. A TSA-approved combination lock keeps things secure, while a lifetime warranty on every item makes it worth the investment.

What reviewers are saying: “Good large suitcase that expands. Very stable when packed and easy to maneuver. Also very light for size of case. Would definitely recommend.”

Exterior dimensions: 31.88" x 18.31" x 12.2"

Weight: 5.95 pounds

Colors: Navy, black, canopy green

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Embarking on a journey, whether it’s across the globe or just a weekend getaway , begins with the right luggage by your side. With a myriad of options flooding the market, finding the perfect travel companion can be a daunting task.

Don’t worry — we explored a curated selection of the best luggage brands that combine durability, style, and functionality.

From sleek carry-ons to spacious suitcases, these brands have mastered the art of crafting luggage that not only withstands the rigors of travel but also makes a statement wherever you go.

RELATED : Best duffle bags

There are tons to consider: design, warranty, overall quality (zippers, wheels, handles) and then, of course, optimal interior space that meets both your needs and airline requirements. We considered it all and bring you our list of the best luggage brands for carry-ons , checked bags and more.

• Best Overall : Monos

Best Budget : Amazon

Best splurge : rimowa, best organization : solgaard, best carry-on : away, best under-seat : lo & sons, most durable : travelpro, best style : béis travel.

• Best Value : Carl Friedrik
• Best Eco-Friendly : Horizn Studios

Best for International Travel : Tumi

Best sets : july.

Going on a plane for a *really* long time? Check out our guide to the best long flight essentials for more shopping.

Best Overall: Monos

• Sleek, modern design
• Lightweight for easy maneuverability
• Durable materials
• Excellent customer service
• Higher price point
• Limited color options

Let us introduce you to Monos, the luggage brand that transformed our travel experience. With its sleek, minimalist design and premium materials, Monos luggage isn’t just functional — it’s a style statement. Every trip feels effortless with Monos; its lightweight construction and smooth-gliding wheels make navigating everything from airports to cobblestone streets a breeze. Plus, the attention to detail and durability ensure that our belongings stay safe and secure no matter where we go.

We tested the Check-In Large Suitcase ($355) and found it to be smooth to maneuver and surprisingly lightweight with ample packing space and flexibility for overpacking. Seriously — it’s already a huge suitcase, but the way it’s able to flex around a mound of items within it to effortlessly zip closed is nothing short of amazing.

The Post Wanted team also tested the Monos Backpack ($180) and continue to love its performance. “I immediately fell in love with the color and material, opting for the brown vegan leather,” Sophie Cannon, associate manager of commerce strategy and development, shared in her standalone review . “The bag felt soft, like I like my leather to be, but the actual structure of the bag was stiff enough to stand up on it’s own while I packed. It also felt supportive and protective enough for my belongings, including a padded laptop sleeve and zipper pockets that felt secure.”

• Affordable prices
• Wide variety of options
• Convenient for quick purchase and delivery
• Access to customer reviews
• Durability may vary
• Basic design

Amazon’s luggage selection is like stepping into a traveler’s paradise. From affordable carry-ons to luxurious suitcases, they offer an extensive range of options to suit every budget and style. What we love most is the convenience of shopping from home and having our luggage delivered straight to our doorstep. With Amazon, we can browse through countless reviews and find the perfect travel companion without ever leaving our couch. Brands include Amazon Basics , Samsonite , American Tourister , and more.

We tested the Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner ($75) and found it to be durable and easy to maneuver. The orange hue was never difficult to spot in baggage claims, but it wasn’t as chic a carry-on as would be ideal. Be it because of the color or the finish, scuffs were minor and, on some trips, didn’t even seem to happen.

• Premium quality materials and craftsmanship
• Luxury design
• Exceptional durability
• Prestige and status symbol
• Highest price point
• Limited accessibility for budget-conscious travelers

Luxury meets functionality with Rimowa, the luggage brand favored by discerning travelers worldwide. From its iconic grooved design to its lightweight yet durable construction, Rimowa luggage exudes sophistication in every detail. Traveling with Rimowa isn’t just about reaching your destination; it’s about embarking on a journey in style. With its unmatched craftsmanship and timeless elegance, Rimowa luggage has become an essential part of our travel repertoire.

We tried the Essential Sleeve Cabin Carry-On ($1,050) and found it to be our absolute go-to for how smoothly it rolls, how easy it is to lift, how convenient the removable interior dividers are, how chic its appearance is, and how helpful the outside sleeve is (which all but replaced our need for another personal item). And we swear it’s what got us into a lounge once without having to pay a fee…lucky charm or status symbol?

• Innovative organization features
• Sustainable practices
• Limited availability

Solgaard offers the crème de la crème of luggage options and this one is our current favorite. The Carry-on Closet Suitcase can easily fit essentials, as well as those “just in case” items and is as durable as they come. Its exterior has an unbreakable polycarbonate shell, which keeps it in pristine condition in baggage claim. The interior’s patented built-in shelving system stores clothes perfectly — no stuffing or squeezing necessary. The suitcase also features an integrated USB charging port, a three-digit lock, and frictionless wheels for quiet transport. Available in nine different colors.

We were blown away by the thoughtfulness behind features like the built-in shelving system and the removable battery pack for charging devices on the go. With Solgaard, we not only travel with purpose but also with a sense of pride knowing that our luggage contributes to a greener planet.

We tried the Original Carry-On Closet ($275) and found it to be extremely helpful in the way of organization and its built-in USB charging port. It was also unique enough to be recognized easily in baggage claims and stylish enough to make its serious functionality seem like a bonus.

“Solgaard’s Carry On Closet is by far the most unique suitcase I’ve ever used,” Angela Tricarico, Decider commerce writer/reporter, shared after testing. “It’s perfect for weekend trips, but savvy packers could probably make the case work for longer trips than that, too. It’s all thanks to the Carry On Closet insert that you pack outside of the suitcase, then compress and insert into one side of the open case.”

The best part? Once you reach your destination, you can take it out an unpack in seconds, since everything is already folded neatly into a hanging organizer.

• Stylish designs available in various colors
• Durable construction
• Built-in battery charger for electronics
• Limited selection
• Popularity make it hard to locate in baggage claim

Away luggage is not just about the sleek design and fashionable colors — it’s about functionality and convenience. Whether it’s the built-in USB charging ports or the thoughtfully designed interior compartments, every detail of Away luggage is crafted with the modern traveler in mind. With Away, we feel confident knowing that our luggage can keep up with our jet-setting as well as our personal style.

We tried the small Carry-On ($295) and found it to be attractive, easy to roll and lift, and we loved the ability to personalize it with our initials, which made it a cinch to find in the baggage claims (otherwise, it might be hard because of how ubiquitous Away suitcases are these days). Here’s a more in-depth review of Away luggage , too.

• Compact size designed for easy storage
• Functional features for organized packing
• Versatile styles suitable for various occasions
• May not suit all travelers’ needs

Lo & Sons isn’t just a luggage brand; it’s a lifestyle. Their meticulously designed bags blend fashion and function seamlessly, making them a favorite among frequent travelers like us. The clever organizational features, such as the detachable compartments and hidden pockets, have revolutionized the way we pack. What’s more, the timeless yet contemporary designs ensure that our Lo & Sons bag is always on-trend, no matter where we go. With Lo & Sons, we’re not just traveling; we’re making a statement.

We tried the O.G. 2 ($262) and found it to be yet another go-to for every trip because of its suitcase handlebar sleeve, comfortable straps, elegant appearance, ability to be stuffed to the brim, secret shoe compartment, and outer laptop sleeve. It’s got it all and is made with materials that make it last.

• Lightweight construction
• Ample storage compartments
• Trusted brand among frequent travelers
• Built to last
• Limited style options

As seasoned travelers, we rely on TravelPro for its unmatched durability and clever organizational features. Its ample storage compartments and rugged construction ensure that our belongings stay secure, even during the most demanding journeys. With TravelPro, packing becomes a joy rather than a hassle, allowing us to embark on adventures with confidence and ease.

We tried the Travelpro x Travel + Leisure Compact Carry-On Spinner ($525) and found it to be robust in construction yet lightweight enough to lift, even when full. It was also very organization-friendly with removable pouches, pockets, and dividers and lasted through 7 international trips and is still going strong.

• Trendy designs with stylish aesthetics
• Thoughtful features for convenience
• Affordably priced for the quality
• Limited variety
• May not suit all tastes

Béis Travel, which was launched by actress Shay Mitchell in 2018, features a variety of trendy but chic luggage pieces for many different occasions and purposes. The brand offers more than just luggage; it’s a lifestyle choice for the fashion-conscious traveler. From trendy designs to thoughtful features, they’ve mastered the art of combining style and functionality. Whether it’s chic carry-ons or versatile accessories, Béis Travel has us covered. With Béis, we travel in style without breaking the bank, making every trip a fashion statement.

We tried the Medium Check-in Roller ($308) and found it to be highly organization-friendly with removable pouches and dividers as well as bags for laundry or what have you. It’s good-looking, as promised by the label’s branding, but also impressively waterproof, surviving being stranded in the rain while awaiting a train.

Additionally, The Weekender is another fan-favorite option and one we reviewed as well. “TSA with my weekender was a breeze, as I easily found my laptop in the padded pocket and removed my baggy of liquids from the main inside compartment,” Cannon noted in her standalone review . “The bag did just barely fit in the provided bins at the airport, but the bag does have little feet on the bottom and can ride on the conveyor belt alone, pending your airport’s rules.”

• Premium quality
• Excellent durability
• Innovative features for travelers
• Limited styles in some collections

Tumi , a luggage brand founded in 1975 by Charlie Clifford after a stint in the Peace Corps in Peru, has been a cult favorite for decades. The brand offers a variety of suitcase sizes ranging from weekender bags (with wheels and without) to mega-large duffle bags. Plus, they have a warranty of five years on most of their products.

