muji travel luggage review

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The Muji Suitcase Is the Best Budget Carry-On Luggage Out There

Published/Updated: Feb 28, 2022 · Erica Ho · 7 minute read

If you love me, you'll buy me luggage. From that perspective, Muji's hard case suitcase is straight up pure travel porn. It's also the best thing I've reviewed on this site so far, at a price that can't be beat.

Thankfully, the world doesn't revolve around Tumi. The Muji hard case suitcase is a delightful—and affordable—alternative for anyone in the market for new luggage. For those not familiar with the brand, Muji is a well-known Japanese retailer known for their streamlined, practical and artfully designed products. It just might be the best kept secret in luggage out there.

The spinner hard case comes in three sizes: the 33L, the 60L and the 85L. The strange nomenclature just refers to the volume and capacity that a bag can hold . The 33L is best for carrying on, the 60L is best for checking in and the 85L is best for bringing the water tank with you. (There’s a 102L version in Japan; I presume that’s for transporting people.)

I’m not a big fan of checking in so I naturally opted for the Muji 33L and asked a friend from Tokyo heading my way to bring it over. The bag costs $175.50 plus tax in the U.S. and comes in three colors which are beige, black and navy. The 60L costs $197.50 and the 85L costs $237.50. If you’ve got the Tokyo hook up, the 33L costs 15,000 yen total (~$138.70) in Japan and comes in a spiffy array of colors that include black, navy, beige, grey, red and brown. So what if I all I did was buy the beige? Good friends bring friends suitcases.

Muji’s hard cases are made out of polycarbonate, which is a material that tends to be a good compromise between being durable and strong while remaining lightweight. It’s fairly impressive that the suitcase itself weights about 7.5 pounds (3.4 kg) and claims to carry up to 26.5 pounds (12 kg) for a total of 34 pounds (15.4 kg), though I’m sure I’ve packed significantly more than that. At any rate, I’m not strong enough to lift 40 or so pounds into the overhead bin. Most travelers probably won’t care enough since that’s not the purpose of this suitcase in this size.

Interestingly enough, the Muji case is significantly lighter than the Tumi Alpha Carry on , which weighs in at 10 pounds (4.5 kg). Given the weight allowance for an international carry-on is 33 pounds (15 kg), I’d rather try to eke out some of that extra space with the Muji bag.

There’s a direct correlation between all of this. The Wirecutter notes there’s a direct tradeoff between weight and durability, choosing to prioritize material strength over lightness in a suitcase. While I’d normally agree, the Tumi actually takes up a solid half to third of the allowed carry-on weight and it’s worth remembering carry-on luggage typically needs to sustains less damage than traditional checked-in luggage. It was even able to support my weight—some 105 pounds—at the airport when I decided to turn it into a temporary seat at the gate out of pure boredom.

The manufacturer claims that its quality standards are rigorous. In order to pass muster, the hard case trolley products have been dropped from 39 inches (over 3 feet or 100 cm) high, dragged some 9.9 miles (16 km) on an outdoor road, tossed around in a drum and have even been loaded and lifted by the handle a minimum of 3,000 times. Compare that to the fact that I just sit on my luggage.

In terms of dimensions, the Muji 33L measures 22 inches x 14.8 inches x 9.2 inches (55 cm x 37 cm x 23 cm). Leaning on the smaller side, I’ve always found it to fit in perfectly every overhead bin I’ve ever tried to stow it in. Given that new airline regulations have recently been revamped to favor smaller bags , this is an asset. Though I wouldn’t pack past a week’s worth of clothes and belongings, it’s important to remember you wouldn’t want to actually pack more than that even if your trip was longer . I’ve managed to take the Muji on at least three week-long business trips to New York City without trouble.

TSA zipper lock on the side of the suitcase.

There’s even a TSA zipper lock built into the side of the suitcase. It comes with two keys that open and close the lock; I’d suggest immediately separating the keys in case you’re absentminded and accidentally end up losing one. I guess it's a problem if you happen to lose the key mid-trip. In some sense, Tumi’s number lock is superior in this regard because it uses a number code to secure the bag but maybe that’s the trade-off you make when you spend significantly less on travel luggage. The company responded, saying that should you be unlucky, it's possible to drop in a nearby Muji store where they keep spare keys available. My fingers are crossed.

If it wasn't clear, the suitcase is a spinner with four wheels. Though Ben Schlappig from One Mile at a Time mentioned he's not a big fan of them because wear and tear is much higher with four wheels instead of two, things have been fine so far so far. The wheels are fully protected and screwed in, making sure they last. Each suitcase comes with a two-year warranty in case anything goes wrong.

Spinner bags are terrible for inclines but Muji's wheel lock is especially helpful in keeping the suitcase stable. In fact, that feature may just be the best feature on the whole bag. Located on the back, it claims to keep the bag from rolling away. At first, the only thing I noticed was that if I locked the wheels, it created significantly more drag when I tried to lug the suitcase around. To my friend and I, it seemed like some weird Japanese design feature that had no basis in reality.

But it wasn’t until I began dragging the case throughout New York City’s subway system and up and down San Francisco’s hills that I truly appreciated the utility. Its spinner wheels make it extremely easy to navigate plane cabins and hallways but it also make them extremely susceptible to rolling movement. I noticed most fellow passengers in the subway or train were forced to keep a secure hand on their luggage to keep their bag from rolling away but if I turned on the wheel lock, I barely had to worry about my suitcase meandering away. Though it’s not completely perfect, it was often enough to withstand most gentle motions.

San Francisco, if you’re familiar with the city, is hills, hills and more hills. While it makes for great views, it’s also perfect for runaway luggage. I could leave my suitcase freestanding on the hill I lived on, while I waited for the airport taxi to show up and still have my hands free to do other things (okay, check e-mail). I wouldn’t have appreciated it as much as I did if I had lived in a place that was flat like Los Angeles. Chances are, if you live or travel in a flat town, you won’t see these benefits quite as much.

Inside the beast.

There are minor issues with the bag. Like most suitcases, the inside organizational structure of the bag is poor . Depending on how the belongings inside are loaded, it can affect the weight distribution of the suitcase when you’re lugging it around. If the bag is loaded too much on one side or on the top, it becomes uneven. FlyerTalk user freecia notes also that if you overload the valise, it can be difficult to push the handle down though that hasn't been something I've encountered.

It also lacks a handle strap on the bottom of the case, which means that in order to pull it out of the overhead bin, you always have to load it top facing aisle.  It also doesn't come with a piggy back strap, which doesn't bother me too horribly because there a bunch of  numerous cheap fixes for the lack of it out there.

The handle length is also a bit short extending only about 9 inches (23 cm) past the top of the suitcase. Though I haven't had major issues because I register at a petite 5'3, I noticed I had to make significant adjustments in the way I dragged the case around if I attached another bag on top of the luggage handle. This was a complaint that my friend from Japan—who is significantly taller at 6'0 foot—registered on his trip from Tokyo to San Francisco. If you're around that height, I would highly suggest you get your hands on the suitcase itself in a showroom somewhere to drag it across the length of the floor to make sure its adequate.

In the four months since I’ve owned the suitcase, it’s also definitely begun to show some signs of wear and tear. It’s been straggled all across New York—more than several times—seen the inside of several buses, experienced the A & Q train intimately, rolled down a hill or two and has been run ragged in the rain in multiple cities. It’s picked up dust, dirt and a few scratches all to my chagrin. While I probably need to own the bag’s battle scars, most travelers should note that these are inevitable with hardcases and are just a badge of honor. (I do like the fact that it’s not fabric; it makes it a lot easier to wipe down the suitcase after each trip in case of bed bugs .)

That said, the Muji does wear its battle scars well. A friend from London reported her black Muji bag held up pretty similarly. I also managed to catch another passenger on a recent flight with me who looked like he had a very, very loved version of the bag. Truth be told, I was actually quite surprised, scuffs and all, over how great it still looked when thrown together with a pair of jeans and fitted shirt ensemble. Startup chic?

Really need to get those tiles redone.

It is worth mentioning from a durability standpoint that one Muji owner I know reported that his suitcase developed a small crack along the zipper even after traveling with the bag carry-on only for two years. He averages about 10 trips a year but other Muji owners seem to have nothing but solid reports about its durability. Flyertalk user clockmilk says that the older version of this has bag held up some 10 years plus for him. My friend from London, who travels 2 to 3 times per month and does international long-haul every other month, has admitted to checking in the bag "more than a few times" with the bag coming out strong. So far, defects and damage don't seem like the norm.

Like all Muji products, the Muji valise is a no-nonsense suitcase that boasts a polished streamlined design. Most owners of the bag have reported no issues confusing the bag with others on the carousel due to its simple and distinctive aesthetic. It certainly helps that it’s not a brand people usually think about when it comes to travel luggage, compared to some of the traditional heavy hitters like Tumi or TravelPro. It also has the unique advantage of being one of the most incredibly unisex pieces of gear I’ve ever seen. In fact, it wasn’t until I spent a significant time with this bag that it became how apparent most of the travel market is geared toward males with its rugged black fabric.

The Muji hard case trolley is not only a budget-friendly and practical option but conscientious about its appearance. In other words, it’s extremely Japanese. At $175 plus tax—that’s at least $420 cheaper than the most well-regarded carry-on luggage out there—the Muji suitcase is a steal.

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Urban Carry

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Muji Suitcase review: new 35 liter and 19 liter spinner luggage!

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I don’t normally use a roller bag for travel, preferring a carry-on only backpack, or if I do need to check something, I usually favor checking a carry-on sized duffel. But there are times where a suitcase is worth it.

Here at UrbanCarry, we may harp on all the benefits of a ‘carry-on only, no-wheeled luggage’ way of traveling, but we don’t deny that rollers have their place. For a lot of travelers, it may be the most efficient way of getting from point A to point B.

For an urban vacation, where you’re mostly going airport-taxi-hotel, it’s perfectly fine. Rolling luggage has its place in the world.

Maybe you have back issues, and don’t fancy lugging a backpack around. Then a roller bag is definitely the way to go.

What is Muji?

