The Best Carry-On Luggage for Every Type of Trip

Upgrade your travel game with this handpicked selection of the best carry-on luggage. Say goodbye to hassle and hello to stress-free journeys.

Photo by Gustavo Fring

Are you tired of lugging around heavy, inconvenient suitcases during your travels to must-see places around the world? It’s time to upgrade to smaller, lightweight options to make your journey a breeze.

Investing in high-quality luggage that fits an overhead compartment has numerous benefits beyond convenience. With ample packing space, organized compartments and durable materials, these bags are designed to withstand the rigors of travel while keeping your belongings safe.

Get ready to discover the ultimate travel companion for your next trip that will revolutionize how you pack and move around effortlessly. Say goodbye to bulky carry-on backpacks and duffel bags and hello to stress-free travel adventures with the best luggage available in a carry-on size.

Photo by Oleksandr P

7 Best carry-on luggage

These choices are based on their durability, functionality and design. The list includes the favorite lightweight spinner and expandable hardside cases. Each is an ideal travel companion that will make packing a breeze. Let’s take a look at these favorite carry-on luggage options.

Samsonite Omni PC 20-Inch Hardside Spinner — Best Overall

This durable hard shell has a lightweight design with a spacious interior. Its 360-degree spinner wheels also make navigating busy airports a breeze.

Pros

Durability: The polycarbonate shell construction provides excellent durability and resistance against rough handling during travel.
Lightweight: Overall weight is under seven pounds (6.8 lbs), making it easy to lift and carry.
Ample Space: The luggage has plenty of space to pack and organize items efficiently without excessive travel packing hacks.
TSA-Approved Locks: I like having this added security during travel.
10-Year Limited Warranty: This gives me peace of mind against material defects and manufacturing issues.

Cons

Interior Organization: While the luggage provides decent packing space, the interior organization could be improved for more efficient packing and easy access.
Size: The overall dimensions are 22″ x 15″ x 9.5″, which may exceed some overhead bin requirements, so it’s not the best compact luggage choice. But I haven’t had an issue with any domestic flights.

Whether you’re a frequent flyer or take occasional trips to the best beaches in the USA, the Samsonite Omni PC Hardside Spinner is an ideal choice. This luggage is durable and lightweight, with plenty of packing space. It has served me well on long domestic flights and road trips.

Amazon Basics 21-Inch Spinner Luggage — Best Budget

This is an excellent choice for those looking for a budget-friendly carry-on suitcase. It offers sturdy construction and ample storage space at an affordable price point.

The lightweight design of this carry-on makes it easy to handle and maneuver through crowded airports. The spinner wheels provide smooth mobility, allowing for effortless navigation. With well-designed interior compartments and organization features, the AmazonBasics Hardside Spinner Luggage ensures efficient packing and easy access to your items.

Pros

Affordability: The luggage is budget-friendly and offers good value for the price.
Durable Exterior: The thick ABS hard-shell exterior provides durability and protection against rough handling during travel.
Interior Organization: The luggage includes compartments, pockets and straps to help keep your belongings organized and secure during transit. It’s also expandable to get up to 15% more space.
Lightweight: Weight is a little over seven pounds (7.34 lbs), making it easy to lift and carry.

Cons

Overall Durability: Since it’s a lower-cost option, there is a higher potential of issues with the telescoping handle, zipper, and wheels breaking over time.
Interior Space: The luggage may not offer as much packing capacity as other models due to the zipper pockets, potentially limiting the number of items you can pack.
Size: Overall dimensions (21.46” x 14.76” x 9.45”) can exceed some airlines, but it hasn’t been an issue for me.

This luggage is my best choice for family travel on a budget. It combines durability, functionality and affordability, which makes it perfect for everyone in the family.

Delsey Paris Helium Aero Expandable Spinner 21 & 19-inch

This luggage offers a winning combination of style, durability and functionality. Check out the sleek design of its exterior hardside and its efficient interior organization. Plus, the spinner wheels glide effortlessly through airports.