Tumi’s reputation for premium quality and innovation has made it our top choice for luxury travel essentials. The exceptional durability and advanced features, such as TSA-approved locks and impact-resistant materials, offer unparalleled peace of mind on every trip. With Tumi by our side, we travel with confidence, knowing that we’re equipped with the best-in-class luggage that’s as stylish as it is functional.

We tried the Alpha Small Compact 4 Wheeled Brief ($775) and found it to be everything we needed in a roller briefcase, from its highly organized dual-layer interior to its surprisingly robust amount of space for overnight essentials. It was perfect for day trips and even commuting to the office and is clearly built to last.

“Tumi has one of the most well-made luggages I’ve used on a trip, completely taking my travel stress away,” Victoria Giardina, commerce journalist and content strategist, said after testing for a year. “The brand’s 19 Degree Extended Trip Expandable Wheeled Packing Case is spacious, comes with quality mesh pockets and is ultra-secure. While a splurge, I know it’ll last for so many years.”

• Versatile sets
• Innovative design features
• 100-day trial period
• Lifetime warranty
• Limited availability outside of online purchase

Born in Melbourne, Australia — July luggage is beautiful and durable. Many of their suitcases feature a unique eggshell design to protect your goods, anodized aluminum corner bumpers to protect from hard drops, an integrated TSA lock so your contents are always secure and much more.

July’s modular design and premium craftsmanship have transformed the way we approach packing and organization. The customizable sets and intuitive features, like removable laundry bags and compression straps, adapt to our changing travel needs effortlessly. With July, we enjoy the flexibility to create our ideal travel companion, tailored to suit every destination and adventure, making each journey a personalized experience.

We tried the Carry On & Checked Set ($558) and found it to be the perfect pairing for long-haul trips. The corner bumpers made knowing the checked bag would survive even the harshest of baggage handling while the carry-on was lightweight enough to lift in aircraft cabins. The carry-on also nests perfectly into the checked bag which makes shopping trips (or storage) effortless. The hidden laundry bags were also a huge plus.

How we tested

Testing luggage brands involves several key considerations to ensure comprehensive coverage and fair evaluation. We tested one (or more) styles from each brand, typically among the brands’ best-sellers, to judge each label. Each carry-on, checked bag, or duffle was tested on at least 2 trips over the past 6 years. Here’s a breakdown of our testing criteria during those trips:

• Wear and Tear: Does it scuff easily? How well does it protect its contents? How durable is the handle? Can it be overstuffed regularly?
• User Experience: How easy is it to carry, roll, or maneuver? Does it have special features that make travel easier?
• Style: Does it look good? Does it have a unique, classic, or basic look?
• Longevity: Is it built to last? Are its materials durable?

Why Trust Post Wanted by the New York Post

For over 200 years, the New York Post has been America’s go-to source for bold news, engaging stories, in-depth reporting, and now, insightful shopping guidance . We’re not just thorough reporters – we sift through mountains of information, test and compare products , and consult experts on any topics we aren’t already schooled specialists in to deliver useful, realistic product recommendations based on our extensive and hands-on analysis. Here at The Post, we’re known for being brutally honest – we clearly label partnership content, and whether we receive anything from affiliate links, so you always know where we stand. We routinely update content to reflect current research and expert advice, provide context (and wit) and ensure our links work. Please note that deals can expire, and all prices are subject to change.

Hunting for a headline-worthy haul? Keep shopping with Post Wanted .

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Grab Your Passports—This Is the Best Luggage for International Travel

Let these help you go the distance in style.

Every item on this page was chosen by an ELLE editor. We may earn commission on some of the items you choose to buy.

To help you find the best suitcases, carry-ons and more for crossing borders, I’ve sourced and tested plenty of options. The selection ahead is highly researched, backed by glowing reviews, editor testing, and expert recommendations. We’ve considered every detail, from the toughness of materials to the convenience of multi-directional wheels and TSA-approved locks. You’ll find options that meet travel and comfort requirements along with aesthetically pleasing options to compliment your style. And, with the perfect crossbody by your side, you’ll be ready to take on a new adventure overseas with confidence, style, and ease. So go ahead, book that trip you’ve been dreaming of and travel with these chic and dependable picks.

Away The Large Flex

Away luggage pretty much broke the internet upon its launch. Since then, the brand has only expanded (no pun intended). The Large Flex is a more innovative version of the brand’s original version because it’s expandable. You get an additional 75 inches of space, if needed. Other great qualities of Away suitcases include 360-degree spinner wheels, an interior compression system, a leather luggage tag, grab handles, and a TSA-approved combination lock. Need I say more?

Material: Polycarbonate

Colors: 11 options

Weight: 12.25 lbs

Customer review: “I’m in love with my blue large flex luggage. I fit so many jackets and shoes inside for my first trip with it to Europe. The magic eraser makes it look brand new after every trip. It’s sleek, stylish, and has tons of space and neat features inside. You can’t go wrong with this bag. I’ve recommended it to all my friends.”

Solgaard Check-In Closet Original

Solgaard’s Check-In Closet suitcase is one of the more unique designs on this list, with 1,000 five-star reviews directly from the site. It features a built-in shelving system covered by an unbreakable polycarbonate shell, so you can pack with a purpose and organization in mind, and unpack with ease. The removable, built-in shelving system has five shelves along with compression straps for even more storage. There's also a zippered mesh pocket opposite the closet to store several pairs of shoes. The high tech design provides ample space for more.

Colors: 9 options

Weight: 12.3lbs

Customer review: “ Excellent suitcase! Love the closet feature. Makes unpacking so much easier to just hang up the closet when I go whenever I need to go.”

Baboon To The Moon Go-Bag Duffle Big

If you haven’t already been sold by Baboon To The Moon’s Instagram ads, listen here. The Go Bag is the brand’s most popular product. While it comes it a few different sizes, we’re fans of the 40-liter option because it’s a large carry-on that can fit three to five days’ worth of clothing and act as a duffle bag or backpack. It’s a great addition to any international trip serving as a weekender, backpacking bag, or carry-on. The weatherproof outer shell makes this a great option for adventure travel. Plus, it’s easy to clean and has a secure zipper to avoid theft.

Travel expert and content creator Nikki Tomlin says, “ I wanted to try out Baboon To The Moon bags because I heard they were sustainable and made from recycled materials. I’m so glad I did! The 40-liter size is, hands down, my go-to ever since I got it. I’m obsessed with it as a carry-on and for its all-around functionality. It can be a side duffle bag or a backpack. The straps are fully adjustable. It’s super comfortable and flexible yet sturdy and durable, allowing me to pack anyway I want for any trip. It doesn’t fall apart or pop open like others, even when stuffed. It’s also super easy to clean. I also have the 60-liter and use it for winter trips when I need more gear.”

Material: Phthalate-free PVC fabric

Colors: Mineral Green, Deep Mahogany, Citronelle, Mandarin Red, Crocodile, Black, Navy

Weight: 3.5 lbs

Customer review: “ This bag is exactly what I wanted! It’s the perfect size for work, where I need to bring a few changes of clothes and water-resistant enough that my stuff won’t get drenched when I’m out in the rain. Customer service was also so quick and kind, getting back to me when I had a question. 10/10 would recommend! ”

Calpak Ambeur 3-Piece Luggage Set

When you need new luggage, Calpak has you covered. Key features of Calpak’s luggage include TSA-approved locks, expandable capacity up to two inches, convenient bottom grab handles, an included luggage tag, and a divider with multiple interior pockets. Strutting through the airport with a matching set has never been so stylish. With Calpak, you can achieve that look without breaking the bank.

Colors: Rose Gold, Silver, Black, Gold, Copper

Weight: Carry-On: 6 lbs; Medium: 8.6 lbs; Large: 10.3 lbs

Customer review: “ I absolutely love my new luggage. It’s stylish, durable and comes with built-in locks. It’s Not nearly as heavy as I thought it would be based on my previous set. I’ll definitely be buying the luggage cover. Airlines can be brutal on your luggage, and I’m sure it will get pretty scratched up without it.”

Beis The Large Check-In Roller in Honey

Shay Mitchell aimed to design a chic and budget-friendly luggage line for women who are constantly on the move. She focuses on the small details that many other brands overlook. Take the Large Check-In Roller, for instance; it features a built-in weight limit indicator to alert you when your suitcase is too heavy. It’s effortlessly maneuverable with thoughtful ergonomics and available in a variety of fun colors. Plus, it comes with a lifetime warranty (and who doesn’t love that?).

Travel expert, editor, and content creator Kristin Corpuz says, “I love Beis’ suitcases because of how functional they are. I’m typically a carry-on-only kind of girl, and the brand’s carry-on never ceases to amaze me by how much it can fit inside. I’ve traveled for six weeks through Europe with that suitcase, and plenty of other trips before and after. It’s super sturdy (20+ countries and countless road trips do a lot of damage) and glides easily through the airport. My favorite underrated feature is the padded handle, which makes it super comfortable to maneuver through a crowded terminal.”

Colors: 13 options

Weight: 11.84 lbs

Customer review: “I bought this one and the carry-on luggage for an upcoming work trip. I was able to fit everything I needed. I love all the details from the extra pockets to the compression straps, and the cushioned handle. The wheels are so smooth, too. I did not feel like I was struggling to push the suitcases around. It's worth the buy!”

Travelpro Crew Versapack Softside Expandable Spinner

Travelpro stands out as a top choice in the category of softside suitcases. Customer reviews and editor tests highlight the impressive room of this carry-on. It boasts ample space and expandability, with organizational pockets both inside and out. It’s designed for convenience, featuring easy-lift handles and swivel-friendly wheels. The lightweight, soft-shell fabric allows for more packing flexibility, making it a smart choice for travelers. Since it’s a roomier suitcase, be sure to crosscheck your international airline requirements on this one.