Mujirushi Ryohin, or Muji in Japanese, translates to “no-brand quality goods.” Muji are masters of minimalism. They specialize in minimalist household goods, clothing and travel accessories. One of my favorite things about Muji is that they have a no-brand or no-logo policy.

I’ve been a fan of Muji items for a while now, ever since coming across a Muji store in Tokyo. A lot of our household items are from Muji – our ironing board, bookshelves and shoe trees, just to name a few.

As of today, they have a small presence in the United States. They have a flagship store in mid-town NYC, just across the street from the New York Public Library on Fifth Avenue, and a few blocks from Grand Central Station. It’s always worth a visit if you’re in New York. The US online store is at muji.com , but unfortunately it’s clunky and doesn’t show the whole catalog. It isn’t the greatest.

They have 6 other stores spread across Manhattan, Brooklyn and New Jersey, a store in Boston, and a couple other stores in California. You can view all Muji retail locations in the US by clicking  here .

The Muji Hard Carry Luggage Line

Muji currently makes their hard carry suitcase in 5 sizes, from a tiny 19 Liters, 35 Liters, 62 Liters, 87 Liters and 104 Liters. Just in case you weren’t sure, the Liter sizes don’t refer to weight, they refer to how much stuff you can fit in them.

These Muji suitcases (aka trolley) are some of the most under rated and best value spinner luggage you can find today.

In the US, all sizes are available in four colors: light grey, beige, navy and black.

In Japan and other markets, there are additional colors available: red and aqua blue; and light blue, light pink and ivory for the 19L version only.

For storage, both the 19 Liter and 35 Liter can fit inside the 87 Liter.

Unfortunately, the 19 Liter CANNOT fit inside the 35 Liter.

The 35 Liter also cannot fit inside the 62 Liter.

The 62 Liter can fit inside the 104L, but it cannot fit inside the 87 Liter.

The 87 Liter cannot fit inside the 104 Liter.

In this review, I’m only going to focus on the 2 smallest sizes since they’re the ones I have. But all sizes have similar features and materials, it’s just the capacity that’s different.

All bags are made of light weight and highly scratch-resistant polycarbonate on the outer shell, and polyester lining on the inside.

All suitcases are spinners, featuring 4-wheels. The wheels are excellent, with a double wheel design that is really quiet (no annoying squeaks!) and can roll smoothly in most surfaces. These Muji spinners also feature a quick and easy one-push stopper that will lock the rear wheels, preventing your bag from rolling away on an incline. This eliminates one of the disadvantages of a 4-wheeled spinner vs a 2-wheeled roller.

The 19 Liter version is new to their luggage line-up, while all other sizes are upgrades of the older smaller sizes. Muji updated the lineup in 2017, and added an extra 2 Liters to each bag.

The Muji 35 Liter Suitcase

The 35 Liter carry-on suitcase is one of the best value carry-on rollers with 4-wheels in the market right now. At an SRP of only $160, this thing is worth every penny.

The new 35 Liter carry-on is an upgrade from the previous 33 Liter carry-on suitcase. This new slightly larger version was introduced in 2017 as part of the “Muji-to-go” line-up of luggage, travel accessories and soft goods.

The 35 Liter is well within carry-on limits of most airlines, to include regional jets and budget airlines in Asia and Europe. This isn’t a maximum legal carry-on, Muji did not push the dimensions to the limits. Unless you happen to be on a really full flight where the airline forces passengers to gate-check bags, you won’t have any problems with this going over the limit.

That said, I have actually used the 35 Liter as checked luggage for over half-a-dozen flights now. Two of them were long haul flights, from NYC’s JFK to the worst airport in the world , and vice-versa.

And the bag performed admirably. The wheels are super smooth, no difference from brand new vs 6 months later.

More importantly, the bag barely show any scratches. One of the selling points of Muji’s polycarbonate material, aside from their weight-to-strength ratio is their ability to withstand scuffs and scratches.

Scratches are a common problem with hard shell luggage but I’m happy to report that Muji’s are pretty good at keeping their clean aesthetic. I’m definitely a believer. Although it is perhaps worth noting that mine is black. Some of the lighter colors may not do as well in hiding scuffs.

The perfect size for carry-on or checked luggage for minimalist packers

The Muji 35 Liter suitcase is the sweet-spot of the line-up, in my opinion. Small enough to carry-on, yet it can easily double as a checked bag for the light packers out there. Why not just use this as a carry-on if you’re a light packer? Well, it depends on the airlines you’re flying, or what other gear or bags you’re flying with.

For example, in my recent flight with this bag, I used it as a checked luggage, with a small backpack as a carry-on. This was because I was flying a budget airline with a strictly implemented 7kg carry-on + personal item total limit. Even though my backpack was small, I was carrying a lot of camera gear, so I was already at the limit.

So I had no choice but to check a separate bag. The 35 Liter was more than large enough for all my clothing, and there was still space left over for the extra knicknacks I purchased on the trip home.

One great thing about the 35 Liter is that it isn’t very unwieldy, even when packed full. On the trip home, I was at just over 13kg, but it felt like half that. Even when rolling on the poorly kept carpets of the airport, I had no problems with this trolley.

With the telescoping handle fully extended, the 35 Liter suitcase measures 36 inches tall, from the ground. It’s easy to pull, and extremely easy to roll beside you.

The Muji 19 Liter Suitcase

The smaller 19 Liter is new to the lineup and was introduced in 2017 as part of the “Muji-to-Go” line.

You’re probably wondering why anyone would need a 19 Liter suitcase? It doesn’t really make much sense does it? Why not just carry a backpack? You’re getting a relatively small carry capacity with the added weight of a roller bag, not really a great trade off, right? Most carry-on backpacks have way more capacity, and weigh significantly less.

So, who is it for?

Kids are the obvious first choice. It’s small and easily maneuverable, that they can easily push it around even when carrying their own backpack.

But is it just for kids? Well, it turns out its also got special use cases.

The 19 Liter roller is actually my wife’s luggage. She’s 5’2″. Specifically, it’s for my wife to use as a carry-on, in addition to a small backpack as a personal item. More specifically, it’s a great carry-on bag with a kid in tow.

A tiny roller bag is just easier to pull around especially when you’re dealing with a toddler.

Could she carry more with a 30 Liter carry-on backpack that weighs less than the 19L suitcase? Sure.

But as anyone who has ever traveled with a baby will tell you, your attention is sometimes pulled a hundred different ways when traveling with a child, you just don’t want to waste mental energy in dealing with your bag. You need something that can be knocked around, yet still be small enough to be easily maneuvered with one hand.

With a backpack, you can’t just drop it on the ground without care. You have to make sure the straps don’t get dirtied. You have to put it on the ground with care, since there isn’t a lot of padding. With a rolling hard case, it doesn’t really matter if it takes a dive on the sidewalk, or if falls on its face while rushing through the airport.

Yeah, it’s so small that it’s kind of limited to special use cases, but if you’re a short person and are traveling with a child, having a small rolling hard case with lockable wheels may be easier vs dealing with a larger carry-on backpack.

With the telescoping handle fully extended, the 19 Liter suitcase measures approximately 34 inches from the ground. This is almost the same height as the 35 Liter fully extended. It’s perfect if you stand 5’6″ or less.

Build quality

Muji products always stand out because of their elegant minimalist designs, and these suitcases are no exception.

The lightweight and scratch-resistant polycarbonate shell is way better than your run of the mill ballistic nylon. I’ve checked my 35L suitcase a bunch of times now, and it still looks pretty new. If you’re looking for a suitcase that will easily show battle scars, you’ll have to look elsewhere. These Muji suitcases simply don’t scuff easily.

Another great feature of these Muji spinners is a one push lock-unlock button. It’s so well implemented and easy to use, I don’t know why not all spinners have something like this. This is great if you need to park your suitcase on an incline or anywhere you don’t want it rolling away and tipping over. It doesn’t sound like such a useful feature, until you actually use it. It’s great when you need two hands free while you’re standing in a moving train, or when you’re loading other bags into the back of a taxi.

Also standard is a TSA zipper lock. But Muji does one better compared to most suitcases. You can stow the zipper pulls into the lock without needing to actually lock it. To everyone else, it looks like your suitcase is locked. But you can easily unlock it by simply pushing on a small thumb pad immediately below the key hole (see illustration below). This is great since you won’t need to fiddle with the keys all the time, yet the zipper pulls remain stowed so anyone who checks out your bag assumes it’s locked.

Once you unzip it, the insides are pretty standard. You’ve got two large compartments divided with a nylon flap. There is a large zippered mesh pocket on the divider flap and a compression strap in one compartment (this is the other difference from the older versions – the previous versions had 2 horizontal mesh pockets). That’s it. There are no other pockets in the bottom or near the hinge, like other suitcases.

If you’re used to stuffing your socks and underwear into small built-in pockets, you’ll be disappointed. But personally, I prefer using packing cubes for everything, so I much prefer the barebones design of the interior here.

Leather is used on the spine to connect the two halves. The top telescoping handle is plastic, with no soft touch materials, but I never found it to be a problem. And I don’t expect a fancy handle at this price.

There is a top carry handle just beside the telescoping handle, and there is also a long carry handle just below the TSA lock. There are no handles on the bottom or on the side of the spine. This makes it just a tad harder to grab these bags from the overhead bin or off the luggage carousel if a handle isn’t facing you, but it’s a minor issue.

What about smart suitcases?

Honestly, I’ve never understood the appeal of ‘smart-luggage’. Why pay extra $$ for a built-in battery pack in your suitcase when you can just grab a high quality Anker battery pack off of Amazon? They’re cheap, high quality and can charge your devices many times over.

Not to mention, you’ll potentially run into problems with suitcases with built-on battery packs. American Airlines, Delta and Alaska Airlines have already began banning these suitcases from being checked, citing fire concerns with lithium-ion batteries. This is in line with the old FAA policy against having loose spare lithium-ion batteries in checked baggage.

This isn’t a problem if you’re carrying on your smart suitcase, but it can be a hassle when you’re forced to check your bag. Airlines have already confirmed that they aren’t going to remove other bags just so you can carry your smart luggage in, and they won’t check it unless it’s battery free either.

