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The Best Carry-On Luggage Credit: Seamus Bellamy / Reviewed.com

The Best Carry-On Luggage of 2024

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The Best Carry-On Luggage Credit: Seamus Bellamy / Reviewed.com

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Product image of Tumi Merge International Front Lid 4 Wheeled Carry-On

Tumi Merge International Front Lid 4 Wheeled Carry-On

Check Price at Amazon

Made of recycled materials, this luxury bag has plenty of space. Read More

Pros

  • Uses recycled fabric
  • Expandable design
  • Good interior organizational aids

Cons

  • Laptop pocket too small for larger devices.
2
Product image of Travelpro Crew VersaPack Global Carry-On Expandable Rollaboard

Travelpro Crew VersaPack Global Carry-On Expandable Rollaboard

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A structured soft-sided, four-wheeled spinner bag with lots of compartments Read More

Pros

  • Excellent build quality

Cons

  • Using outside pockets may make it too large to fit sizer
  • Storage solutions must be purchased separately
3
Product image of Coolife YD71 3-piece Luggage Set

Coolife YD71 3-piece Luggage Set

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This 3-piece luggage set is a great bang for your buck and comes in plenty of colors. Read More

Pros

  • Good price
  • Good customer service

Cons

  • Reports of defects
4
Product image of  Samsonite S'Cure Spinner (Small)

Samsonite S'Cure Spinner (Small)

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This carry-on from Samsonite delivers on durability but might be frustrating for some due to the three latch closure. Read More

Pros

  • Durable
  • Comes in a lot of colors
  • Smooth roll

Cons

  • Some complain about the latches
5
Product image of Away Carry-On

Away Carry-On

Check Price at Away

This colorful hard-sided spinner carry-on has plenty of packing space and comes with lots of extras, including a built-in charging battery. Read More

Pros

  • Plenty of packing space
  • Lots of colors to choose from.

Cons

  • It comes with extras travellers may not want
  • Scratches easily
  • Zipper pulls may drag on the ground
  • Tumi Merge International Front Lid 4 Wheeled Carry-On
  • Travelpro Crew VersaPack Global Carry-On Expandable Rollaboard
  • Coolife YD71 3-piece Luggage Set
  • Samsonite S'Cure Spinner (Small)
  • Away Carry-On
  • Briggs & Riley Baseline Softside Carry-On Luggage
  • What You Should Know About Luggage
  • More Articles You Might Enjoy

Owning a well-made, abrasion-resistant, thoughtfully designed suitcase or bag can help make traveling feel breezy and manageable. The trick to avoiding lousy luggage is by traveling with as many different pieces of small or large checked luggage, carry-on luggage, under-seat carry-on, and travel backpacks you can lay your hands on. Unfortunately, most people don’t have the time or money to invest in this sort of research. Fortunately, your curious friends at Reviewed do.

Whether you prefer to travel light or insist upon bringing every scrap of clothing you own on your next adventure, we’ve got the best carry-on and checked bags highlighted in this luggage review, at different price points. Here are the best luggage brands to buy from, and the best bags for carrying all of your belongings with you.

Editor's Note:

The recommendations in this guide are based on thorough product and market research by our team of expert product reviewers. The picks are based on examining user reviews, product specifications, and, in some limited cases, our experience with the specific products named.

Product image of Tumi Merge International Front Lid 4 Wheeled Carry-On
Tumi Merge International Front Lid 4 Wheeled Carry-On

The Tumi International Front Lid 4 Wheeled Carry-On is a well-built, high-end spinner bag with a structured frame covered in fabric made from post-consumer recycled bottles and post-industrial ballistic nylon. It’s aimed at the eco-conscious luxury traveler.

The majority of the International Front Lid’s 32-liter storage space is found in its deep main compartment, which takes up almost the entire depth of the bag. If this isn’t enough space for you, the suitcase can be expanded by three inches to make room for extra cargo. Expanding the bag, however, will mean it won’t fit in the sizer—in fact, empty and at its unexpanded size, it’s a tight fit. The underside of the suitcase’s lid has a large interior pocket made from a lightweight material, ideal for flatter items like a jewelry case or chargers. A second, large interior pocket attached to the bag’s side runs almost the entire height and width of the whole bag.