Material: Nylon

Colors: Titanium Grey, Patriot Blue, Jet Black

Weight: 8 lbs

Customer review: “ Travel Pro is great! The ballistic nylon is the way to go. It's lightweight and durable. I finally upgraded my 2 wheel to this spinner. My old bag has over 1.3 million miles of travel over 22 years of business and family travel. I’m sure this will go the distance to.”

July Trunk Luggage Set

A long international trip calls for all your necessities. The trunk set from July is an overpacker’s paradise, making them well-equipped to handle it all. The luggage features a scuff-resistant finish, silent wheels, and an ejectable Power Bank. Other notable features include built-in compression that is durable enough to keep clothes in their place, no matter what side you open. Plus, instead of zips, this set uses twin latches to easily lift and open with optional lock usage. Finally, it’s made with a rivetless aluminum frame to withstand it all.

Colors: Cherry Red, Deep Green, Coastal Blue, Light Sand, Moss Green, Light Grey

Weight: Checked Trunk is 13.2lbs , Carry-On Trunk is 8.4lbs

Customer review: “I traveled for four weeks on my own through Italy and Germany with this trunk. I made it through the stoney streets of Rome, Florence, Innsbruck, Munich, Dresden, Berlin and through the fields, sheep dung and peacock poop of rural northern Germany. I'm super pleased to say the trunk has survived very well. I'm very happy with my purchase.”

Monos For the Frequent Flyer

The most important callout of the Monos set is that the carry-on fits in international overhead bins. The entire set is a dream design, with each product effortlessly complementing its companion. With various compartments and features throughout the collection, the modern minimalist design will keep you organized and moving on the go. The Carry-On features a built-in front compartment for easy access to your travel essentials and documents, which is an integral part of international travel. The Metro Backpack is made from water-resistant nylon twill for daily commutes and weekend trips and also comes with an additional snap compartment. Plus, this easily slides onto the Carry-On as a personal item. This set also comes with packing cubes—and more organization is always a good thing.

Material: Polycarbonate, nylon

Weight: Check-In Large is I10.58 lb, Carry-On is 7.01 lb

Customer review: “I first used this luggage for a trip to Europe. The luggage rolled smoothly over rough terrain. It did take a slight beaten on the outside of the luggage by airport staff but I plan to use the included sponge to clean it. The organization inside the luggage is a wonderful plus for me. So many pockets to store items. The only negative is that I wished it had a handle on the bottom to assist with lifting the luggage. I had a full luggage and it was hard for me to lift up.”

Briggs & Riley Baseline Spinners

Another highly reviewed soft-side suitcase is from Briggs & Riley. The brand’s baseline spinner is a bestseller and a great choice for those who prefer to pack all of their clothes into one end of the luggage. The light-colored interior lining makes it easy to see your items packed, and the top flap features an additional zip pocket. It also has a hook and mesh pouch to hang and fold a more delicate garment to minimize wrinkling.

Colors: Olive, Navy, Plum, Black

Weight: 13.6 pounds

Customer review: “I had purchased a Briggs and Riley wheeled carry-on and overnight bag a number of years ago at a high-end luggage store. When I needed a larger bag, I couldn’t find a match locally. Enter Amazon. They had the exact bag I needed. I’ve done a fair amount of traveling and they still look like new. They’re extremely durable (great zippers and reinforced corners), lots of pockets, easy to maneuver and they look classy. They are a bit more expensive, but you’re definitely paying for a high quality product. I doubt I’ll ever need to replace these.”

Halfday Travel The Garment Duffel 45L

For starters, this garment bag/duffel bag combo has over 3,000 perfect five-star reviews. It’s an ideal piece of luggage for destination weddings, business trips, and more. It’s a viral, two-in-one bag that makes packing fun, easy, and quick. It has a strong hanging compartment that can fit a suit and multiple dresses (a 50R men’s jacket for size)—all wrinkle-free! It also zips up to create enough space for a full load of folded clothes and multiple pairs of shoes. Plus, it’s a great carry-on option for a checked bag because it slips nicely over a trolley, has shoulder straps, and is super lightweight.

Material: Polyester

Weight: 2.3 pounds

Customer review: “This bag is unreal and so perfect. It’s actually larger than I thought so I did some strategic packing and was able to get a week's worth of clothes in it and a shaving kit easily! I would highly recommend this even if you don’t travel a lot.”

Rimowa Essential Cabin Plus

There’s no polycarbonate hard shell suitcase quite like a Rimowa one. After all, the brand has been specializing in and perfecting designer luggage for over 120 years, and this style is a bestseller. It’s incredibly lightweight for how large it is, and has all the features you can imagine and more. On average, you can fit 10 days of travel essentials and extras inside.

Weight: 7.5 pounds

Customer review: “The look is super sleek, modern, and luxurious. The suitcase itself is highly functional with a few perfect features. The wheels are high-quality, which makes walking with the suitcase extremely easy. I highly recommend it.”

Carl Friedrik The Luggage Set

Carl Friedrik luggage is compliant with most European, U.S. and RoW airline cabin size restrictions, so if you’re traveling internationally, this takes the guesswork out of it. The materials are superior, featuring a polycarbonate shell and aluminum frames to ensure protection and longevity. Plus, the leather-lined detailing is a nice touch.

Colors: Grey/Black, Grey/Cognac, Grey/Chocolate, Black/Black

Weight: Carry-on: 8.6 pounds; Checked bag: 9.9 pounds

Customer review: “This is by far the best luggage set I’ve ever owned. It fits everything, rolls extremely easily, and easily withstood all aspects of the travel. So glad to have made this purchase.”

Steamline Luggage The Entrepreneur Check-In Spinner

There’s something beautifully romantic about the design of Steamline Luggage products that call for a trip to Italy, Paris, or the South of France. Modern features like 360-degree spinner wheels meet a retro, high-brow design to make some of the most elegant suitcases you’ll ever see. It’s crafted from vegan leather, adorned with gold hardware and lined with blue and white striped fabric. Plus, when you’re not traveling, the design serves as a beautiful trunk display.

Material: Vegan leather

Colors: Navy, Red, Black, Pink

Weight: 11 pounds

Tumi International Dual Access 4 Wheeled Carry-On

Tumi makes some of the best luggage in the game. This unique design is among the best carry-ons for international travel. The soft top nylon is super durable and lightweight, allowing you to pack more efficiently. It has TSA-approved locks, multiple compartments, a removable garment bag, and two ways to open for easy access to items.

Colors: Black/Gold, Black/Black, Anthracite/Gunmetal

Weight: 11.1 pounds

Customer review: “I love the ease of use and overall design of the Tumi. I splurged to get this as I have other luggage but now I don’t leave home without it. Best luggage you can find.”

Meet the Experts

• Nikki Tomlin is a travel expert and content creator who has been to 16 countries in the last two years exclusively with carry-on-sized luggage.
• Kristin Corpuz is a travel expert, editor, content creator, and efficient packer who prioritizes photography, style, and outfits.

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The Best Carry-On Travel Backpacks

By Kit Dillon

Kit Dillon is a writer focused on bags and travel gear. He has worked for Wirecutter for a decade and lost count of the number of bags he has tested.

When you open up your favorite carry-on travel backpack, it should feel like you’re opening the door to a well-organized closet or sitting down at a clean desk, with everything in the right place and easy to reach.

This is your moment to center yourself, no matter how chaotic the journey.

What we considered

A 45-liter bag maximizes overhead space but can get heavy when fully packed; 35-liter bags tend to be more manageable.

A bag with a clamshell design opens like a book and is the easiest to pack, but a bag that opens traditionally tends to have more structure.

Ideally, a travel backpack has handles on all sides—especially the bottom—so you can pull it out of overhead bins or from under seats.

Some internal pockets are useful, but major organizing is better managed with packing cubes.

The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack and the larger Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L offer the best combination of features, quality, and durability. Both bags are exemplary carry-on travel backpacks that are designed for comfort, durability, and organization. Though these backpacks are great as companion bags for any trip, they’re designed to ultimately replace all of your other luggage and become your exclusive bag as you travel.

This style of packing is not for everyone, but once some people try it, they’re forever hooked. Finding the right bag is a personal choice, though, and no single bag will appeal to everyone. That’s why we also have picks that are great for people who travel for work , others that are designed to be carried over long distances , and a bag that’s basically luggage on your back .

The research

Why you should trust us, who this is for, best small carry-on bag for most situations: cotopaxi allpa 35l travel pack, best large bag for most situations: peak design travel backpack 45l, best mobile office: patagonia black hole mlc 45l, best bag for long journeys on foot: osprey farpoint 40 and fairview 40, best bag if you need a large suitcase on your back: tortuga travel backpack pro 40l, other good carry-on travel backpacks, how we picked and tested, the competition.

I’ve been covering aspects of luggage and travel bag design for Wirecutter for nearly a decade, and I have personally researched, tested, and compared hundreds of bags in that time. I personally try to do most of my travel with a single backpack, whenever possible. I spent nine months roaming around Hawaii with not much more than that, and I spent another six months nomadically couch-surfing in New York City.

I reached out to writers who specialize in traveling the world carrying everything they need in a single bag: Eytan Levy, the owner and operator of the Snarky Nomad travel website; James Feess, founder of The Savvy Backpacker ; and Sharon Gourlay, of the Where’s Sharon? travel website. I also spoke with moderators of Reddit’s r/onebag and r/heronebag forums, as well as with Chase Reeves, bag fanatic, reviewer, and owner of Matterful .

We researched and tested bags designed for those who want to travel light and stay flexible while flying, without the burden of checking luggage. For some people, the challenge of cutting down a packing list is intimidating. But if you can get past that initial hurdle, traveling with a single bag is a revelation. With fewer items, you have more time to concentrate on and appreciate the journey.