Some smart luggage, like the popular Away suitcases make things easier by allowing you to remove the built-in batteries in their carry-on bags,  but again, why go through the hassle? Just get an external battery pack from Anker . They’re better quality, much smaller with higher capacity and you can drop them in ANY bag. Even your daily carry bag.

Why spend the money on a smart suitcase that is basically the same thing?

Should you get one?

Most definitely. These Muji spinners are really some of the best bang for the buck suitcases you can get right now.

They’re priced well, they look great, they’re built extremely well with high quality materials and they’ve even got some nifty features like the locking wheels and the easy to use zipper pull stowage.

The 35 Liter in particular is the sweet spot. Just in case you aren’t familiar with our travel and packing philosophy here at UrbanCarry, we always encourage people to pack light and go with a smaller bag . We’re not fond of maximum sized carry-ons, we almost always prefer something smaller.

Going smaller forces you to pack efficiently. A lighter bag = a better trip. Plus, don’t forget small regional jets, budget airlines and strict carry-on limits in Asia, Australia and some parts of Europe.

If you’re going to get one, the 35 Liter gets my vote. Small enough to work as a carry-on, and it’s well within the maximum legal carry-on limits that you’ll still have a better chance of not getting gate-checked on a full flight. But it’s also big enough to work as a checked bag in addition to another carry-on if needed.

Overall, these new Muji spinner suitcases are hard to beat in terms of price and performance. Like most Muji products, they’re not the most fancy, they aren’t feature packed and they don’t have fancy USB charging ports. But it’s still a well-priced, well-designed and durable piece of luggage with the clean, minimalist look that Muji is famous for.

If you’re in the market for a carry-on spinner that looks better than your typical (yawn) Samsonite that you can find at Walmart or Target, you’d be hard pressed to find anything close to the quality of these Muji suitcases, at this price range. Most similar suitcases cost at least $200++ more.

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Product Review: Away Carry-On Luggage (& Comparison to MUJI 33L)

I’ve been doing a lot of flying lately. And because of that, I’ve been talking a lot more about how I travel and what I use. My review of the MUJI 33L carryon was one of the most visited posts from last year, and I’ve received many questions on how it compares to Away , a potential competitor I mentioned in that article. I’ve since acquired one of their carryons and had some time to travel with it – here’s the review you’ve asked for, as well as how it compares to the MUJI.

Away gives us the standard premise we’ve become familiar with: by cutting out the middleman, they are able to offer a much better price for a top-of-the-line product. This is easy to say (and we hear it from everyone these days), but I generally take these direct-to-consumer statements with a big grain of salt (I’ll write more about that later). For example – are they really cutting out the middleman if they also sell their products on Huckberry ? I doubt Huckberry’s doing that for free. Maybe I’m just getting lost in semantics, but Away does call it the perfect carryon – let’s take a dive and see if it really is.

Away Carry-on specs

Out of the gate, the Away carryon packs some solid stats – lightweight German polycarbonate shell, YKK zippers and TSA lock, 10,000 mAh high-capacity battery and two USB ports, Hinomoto double-wheel spinners, and fairly spacious 38L capacity. It also comes in some nice colors – I’m a big fan of the olive, as it’s fairly subdued and attractive but also easy to pick out on the luggage conveyor belt (if I’m forced to gate check). The overall aesthetics are nice as well – it certainly beats the standard puffy nylon suitcase you usually see, and it’s a bit more refined than the MUJI carryon as well.

The battery is an interesting feature – it holds a lot of power and can charge a phone quickly, which is admittedly handy. All the tools needed to charge it are included as well. The biggest tradeoff is that if you ever have to check this bag, the battery should be removed due to TSA regulations. They include the tools needed to do this, but unzipping the lining and unscrewing the battery at the check-in gate isn’t really an ideal experience. Still, though, having a battery on your carryon sure beats sitting on the dirty airport floor in a dark corner, trying to fight over the three outlets in the terminal. UPDATE: Away now makes their carryons with batteries that are ejectable from the outside. I had to manually update mine to have this feature which was inconvenient but it’s definitely a better design this way.

With the addition of the battery comes another major downside, though – it takes the space that would normally host a wheel lock (as seen on the MUJI). Interestingly enough, even the larger Away bag sizes (that don’t have a battery) also don’t have a wheel lock, which leads me to believe that the designers have never ridden on public transit or visited a hilly city like San Francisco. Holding on to a 4-wheeled carryon with no wheel lock on a packed BART train is like trying to hold back a fully grown pitbull that smells something interesting across the street – it’s doable, but it’s gonna require some upper body strength. It’s a close call, but if I had to pick between a battery and a wheel lock, I would probably pick the wheel lock. The battery is a great feature, but to me the lock borders on essential (at least for how I travel).

With that said, the Away carryon does address what I think is the biggest weakness of the MUJI – short handle height. As I mentioned before, the short MUJI handle can make pulling the luggage somewhat uncomfortable for people over about 5″8′. The handle on this guy can extend significantly higher, which makes it much more comfortable to maneuver. So while the Away is harder to control while staying still, it’s much easier to control when moving.

Although the handle has nice range, I do have one small gripe – the button on top is quite small. It’s significantly narrower than my thumb (and I don’t have big fingers), so pushing the button is a little bit of work. I unfortunately don’t have a picture of this, but just imagine trying to push a button that’s a little too small for your finger. The MUJI button is very thumb-sized, so it’s easy to press. With that said, it’s not a huge deal and I’d prefer the longer handle extension over the larger button.

As for the interior, they are similar but each has its own style. The general layout is the same – on the left you have a large, uninterrupted area that zips closed completely. On the right – where the telescoping handle lives – you have a slightly lumpier and more nebulous space that doesn’t zip closed but can be compressed in some way. The MUJI includes two zippered pockets on the left side, while the Away does not. The Away has their “patent-pending” compression system on the right side that uses a large floating “pocket” to evenly distribute pressure on the soft contents of the right side, while the MUJI just has the standard “X” belts. At first I was not sold on the Away compressor – it just kinda floats there like a strange, floppy pocket – but I will say that it does do a better job of compressing the contents, as it can press more evenly across the suitcase. With that said, I wish the pockets were on the left side like MUJI. Having the only pocket located under the tight belts make me nervous about putting things in there (they also just roll around a lot, since it’s such a big pocket that’s not really attached to anything). The Away does include a small pocket that unrolls into a laundry bag, so perhaps that could be incorporated into the mix as an alternative.

Away vs. MUJI – technical comparison

These are my main thoughts on the more opinion-driven aspects of each, but let’s not forget about the numbers. There are notable differences in weight, capacity, and price, so here’s a closer look at these important factors (Away first, MUJI second):

• Weight: 7.0 v 7.5lb ( Away -7%)
• Capacity: 38 v 33L (Away +15%)
• Price: $205 (with this referral link , $20 off shown at checkout ) shipped v $178.95 shipped (Away +15%)
• Available colors: 7 v 3 (Away by 4)

Away has the edge in every category here except for price, where MUJI is a bit ahead. Both have a TSA lock, 4 rolling wheels, and a polycarbonate shell.

Do I think this is the perfect carryon? No. With that said, I think it’s a solid suitcase. Both MUJI and Away have significant benefits and noteworthy flaws in my opinion, so it’s more of seeing which is better fitted to your lifestyle – hopefully this review helps aid in that decision. As for me, the Away is my current go-to carryon because it has a bit more space and is more comfortable to move (due to the long handle). The MUJI will likely end up at my girlfriend’s place, since the short handle certainly won’t bother her. All told, either would make a solid choice for a carryon, and would be aesthetically and functionally superior to most of what’s available at this price.

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Review: Muji 87L Hard Shell Suitcase

The Lowdown

Product Options and Pricing

• 20L Hard Shell Suitcase, available on Muji (CA)
• 36L Hard Shell Suitcase, available on Muji (CA) or  Muji (US)
• 63L Hard Shell Suitcase, available on Muji (CA) or  Muji (US)
• 88L Hard Shell Suitcase (my model), available on Muji (CA) or Muji (US)
• 105L Hard Shell Suitcase, available on Muji (US)
• Measurements: 28.0 in x 18.7 in x 12.0 in
• Weight: 12.3 lbs
• 360 degree spinner with four wheels
• Handle also has a wheel stopper
• TSA-approved lock
• Two lay-flat handles, one on top and one on the side
• Four "feet" on side of suitcase
• Interior organization

Where to Buy

• Lightweight
• Simplistic external design
• Good interior organization
• Smooth wheels make it easy to push around airports and streets
• Wheel stopping mechanism is very useful on moving trains and buses and prevents the suitcase from rolling away
• TSA-approved lock keeps belongings secure and easy to find zippers
• High price point (almost $300 regular price)
• Scuffs very easily in transit
• Narrow depth means it fits fewer items than expected
• Wheels take up storage space within the suitcase and can make packing non-clothing items awkward
• Not expandable

The Full Review

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The Best Luggage Brands — And Their Best Products, Too

If you’re in the market for an upgrade, a new check-in bag, or perhaps your first set, then browse the best luggage brands.

By Adam Hurly , Monica Mendal , and Kevin Cortez

Every product is carefully selected by our editors. If you buy from a link, we may earn a commission.  Learn more

So much importance is placed on your outfits when packing for trips that you often forget to consider the most important item of all: your luggage. Luggage is undoubtedly the most necessary investment for travelers, yet it’s frequently overlooked. Look at it this way: do you really want to deal with a flimsy zipper or broken wheels when racing to your connection at JFK? Or when your iPhone dies on your train to Rome, wouldn’t it be nice to have a suitcase with a built-in portable charger? (Yeah, that exists––where have you been?)

It’s okay, we get it. With so many options in the market today, deciding which brand is right for you can feel more overwhelming than trip planning, so you’ve given up altogether. Fret not, we’ve got you covered.

Products in the Guide

Best overall: horizn cabin m5, best check-in: horizn h&, best affordable: herschel heritage hardshell suitcase, best affordable duffle: outfitter 30l duffle, best compact overhead luggage: montblanc my4810 light cabin compact luggage, montlanc meisterstuck soft grain small duffle, best luxury duffle bag: montblac meisterstück duffle.