There are two pockets on the lid’s exterior that are large enough to hold an ultrabook or small laptop, along with any liquids that the TSA might be interested in having a look at. Given their inability to be locked, these exterior pockets are best used for temporary storage, such as while you’re going through airport security.

The International Front Lid’s retractable handle proved very sturdy during testing. We liked that it provides three different height options. During our maneuverability tests, the suitcase’s spinner wheels rolled extremely smoothly but did need occasional minor course corrections to keep it on track. In addition to its retractable handle, Tumi also equipped the bag with two leather grab handles plus a fabric flap sewn into the bottom of the suitcase’s exterior. The flap can be used to assist in pulling the suitcase out of the trunk of a car or an airplane’s overhead compartment.

Pros

  • Uses recycled fabric

  • Expandable design

  • Good interior organizational aids

Cons

  • Laptop pocket too small for larger devices.

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Travelpro Crew VersaPack Global Carry-On Expandable Rollaboard
Travelpro Crew VersaPack Global Carry-On Expandable Rollaboard

The Travelpro Crew VersaPack Global Carry-On Expandable Rollaboard is a four-wheeled spinner that features a sturdy internal frame wrapped in a tough fabric shell. The Versapack Global Carry-On’s slightly padded lid offers three pockets, accessible from the outside of the bag. These are great for keeping items that you might need to show airport security, including a laptop, and for other items you want close at hand. However, putting too much into these compartments could prevent this carry-on from fitting into an airport sizing device.

Travelpro has equipped this bag with an external luggage tag compartment and an external side pocket designed to hold a portable power pack. We were disappointed, given the cost of some USB power packs, that this pocket cannot be locked. In fact, only the bag’s main compartment and the lid’s largest exterior pocket boast zippers designed to be locked together.

The VersaPack Global Carry-On’s 39-liter main compartment is divided into two sections by a removable zip-in “garment organizer”—a flat section of the bag that has room to expand a few inches. The bag also has compression flaps to help you fit in more clothes.

In addition to the garment organizer, this spinner carry-on comes packing a water-resistant, plastic toiletry bag marked as TSA compliant. For a deeper level of internal organization, the VersaPack Global Carry-on can be paired with a number of TravelPro accessories, including a laundry organizer, a fold-out suiter organizer, a packing cube organizer, and an all-in-one organizer. Of course, any packing cubes you may already own will work too.

The VersaPack Global Carry-On’s four-position retractable handle is sturdy and features a contoured plastic grip. The bag has both a top and a side carry handle, both nicely padded though not super wide. It also has a handle grip on the bottom to make grabbing the bag with two hands easier.

During mobility testing, the carry-on’s four sets of spinner wheels worked well enough. They rolled well over tiled and smooth surfaces. But, as with most of the spinner bags in this guide, it was easier to drag the carry-on along on two wheels, rather than push it on four wheels by its retractable handle over carpet. On pavement, I noticed that the wheels sometimes felt a little sticky rather than perfectly smooth in how they moved.

The retractable handles of most of the bags in this guide take up some space in the interior of the bag. The VersaPack Global Carry-On is no exception. The bars inside the bag make it impossible to pack anything flat in the main compartment.

Pros

  • Excellent build quality

Cons

  • Using outside pockets may make it too large to fit sizer

  • Storage solutions must be purchased separately

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Coolife YD71 3-piece Luggage Set
Coolife YD71 3-piece Luggage Set

With a variety of colors to choose from, you'll be sure to find your perfect pack with this 3-piece nested luggage set from Coolife. According to Amazon reviews, these suitcases are lightweight enough that you won't have to work too hard to get it into an overhead compartment but still sturdy enough that most people don't encounter quality issues. That being said, when issues arise or damaged products are delivered, the company is quick to resolve the problem with replacements or refunds.