• When you’re not loaded down by heavy luggage, it’s easy to remain more mobile. And it’s easier to adjust your plans mid-trip. If you’re willing to do laundry on the road, then one bag is all you need to travel indefinitely. At its heart, one-bag travel allows you to discover more—not just about the places you’re going but also about yourself and what you really need day to day.
• Size and weight still matter. If you desire more creature comforts or more gear, or if you plan to be away for a long time across multiple climates, you’ll want a bigger travel backpack . These larger bags tend not to be carry-on-friendly, however, especially in Europe, so be prepared to check them.
• No single backpack is perfect for everyone. Before you make any purchase, consider some basic points. How much can you carry? And where do you usually visit: the city or outback? Travel gear should feel like a welcome companion—there to support you when you need it but unobtrusive when you don’t.

45-liter bag vs. 35-liter bag

Cotopaxi Allpa 35L

A versatile small pack for a week or a weekend.

This durable bag’s clamshell design makes it easy to organize your stuff. And due to its strap design, this bag can be worn on your back or carried in your hand while you’re on the move.

Buying Options

The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack is an easy-to-organize, comfortable-to-carry bag for getaways lasting just a few days or a whole week.

It’s one bag that can do it all. This is a great all-around bag for any traveler who’s dedicated to packing light, or for a smaller person who wants less to carry. There are handles on all four sides of this bag, so it’s easy to grab no matter where you’ve stowed it. It’s also protected by a full lifetime warranty, and it has the build quality to back that up. After more than four years of testing, this single backpack (plus a personal item ) has replaced nearly every travel bag or piece of luggage I use.

It comes in various sizes, but we think the middle-of-the-road version is the best. Cotopaxi also makes the Allpa in 28-liter and 42-liter sizes. But for us, the 35-liter bag is the best option. At 42 liters, this bag becomes heavy for most people to carry when it is fully packed, and we’d prefer that it had a more-robust hip belt. At 28 liters, the bag becomes a touch small for most people, and its internal organization feels fussy for shorter trips, such as an overnight. Cotopaxi also makes a hip pack , which is designed to fit snugly into the Allpa bag’s front top compartment. It’s a neat little addition to the bag, and it is worth getting if you like wearing fanny packs while you travel.

It’s organized, easy to pack, and easy to carry. The Allpa bag has a clamshell design, so it opens like a hard-sided suitcase—a large YKK zipper runs around three sides of the bag, allowing it to fall open into two halves when unzipped. On the right side is a deep compartment, spacious enough for two large packing cubes or half a suitcase’s worth of clothing (which you access through a mesh zippered flap). On the left, there’s space for one more medium-size packing cube behind a zippered flap. Above that there are two smaller pockets with high-visibility backing—useful when you’re looking for hard-to-differentiate personal items.

It’s secure but still accessible. The Allpa pack has two side-access zippers—great for on-the-go access, especially when the bag is hanging from your shoulder. One of these reveals a flat computer pocket with a padded false bottom; so if you drop the bag, it won’t land on the corner of your computer. The other reveals a “secret” pocket with a hidden zipper and access to the main compartment. All of the main compartment zippers are protected by security loops, which you thread the zipper through at the end of its run. This prevents anyone from subtly or quickly grabbing a zipper and opening your bag when you aren’t paying attention.

It’s comfortable to carry. The Allpa bag’s hip belt—which can be removed while the bag is on your back—is substantial enough that it’s comfortable to wear when you need it. With or without the hip belt, the Allpa bag is comfortable to carry over long distances. However, folks who have longer torsos (over 19 inches) may find that the waist belt sits a little high off the hips, unless you fully extend the shoulder straps. Speaking of shoulder straps, unlike the ones on our other picks, the Allpa bag’s straps are contoured to fit people who have large or small chests. It’s not a specifically gendered design, but our female tester noticed the improvement right away.

The Allpa pack is made with 1680-denier ballistic nylon, similar to the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45 . (Denier is a measure of a fabric’s fiber thickness.) It feels similar to a strong canvas, but it has a more prominent weave. This is the type of bag that’s as easy to toss into an overhead compartment as it is into the back of a rusty pickup truck. And it also includes a rainfly, which is unique in this category.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

• Though this pack is well organized for packing, it’s less ideal as a mobile office. The Allpa pack has a minimal amount of administrative organization—places to keep pens and papers, spaces to hold tickets, and so forth. This is where a good personal item comes in handy. However, if you want to travel with just this one bag, there are a few nooks you can hide things in. The front organizer is deep enough that you can also fit several small organizing pouches, if you want, or the aforementioned fanny pack.
• We prefer the model without the TPU front. Cotopaxi does enjoy playing around with fabrics and colors. Sometimes the company has released the Allpa pack without the TPU-lined front panel. The TPU panel improves water resistance, but after many years of traveling with our bag, we’ve found that the TPU layering can begin to flake in spots.

Capacity: 35 liters Weight: 3 pounds 5 ounces Main compartment access: clamshell opening Style: adventurous Colors: assorted

Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L

An easily customizable large bag for long trips and expensive gear.

This bag was built with photographers in mind. Yet most travelers will appreciate its easy accessibility, clever tuck-away straps, and the elegant way the bag expands and contracts. The accessory cubes cost extra, though.

The Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L is a good choice for those carrying more expensive gear—especially camera gear. It’s also great for those who prefer a large, backpack-based packing system.

One bag provides many configurations. Some bags in this category are built to do one thing extremely well—be carried on your back. But the Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L is built to adapt. It’s the Swiss Army knife of backpacks: adjustable, customizable, and (if you spring for the extra cubes and organizers) an almost perfect system for a photographer or gearhead on the move. Most bags’ expanding mechanisms aren’t worth the extra zipper they’re built on, and they look about as attractive as a boiled ham splitting out of its plastic packaging. That’s not the case with the Peak Design: This bag looks just as good fully packed at 45 liters as it does compressed to a 30-liter daypack.

It’s expandable, with clever folds and zippers. You can access the bag through a back panel (which doubles as a computer and tablet pouch) as well as a front one (if you unzip the pass-through divider). You can also get into the main compartment via two wing-like trapezoidal flaps, which run along each side of the pack. In its natural shape, the Travel Backpack holds 35 liters, but an expansion zipper lets the bag swell to 45 liters. If you want to use the bag as a daypack, you fold in the top corners and snap them down, reducing the bag’s volume to a slim 30 liters. In this configuration, it will still feel larger than a normal daypack, but we think that’s a small compromise for being able to use one backpack as both your travel bag and your daily explorer. The bag itself consists of 400-denier nylon and polyester fabrics. It feels tough but not as tough as some other bags we’ve tested, such as the Cotopaxi Allpa.

It has fold-away straps, for easier storage. The Peak Design lets you tuck its shoulder and hip straps away when you’re not using them. But unlike any other bag we’ve ever tested, this pack has magnetic flaps on the back panel that open and close with an almost magical snap. Once you’ve played with them, you’ll wonder why every backpack doesn’t have something similar. A small, childish part of me still gets excited about tucking away the straps when I put the Peak Design into an overhead bin. Although the straps are thin, they’re still comfortable. The hip belt isn’t quite as plush as the one on the Tortuga pack; still, even when the Peak Design is fully loaded, the belt doesn’t pinch or dig into the body.

It’s great for carrying expensive gear. If you travel with a camera, you don’t have to use Peak Design’s camera cubes , but they do make carrying that gear a whole lot easier. The cubes come in five sizes. And if they’re situated properly in the bag with the provided clips, they line up with the Travel Backpack’s side-access flaps for quick access. Caleigh Waldman (a photographer for this piece and, full disclosure, my spouse) took this bag across the country for a wedding shoot. “I want this backpack,” she said after three weeks of travel. “I want to travel with it everywhere. With my cameras. Without my cameras. It doesn’t matter. I want to travel with it.”

• It’s expensive—especially if you commit to the entire system of packing and camera cubes.
• More complexity means more things that can break. The adjustable design and multiple zippers do add complexity, and complexity adds potential weaknesses. Peak Design covers all of its bags with a lifetime warranty , which should alleviate most people’s concerns. But if you’re particularly hard on your gear and still need to carry as much as possible, you might consider the Tortuga bag instead.

Capacity: 45 liters Weight: 4½ pounds Main compartment access: back-panel loader Style: minimalist and unobtrusive Color: black, sage

Patagonia Black Hole MLC 45L

Combines more organization with a simple interior.

This bag’s split interior makes organizing easy. Those who travel for work will appreciate this bag’s dedicated panels for organizing tech, books, papers, and assorted miscellaneous items.

If you travel often for business and prefer a bag that’s much easier to work out of than most of our other picks, you may like the Patagonia Black Hole MLC 45L . This bag has a front panel and assorted pockets that make it feel like a small traveling office.

It’s built like luggage but organized like your office. Of all the bags we recommend, the MLC (short for Maximum Legal Carry) comes closest to being a suitcase on your back, due to its large size, simple interior, and minimal external features. The MLC is also one of the simplest bags we tested, divided into two leaves (imagine a book with only one page), with a main compartment for packing and a second compartment for document organization and tech storage. The MLC has a built-in laptop compartment that fits 17-inch laptops and is situated close to your back; this protects the computer and keeps its weight closer to your body.

Despite its size, it’s comfortable enough to carry. Most carry-on backpacks of this size, without frames, become somewhat unwieldy when fully packed. Thankfully, the Black Hole MLC bag, like the Cotopaxi Allpa, is a welcome exception to this rule. The MLC has two shoulder straps, a hip belt, and an optional shoulder strap, for easy carrying. When they're not in use, or when you’re checking your bag, all of the straps can be stowed away easily. When fully loaded, the bag was pleasant to carry—not as comfortable as the Peak Design or the Osprey, but decent enough. I wouldn’t want to carry it all day across a city, but I wouldn’t mind carrying it through an airport to a car and to a hotel.

It’s built from high-quality materials, with durability in mind. This pack is made from recycled polyester, and the fabric is woven in a cross-weave that’s very similar to what Patagonia uses in its long-lasting Black Hole series of duffle bags . This is a material I’ve come across a bunch with Patagonia gear, and I’ve tested it thoroughly; it’s very tough. The front of the bag is coated in a weather-resistant TPU, for extra protection from the elements. The bag has large YKK zippers (the industry leader) and smaller YKK zippers throughout. Unlike the Cotopaxi Allpa pack, the Black Hole MLC bag has no security loops.