Pros

Expandable Capacity: The luggage expands up to 2 inches, allowing you to increase the packing space when needed.
Durable Materials: The luggage is made of 100% polycarbonate, which can withstand the rigors of frequent traveling and includes self-repairing zippers.
Secure Organization: It features well-designed compartments, pockets and tie-down straps to keep things organized and secure during transit.
Laptop Sleeve: The 19-Inch version offers a large zippered compartment with easy access in front that has a padded laptop sleeve and zippered mesh pockets for accessories. It can fit up to a 15.6-inch laptop.
Size: Both sizes (21.25 x 14 x 9 for the 19-inch and 21 x 14.5 x 10 inches for the 21-inch) should fit most overhead bin compartments.
TSA locks: It has an integrated 3 dial TSA accepted combination lock

Cons

Weight: The 19-inch weighs 8.2 pounds, and the 21-inch weighs 8.4 pounds, so it isn’t the best lightweight option.
Design: The smaller 19-inch is a bit bulky due to the laptop compartment.

Overall, the Delsey Paris Helium Aero Expandable Spinner Trolley offers the perfect balance of durability, space and aesthetics.

Travelpro Maxlite 5 Lightweight 20-Inch Compact Softside

The lightweight, compact design and efficient organization of this softsided luggage option makes it awesome. There’s also an expandable feature allowing additional packing space. It gives plenty of packing space yet fits within the carry-on size restrictions of most US domestic airlines.

Pros

Ultra-Lightweight: 5.1 pounds, making it easier to lift and maneuver.
Expandable: The zippered expansion allows up to 2 inches of added interior space.
Efficient Organization: Features well-designed interior compartments, pockets and tie-down straps to keep your belongings organized and secure during transit.
Size: The compact size (22 x 14 x 9 inches) meets most major domestic airline requirements.

Cons

Durability: The softside exterior isn’t as durable as a hardside option.
Lack of Built-in Locks: No built-in locks for added security, requiring separate locks if desired.
Design Aesthetics: The design and aesthetics of the luggage tend to be less visually appealing compared to hardside options.

Although I prefer hard-sided luggage, the Travelpro Maxlite 5 is my favorite softside carry-on bag. It comes with lightweight construction, efficient organization and durability.

LEVEL8 Grace EXT 20-Inch Carry-On Luggage

This luggage offers a sleek and modern design that makes it really stand out in the airport. This one has a very well-designed organization. It even comes with a front laptop sleeve.

Pros

Expandable: The expandable capacity feature allows additional packing space, accommodating extra items when needed.
Well-Organized Interior: The luggage offers well-designed interior compartments and pockets, facilitating the efficient organization of packed items.
TSA-Approved Locks: Includes built-in TSA-approved locks, enhancing security during travel.
Front Laptop Compartment: A small laptop (15.6”) can be safely stored and quickly accessed separately from clothing. There’s even a padded sleeve for a tablet.

Cons:

Durability: The polycarbonate and ABS (acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) material of the exterior isn’t as durable as 100% polycarbonate.
Space: Interior space is sacrificed for the laptop compartment. I prefer adding a large travel laptop backback as my personal item.
Size: It may exceed certain airline guidelines for a carry-on because of the added laptop pocket.
Weight: It weighs over ten pounds (10.34 lbs) which is heavy for its size.

With its well-organized compartments, pockets and TSA-approved locks, the LEVEL8 Grace EXT offers efficient packing and enhanced security.

Kenneth Cole Reaction Out Of Bounds 20-Inch

I recommend this luggage if you want a lighter hardside carry-on. The ABS exterior protects against impacts, while the lightweight design allows easy maneuverability and weight restrictions adherence. There’s plenty of packing space too.

Pros

Weight: It weighs just 6.25 pounds.
Storage Space: The interior of the luggage offers generous packing capacity, allowing you to pack and organize your belongings efficiently.

Cons

Organization: The luggage lacks advanced interior organization features like multiple compartments or built-in pockets, making it more challenging to keep items separated and organized. I recommend adding packing cubes.
Expandability: Unlike some other models, it does not offer an expandable feature, which means you won’t have the option to increase the packing capacity if needed.
Durability: The luggage is constructed with an ABS exterior, which provides good resistance against impacts and rough handling but isn’t as strong as polycarbonate.