Reviews also report smooth wheels that make this luggage set easy to maneuver. Overall, we see this set as a great quality carry-on option for the price. Despite the fact that only the largest size suitcase is expandable we think it's worth checking them out before your next adventure.

Pros

  • Good price

  • Good customer service

Cons

  • Reports of defects

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of  Samsonite S'Cure Spinner (Small)
Samsonite S'Cure Spinner (Small)

This durable carry-on from Samsonite is sure to deliver peace of mind for those who travel often. Equipped with a TSA lock, this zipperless option instead utilizes three latches to keep your belongings safe. While this may feel more secure for some, reviews do mention that this may add some annoyance if you need to get inside your bag often, so keep this in mind when you're choosing a carry-on.

Amazon reviews rave about the smooth roll of this bag and the fact that it's nice and light, making for an easy carry.

Pros

  • Durable

  • Comes in a lot of colors

  • Smooth roll

Cons

  • Some complain about the latches

Buy now at Amazon
Product image of Away Carry-On
Away Carry-On

The Away Carry On bag is a piece of hardside luggage with a clamshell design. Once unzipped, you’ll have access to two large compartments: one in each half of the suitcase. Zippered meshed covers ensure that the contents of each side of the bag stay put while the carry-on is being opened or closed. Amesh pocket, located on the flap that divides the bag — is large enough to accommodate a laptop. One side of the Away Carry-On’s interior features compression straps to help you to fit more clothing and sundries into the suitcase. As a bonus, this suitcase comes with a water-resistant laundry bag. It’s also worth noting that the Away Carry On comes with international plug adapters as well as a removable 10,000 mAh rechargeable battery.

The Away Carry-On’s built-in combination lock secures its zippers in place. The zippers themselves are designed so that you can add your own TSA lock too. It’s worth noting that, because of the size of the zipper pulls, you’ll need to make sure that when the bag is zipped up they aren’t located at the bottom of your bag or they’ll drag on the ground. The bag has both a side and a top carry handle, comfortable though not padded. The retractable handle was sturdy and smooth.

Unfortunately, this piece of luggage is susceptible to scratches and scuffs. An eraser is included with the Away Carry-On to help mitigate scuffs, plus it comes with a branded cloth storage bag to keep the dust off when not in use or — if the thought of scuffing up your bag gives you nightmares — to protect it while it’s in transit.

Dimensions: 21.7 x 13.7 x 9 Our bag sizer says: It fits!

Pros

  • Plenty of packing space

  • Lots of colors to choose from.

Cons

  • It comes with extras travellers may not want

  • Scratches easily

  • Zipper pulls may drag on the ground

Buy now at Away
Product image of Briggs & Riley Baseline Softside Carry-On Luggage
Briggs & Riley Baseline Softside Carry-On Luggage

Dimensions: 22 x 14 x 9
Our bag sizer says: It fits!

The Briggs and Riley Domestic Carry-On offers plenty of packing space (35.4 liters and up to 46.4 when expanded). This, along with its durable construction featuring a hybrid fiberglass frame, reinforced corners, and a 1680D ballistic nylon fabric exterior, make it a great luggage option for frequent travelers.

This suitcase rolls smoothly and includes a three-height retractable handle hardware system that is placed almost entirely on the outside of the bag, which ensures that it doesn’t take up valuable packing space.

The main compartment includes two nearly full-length zippered pockets and compression straps to help you fit more into the suitcase. It also includes a ‘suiter’ bar, designed to help keep garments wrinkle-free. You can even expand the thickness of the bag from nine inches to 11.5 inches if you end up buying new items on your trip. Should you take advantage of this expandability, don’t be surprised if the suitcase no longer fits into an airport sizer. All of this features also make this suitcase a bit heavy.