It comes with one of the best repair programs and a lifetime warranty. Similar to our other picks, the MLC is backed by an excellent lifetime warranty , and we’ve always found that Patagonia’s repair program goes above and beyond other comparable companies.

• We wish the Maximum Legal Carry (despite the name) came in a few more sizes. The 45-liter capacity may be intimidating for some people, and there is no alternative.

Capacity: 45 liters Weight: 3 pounds 10 ounces Main compartment access: clamshell Style: retro Colors: tan, black, olive, green

Osprey Farpoint 40

For long distances on foot.

A great starter option for one-bag travel, this bag is easy to pack, adaptable to most situations, and sturdy enough to take with you as you travel the world.

Osprey Fairview 40

For long distances and smaller torsos.

A scaled-down version of the Farpoint, this bag has shoulder straps that are slightly lower, to keep the bag’s bulk more aligned with smaller torsos.

Updated in 2023, the Osprey Farpoint 40 and Fairview 40 packs are both built around a hiking backpack frame that’s easy to carry over long distances.

It’s built for travel but designed for hiking. The Farpoint 40 bag is well made, easy to pack, and comfortable to carry over most mid-length distances—such as walking across a city for an afternoon. (For simplicity’s sake, everything we say here about the Farpoint bag also applies to the Fairview bag.) Osprey makes excellent backpacks for hauling around, and its lifetime warranty is renowned within the industry . The Farpoint pack also has an optional messenger bag–style strap, which offers some flexibility when you’re maneuvering tight spaces like subways or crowded city centers.

It’s simple to pack, but not as spacious as it seems. Opening the bag reveals a clamshell design; it’s deep enough to accommodate most large items, yet you won’t have to fumble awkwardly with zippers once it’s time to close up the bag. The feeling you get is not unlike when you’re packing a bit of sturdy luggage, and that’s something we love about bags like this one—especially when you use packing cubes . Osprey says this bag, when fully packed, can carry 40 liters. But after using the Farpoint bag for a few years, we’ve decided that its rounded shape seems to cut into that theoretical packable space more than other bags do. In practice, the Farpoint pack’s available space is closer to—but still less than—that of the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L .

It’s the easiest bag to carry among our picks. Like all Osprey bags, the Farpoint 40 has very comfortable shoulder straps. The years of design and consideration Osprey has put into its hiking backpacks are quite evident in the Farpoint 40. After more than seven years of long-term testing this bag, we’re still surprised by how great it feels to wear when fully packed. Crucially, the straps of the Farpoint 40 stow away neatly behind a zippered panel. However, when you’re using the shoulder straps, the design forces you to also use the hip straps. Though this isn’t a huge issue, if you prefer a sleeker look or would rather have the option of using shoulder straps without hip straps, the Cotopaxi Allpa pack is more flexible, and it lets you hide the waist straps while the bag is on your back.

The Fairview 40 has the same features, in a scaled-down size. The Farpoint 40 and the Fairview 40 packs basically have the same design, but the Fairview pack is made for someone with a more-diminutive torso. It’s also slightly lighter. However, it has the features and durability of the Farpoint bag. It also has the same hip belt and adjustability. On both, the chest-strap clip is also equipped with a small security whistle that’s surprisingly loud. It’s a handy feature for anyone traveling in unfamiliar environments.

• For a smaller carry-on travel backpack, this one has little to not like. However, we do wish Osprey would trade some of the sleeker contours for a little more interior space.

Capacity: 35 liters Weight (Farpoint): 3 pounds 3 ounces Weight (Fairview): 3 pounds 2 ounces Main compartment access: front-panel loader Style: active Colors (Farpoint): green (Gopher), gray (Tunnel Vision), blue (Muted Space), black Colors (Fairview): blue (Winter Night), red (Zircon), blue (Night Jungle), black

Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L

A suitcase to carry on your back.

For dedicated single-bag travelers, this water-resistant, durable bag is easy to pack and to travel with. And it’s comfortable to wear over endless miles—as long as you don’t mind the heavier weight.

The Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L maximizes packing space in a bag that’s durable, water-resistant, and customizable to fit most torso lengths (there’s also a 30L version ), with plenty of organizational features to suit any digital nomad.

It’s like a suitcase, with backpack straps. The Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L is built to occupy the maximum carry-on space available. It’s a nearly perfect blend of backpack and luggage. On the outside, its tear-resistant sailcloth and sealed zippers provide ample protection from sharp objects and the elements. Opening the main clamshell zipper reveals a cavernous interior and a few organizational features that make the bag a cinch to pack. The front panel is a particular standout, great for keeping track of electronics and chargers. Of all the bags we tested, the Tortuga strikes the closest balance between the carrying comfort of a hiking backpack and the space and organization of a piece of luggage.

It’s as easy to pack as luggage. When it comes to packing, the Tortuga pack has a soothingly minimal interior, as any good suitcase should. In addition to the bag’s cavernous main pocket, its interior lid has a large vented panel. The panel is too narrow to hold additional packing cubes, but it’s great for holding light jackets or doubling as a dirty-laundry bag (if you’re really committed to one-bag travel). The Tortuga is available as a 40-liter pack (the maximum space for a carry-on bag), which we tested; there is also a 30-liter version, which is compliant with some intra-European flights. The more-diminutive version is a decent choice for weekend travel or for minimalist travelers—but for those uses, we prefer the space-saving profile and extra internal organization of the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L bag.

It’s very customizable. The Tortuga pack is the most adjustable model we tested, thanks to its adjustable torso length, shoulder straps, and waist-belt system. The adjustable strap system lets you manipulate the location of the shoulder straps (video) to fit a wider variety of body sizes, in both the 30- and 40-liter versions. Of the packs we’ve tested, this one (with its included load-adjuster straps at the top, to prevent the bag’s weight from sagging toward your lumbar region) is the best at distributing its weight (4½ pounds when empty—roughly 1½ pounds more than most of our other picks, except the Peak Design ). The hip straps are removable if you need, but the shoulder straps are not stowable.

• Its straps don’t stow away. Some people, especially those who are hard on their gear, may consider not being able to remove or stow the shoulder straps (as they can with our other picks, like the Cotopaxi Allpa ) a disqualifying factor. But after years of testing, traveling with, and occasionally checking our bag, we haven’t had an issue. However, if these mysteries beneath the airport also make you nervous, you might prefer our picks with easy-to-stow straps, such as the Peak Design.
• It's heavy. We’ve fielded complaints from some testers who said that older models of this bag were too heavy for them to carry, even with the padded hip belt and adjustable straps. The additional padding does add weight. At 4½ pounds, this latest Tortuga bag is more than half a pound lighter than it used to be (the difference is noticeable), and it weighs the same as the equally large Peak Design pack. We are currently testing a new, lighter, and less-expensive version of this pack—aptly named the Travel Backpack Lite 40L —and will report back soon.  In the meantime, if you think you would struggle carrying the Tortuga, we strenuously encourage you to consider one of our more-manageable picks, like the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L.

Capacity: 40 liters Weight: 4½ pounds Main compartment access: clamshell opening Style: minimal, with a rigid construction Color: black

If you want to travel like a backpacker but also fit in at a board meeting (and you have the budget for it): Consider the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45 . This bag’s reputation for durability, adaptability, and a low-key aesthetic make it a favorite among many dedicated one-bag travelers. And after testing it, we think it’s a great bag too. That said, for the bag to really stand out against other backpacks—and to take full advantage of its carrying adaptability—you need to buy the internal frame , the hip belt , and (if you’re traveling with a suit or jacket) the shoulder strap . On a bag that already costs $330, all of this adds up. Everything about the Tom Bihn bag (the fabric, the zippers, the quality of construction) feels like an upgrade from other bags, but it’s simply too pricey, and its design is too rarified and specific for most people. The biggest flaw, from our perspective—apart from the price—is that the Tom Bihn bag lacks a dedicated laptop pocket. In its place, the company sells laptop sleeves (a fine version if you don’t have one) that clip into the bag’s central compartment. Not everyone needs a dedicated laptop pocket, but we prefer the more secure feeling of bags that do.

If you want a budget pick (but only when it’s on sale): The eBags Mother Lode Travel Backpack (our former budget pick) is still your best budget option, if you can catch it on sale for at least half off the list price. It’s not comfortable enough for trekking long distances on foot, but there are plenty of external pockets for organization, a laptop sleeve (which holds the weight of your computer high up on your shoulders), and an easy-to-access main compartment. This pack also has the largest capacity of any bags we tested, expanding to 65 liters—well beyond any airline’s regulated 45-liter limit. However, the bag’s casual-to-basic looks might not be to everyone’s taste. In 2024, eBags raised the price of the Mother Lode to $200. We have seen it on sale for $100, and in our opinion it’s worth getting only at the sale price.

We’ve narrowed our specifications for a great bag to the following list of features, ordered from most relevant to least:

• Front- or back-panel loader or clamshell opening, for the main compartment: As with any good piece of luggage, with this type of bag, you should be able to open it and see everything you’ve packed. When you have a bag with a panel-loading or clamshell design—rather than a traditional, top-opening design—you can pack and unpack it just as you would a suitcase.