Best Gift for Jet-Setters

Best Luxury Carry-On: Rimowa Cabin S

Best cross-body bag: rimowa polycarbonate cross-body bag, best aluminum carry-on: away the bigger carry-on – aluminum edition, best flexible check-in : away the medium flex, best check-in for international travel: away the large suitcase, best affordable duffle: away f.a.r duffle 55l, best weekend trip bag: away the packable carryall, best designer suitcase: louis vuitton horizon 55, best designer duffle: louis vuitton horizon soft duffle 55, best designer carry-on: louis vuitton keepall 50 bandoulière, best carry-on for laptops: arlo skye the zipper carry-on max, best luggage pet carrier: arlo skye the pet carrier, best locked check-in suitcase: arlo skye the frame check-in, most style-forward suitcase: floyd cabin, most colorful trunk: floyd trunk, most colorful check-in suitcase: floyd check-in, best polycarbonate suitcase: july carry on pro, best no-frills duffle: july daybreak weekender, best carry-all: july carry all weekender, best affordable: samsonite elevation plus medium glider, best with built-in leds: samsonite stryde carry-on spinner, easiest access: short trip expandable 4 wheeled packing case, best overseas carry-on: tumi international dual access 4 wheeled carry-on, best two-wheeled suitcase: sterling pacific 35l cabin travel case, best two-wheeled suitcase for check-ins: 80l check-in travel case, best suitcase with combination lock: monos hybrid carry-on plus, best check-in suitcase with combination lock: monos check-in large, best vegan leather duffle: monos metro duffel, best expandable carry-in: briggs & riley domestic 22″ carry-on expandable spinner, best wheeled carry-on bag: briggs & riley 2-wheel cabin bag, most stylish duffel: calpak luka duffel, calpak hue carry-on luggage, best packing cubes set: calpak packing cubes 5-piece set, best stylish pet carrier: paravel cabana pet carrier, lightest backpack: paravel fold-up backpack, most useful packing cubes: paravel compression cubes, best bargain carry-on: lojel voja small, best bargain check-in: lojel cubo medium, best convertible bag: lojel eblo – all day set, best tote bag: beis the weekender, most comfortable handle: beis the carry-on roller, best 8-wheeled suitcase: spectra 3.0 frequent flyer carry-on, best suitcase with divider: airox medium hardside case, best minimalist suitcase: muji adjustable handle hard carry suitcase 36l, best minimalist check-in: muji adjustable handle hard carry suitcase 88l, best smart-feature carry-on: zero haliburton edge lightweight continental carry-on, most lightweight trunk: zero halliburton portable trunk, best attaché: zero halliburton medium attaché case, most stylish carry-on: globe-trotter centenary carry-on – 4 wheels, most stylish check-in: globe-trotter centenary large check-in – 4 wheels, types of luggage.

By now, you should know that a carry-on is a must. No matter where you’re headed or for how long, traveling with a carry-on is the easiest way to get around. You never have to worry about waiting in long bag check lines between connecting flights or the airline losing your luggage. It’s simple and by far, the best way to travel. Besides, you know you always wear less than you pack.

Checked Bag

A checked bag is reasonable if you’re traveling for an extended period of time– let’s say, a month or longer. Or if you’re headed on a ski trip or cold weather destination, this will inevitably require more space due to bulkier sweaters and coats. We’ll let you off easy here and allow you the option of a checked bag,judgment-free. Look for lightweight ones or those closer to the ground for better balance and mobility.

Many Gear Patrol staffers trust backpacks over suitcases for short trips. In fact, they’d argue you don’t need a carry-on, just a checked bag, and that some backpacks can take their place.

Duffle Bags, Weekenders

Suitcases aren’t the only luggage to consider when planning your investment. You’ll also want to look into a brand with duffles or weekender bags for short weekend getaways or to use as your personal item in addition to your suitcase. For this, consider bags with a trolley sleeve or padded laptop compartment. Or maybe a separate shoe compartment to keep things nice and tidy. Organization, comfort and easy access are the three key pillars to consider when choosing your personal item.

Pet Carrier

Traveling with a pet? Tons of luggage brands are designing stylish pet carriers for your furry friends that are as comfortable for them as for you to tote around. Seriously, they’ve thought of everything– from side pockets for treats, washable liners, interior leash compartments, and of course, mesh panels for airflow.

Choosing the Right Material

Material is another factor to examine when investing in luggage, with the three most popular being aluminum, polycarbonate or soft shells in either nylon or polyester.

The most durable are hard shells made of either aluminum or polycarbonate. While aluminum suitcases are typically the most sought-after, they’ve become more of a status symbol than anything– thanks to luxury brands like Rimowa or Tumi. While they look great and definitely do their part in protecting your stuff, they’re heavy, expensive and have absolutely no give for the over-packer.

Polycarbonate

Polycarbonate is almost just as durable as an aluminum suitcase (unless you’re planning on running your luggage over with a dumpster truck, your polycarbonate suitcase should be just fine) and can look just as sleek, but it’s lighter weight and more affordable than aluminum, so this would be our pick between the two.

If you haven’t hopped on the hard shell train, a soft shell, while less durable as it’s typically made of nylon or polyester, can be just as worthy of investment– especially if it comes with a lifetime warranty, as some brands on this list do. There’s also more flexibility in the design of soft-shell suitcases, as many have exterior pockets or offer expandable options.

• $395.00 at $445.00 (11% off)
• Dimensions 15.75 x 21.6 x 9 in.
• Weight 7.5 lbs.
• Capacity 33L
• Warranty Lifetime

The brand’s ol’ reliable remains one of the sleekest, lightweight travel companions. Between the two smooth-as-butter M5 models, we suggest this one with a front-load, water-resistant laptop pocket.

• €590.00 at horizn-studios.com
• Dimensions 20.5 x 30 x 11 in.
• Weight 10.3 lbs.
• Capacity 98 L

This large-capacity suitcase is solid for check-ins and international travel. It has a whopping 98 liters of space and it has two mesh dividers to help organize your goods. Grab this for those long travels.

• Warranty Limited lifetime

Herschel, a brand better known for its soft-sided bags, debuted a new line of hardshell luggage. It’s simple, sturdy and ready to be stuffed to the brim.

• $130.00 at herschel.com
• Dimensions 11 x 20 x 11.4 in.
• Weight 3.3 lbs.
• Capacity 30 L

• $930.00 at Montblanc
• Dimensions 13.8 x 21.6 x 8.27 in.
• Weight 9.26 lbs.
• Capacity 34 L
• Warranty 2-year

One of the few pieces of luggage you can call both lightweight and heavy-duty; the brand’s most core offering still stands out from the crowd. One of its inner sides has a mesh pocket, the other has straps for safekeeping. It comes in blue and black.

• $1,580.00 at Montblanc

Soft-grained cowhide leather provides sturdy but stylish carry-on arm candy.

• $2,110.00 at Montblanc
• Dimensions 17.91 x 7.68 x 11.61 in.
• Weight 3.7 lbs.
• Capacity Unlisted

Soft-grained calf-skin leather provides sturdy but stylish carry-on arm candy. It’s also got a lock and key for extra security

Best Upgrade Aluminum Suitcase: Rimowa Cabin S Carry-On

• $1,430.00 at rimowa.com
• Dimensions 21.7 x 15.8 x 9.1 in.
• Weight 9.5 lbs.
• Capacity 35 L

The iconic RIMOWA luggage, with its aluminum shell that paved the way for others. (And if fellow travelers don’t know the brand by name, they’ll at least know your taste level at first glance.)

Read our full review of Rimowa’s Carry-On Suitcase .

• $850.00 at rimowa.com
• Dimensions 21.7 x 15.4 x 7.9 in.
• Weight 6.8 lbs.

The world’s original polycarbonate suitcase, in a lightweight weekend-sized carry-on. It’s spacious and smart while cutting down unnecessary weight.

• $1,275.00 at rimowa.com
• Dimensions 5.1 x 8.5 x 2.8 in.
• Weight 1.39 lbs.
• Capacity 1 L

Never separate from your passport or most valuable totables with this leather-lined and -strapped cross-body bag. (Henceforth it, too, is one of your most valuable totables. Plus—how cute is it?)

• $665.00 at Away $1,390.00 (52% off)
• Dimensions 21.5 x 13.5 x 9 in.
• Weight 10.1 lbs.

When traveling with Away’s Bigger Carry-On, you feel like you’re gaming the system: Most carry-on luggage fits overhead with room to spare, while this one capitalizes on those extra inches. Plus, this aluminum spin on the product is oh-so sleek.

• $395.00 at Away
• Dimensions 26 x 18.5 x 11 in.
• Weight 10.8 lbs.
• Capacity 75.7 L

“Soft-shell” luggage is underappreciated by modern makers, so we were happy to see Away add these water-resistant nylon pieces to their collection. Best of all, it expands to accommodate the souvenirs you accumulate on vacation.

• $375.00 at Away
• Dimensions 29 x 20.5 x 12.5 in.
• Weight 12.1 lbs.
• Capacity 99.2 L

It’s hard to find durable and affordable large check-in bags this big, but that’s precisely what Away is for — much-needed designs for an affordable price. Away claims this suitcase fits 15 to 18 outfits, enough for weeks-long trips or maybe even a month-long stay overseas.

• $93.00 at Away $170.00 (45% off)
• Dimensions 14.2 x 25.6 x 11 in.
• Weight 2.8 lbs.
• Capacity 55 L

Padded straps, a trolley sling, an exterior phone pocket and a spacious interior that’ll fit 1-week’s worth of clothes makes this duffle the best option in the market.

• $60.00 at Away $75.00 (20% off)
• Dimensions 15 x 19.7 x 9 in.
• Weight 8.8 oz.
• Capacity 43 L

Water-resistant nylon protects the contents of this carryall, which may start the trip condensed into your bigger luggage. Use it as a beach bag, a laundry lugger, or a last-second carry-on if you overpacked the other bags.

• $5,200.00 at Louis Vuitton
• Dimensions 15 x 21.7 x 8.3 in
• Weight Unlisted
• Warranty Repair service only

Taurillon leather and cowhide trim are but two of the details on this b-e-a-utiful luggage, a work of art by industrial designer Marc Newsom. An extra-wide handle frames the backend, too, allowing for flatter, less puzzle-piecey packing.