This suitcase has several pockets, such as an exterior pocket that is large enough to fit a laptop and your quart-sized bag of liquids. There’s another pocket for smaller items too. At the back of the bag, beneath the discrete luggage tag receptacle, there’s a pocket between the ribs of the retractable handle which would fit a water bottle or perhaps a collapsible umbrella. The main compartment and laptop pocket can be secured..

Pros

  • Built to last forever

  • Very expandable.

Cons

  • Heavy

Buy now at Amazon

$549.00 from Walmart

What You Should Know About Luggage

These are the best luggage available today.
Credit: Reviewed / Seamus Bellamy

When it comes to luggage, we advise you to spend more if you travel more. High-end luggage tends to be more durable, so you’ll have to replace it less often.

  • Price: When it comes to luggage, we advise you to spend more if you travel more. High-end luggage tends to be more durable to wear and tear, so you’ll have to replace it less often. The same can’t always be said for personal carry-on-sized bags. Sometimes, as these smaller bags, purses, and backpacks can be used as fashion accessories as part of your daily commute, the price of a bag is commensurate with this luggage brand’s recognition, rather than its durability or utility.
  • Wheels: if you prefer your luggage to glide through an airport concourse on wheels, four wheels are better than two. No matter whether you’re pushing or pulling your bag along, you’ll find it just as maneuverable. That said, two-wheeled bags are still a good get—they’re more portable and can often cost less. For shopping for bags designed to fit under an airline seat, avoid wheels if you can: they eat into the already limited amount of space bags sized to slip under an airplane seat offer. -**Handles:** Retractable handles should slide in and out of position, smoothly, and offer at least a couple of height settings to accommodate different sized users. This style of handle, however, isn’t desirable in under seat carry-on luggage: the handle mechanism takes up a lot of space in such a small bag. Built-in fabric or leather handles should be wide and padded to make the weight of what’s inside of your bag feel like less of a strain on your hand. Handles located on multiple sides of a bag are a win, as they make it easy to grab it out of an overhead bin, no matter how you had to place it in there.
  • Organization: Bags that offer a number of easily accessible exterior pockets for small items like a passport, smartphone, or plane tickets are a smart buy. Look for bags with a large main compartment that can be used with packing cubes, or stuffed full of a number of loose items such as a water bottle, snacks, or a hoodie. If you plan on using your bag for work trips or having it double as a tote for your daily commute, be sure that any laptop compartment, tablet sleeve, or admin panels built into it will suit your needs.

Travel backpacks are kind of their own thing. When buying one, you should look for the following:

  • A main, inner compartment that opens up flat, like a suitcase, to aid in packing and unpacking.
  • The inner compartment should boast at least one zippered pocket for organizing your clothes, toiletries and other sundries.
  • A main compartment with compression panels and straps to compress your cargo and keep it from shifting during transport is a bonus that allows the pack to be used with or without packing cubes.
  • An area that military types often call an "admin panel," which can store a laptop or tablet, pens, maps, tickets, passports, you name it. It's most helpful in the detachable part of a daypack, so you can carry valuables while leaving the cargo bag at their hotel.
  • Speaking of daypacks, travel backpacks that feature one are very handy.
  • A travel pack should come with an internal frame to help protect your belongings and keep your stuff from shifting around on your back while you travel.
  • A padded hip belt is a must: they’re designed to transfer the weight of your pack from your shoulders to your hips, helping to save you from discomfort and injury.
  • Whenever possible, load straps should be integrated into the pack’s shoulder straps to pull the pack closer to the back, transferring more of its weight to the hips.
  • Zippers that can be used with a TSA-compatible lock are essential for slowing down thieves and ensuring that none of your gear is lost while in transit. Some packs come with fabric loops for this purpose. You don’t want that. Metal zipper locks are where it’s at.
  • While there are few bags out there that are truly waterproof, you should at least look for one that's weather-resistant. Lacking that, invest in a rain cover to ensure the contents of your bag don't get soaked in a downpour.

Meet the tester

Johanna Read

Johanna Read

Contributor

Johanna Read is a freelance travel writer and photographer.

See all of Johanna Read's reviews

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