• Backpack strap comfort and design: You never know when you’ll be walking farther with your bag than you’d intended. The more comfortable and well designed the straps are, the easier traveling will be. “Ideally, you want a bag’s shoulder straps to adjust to the angle of your shoulders,” said Eytan Levy of Snarky Nomad. “Good shoulder straps are the difference between an easy trip and a hard trip.”
• Hip-belt comfort and design: A hip belt transfers heavy loads from your back and shoulders onto your hips, letting your legs—not your back—bear the brunt of the weight. Just having a waist belt is a plus, but having a padded and sculpted one—especially on bags with over 40 liters of volume—makes a world of difference.
• Material quality: Durability is critical for any type of luggage, but especially for a backpack that will be your only bag. Most bags worth considering are made of nylon, which resists abrasion more than polyester fabrics of similar density. Spending more, however, can get you exotic, light, and strong materials, such as Dyneema or sailcloth.
• Weight: Once the bags arrived, we weighed each one ourselves. Most of the bags weighed within a few pounds of one another. But unless you’re very strict with yourself, by the time you’re packed for a two-week journey, all bags are going to feel equally massive, even if one is just 2 pounds heavier than another when empty.
• Stowable straps: These are nice to have, but they aren’t absolutely necessary. “The more often you need to check a bag, the more often you need to hide away the straps,” Levy said. “But if the straps are tough enough, it doesn’t matter.”
• Accessory pocket layout and design: Some people will love an accessory pocket that has a specific space for everything; others may find that feature constricting and unadaptable. We prioritized bags with simple designs that guided our packing without constraining us.
• Style: This is purely subjective. We preferred bags that had a minimalist exterior style, but not all of our picks will please everyone. Most of the people we spoke with, however, preferred not to stick out like a tourist wearing a large, colorful backpack, if they could avoid it.

During testing, we flew across the country with these bags, took weekend trips to nearby cities, lived out of them on extended trips, and tried them locally in our daily routines. We also packed and unpacked each bag, using a standardized set of weeklong travel necessities and accessories, to see how well the internal organizational features (or lack thereof) aided or got in the way of efficient packing.

This is not a comprehensive list of all of the carry-on travel backpacks we have tested. We have removed any models that have been discontinued or that no longer meet our criteria.

The Away Outdoor Convertible Backpack 45L is a rare miss from the Away team. This bag is resoundingly average for the price. Although it’s made from excellent materials, the bag is let down by its overall design, which lacks any kind of structure or attention to comfort. There are better options.

The cheap, no-frills Cabin Max Metz bag is intriguing for the price. Any bag at this price should almost be considered disposable. That said, if you need a simple bag that costs less than a seat upgrade, this might be the way to go—unless you can pick up the eBags Motherlode bag for under $100, which we think is a better deal at that price.

The GeniusPack Travel Backpack is the only model we came across that tried to fit a suit into a travel backpack. Though some people might need that, we think those who have to travel with a suit (or clothes that require pressing) would be better off with a piece of carry-on luggage . GeniusPack now offers a second version of this bag, but our conclusion hasn’t changed.

For certain people, the GoRuck GR3 is almost worth the cost. It’s strong and simple and covered by an iron-clad repair guarantee. The removable hip belt is comfortable to wear, and it’s good at displacing the weight of a 45-liter backpack. This is a decent bag. After testing it, however, we weren’t thrilled with the internal Velcro lining for compatible Velcro packing cubes. Velcro isn’t great: It wears out, it’s difficult to keep clean, and it clings to dirt. That might seem like a small thing, but for the price, this bag should feel perfect.

The Minaal Carry-On 2.0 was designed to be a backpack for business people. But if you’re carrying it for business, you’re probably wearing at least a blazer, so you wouldn’t use a backpack in any case. If you’re a business traveler who falls more on the casual end of the business-casual spectrum, and you’re not on a budget, this is a well-thought-out pack. But we think our picks are more versatile for world travel, and they come at a better price. Minaal has since introduced a 3.0 version of this bag ; our thoughts about it remain the same.

The Osprey Sojourn Porter 46L is a slightly larger sibling of the Farpoint pack. The Sojourn Porter bag is about 2 inches longer, and it pushes right up to most airline limits. If you don’t mind possibly having to check your bag at the last minute, this would be an excellent alternative to the Farpoint pack.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

Chase Reeves, Matterful.co , phone interview , October 10, 2018

Addison Ryan, moderator, r/onebag , email interview , September 8, 2018

Lindsay Lorraine Calderón, moderator, r/heronebag , phone interview , September 28, 2018

Meet your guide

Kit Dillon is a senior staff writer at Wirecutter. He was previously an app developer, oil derrick inspector, public-radio archivist, and sandwich shop owner. He has written for Popular Science, The Awl, and the New York Observer, among others. When called on, he can still make a mean sandwich.

Further reading

The Best Travel Backpack

by Geoffrey Morrison

For trips ranging from a week to multiple months, the Osprey Farpoint 55 and Fairview 55 carried everything we needed comfortably.

Wirecutter’s Favorite Bags, Totes, Backpacks and Carryalls

by Truth Headlam

Whether you’re going to school, work, the gym, the store, or on vacay, you need a bag. Here’s the Wirecutter-recommended carrying gear we love most.

The Best Buy It for Life Backpack (Please Don’t Call It Tactical)

by Kit Dillon

A buy-it-for-a-lifetime backpack should last you for years of heavy use. But as with all investments, you need to decide if it makes sense for you.

I Took 5 Trips in 6 Months. My Go-To Weekender Bag Was This Surprisingly Spacious Backpack.

by Elissa Sanci

Struggling to pack for your weekend away? The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L fits so much more than you’d expect.

U.S. News takes an unbiased approach to our recommendations. When you use our links to buy products, we may earn a commission but that in no way affects our editorial independence.

9 Best Travel Insurance Companies of 2024

According to our analysis of more than 50 travel insurance companies and hundreds of different travel insurance plans, the best travel insurance company is Travelex Insurance Services. In our best travel insurance ratings, we take into account traveler reviews, credit ratings and industry awards. The best travel insurance companies offer robust coverage and excellent customer service, and many offer customizable add-ons.

Travelex Insurance Services »

Allianz Travel Insurance »

HTH Travel Insurance »

Tin Leg »

AIG Travel Guard »

Nationwide Insurance »

Seven Corners »

Generali Global Assistance »

Berkshire hathaway travel protection ».

Why Trust Us

U.S. News evaluates ratings, data and scores of more than 50 travel insurance companies from comparison websites like TravelInsurance.com, Squaremouth and InsureMyTrip, plus renowned credit rating agency AM Best, in addition to reviews and recommendations from top travel industry sources and consumers to determine the Best Travel Insurance Companies.

Table of Contents

• Travelex Insurance Services
• Allianz Travel Insurance

Travel insurance can help you protect the financial investment you made in your vacation when unexpected issues arise. Find the best travel insurance for the type of trip(s) you're taking and the coverages that matter most to you – from interruptions and misplaced belongings to illness and injury.

• Travelex Insurance Services: Best Overall
• Allianz Travel Insurance: Best for Trip Interruptions
• HTH Travel Insurance: Best for Groups
• Tin Leg: Best Cost
• AIG Travel Guard: Best for Families
• Nationwide Insurance: Best for Last-Minute Travel Insurance
• Seven Corners: Best for 24/7 Support When Traveling
• Generali Global Assistance: Best for Medical Emergencies
• Berkshire Hathaway Travel Protection: Best for Specialized Coverage

Customizable upgrades are available, including car rental coverage, additional medical insurance and adventure sports coverage

Medical and trip cancellation maximum are not as high as some other companies

• 100% of the insured trip cost for trip cancellation; 150% for trip interruption
• Up to $1,000 in coverage for lost, damaged or stolen bags and personal items; $200 for luggage delays
• $750 in missed connection coverage
• $50,000 in emergency medical and dental coverage
• Up to $500,000 in emergency medical evacuation and repatriation coverage

SEE FULL REVIEW »

Annual and multitrip policies are available

Distinguishing between the company's 10 travel insurance plans can be challenging

• Up to $200,000 in trip cancellation coverage; $300,000 in trip interruption coverage
• $2,000 for lost, damaged or stolen luggage and personal effects; $600 for bag delays
• Up to $1,600 for travel delays
• Emergency medical coverage of up to $75,000
• Epidemic coverage

Generous coverage at the mid- and high-tier levels, and great group discounts

Preexisting conditions coverage is only available at mid- and high-tier plans

• 100% trip cancellation coverage (up to $50,000); 200% trip interruption coverage
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for baggage and personal effects; $400 in baggage delay coverage
• Up to $2,000 in coverage for trip delays; $1,000 for missed connections
• $500,000 in coverage per person for sickness and accidents

Variety of plans to choose from, including two budget-friendly policies and several more premium options

More limited coverage for baggage issues than other companies

• 100% trip cancellation protection; 150% trip interruption
• $500 per person for lost, stolen or damaged baggage and personal items
• Up to $2,000 per person in travel delay coverage ($150 per day); $100 per person for missed connections
• $100,000 per person in emergency medical coverage, including issues related to COVID-19

Travel insurance policy coverage is tailored to your specific trip

Information about policy coverage inclusions is not readily available without first obtaining a quote

• Trip cancellation coverage for up to 100% of your trip's cost; trip interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost
• Up to $2,500 in coverage for lost, stolen or damaged baggage; $500 related to luggage delays
• Up to $1,000 in missed connection and trip delay coverage
• $100,000 in emergency medical coverage

Variety of plans to choose from and coverage available up to a day before you leave on your trip

Limited trip cancellation coverage even at the highest tier

• Trip cancellation coverage up to $30,000; trip interruption coverage worth up to 200% of the trip cost (maximum of $60,000)
• $2,000 for lost, damaged or stolen baggage; $600 for baggage delays
• Up to $2,000 for trip delays; missed connection and itinerary change coverage of $500 each
• $150,000 for emergency medical and dental issues

Customer service available 24/7 via text, Whatsapp, email and phone

Cancel for any reason coverage costs extra

• 100% trip cancellation coverage (up to between $30,000 and $100,000 depending on your state of residence); interruption coverage for up to 150% of the trip cost 
• Lost, stolen or damaged baggage coverage up to $2,500; up to $600 for luggage delays
• Trip delay and missed connection coverage worth up to $1,500
• Emergency medical coverage worth up to between $250,000 and $500,000 (depending on where you live)

Generous emergency medical and emergency evacuation coverage

Coverage for those with preexisting conditions is only available on the Premium plan

• 100% reimbursement for trip cancellation; 175% reimbursement for trip interruption
• $2,000 in coverage for loss of baggage per person
• $1,000 per person in travel delay and missed connection coverage
• $250,000 in medical and dental coverage per person

In addition to single-trip plans, company offers specific road trip, adventure travel, flight and cruise insurance coverage

Coverage for missed connections or accidental death and dismemberment is not part of the most basic plan

• Trip cancellation coverage worth up to 100% of the trip cost; interruption coverage worth up to 150% of the trip cost
• $500 in coverage for lost, stolen or damaged bags and personal items; bag delay coverage worth $200
• Trip delay coverage worth up to $1,000; missed connection coverage worth up to $100
• Medical coverage worth up to $50,000

To help you better understand the costs associated with travel insurance, we requested quotes for a weeklong June 2024 trip to Spain for a solo traveler, a couple and a family. These rates should help you get a rough estimate for about how much you can expect to spend on travel insurance. For additional details on specific coverage from each travel insurance plan and to input your trip information for a quote, see our comparison table below.