• $40,173.00 at Louis Vuitton
• Dimensions 1 5 x 21.7 x 8.3 in
• Weight 6 lbs

A softer, top-down take on the Horizon 55, with Damier Graphite coated canvas and rollable framework—if you tire from toting the chic-est duffel in the terminal.

• $2,920.00 at Louis Vuitton
• Dimensions 12.6 x 21.7 x 9.8 in.
• Capacity 36 L

We may have spoke too soon on “chic-est duffel in the terminal”. The competition comes from inside the legendary house, with this Taiga-leather, monogrammed tote.

• $1.00 at arloskye.com $395.00 (100% off)
• Dimensions 23.0 x 15.0 x 10.3 in.
• Weight 8.1 lbs.
• Capacity 47 L

A front-facing pouch holds your laptop and more, while Arlo Skye checks every other box you want in a carry on, from shoe pouches to antimicrobial lining, to removable phone chargers.

• $275.00 at arloskye.com
• Dimensions 7.5 x 11 x 10 in.
• Weight 4.6 lbs.

Why aren’t more luggage brands on top of making pet carriers? In addition to looking as lavish as your luggage, this foldable carrier gives your pet 360-degree mesh ventilation, plus a memory foam base.

• $525.00 at arloskye.com
• Dimensions 26.5 x 17.7 x 11.0 in.
• Weight 10.5 lbs.
• Capacity 69.1 L

An aluminum frame and dual locks protect your valuables, while the design of this one screams “Eat your heart out, Rimowa!”

• €380.00 at floyd.one
• Dimensions 21.85 x 15.35 x 9.05 in.
• Weight 9.7 lbs.
• Capacity 41 L

This is the perfect expression of what Floyd represents, no matter the color you choose. (We are fans of the Floyd Gold.)

• €580.00 at floyd.one
• Dimensions 30.70 x 19.88 x 11.42 in.
• Weight 16.31 lbs.
• Capacity 95 L

The “Mount Everest of hard-shell suitcases” as the brand describes it, this 82-L Makrolon polycarbonate “trunk” swallows everything in sight.

• €545.00 at floyd.one
• Dimensions 27.55 x 17.72 x 9.85 in.
• Weight 12.75 lbs.
• Capacity 61 L

Round out your collection—but get a different color in each piece. You’ll be the best mis-matched traveler at baggage claim.

• £605.00 at july.com £640.00 (5% off)
• Dimensions 21.5 x 15 x 8.5 in.
• Weight 8.6 lbs.
• Capacity 46 L

A detachable strap sleeve stows your laptop, passport, and other necessities, while a 46L shell fits a long weekend’s wardrobe, with room to spare.

• $605.00 at july.com $640.00 (5% off)
• Dimensions 20.8 x 9.4 x 8.6 in.
• Weight Unlisted.
• Capacity 38 L
• Warranty 5-year

A quick weekend away often begs for a no-frills bag—and July’s doesn’t compromise on quality. It’s got a water-resistant cotton-twill shell and lining, holds 38L, and is detailed with leather trim and straps.

• Dimensions 18 x 10.5 x 8.5 in.
• Weight 2.2 lbs.
• Capacity 28 L

A slightly smaller, more durable spin on the brand’s weekender, for airborne getaways and business travelers alike. A laptop pocket stows your gear, while internal dividers help categorize your carryables.

• $250.00 at samsonite.com
• Dimensions 23 x 24.5 x 12 in.
• Weight 8.8 lbs.
• Capacity 93 L
• Warranty Limited 10-year

Easier to maneuver than your usual vertically-designed rollaway bag, the Samsonite Elevation Plus Medium Glider’s square shape gives the bag a lower center of gravity, enabling you to combine the packing space of a checked bag with the ease of a carry-on.

Learn more about the Samsonite Elevation Plus Medium Glider in our dedicated review of this product .

• $550.00 at samsonite.com
• Dimensions 11 x 14 x 9 in.

Unlike most carry-ons, this one’s big on organization with three removable packing items to keep your things compartmentalized inside. Another fun feature is the built-in VisionGuide™ LED lights on the handles to make you more noticeable in a high traffic city after a late flight.

• $825.00 at tumi.com
• Dimensions 26 X 17.5 X 12.5 in.
• Weight 11.4 lbs.
• Capacity 77 L

For those that need the option for space but aren’t quite sold on a hardshell look, this Tumi style uses the brand’s timeless ballistic nylon and is optimized for space and accessibility with zipper to zipper expansion and a front-lid or split-case zip entry to the main compartment for easy grab and go.

• $975.00 at tumi.com
• Dimensions 22 x 14 x 9 in.
• Weight 10.7 lbs.

You can pack or unpack this piece from the top or side—which makes check-in and security a breeze in case you’ve got to take out some electronics or liquids (or excess bulk, which this expandable bag stores with aplomb).

• $1,495.00 at sterlingpacific.com
• Dimensions 22.5 x 14 x 8.5 in.
• Weight 11.5 lbs.

In a sea of similar suitcases, both in material or design, Sterling Pacific’s 35L Cabin Travel Case stands out — and for obvious reasons. But its deviations from the norm, if you will, aren’t without reason. The two-wheel design reduces the number of possible failure points, and the rectangular shape makes it easier to pack.

• $1,995.00 at sterlingpacific.com
• Dimensions 33 x 20 x 9 in.
• Weight 16.5 lbs.
• Capacity 80 L

For those who are going the extra (hundreds of) miles, Sterling Pacific also offers an 80-liter version of its iconically stylish suitcase.

• $365.00 at monos.com
• Dimensions 23 × 15 × 9.5 in.
• Weight 9.25 lbs.

Aluminum-reinforced polycarbonate shells remain lightweight while protecting your valuables—in sleek, zipperless style.

• $310.00 at monos.com
• Dimensions 30 × 21 × 11 in.
• Weight 10.58 lbs.

All the right straps, zippers, pouches, and vegan-leather detailing that you desire in a check-in bag. Your stuff arrives exactly as you packed it, protected by Monos’ picturesque polycarbonate shell.

• $210.00 at monos.com
• Dimensions 16.3 x 11.2 x 7.2 in.
• Weight 3 lbs.
• Capacity 22 L

The Monos Metro Duffel features a 15-inch laptop sleeve and is designed using sleek vegan leather so you can seamlessly transition from the flight to the office without looking like a scrub.

• $599.00 at briggs-riley.com
• Weight 9.2 lbs.

• $459.00 at briggs-riley.com
• Dimensions 13 x 15.5 x 8.375 in.
• Weight 6.5 lbs.
• Capacity 25 L

For all of those quick business trips, this rollaway features a spacious interior and is easy to stash under your seat or in any overhead compartment. Plus Briggs & Riley’s lifetime guarantee makes it a no brainer.

• $128.00 at Calpak
• Dimensions 12 x 16 x 7 in.
• Weight 2.1 lbs.
• Warranty 1-year

Ultra lightweight and functional, the Luka duffel features 9 pockets (even a separate one for your kicks), making it the ultimate weekender bag; one that you’ll use on repeat. It also has a trolley sleeve to sit comfortably on any suitcase.

• $265.00 at Calpak
• Dimensions 21 x 13.5 x 9.5 in.
• Weight 8.25 lbs.
• Capacity 45 L

If you want to leave the personal item behind and travel as lightly as possible, consider this Calpak carry-on, whose clever design features a hard-sided front compartment with a laptop sleeve to store all of your essentials because less is more when you’re on the go.

• $34.00 at Calpak
• Dimensions Various
• Weight 1.8 lbs (altogether)
• Capacity Various

Any Earth signs reading this? (They’re famously messy.) This 5-piece packing cube set is the ideal solution to keep you organized – even featuring a water-resistant envelope pouch for special items.

• $295.00 at Paravel
• Dimensions 1 x 11 x 20.5 in.
• Weight 4.4 lbs.
• Capacity 43.7 L

Leave it to Paravel to design the chicest pet carrier there ever was out of 38 upcycled water bottles. Monogram it with your pet’s name, because they definitely deserve it.

• $75.00 at Paravel
• Dimensions 9 x 13 x 16 in.
• Weight 0.63 lbs.

• $0.00 at Paravel
• Dimensions 12.75 x 10 x 3.75 in. (feach)
• Weight 4.3 lbs.

Once you buy these Paravel compression cubes, you won’t know how you ever lived without them. Each one fits up to 3-6 sweaters to make your winter travels as seamless as possible.

• $230.00 at lojel.com
• Dimensions 21.5 × 14.8 × 9.1 in.
• Weight 7 lbs.
• Capacity 37 L
• Warranty 10-year

Glide into the future using this ultra-secure, ultra-sleek carry-on by Lojel. A large latch, a combination lock and two small latches replaces the usual flimsy zipper you’ll find on most brands, plus the bright color options make it easy to find in a sea of suitcases.

• $345.00 at lojel.com
• Dimensions 25.6 x 17.7 x 11.8 in.
• Capacity 70 L

Optimally designed for small hotel rooms, the Cubo medium uses a flat top system to keep your suitcase compact. And if it’s more interior space you’re after, it also features an expandable body.

• $285.00 at lojel.com
• Dimensions 17 x 11.4 x 6.5 in.
• eight Unlisted
• Capacity 18 L

We love a 2-in-1 over here. A backpack for travel days equipped with a sling pouch for exploring the city upon arrival– why didn’t we think of that?

• $10,800.00 at beistravel.com
• Dimensions 19 x 9.8 x 15.7 in.
• Weight 3.86 lbs.
• Capacity 49 L

This stylish weekender bag with a trolley sleeve also features a leather base compartment that unzips for shoe storage, where you can fit not one but two pairs of kicks.

• $218.00 at beistravel.com
• Dimensions 14.5 x 21 x 9.8 in.
• Weight 8.36 lbs.

You can’t fully appreciate the cushioned handle on this carry-on until you’ve gripped it gliding through a crowded terminal. Trust us when we tell you it’s a feature you never knew you needed.

