The best luggage
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Tyler Hayes/Business Insider; Talia Ergas/Business Insider; Gabrielle Chase/Business Insider
From carry-on suitcases and checked bags to weekenders and packing cubes, the best luggage is easy to pack and makes traveling a breeze. Our travel editors and writers have logged thousands of miles testing suitcases, carry-ons and other travel bags on long-haul flights, road trips, and weekend stays. Over the years, we've gathered a few favorite brands.
Below, we've picked the best luggage brands for every traveler and every budget.
A quick look at our favorite luggage brands
- Travelpro consistently excels during testing, with organizational features and smooth hardware at a surprisingly affordable price. It's our go-to destination for excellent soft-side luggage.
- Antler is a recent addition to our list, specializing in lightweight hard-shell luggage covered by an impressive lifetime warranty.
- Samsonite has a bag for just about everyone, from budget-friendly luggage sets to luxury hard-shell suitcases with innovative designs.
- We recently tested Quince luggage and believe it's a worthy rival to buzzy brands like Monos and Away at a fraction of the price.
- Briggs & Riley bags are an investment, but we think the premium features like innovative expansion and reinforced corners make them worth it.
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Shop all luggage at Travelpro.
Best for: Soft-side luggage
Travelpro is beloved by flight crews and frequent fliers alike, with precise attention to detail. From the whisper-quiet spinner wheels to useful organizational features, its luggage is crafted for serious travelers. Despite the attention to detail and quality design, Travelpro luggage is surprisingly affordable. It's no surprise the brand makes our favorite carry-on.
In addition to rolling luggage, Travelpro has options for under-seat 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.
Our editors' picks:
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Best for: Affordable dupes of trendy luggage
Is there anything Quince hasn't duped yet? We've tried close to a hundred products for our style and home Quince reviews and found that the retailer offers high-quality alternatives for popular luxury brands and designs. One area where it really shines is in luggage and bags.
Its carry-on suitcase is a near-exact replica of Away's bags, but at a fraction of the cost. After testing it, we loved it so much that we named it the best budget pick in our best carry-on bag guide. Other favorites include the All-Day Neoprene Backpack, which is a near dupe for a Dagne Dover bag.
Read our full Quince luggage review.
Our editors' picks:
Lauren Savoie/Business Insider
Shop all luggage at Briggs & Riley.
Best for: Luxury soft-side luggage
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-side bags to be some of Briggs & Riley's best options, there are also some nice hard-shell carry-ons and checked bags for those who prefer to go that route. In addition to roller bags, Briggs & Riley also makes backpacks, duffels, weekenders, laptop bags, and travel accessories of all types, including packing cubes, bag ID tags, laundry bags, and more.
Our editors' picks:
Lauren Savoie/Business Insider
Best for: Hard-shell luggage with front pockets
Monos makes 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 brand also makes some of our favorite durable packing cubes.
Read our full Monos luggage review.
Our editors' picks:
Lauren Savoie/Business Insider
Best for: Colorful hard-shell luggage
Away has multiple options for roller luggage, including hard-shell, expandable, and aluminum. Bags are available in both neutral hues and bright, eye-catching colors. Its luggage has more than just looks, though — we like the thoughtful extras like in-bag compression, built-in TSA-approved locks, and a removable washable lining.
In addition to roller bags, the brand also offers 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.
Our editors' picks:
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Shop all luggage at Samsonite.
Best for: Luggage sets
When it comes to value, Samsonite makes excellent luggage at some of the best prices, which is why we named it our top hard-shell pick for the best carry-on. Samsonite offers numerous options for roller bags, including both hard-shell and soft-side carry-ons and checked luggage, wheeled under-seat bags, and even roller duffels. Two of its bags earned a spot in our best checked luggage guide, and it 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.
Our editors' picks:
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Best for: Trendy hard-shell luggage with extra space
Béis is currently social media's favorite luggage, but there's more to this brand than influencer hype. We tested the bags and found they're actually really well designed, with several unique features we haven't seen before.
The Béis Carry-On Roller stands out for its whopping 61 liters of packing space, built-in weight indicator in the handle, tons of interior storage, and even a bag strap for carrying personal items that don't have a trolley sleeve. It recently replaced Away as our best carry-on for extra space.
The brand is reasonably priced — cheaper than Away, but more expensive than Samsonite — and the bags come in an array of striking colors that are sure to make a statement cruising through the airport.
Read our full Béis luggage review.
Worth a look:
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Best for: Lightweight luggage
UK-based luggage brand Antler is perhaps best known for its line of incredibly lightweight suitcases. We tested the Icon Stripe for consideration in our best checked luggage guide, and we were thoroughly impressed with its packing space, durable exterior, and ease of handling.
In addition to rolling luggage, Antler also sells weekenders, travel backpacks, under-seat bags, and accessories like packing cubes and luggage tags.
Delsey
Best for: Leather-trimmed luggage
If you like the look of classic luggage featuring leather trim, you may want to consider Delsey's Chatelet line of hard-shell luggage. Delsey has numerous options for roller bags for domestic and international travel in both hard-shell and soft-side variations (though more hard-shell), as well as several luggage sets. It even has collaboration collections with brands like Florence by Mills and Jeep.
Our editors' picks:
American Tourister
Shop all luggage at American Tourister.
Best for: Budget-friendly luggage
Several 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-shell bags are made from a sturdy ABS material, and the spinner wheels 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-shell and soft-side suitcases. There is also a line of Disney and Star Wars luggage that kids especially might love.
Our editors' picks:
Tumi
Best for: Minimalist luxury luggage
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-shell and soft-side 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.
Our editors' picks:
July
Best for: Trackable luggage
July is one of the more unique luggage brands out there — it's one of the few that still offers its carry-ons with a removable battery, and it recently released a line of bags with built-in tracking. We've found the luggage a little less durable and roomy than other bags we've tried, but it's worth a look if you're after premium features not found in any other suitcase.
The brand also makes several thoughtfully designed travel accessories, including one of the best toiletry bags we've tested.
Read our full July luggage review.
Our editors' picks:
Carl Friedrik
Shop all luggage at Carl Friedrik.
Best for: Luxury hard-shell luggage
Initially started as a leather goods business, Carl Friedrik is perhaps best known today for its high-quality, sleek-looking luggage. The brand was founded in London by two Swedish brothers and its bags reflect sleek European design principles and a commitment to quality high-quality materials. The suitcases are beautiful and feel luxe, like something you'd see hanging out in business class or being loaded onto a private jet. They've even been spotted on an episode of HBO's TV show Succession, if that gives you any indication of the "quiet luxury" you can expect from the brand.
I particularly love Carl Friedrik's trunk, which is one of the best that I've tested. It not only looks beautiful, but has some really thoughtful design features like fold-up dividers for easier packing and two integrated locks.
Our editors' picks:
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Best for: Luxury aluminum luggage
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-shell 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-side 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.
Worth a look:
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