Travel Insurance Types: Which One Is Right for You?

There are several types of travel insurance you'll want to evaluate before choosing the policy that's right for you. A few of the most popular types of travel insurance include:

COVID travel insurance Select insurance plans offer some or a combination of the following COVID-19-related protections: coverage for rapid or PCR testing; accommodations if you're required to quarantine during your trip if you test positive for coronavirus; health care; and trip cancellations due to you or a family member testing positive for COVID-19. Read more about the best COVID-19 travel insurance options .

Cancel for any reason insurance Cancel for any reason travel insurance works exactly how it sounds. This type of travel insurance lets you cancel your trip for any reason you want – even if your reason is that you simply decide you no longer want to go. Cancel for any reason travel insurance is typically an add-on you can purchase to go along with other types of travel insurance. For that reason, you will pay more to have this kind of coverage added to your policy.

Also note that this type of coverage typically only reimburses 50% to 80% of your nonrefundable prepaid travel expenses. You'll want to make sure you know exactly how much reimbursement you could qualify for before you invest in this type of policy. Compare the best cancel for any reason travel insurance options here .

International travel insurance Travel insurance is especially useful when traveling internationally, as it can provide medical coverage for emergencies (in some cases for COVID-19) when you're far from home. Depending which international travel insurance plan you choose, this type of travel insurance can also cover lost or delayed luggage, rental cars, travel interruptions or cancellations, and more.

Cheap travel insurance If you want travel insurance but don't want to spend a lot of money, there are plenty of cheap travel insurance options that will offer at least some protections (and peace of mind). These are typically called a company's basic or standard plan; many travel insurance companies even allow you to customize your coverage, spending as little or as much as you want. Explore your options for the cheapest travel insurance here .

Trip cancellation, interruption and delay insurance Trip cancellation coverage can help you get reimbursement for prepaid travel expenses, such as your airfare and cruise fare, if your trip is ultimately canceled for a covered reason. Trip interruption insurance, on the other hand, kicks in to reimburse you if your trip is derailed after it starts. For instance, if you arrived at your destination and became gravely ill, it would cover the cost if you had to cut your trip short.

Trip delay insurance can help you qualify for reimbursement of any unexpected expenses you incur (think: lodging, transportation and food) in the event your trip is delayed for reasons beyond your control, such as your flight being canceled and rebooked for the next day. You will want to save your receipts to substantiate your claim if you have this coverage.

Lost, damaged, delayed or stolen bags or personal belongings Coverage for lost or stolen bags can come in handy if your checked luggage is lost by your airline or your luggage is delayed so long that you have to buy clothing and toiletries for your trip. This type of coverage can kick in to cover the cost to replace lost or stolen items you brought on your trip. It can also provide coverage for the baggage itself. It's even possible that your travel insurance policy will pay for your flight home if damages are caused to your residence and your belongings while you're away, forcing you to return home immediately.

Travel medical insurance If you find yourself sick or injured while you are on vacation, emergency medical coverage can pay for your medical expenses. With that in mind, however, you will need to find out whether the travel medical insurance you buy is primary or secondary. Where a primary policy can be used right away to cover medical bills incurred while you travel, secondary coverage only provides reimbursement after you have exhausted other medical policies you have.

You will also need to know how the travel medical coverage you purchase deals with any preexisting conditions you have, including whether you will have any coverage for preexisting conditions at all. Read more about the best travel medical insurance plans .

Evacuation insurance Imagine you break your leg while on the side of a mountain in some far-flung land without quality health care. Not only would you need travel medical insurance coverage in that case, but you would also need coverage for the exorbitant expense involved in getting you off the side of a mountain and flying you home where you can receive appropriate medical care.

Evacuation coverage can come in handy if you need it, but you will want to make sure any coverage you buy comes with incredibly high limits. According to Squaremouth, an emergency evacuation can easily cost $25,000 in North America and up to $50,000 in Europe, so the site typically suggests customers buy policies with $50,000 to $100,000 in emergency evacuation coverage.

Cruise insurance Travel delays; missed connections, tours or excursions; and cruise ship disablement (when a ship encounters a mechanical issue and is unable to continue on in the journey) are just a few examples why cruise insurance can be a useful protection if you've booked a cruise vacation. Learn more about the top cruise insurance plans here .

Credit card travel insurance It is not uncommon to find credit cards that include trip cancellation and interruption coverage , trip delay insurance, lost or delayed baggage coverage, travel accident insurance, and more. Cards that offer this coverage include popular options like the Chase Sapphire Reserve credit card , the Chase Sapphire Preferred credit card and The Platinum Card from American Express . 

Note that owning a credit card with travel insurance protection is not enough for your coverage to count: To take advantage of credit card travel insurance, you must pay for prepaid travel expenses like your airfare, hotel stay or cruise with that specific credit card. Also, note that credit cards with travel insurance have their own list of exclusions to watch out for. Many also require cardholders to pay an annual fee.

Frequently Asked Questions

The best time to buy travel insurance is normally within a few weeks of booking your trip since you may qualify for lower pricing if you book early. Keep in mind, some travel insurance providers allow you to purchase plans until the day before you depart.

Many times, you are given the option to purchase travel insurance when you book your airfare, accommodations or vacation package. Travel insurance and travel protection are frequently offered as add-ons for your trip, meaning you can pay for your vacation and some level of travel insurance at the same time.

However, many people choose to wait to buy travel insurance until after their entire vacation is booked and paid for. This helps travelers tally up all the underlying costs associated with a trip, and then choose their travel insurance provider and the level of coverage they want.

Figuring out where to buy travel insurance may be confusing but you can easily research and purchase travel insurance online these days. Some consumers prefer to shop around with a specific provider, such as Allianz or Travelex, but you can also shop and compare policies with a travel insurance platform. Popular options include:

• TravelInsurance.com: TravelInsurance.com offers travel insurance options from more than a dozen vetted insurance providers. Users can read reviews on the various travel insurance providers to find out more about previous travelers' experiences with them. Squaremouth: With Squaremouth, you can enter your trip details and compare more than 90 travel insurance plans from 20-plus providers.
• InsureMyTrip: InsureMyTrip works similarly, letting you shop around and compare plans from more than 20 travel insurance providers in one place. InsureMyTrip also offers several guarantees, including a Best Price Guarantee, a Best Plan Guarantee and a Money-Back Guarantee that promises a full refund if you decide you no longer need the plan you purchased.

Protect your trip: Search, compare and buy the best travel insurance plans for the lowest price. Get a quote .

When you need to file a travel insurance claim, you should plan on explaining to your provider what happened to your trip and why you think your policy applies. If you planned to go on a Caribbean cruise, but your husband fell gravely ill the night before you were set to depart, you would need to explain that situation to your travel insurance company. Information you should share with your provider includes the details of why you're making a claim, who was involved and the exact circumstances of your loss.

Documentation is important, and your travel insurance provider will ask for proof of what happened. Required documentation for travel insurance typically includes any proof of a delay, receipts, copies of medical bills and more.

Most travel insurance companies let you file a claim using an online form, but some also allow you to file a claim by phone or via fax. Some travel insurance providers, such as Allianz and Travel Insured International, offer their own mobile apps you can use to buy policies and upload information or documents that substantiate your claim. In any case, you will need to provide the company with proof of your claim and the circumstances that caused it.

If your claim is initially denied, you may also need to answer some questions or submit some additional information that can highlight why you do, in fact, qualify.

Whatever you do, be honest and forthcoming with all the information in your claim. Also, be willing to provide more information or answer any questions when asked.

Travel insurance claims typically take four to six weeks to process once you file with your insurance company. However, with various flight delays and cancellations due to things like extreme weather and pilot shortages, more travelers have begun purchasing travel insurance, encountering trip issues and having to submit claims. The higher volume of claims submitted has resulted in slower turnaround times at some insurance companies.

The longer you take to file your travel insurance claim after a loss, the longer you will be waiting for reimbursement. Also note that, with many travel insurance providers, there is a time limit on how long you can submit claims after a trip. For example, with Allianz Travel Insurance and Travelex Insurance Services, you have 90 days from the date of your loss to file a claim.

You may be able to expedite the claim if you provide all the required information upfront, whereas the process could drag on longer than it needs to if you delay filing a claim or the company has to follow up with you to get more information.

Travel insurance is never required, and only you can decide whether or not it's right for you. Check out Is Travel Insurance Worth It? to see some common situations where it does (and doesn't) make sense.

Why Trust U.S. News Travel

Holly Johnson is an award-winning content creator who has been writing about travel insurance and travel for more than a decade. She has researched travel insurance options for her own vacations and family trips to more than 50 countries around the world, and has experience navigating the claims and reimbursement process. In fact, she has successfully filed several travel insurance claims for trip delays and trip cancellations over the years. Johnson also works alongside her husband, Greg, who has been licensed to sell travel insurance in 50 states, in their family media business.