• $575.00 at victorinox.com
• Dimensions 9.1 x 13.8 x 21.7 in
• Weight 7.3 lbs.
• Warranty 11-year

A follow-up to the Spectra 2.0, this spacious and convenient carry-on also happens to be the proud recipient of a 2022 Red Dot Design Award — and that’s nothing to scoff at.

• $375.00 at victorinox.com
• Dimensions 18.1 x 11.4 x 27.2 in.
• Weight 8.7 lbs.
• Capacity 74 L

Two divider walls keep your preciously packed things precisely as-is. A lightweight, sturdy frame protects your valuables without subtracting from your checked-in weight limit.

• Dimensions 21.3 x 14.6 x 9.4 in.
• Weight 6.4 lbs.

A larger-than-most carry-on that remains lightweight. Classic MUJI minimalism and functionality at accessible price points.

• Dimensions 29.5 x 19.3 x 11.4 in.
• Weight 10.6 lbs.
• Capacity 88 L

This Muji suitcase is suitable for a week of travel and features a wheel lock function so you won’t worry about it rolling away.

• $495.00 at Zero Haliburton
• Dimensions 22 x 16.5 x 9 in.
• Weight 7.9 lbs.
• Capacity 42 L

This ultralight carry-on will feel featherweight to frequent flyers, but it certainly doesn’t skimp on space.

• $508.00 at zerohalliburton.com $725.00 (30% off)
• Dimensions 17 x 14.8 x 30 in.
• Weight 11.6 lbs.

You can fit a lot of junk in this polycarbonate trunk, to the tune of 100L (!).

• $595.00 at zerohalliburton.com
• Dimensions 18 x 13 x 3.5 in.
• Weight 5.6 lbs.
• Capacity 12.5 L

Bring back the suitcase for work and business travel, and make it this sleek aluminum one.

• $1,995.00 at globe-trotter.com
• Dimensions 16.5 x 22 x 8.25 in.
• Capacity 40 L

This carry-on showcases the brand’s signature styling, with Vulcanized fiberboard and leather detailing, and stuns with its gold-on-black-on-black blocking.

• $2,512.00 at globe-trotter.com
• Dimensions 18.8 x 29.9 x 10.23 in.
• Weight 13 lbs.
• Capacity 83 L

“Is that Globe-Trotter, in Centenary Green?” someone will ask you with a shimmer in his eye. It’s like spotting a Rolls Royce in the wild.

Related Topics

The Best Suitcases for Checking

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.

For many travelers, the frequently discussed dream is to never check a bag. But life doesn’t always cooperate—sometimes you need a bigger suitcase.

After researching 30 pieces of checked luggage and testing eight finalists over many years, we can still say that the Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner is the best suitcase for most travelers who plan to check a bag. The bag easily holds two weeks’ worth of clothes, and it looks and feels fantastic. And it comes with a limited lifetime warranty against airline damage.

Everything we recommend

Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner

The best checked bag for most travelers.

This bag provides a luxury feel at a reasonable price, with a capacity, warranty, and reliability that should suit most travelers. The 25-inch model should offer plenty of room for most travelers, without going over airline weight limits.

Buying Options

Travelpro Platinum Elite 29″ Expandable Spinner

Same suitcase, but bigger.

If you need a checked bag that gives you the maximum allowable space, and you don’t mind paying an overweight-bag fee, the 29-inch model is the way to go.

Away The Medium

The best hard-sided checked suitcase.

This great-looking, relatively resilient piece of hard-sided luggage matches our hard-sided carry-on pic. It has the same top-of-the-line components—including wheels that roll as smoothly as any we’ve tested.

Away The Large

The best large hard-sided checked suitcase.

If you need to maximize your allowed space, and you aren’t worried about weight limits, this bag is, as the name implies, the largest one Away makes. Apart from its extra capacity, it’s identical to The Medium.

Upgrade pick

Briggs & Riley Baseline Medium Expandable 26″ Spinner

Hefty luggage for a heftier price.

This bag provides the most satisfying packing experience money can buy. It can fit an additional week’s worth of clothing, when compressed, in the same amount of space as the Travelpro Platinum Elite bag offers.

Briggs & Riley Baseline Extra Large Expandable 31″ Spinner

The same durable bag, but bigger.

This bag is for anyone who needs a somewhat ludicrous amount of space. Fully expanded, this bag is the biggest we’ve found. Fair warning: If you fill it full of clothes, you’re all but guaranteed to exceed airline weight limits.

Monos Hybrid Trunk

This type of luggage brings back the classic silhouette of upright steamer trunks. Due to their design, trunks are considered by some to be easier to pack and to maneuver.

Use promo code MOM

Testing takeaways

We’ve found that the stated dimensions and weights of checked suitcases tend to be more accurate than those of their carry-on counterparts.

Wheel quality can affect how well carry-ons roll, but this is less true for checked bags—their weight smooths out the ride.

Handle shape and size often dictate a carry-on’s usable space. In roomier, checked bags, however, they’re less of a factor.

We considered how well a suitcase handles when it’s fully packed, how durable its materials are, and whether it’s comfortable to use.

The Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner is the larger, checked-luggage version of our Travelpro carry-on top pick , and everything we like about its diminutive sibling applies again here.

It’s made of a hard-wearing nylon that’s both sleek and durable. And it looks and feels like a bag that costs a lot more than it actually does.

For a checked bag, it’s also surprisingly nimble. That’s thanks to the height-adjustable handle and the magnetically locking MagnaTrac wheels, which make the bag noticeably easier to maneuver—especially when it’s loaded with 50 pounds of stuff. And this suitcase is protected by a lifetime warranty, with stated protections against airline damages.

Internally, the Platinum Elite is well organized, and it includes a built-in garment folder for formalwear, with a removable folding board (similar to the one in our upgrade pick ). If you need a little more space, consider the Travelpro Platinum Elite 29″ Expandable Spinner .

Note that with luggage this capacious, it’s easy to overpack and exceed the 50-pound (22-kilogram) weight limit imposed by most airlines. But if you’re willing to pay the fee, the Platinum Elite can easily withstand the extra weight.

For anyone who enjoys the look and simplicity of hard-sided luggage—as well as the comfort of knowing that this one is virtually impossible to overpack— The Medium suitcase from Away is an excellent choice with an excellent warranty.

Soft-sided luggage typically has a longer lifespan than hard-sided bags, typically made of ABS plastic or polycarbonate. And soft-sided luggage typically has features like exterior pockets, making organization easier. However, the differences in durability and utility between hard- and soft-sided luggage are increasingly marginal, and plenty of people prefer the aesthetic and additional color options of polycarbonate suitcases.

Away builds its luggage with high-quality components. We tested the Away bag for three years before first recommending it. This suitcase has been our pick for over six years now, and we are confident in its long-term durability and the reputation of Away’s limited lifetime warranty . Away also makes a bigger checked-luggage model, The Large . We’ve found, however, that it’s very easy to overpack suitcases of this size, even ones that are hard-sided.

If you identify as a frequent flier or a serious overpacker, or if you have a large family and are willing to invest in higher-quality luggage for traveling, we recommend the Briggs & Riley Baseline Medium Expandable 25″ Spinner .

Although the Travelpro Platinum Elite is great for the price, the Briggs & Riley Baseline bag is great, period. Every detail is made to the highest standards of any luggage maker—from the zippers to the wheels to a unique compression system (which lets you fit an additional week’s worth of clothing into the same volume as offered by the Travelpro bag).

You won’t get the unique styling that other luxury brands specialize in, but Briggs & Riley’s reputation for reliability and durability is unmatched. The bag also includes a garment folder, as the Travelpro bag does.

If things go awry, user-replaceable parts and a network of repair centers located around the world make quick fixes easy, and the reliable lifetime warranty covers repairs for any kind of damage. We’ve traveled with this durable bag for six years now on multiple national and international trips. And it’s still in great shape and a dream to pack. Also, its expanding capability has rescued us more than once when we wanted to bring something extra home.

Trunk luggage, including the Monos Hybrid Trunk , replaces the 50/50 split of a clamshell design with a deeper central compartment. It’s a small change, and it makes packing this type of case very pleasant.

However, this luggage seems best for destination travel, when you pack up once and unpack once. Living out of a trunk requires more layers of packing and unpacking. So using trunk luggage across multiple stops could seem potentially onerous, compared with using a bag that has a typical clamshell design.

Monos continues to impress us with its luggage lines and construction. But the Hybrid Trunk stands out for its reinforced aluminum frame and denser-feeling polycarbonate, and it has a lifetime warranty for any damage that renders the luggage unusable.

The research

Why you should trust us, how we picked and tested, the best checked luggage: travelpro platinum elite 25" expandable spinner, our pick for the best hard-sided luggage: away the medium suitcase, upgrade pick: briggs & riley baseline expandable spinner, the best trunk pick: monos hybrid trunk, other good suitcases for checking, the competition, what to look forward to.

I’ve been covering 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. Over the years, we’ve also spoken with plenty of experts : flight attendants for major airlines; product designers and creative directors for luggage and gear companies; and travel writers. My conversations with these people have helped shape our coverage, and we owe much to their collective knowledge.

We’ve spent more than 160 hours researching luggage, continually testing to understand what makes good luggage. In the nearly eight years we’ve covered this category, the products have evolved—and so has our thinking about what kind of luggage is best for most people. Based on what’s available and what different travelers prefer, we think the following travel bags are the best checked luggage you can currently find.

There may be thousands of different types of checked luggage available for sale. Even after we excluded models that didn’t meet our basic criteria—a reliable warranty, reputable luggage reviews, and quality materials—we found hundreds of bags worth testing. And we went on to evaluate the choices between nylon and polyester, the difference in wheel-bearing designs, why alloys in telescoping handles matter, and more.

Besides the suggestions from our experts, we researched editorial and user reviews of luggage, making sure to include popular brands, such as Samsonite and Tumi, as well as more-esoteric names, like Hideo Wakamatsu. In addition to our interviews with experts, we’ve spoken with assorted salespeople, brand engineers, and media-relations folks, to make sure we found the best models from each company.

If you want a general rundown of our testing process, check out the corresponding sections from our best carry-on luggage review , since our testing of the larger bags mirrored that process. But we did uncover some differences—mostly having to do with the larger size of checked luggage—that led us to modify our analysis.