The Kenneth Cole Reaction Out Of Bounds Luggage is a good choice if you want a hardside that won’t weigh you down. However, it doesn’t offer an expandable middle like other carry-ons.

Rockland Melbourne Hardside Expandable 20-Inch

This carry-on offers decent hardside protection yet is fairly lightweight. The interior pockets and straps also provide efficient organization for packed items.

Pros

Price: This luggage is often available at a low cost.
Weight: Weight is 7 pounds which is fairly light to handle.
Expandable: The expandable capacity feature allows you to increase the packing space by an extra 2 inches.
Interior Organization: It has an interior mesh zip pocket and elastic pocket.
Size: Overall size (22″ X 13.5″ x 9″) meets most carry-on size requirements.

Cons

Durability: The wheels and zippers don’t seem to be as well made as others and may not last long for frequent travelers.
Limited durability: The ABS exterior offers a lighter weight, but isn’t as durable as a 100% polycarbonate exterior.

The Rockland Melbourne Hardside Expandable Luggage is a good carry-on bag for travelers searching for a lightweight compact hardside.

Conclusion

The Samsonite Omni PC 20-inch is my top pick for the best carry-on luggage. With its durable construction, ample storage space and versatile design, this carry-on luggage is a reliable companion for your adventures. But for thrifty traveling, I prefer the Amazon Basics 21-Inch Hardside, which offers a range of features at an affordable price.

I also like the Travelpro Maxlite 5 Lightweight 20-inch softside option. This luggage is super light and comes with pocket and compartment interior organization. And with its compact size, I never worry about it not fitting in an overhead bin.

When I’m in need of hardside luggage with a compact size to meet most carry-on luggage size restrictions, the Rockland Melbourne Hardside Expandable 20-inch is my top choice. It also comes with interior pockets to help organize packed items.

Lisa MarcAurele is a blogger and cookbook author based in Connecticut. She created Little Bit Recipes to help people save money by minimizing leftovers when cooking for one or two people. Lisa enjoys knitting and taking scenic day trips around New England.

This article originally appeared on Food Drink Life.

The Best Carry-On Luggage for Every Type of Trip

Upgrade your travel game with this handpicked selection of the best carry-on luggage. Say goodbye to hassle and hello to stress-free journeys.

Samsonite Omni PC Hardside Expandable Luggage with Spinner Wheels, Carry-On 20-Inch, Black

20" SPINNER LUGGAGE maximizes your packing power and meets most carry-on size restrictions for those traveling domestically and looking to stay light.Number of wheels:4

PACKING Dimensions: 19" x 14.5" x 9.5", Overall Dimensions: 22" x 15" x 9.5", Weight: 6.81 lbs.

10 YEAR LIMITED WARRANTY: Samsonite products are rigorously tested to ensure our products meet stringent standards. This bag comes with a 10-year warranty against defects in materials and workmanship.

MICRO-DIAMOND POLYCARBONATE texture is extremely scratch-resistant, keeping cases beautiful trip after trip

SIDE-MOUNTED TSA LOCKS act to deter theft, ensuring that only you or a TSA agent have easy access to your belongings when traveling

FOUR, MULTI-DIRECTIONAL OVERSIZED SPINNER WHEELS for effortless mobility, re-engineered lightweight

Amazon Basics 20-Inch Hardside Spinner, Black

20-inch hardside spinner luggage for work travel, vacations, or as international carry-on
Reliable strength with extra-thick ABS hard shell, scratch resistant Black finish, and fully lined 150D-polyester interior

Easy to move with 4 double spinner wheels, telescoping handle, and short handle

Expandable for up to 15% more packing space; interior organizer with divider, plus 3 zippered pockets for smaller items

Product dimensions: 13.58 x 9.45 x 19.09 inches; Overall Dimensions: 14.76 x 9.45 x 21.46 inches

DELSEY Paris Helium Aero Hardside Expandable Luggage with Spinner Wheels, Blue Cobalt, Carry-On 21 Inch

Lightweight and Durable: Made of 100% Polycarbonate, which is a material that is extremely resilient to cracking or breaking, with a deep metallic finish

Superior Maneuverability: The double spinner wheels assure exceptional maneuverability and keep ZERO weight on your arm.