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ROG Ally Premium Hard Case

The lowest price from 30 days before the promotion:

Hard case, easy travel. For owners of the ROG Ally and brand-new ROG Ally X constantly gaming on the go, the ROG Ally Premium Hard Case is the ultimate companion. This travel case can easily shrug off everyday bumps and scratches, comes with bold ROG styling, and is built from water-repellent PU materials. In addition to full compatibility with all ROG handhelds, the ROG Ally Premium Hard Case features a dedicated compartment for the 65W charger as well as both microSD and credit-sized cards.

Hard case, easy travel

Don’t fear a few raindrops when traveling, thanks to the ROG Ally Premium Hard Case’s water-repellent PU coated exterior. The case sports bold ROG styling and premium YKK zippers, as well as a solid handle when you’re traveling without a larger bag.

Tour in style

The combination of a durable case exterior and plush fleece inner liner give the ROG Ally Premium Hard Case more protection for your ROG Ally than ever. Easily shrug off the scratches, bumps, and dings of everyday life and travel anywhere with confidence.

Accessory storage

In addition to top-notch protection, the ROG Ally Premium Hard Case also comes with a dedicated storage area for the ROG Ally’s 65W adapter, as well as microSD cards and other credit-size cards in the center partition. Keep all of your Ally gear in one place, organized, and safe.

Versatile case

When you’re ready to game, the ROG Ally Premium Hard Case can even serve as a portable stand for your Ally or Ally X. Whether you’re catching up on a video, gaming with a separate controller, or using the Ally as a portable PC, this stand will keep you going no matter where you are.

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ROG Ally X (2024) RC72LA

• AMD Radeon™ Graphics
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ROG Ally Gaming Console (2023) RC71L

．Windows 11 Home 

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．Up to AMD Radeon™ Graphics (AMD RDNA™ 3, 12 CUs, up to 2.7 GHz, up to 8.6 Teraflops) 

．7-inch, FHD (1920 x 1080) 16:9, Refresh Rate: 120Hz 

．16GB LPDDR5 on board 

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ROG Gaming Charger Dock

The ROG Gaming Charger Dock combines the benefits of a connectivity hub and AC charger in one convenient device. With one USB-C®, a USB Type-A 2.0 port, and one HDMI port, it allows you to charge your device and play on a big screen simultaneously.

ROG 140W USB-C GaN charger

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Travelpro Luggage Review: We Tested the Platinum Elite Collection

Here's why these popular softside suitcases are worth the investment.

We've been independently researching and testing products for over 120 years. If you buy through our links, we may earn a commission. Learn more about our review process.

Travlepro Luggage Performance

The bottom line: should you buy travelpro luggage, more travelpro luggage we love, why trust good housekeeping.

Founded in the 1980s by a pilot who was always on the go, Travelpro is an innovative luggage brand that has set the standard for the rolling luggage we all travel with today. The brand's bags, initially designed for airline personnel, were the first to roll upright and use a telescopic handle, and they were quickly adopted by the public who appreciated that the bags were easy to use and made frequent flying a breeze.

Keep reading to learn more about Travelpro's luggage and about how I and my fellow GH staffers put them to the test.

Travelpro Platinum Elite Softside Expandable Carry On

Travelpro Platinum Elite Softside Expandable Checked Luggage

Travelpro Platinum Elite Regional Underseat Duffel Bag

Travelpro Maxlite Air Hardside Expandable Carry on Luggage

Travelpro Maxlite 5 Carry-On Rolling Underseat Bag

Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Expandable Checked Luggage

Travelpro luggage overview.

Travelpro offers a variety of soft and hardside suitcases , along with other bags and travel accessories like backpacks, packing cubes and duffels. The brand's best-selling Platinum Elite collection is one of our favorite luggage lines for business trips and for those who travel regularly because of their top-of-the-line construction and functional features like easy-to-access external pockets, self-aligning wheels and durable nylon material.

Travelpro is best known for its softside suitcases. The Platinum Elite carry-on and checked bags use a heavyweight nylon fabric that performed well in our abrasion assessments , resisting wear and tear after being rubbed back and forth 15,000 times by our Wyzenbeek abrasion tester, which simulates extended use. Plus, the material is covered in DuraGuard, a water and stain-resistant coating that helps keep your luggage in tip-top shape even with lots of use. We gave the zippers perfect scores for water resistance during our tests.

When we released the carry-on and checked bags repeatedly at different angles from our drop tester (pictured), we were impressed by how well the luggage held up, without major damage to the bags or breakage of the wheels or handles. After one roundtrip journey on an airline, I did notice some small marks and scratches on the plastic components surrounding the telescopic handle on the checked bag.

Your carry-on bag should hold everything you need for a short getaway, and Travelpro's Platinum Elite carry-on has a spacious interior with a capacity of 46L — 5 to 10L more packing space than some other carry-ons from popular brands we've tested. The bag unzips to reveal one large compartment to store all of your belongings (pictured), and it's full of helpful features to simplify packing.

One tester shared, "This had better organization than any other suitcase I’ve tried." When I packed the suitcase in the Textiles Lab, I was able to fit my standard packing load for a weekend trip's worth of clothing, shoes and accessories with ease, and there was room to spare. The softside material is flexible, so you can really fill it to the brim.

There's a removable garment bag, a wet bag for toiletries, several built-in mesh accessory pockets and four external pockets, including one that can hold up to a 15-inch laptop and another to store a portable power bank for convenient recharging on the go. To secure your things in place, there's an adjustable compression panel, and if you tend to overpack your bags like me, you'll love the 2-inch expansion system that's tapered to prevent the suitcase from getting top-heavy and tipping over.

The medium checked bag has 97L of packing space (more than double the space of the carry-on) , making it the perfect pick for a long trip or a family vacation. At 10 lbs, it weighs more than some other medium checked bags we've tested, which eats into the 50 lb weight restriction set by most airlines.

Like the carry-on, it unzips to one large packing space (pictured) and is equipped with lots of compartments for organized storage like a larger removable wet bag, mesh pockets and a built-in suiter. One tester shared, "It helped keep me organized and made it much easier to find what I needed." There are two roomy external pockets to stash travel essentials, as well. This bag also has adjustable compression panels for security, and it offers 2 inches of zippered expansion for additional room.

Ease of Use

The telescopic handles on the Platinum Elite bags are contoured for a better grip (pictured). I was impressed by how easy it was to raise and lower the carry-on's telescopic handle without it jamming on the way up or down. The handle on the checked bag doesn't lift quite as smoothly, but it was incredibly sturdy and didn't wobble when fully extended. The carrying handles on both bags are made of genuine leather and aren't too tight, so it's simple to lift the bags into an overhead bin or from the luggage carousel.

A common tester complaint about Travelpro's Platinum Elite suitcases is they're a little more difficult to steer than other suitcases we've tested. The bags have magnetic, self-aligning spinner wheels that roll smoothly and glide over different surfaces like tile, wood and carpeting, but when I pulled the suitcases, they always drifted towards me instead of rolling alongside me, so I regularly had to redirect them.

The zippers are heavyweight and easy to pull, thanks to their contoured design, and they moved effortlessly along the track without sticking at the corners of the bag or getting caught on the material.

Yes! If you consider yourself a frequent flyer, travel for business often or are just looking for something sturdy and reliable, I highly recommend investing in Travelpro luggage , especially from the brand's Platinum Elite collection.

The bags have a more traditional look and aren't going viral online like some other styles we recommend at GH, but they're classic, and they'll never go out of style. Priced at more than $300 for a carry-on suitcase, the luggage isn't cheap, but it's built to last. These bags have stood out for years in our Textiles Lab tests, always performing well in durability and performance categories.

If you purchase the luggage on Travelpro's website , the brand has a generous 100-day trial period , so you can test it out and return it for any reason if it doesn't suit your travel needs. Travelpro also offers a limited lifetime warranty for its Platinum Elite collection, covering defects on wheels, handles, zippers and more — and it even covers damages caused by airlines.

In addition to its standout softside suitcases, Travelpro carries other types of luggage. To match your Platinum Elite luggage set , opt for the Platinum Elite Underseat Duffel as your personal item. It's made with the same durable nylon material and classic style and has a built-in luggage sleeve to slide over your rolling suitcase.

If you prefer hardside luggage, Travelpro's Maxlite Air hardside suitcases are made with a lightweight yet durable polycarbonate material that performed well in our drop tests. The bag has a butterfly-style opening with two fully zippered compartments for maximum security, and there's an expandable panel for 2 inches of extra packing space.

The Maxlite line also includes softside bags like its Rolling Underseat Bag ] that's designed to fit under your airplane seat. It features a telescopic handle and smooth rolling wheels for easy transport at the airport. We also love the bigger Maxlite luggage including the large checked bag, which is lighter-weight and more affordable than the brand's other softside suitcases, but it's not quite as luxe.

Amanda Constantine joined the Good Housekeeping Institute in 2022 as a home and apparel reviews analyst and has tested and written about different types of luggage and travel accessories including softside luggage, hardside luggage, checked and carry-on luggage, duffels and travel blankets. Amanda has also conducted luggage testing for our Family Travel Awards programs and is a frequent flyer herself, venturing on more than 50 flights and cross-country train rides over the past two years. She used her relative expertise and personal experience, along with Textiles Lab testing data when reviewing Travelpro's luggage.

Amanda (she/her) researches and reports on products in the Good Housekeeping Institute 's Textiles, Paper & Apparel Lab, ranging from clothing and accessories to home furnishings. She holds undergraduate degrees in apparel merchandising and product development and advertising and marketing communications, as well as a master of science degree in consumer sciences from The Ohio State University. Prior to joining Good Housekeeping in 2022, Amanda was a lecturer for the fashion and retail studies program at Ohio State, where she taught fashion and textiles courses.

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