The smaller the luggage, the more intricate the design must become to accommodate travelers’ needs. While testing carry-on luggage in the past, we found that company claims of luggage weight and measurements weren’t exactly precise, with capacities exaggerated and weights minimized. Oddly, for checked bags, we didn’t find so much fudging of the numbers. Our best guess is that with the looser size and weight restrictions for checked luggage, manufacturers aren’t as motivated to manipulate their figures when advertising their larger bags.

When we tested carry-ons, we noticed the varied and individual way that each bag handled rough surfaces, depending on their wheels and build quality. With checked bags, this wasn’t a problem. When any checked bag was fully packed, the weight carried it over the roughest of surfaces, without a strong discernable difference between models.

With bags this large, the subtler points of comparison aren’t as pronounced. For instance, the handle’s size and shape can significantly change a carry-on bag’s usable space and your overall packing experience. But when space limits aren’t an issue, this doesn’t really matter. As a result, we focused on the obvious design comparisons, including how these bags handled when full, how durable their materials were, and whether the bags were comfortable to use.

For the majority of families who fly less than 25,000 miles a year together, the Travelpro Platinum Elite 25″ Expandable Spinner is the best choice for checked luggage.

It’s the bag to compare others against. The Platinum Elite suitcase is a durable, attractively styled, well-organized bag for a reasonable price. It holds a full seven days’ worth of clothes for two people, and it’s protected by a warranty that covers carrier damage, as long as you register the bag within 120 days of purchase. (The registration is a very simple process, and it can be done in 5 minutes with a smartphone: Simply take a picture of the registration code, which comes with the luggage; send that picture to a number Travelpro provides; and fill out the form in the response link .)

During a trip to New Zealand, our tester was able to pack two weeks’ worth of clothes—without a laundry stop—and several pieces of camera equipment into the Platinum Magna (the previous, largely identical model of the Platinum Elite) without issue. Like every large piece of checked luggage we tested, the Platinum Elite comes only in a four-wheel (or “spinner”) configuration. More wheels mean more bits with the potential to break (as well as some reduction of interior space), but that’s a necessary compromise for bags this size, if you want any hope of managing them in a busy airport.

It shrugs off wear and tear. The Platinum Elite’s exterior is made of ballistic nylon, which can take more overall abuse than polycarbonate and will show less wear in the long run. As we’ve said with regard to carry-ons , we don’t think polycarbonate hard-shell bags are as versatile or durable as soft-sided nylon bags. (Travelpro tests its bags by filling them with 70-pound loads and passing each handle through 7,500 automated lift tests.)

Hard-shell bags usually weigh about 4 pounds less than soft-sided equivalents. However, their increased failure rate and affinity for displaying scratches and wear aren’t worth it, unless the bag’s contents really need the extra protection from sharp jabs.

The soft fabric design allows for extra flexibility and the inclusion of exterior pockets, for quick access to small items. The Platinum Elite has two pockets: a flat one (suitable for documents and boarding passes) and an accordion-style one (which provides extra storage for miscellaneous small items; this can be a lifesaver if you’re traveling with kids and need quick access to extra-small toys, coloring books, clothes, or other supplies).

Organization makes the dream work. During her three-week trip in New Zealand, photographer Caleigh Waldman said of the earlier, nearly identical model in the Platinum line, “On this trip I never stayed in the same location for more than three days and was forced to constantly unpack, repack, and maneuver [the bag]. Usually living out of any suitcase makes me crazy, but the many zip compartments [of this bag], both inside and out, make it easy to compartmentalize your things. The pockets, zippers, and interior liner seemed sturdy, and the large pull-back cover allowed me to access everything I had in the bag with ease.”(Full disclosure: Years later we married, but I don’t think that influenced her review.)

Similar to its smaller Travelpro sibling, the Carry-On Rollaboard , this suitcase has a built-in garment folder (or “suiter”). Additionally, a 2-inch-wide expansion zipper runs along three sides of the Platinum Elite, allowing the bag to accordion-open a touch, if you need the extra space (though we found this more useful as a way to compress what you’ve already packed than as an additional-space-providing feature).

It moves through the world with ease. The Platinum Elite handles beautifully for its size. Its aluminum handle extends to three different heights (38 inches, 40 inches, and 42½ inches). Although every bag we tested for this guide had similar levels of maneuverability, the Premium Elite’s MagnaTrac wheels, which align in the same direction, rolled past the rest of the competition with ease. On smooth surfaces, like those found in airports, it felt as if the bag were almost directing itself across the floor.

During her trip, Caleigh appreciated this suitcase’s smooth rolling, even when the bag was overpacked, saying, “It was not always easy to maneuver on rough or gravelly surfaces. Overall, though, given the limitations of traveling with this much stuff, I thought [this bag] did a great job moving through a variety of environments.” And it has sealed wheel bearings; these extend the wheels’ life by preventing dirt and grime from entering and breaking down the components as quickly. That’s a feature not usually found on cheaper bags. And chances are good that if a bag isn’t clearly advertising sealed bearings, you should assume it doesn’t have them. If, for whatever reason, the wheels do break, you can easily swap them out yourself with Travelpro’s readily available replacements .

It’s light yet cavernous. The Platinum Elite weighs 9 pounds 8 ounces when empty, which is average to heavy among checked bags. That’s a workable weight, though, for the bag’s spacious, 6,982-cubic-inch interior—twice what its carry-on sibling can hold! But when you’re selecting luggage this large, weight shouldn’t be your primary concern because all of the bags we tested felt about equally heavy once fully packed. The important thing is that, in our testing, the Platinum Elite swallowed up a week’s worth of clothes for two people with no problem, with a good deal of room to spare.

Travelpro also sells a Platinum Elite model that’s 29 inches tall . It’s important to emphasize just how absurdly large this suitcase is for most people. Given its capacity of 7,710.6 cubic inches (143 liters), the challenge here is to pack without breaking airline weight limits. I suppose if you were on a (very) long cruise, a bag this size might make sense.

How the Platinum Elite has held up

After my wife’s world travels, a neighbor borrowed this bag for their children’s college travels (Hawaii to New York), making several trips over the past few years. The Platinum Elite is still going strong.

Flaws but not dealbreakers

We should note that bags of this size can hold almost too much. The Platinum Elite bag already weighs over 9 pounds. So when you pack it to its limits, it may be hard to keep it below the 50-pound weight limit of most airlines—and that means extra fees. But this is true of all checked luggage.

During her New Zealand trip, Caleigh Waldman packed the Platinum Magna 2 (29-inch model) for two weeks, with enough clothes, toiletries, and different types of shoes and activewear for the terrain. Though she didn’t fill the bag completely, she still found that her luggage came in over the 50-pound limit. “Every flight I took, I had to cough up the overweight-baggage fee, and it was a monster to carry up stairs and toss into car trunks,” she said.

We still think most travelers would be better off with one of our soft-sided picks than with a hard-sided carry-on. That’s because soft-sided luggage shows less wear and typically lasts longer than hard-sided luggage. But if you prefer the look of hard-sided luggage, or you want the security of knowing you can’t overpack your suitcase, Away’s The Medium is the one we recommend.

From wheels to warranty, it’s the best polycarbonate option. Its wheels and zipper are as well made as those of our soft-sided picks, and its polycarbonate showed fewer scratches than its hard-sided competitors. And it’s backed by a limited lifetime warranty.

It provides more than enough space. The Medium weighs 9.9 pounds and measures 26 by 18.5 by 11 inches—a fairly standard weight and size for checked luggage this size. (By comparison, the Travelpro Platinum Elite 25-inch bag weighs 9.8 pounds and measures 28 by 18.5 by 11.75 inches.) If you need extra room,  Away’s The Large offers the maximum allowed space in a piece of checked luggage. The Large weighs 11.6 pounds and measures 29 by 20.5 by 12.5 inches. But with bags this big, it’s easier to overpack and exceed airline weight limits, which is why we recommend the Away Medium for most people.

Don’t sweat the flex. The Away bag’s modern and minimalist look comes at a cost: Its polycarbonate shell is ultimately—according to every luggage designer we’ve ever interviewed—more likely to break than the nylon fabric of our other picks is to tear. Still, the shell feels similar to those of higher-end (and significantly more expensive) suitcases, such as the $1,000-plus Rimowa Essential Check-In M ; it’s strong and flexible, and the Away bag itself feels good in your hands.

Away builds its luggage with impressive components. The wheels are noticeably better than those on any of the hard-sided competitors we’ve tested. We’ve rolled these wheels across every conceivable surface, from cobblestone streets to the smoothest airport surfaces, and they were always a pleasure to use. When we first started testing The Away bag, in 2016, we found that flexibility to be a liability, especially on airport carpets. The first version of this bag that I tested tended to flex into itself and jam up its own wheels when I pushed it in front of me. But I haven’t had that issue with any of this suitcase’s latest models.

Its interior matches its minimal exterior. The Away bag’s interior is almost as bare-bones as its exterior. Unlike our other picks, this bag has no included suiter or suit folder, but you can buy one for $85 . The interior is split in half: One side closes with a zippered flap, and the other side has a built-in compression panel and straps, which work decently well.

It’s better to stick with the basics. We tested Away luggage for three years before making our recommendation. We traveled with it ourselves across the country, and we lent models of the bag to several testers and frequent travelers to see how they enjoyed using them. Away makes two similar models of checked suitcases with an expandable zipper: The Medium Flex and The Large Flex . For all intents and purposes, these are the same overall bags as the standard Medium and Large, except for the expanding center zipper and the price (they each cost $50 more). Personally, I’m not a fan of expanding zippers. They feel like potentially just one more thing to break. Also, they can increase the likelihood of exceeding the airline’s weight limit. But some people may prefer having the extra flexibility.

Like our other picks, the Away pairs with its matching carry-on : The models are virtually identical, except for their sizes. Matching your luggage sets is visually appealing. But the real value in matching your carry-on to your checked luggage is that the smaller suitcase can, when you’re back home, nest within the larger one. (This holds true for every set of luggage we’ve ever tested. Here’s why: Nesting luggage is the most economical way for luggage manufacturers to ship their wares from their factories overseas.)