Largest Capacity: This suitcase expands up to 2 inches for additional packing space. This feature is great for packing sovenirs on return journeys.

Maximum Comfort: This carry on bag has a comfortable handle system that locks into two positions for ease of use.

Convenient and Secure Packing: Two large fully-lined compartments with multiple pockets allow easy access and organization for all of your items. Web straps and a zippered divider secure clothing and help minimize wrinkles, Fully lined interior with two compartments for packing and organizing clothes and travel accessories

100% polycarbonate with glossy finish which makes the case extremely lightweight,Integrated 3-dial tsa-accepted combination lock

Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Expandable Carry on Luggage with 4 Spinner Wheels, Lightweight Suitcase, Men and Women, Black, Carry On 21-Inch

Carry on bag is a half pound lighter than Maxlite 4, this ultra lightweight 21 inch carry on luggage meets carry on size restrictions for most domestic airlines. H20 Guard protects the interior lining from moisture.

This carry-on luggage has 4 wheel spinners that rotate 360 degree for a smooth roll. Lightweight, sturdy

PowerScope handle stops at 38 inch and 42.5 inch features a patented contour grip with rubberized touch points for easy maneuvering. Unique bottom tray design increases durability for this soft sided luggage.

Carry on suitcase expands up to 2 inch to maximize packing capacity. Features low profile top, side and bottom carry handles, two exterior compartments, full length interior lid pocket, side accessory pocket and adjustable hold down straps for packing convenience.

Carry-on luggage with spinner wheels: Case Dimensions: 21 in x 14 in x 9 in; Overall Dimensions ( includes wheels & carry handles): 23 in x 14.5 in x 9 in; Weight: 5.4 lbs, Volume : 46 L

Carryon luggage with spinner wheels has Limited Lifetime Coverage plus trusted companion promise, which covers the cost of repair for damage from airline or other common carrier for 1 year. Applicable when purchased as new and after registration.

LEVEL8 Grace Carry On Luggage, 20” Hardside Suitcase, ABS+PC Harshell Spinner Luggage with TSA Lock, Spinner Wheels - Grey, 20-Inch Carry-On

FRONT LAPTOP COMPARTMENT to safely store and easily access electronics. Separate your electronics from clothing. Suggested laptop size 15.6 inches and under.

LIGHTWEIGHT YET DURABLE shell made of quality PC+ABS materials, designed with a 3-layer micro-diamond textured surface which provides anti-scratch technology and outstanding durability.

4 DOUBLE 360-DEGREE SPINNER WHEELS and sturdy ergonomic aluminum telescoping handle for effortless mobility.

RECESSED TSA COMBINATION LOCK provides security during international travel.

SPACIOUS INTERIOR features cross straps and dividers for ease-packing.Multiple pockets to keep belongings neatly organized.

OVERALL DIMENSION: 21.8 x 14.5 x 9.4 inch (Including wheels and handles). Weight: 8 lbs. Packing Capacity: 36L. Perfect for business short trip.

Kenneth Cole REACTION Out of Bounds Lightweight Hardshell 4-Wheel Spinner Luggage, Midnight Black, 20-Inch Carry On

MADE TO LAST with a manufacturer’s limited lifetime warranty.

TAKE ME FOR A SPIN - MULTI-DIRECTIONAL 4-WHEEL SPINNERS allow for smooth effortless 360° free-weight maneuvering.

LIGHTWEIGHT SO KEEP PACKING. ABS construction makes this luggage one of the lightest in the market.

FLEXIBLE FEATURES FOR ALL TYPES OF TRAVEL Featuring a top and side grab handle for easy maneuvering and four molded side feet that allow luggage to stand upright on its side. Equipped with a sturdy and user-friendly push-button retractable trolley handle.

BASH AND BUMP READY. DURABLE AND LIGHTWEIGHT luggage that is made of a shock resistant ABS exterior with reinforced protective molded corner guards that absorb shock for maximum impact resistance.

IT’S WHAT’S ON THE INSIDE THAT COUNTS. SUPERIOR INTERIOR ORGANIZATION with a main compartment made of tear-resistant lining and features double-sided packing, a zippered organization pocket, and garment restraint straps to hold your clothes in place.