The lack of a suit panel for important items, like dresses and suits, may limit this suitcase’s appeal for some travelers. With a bag that has this much space, though, there are other ways to pack fancy clothes (video) without wrinkling them.

If you fly more than 25,000 miles per year, it’s worth investing in luggage that goes beyond the minimums and somehow improves your travel experience. The Briggs & Riley Baseline Medium Expandable 25″ Spinner is that kind of bag. It costs more than twice as much as our top soft-sided pick, but after using all of these bags side by side, I’m sure there’s more than twice as much value hidden within this luggage: This is one of the best checked luggage systems we’ve found for international travel.

It has the best compression system. This suitcase’s most impressive feature is its compression system. Briggs & Riley’s proprietary compression system is superior to anything else we’ve seen—it allows you to fit an additional week’s worth of clothing into a bag with the same external dimensions as those of the Travelpro Platinum Elite suitcase. To manage it, you pull upward on two plastic handles inside the bag; this extends its depth by a full 2½ inches. Load the bag as full as you need to, and zip it closed without putting stress on the zippers. Then you simply push on the bag to compress it back down again, and a latch mechanism keeps it securely in place. Unlike cheaper zippered expansion systems, which are either fully open or closed (like the Delsey bag’s ), this one can lock in at variable degrees of expansion or compression. This suitcase is unique and satisfying to use. (If you prefer a polycarbonate shell, Briggs & Riley has designed a similar compression system around a hard-shell case, for its Sympatico Spinner line. Still, we prefer the pliability of a soft-sided shell for any compression system.)

Measuring the extra capacity of the Baseline isn’t exact. The bag’s base (that is, where the wheels are) measures an inch deeper than the top of the bag (where the handle is); this design is, I believe, to make the base of the bag heavier when fully packed. At the base, the exterior of the Baseline Medium measures 25 by 18.5 by 10 inches; expanded, it measures 25 by 18.5 by 12 inches.

It takes hits like a brick. The Baseline Medium’s exterior is wrapped in 1,680-denier ballistic nylon, which is durable and puncture resistant. (Denier is a measure of the fiber thickness in a fabric.) But even more impressive is what’s underneath the nylon. The Baseline Medium’s frame is the strongest we’ve seen among any of the soft-sided luggage we tested. This bag can take considerable pressure from any angle. Like the Travelpro Platinum Elite, the Baseline Medium has two external pockets: a small one for tickets and passports and a larger one for small items or light outerwear. Briggs & Riley also makes a 31-inch Extra Large version of this bag, with nearly 10,000 cubic inches of interior space. It’s a good bag, but we can’t see the point of something this large. As it is, you can easily exceed most airlines’ weight limits packing the Medium to capacity.

Similar to its carry-on version, the Baseline Medium’s handrail tubes are on the outside of the bag; this makes the inside back wall almost completely flat, so packing is easier because there are no crevices to work around. We liked this feature for lighter carry-on luggage, since exterior plastic handrail tubes can protect the bag when it’s going over an edge, without risking too much damage. However, that all changes when you’re bouncing a 50-pound bag over a curb; in that case, an exposed handrail system seems like an unnecessary risk, especially since there’s so much room for an internal rail system.

Trunks are a welcome new addition (reimagined from a somewhat older tradition) to checked-luggage lines. Longer than they are wide, modern travel trunks—including our pick, the Monos Hybrid Trunk —stand out against the more-common squat, square luggage of the last few decades.

It has a pleasant shape, and it’s easy to maneuver. The Monos Hybrid measures 30 by 15.7 by 14.3 inches, with a capacity of 6,735.3 cubic inches, and it weighs 13.2 pounds. Imagine something like a small steamer trunk, except without the team of stevedores to move it.

In our early testing, we’ve found that the Monos Hybrid, with its taller, narrower shape, is easier to wheel around than other checked luggage. There’s something about the four wheels’ relative proximity to one another that gives the trunk a remarkable agility across most surfaces. Its wheels make it handle more like a carry-on bag than the other checked luggage we tested.

It’s a pleasure to pack. This element is harder to explain. Packing the trunk somehow just feels more pleasant than packing other types of luggage. Maybe it’s the main compartment’s higher walls, which give a comforting feeling of placing your clothes deep within the confines of a box. Or perhaps it’s the shape’s somewhat vintage appeal, bringing up nostalgia for a type of travel you’ve never experienced except in movies. Packing clothes into the Hybrid Trunk for a long journey is like stepping back in time just for a moment.

That said, unlike the steamer trunks of yore, the modern Monos Hybrid doesn’t have a ton of extra organization. One side has a fabric cover that completely zips in the contents; the other side has a compression panel with two zippered pockets. That said, for most modern travelers using (I hope) a good set of packing cubes , these simple dividers should be plenty to keep everything in the right place.

The Hybrid Trunk does away with the standard zipper closure, opting instead for an aluminum frame that runs along the seam of the luggage, where a zipper might have been. The case has two TSA locks, which close with a satisfying latch. We’ve reviewed a few bags with latches like this, and they’re great. Our only concern is that these locks have lots of small moving components, which could be a weak point over time.

It’s made for long, tough journeys. The only trunk models we’ve seen so far are made of polycarbonate. The Monos Hybrid immediately stands out with three details: an aluminum frame around the center seam that reinforces the body of the luggage, aluminum corner guards, and a reassuringly robust polycarbonate.

The Monos Hybrid Trunk, like our other picks, is protected by a lifetime warranty.

• The one potential flaw we’ve found so far (we’ve tested trunks for only a few months) is that a trunk design may require more packing and unpacking to find what you need if you’re making lots of stops while traveling. A suitcase with a clamshell design, on the other hand, has both sides more or less open to you for easier access.
• Like the Away, the Monos Hybrid Trunk doesn’t have a dedicated suit folder or suit compartment for dresses or formal wear. Again though with this much space to pack in, there are a number of ways to protect clothes like this.

If the Monos Hybrid Trunk is unavailable: Consider Away’s The Trunk , which has a similar design (apart from having a zipper, instead of latches) for a similar price. However, though we’re generally fans of Away’s luggage, The Trunk isn’t as satisfying to use as the Monos Hybrid . The Away Trunk’s shell is flexible and its body is light, so it lacks the robust feel of the Monos Hybrid.

The Delsey Helium Aero , our previous hard-sided pick, comes in a 25-inch and a 29-inch version, so you can choose how much capacity you need. Like the Away suitcase, this bag is made of 100% polycarbonate, so it should last longer than cheaper, less-durable ABS plastic suitcases. However, Delsey’s 10-year limited warranty doesn’t match Away’s limited lifetime warranty.

Briggs & Riley makes excellent luggage, but we don’t think you need to spend this much on a hard-sided case without any extra frills, like the Briggs & Riley Torq Medium Spinner .

The Delsey Peugeot Large Trunk Spinner has a similar zipperless design as the Monos Hybrid, but the Peugeot bag lacks the corner guards and, more importantly, the lifetime warranty. Instead, the Peugeot is backed by a 10-year warranty.

Rimowa defined hard-sided luggage in the 1940s and redefined it in 2000, when it introduced polycarbonate luggage. But paying just over $1,000 for “virgin German polycarbonate” is silly. These bags, including the Rimowa Essential Check-In M , are smart-looking, though.

If you’ve ever wondered how much people pay for those handsome aluminum pieces of luggage, we’ll tell you: at least four figures. The Rimowa Classic Check-In M is twice as expensive as a ticket to Europe, yet it’s little more than a status symbol.

We also tested and dismissed Pelican and Samsonite suitcases that have since been discontinued.

We’re taking a look at the Level8 Voyageur Check-In . Its standout feature is the unusually wide handle, which seems to help its handling. The Level8 bag is less expensive than other luggage of its size and apparent quality. It’s also backed by a lifetime warranty. To make a decision, however, we do need to study the handle and the build quality a bit longer.

This article was edited by Ria Misra and Christine Ryan.

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

Wirecutter’s 100 Most Popular Picks in September 2022

by Wirecutter Staff

These 100 useful things were the most-purchased Wirecutter picks in September 2022.

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Here are the top 100 picks that our readers loved in March, from luggage to hiking boots.

Wirecutter’s 100 Most Popular Picks of March 2024

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Here are the 100 things our readers loved most in January, from carry-ons to humidifiers and more.

Suitcases with Continuous Improvement

Available in 2 types, including the improved Hard Carry Suitcase with lighter weight and increased storage capacity, and the foldable Soft Carry Suitable for easy storage when not in use, tailored for different usage needs.

For travel and daily use

The refined Hard Carry Suitcase is more lightweight with increased storage capacity while keeping size unchanged, bringing convenience to your travel and daily use.

Improved Material

Made from 100% lightweight yet durable polycarbonate, with case thickness adjusted and unnecessary components removed, the refined Hard Carry Suitcase is now 10% lighter than the previous model while having additional 1L storage capacity in each size.

Improved Stopper

The structure of stopper has been improved to allow fixing the castor direction, bringing a better user experience.

サイズ感はそのままに、 収納力を高めました。

丈夫なポリカーボネート100％にしたことで本体素材の厚みを薄くし、余分なパーツを減らしたことで、すべてのサイズで容量が1リットル増えました。

Available in 5 sizes

Browse more about other size

Choose a suitcase based on luggage quantity.

When you are not sure which suitcase size is right for you, you may take the gusset case (available in S, M and L size) usage examples below as reference.

Usage references of each suitcase size

Gusset Case Storage Capacity for Reference

S  Long Sleeves Shirt x 1 & Short Sleeves Shirt x 2 M  Long Sleeves Shirt x 2, Short Sleeves Shirt x 4 & Cotton Chino Pants x 1 L  Long Sleeves Shirt x 3, Short Sleeves Shirt x 4 & Cotton Chino Pants x 2 ※Storage capacity depends on the actual size of clothing

• Hard Carry Suitcase with Stopper

Foldable Soft Carry Suitcase

• アルミ ハードキャリー

Sizes suitable for travelling overseas

国内・海外旅行におすすめ.

キャリーバーの高さを自由に調節できる ハードキャリーケース

Details improved to better cater travelling needs

より安全にお使い いただけるように。

Changed to double fastener with enhanced security level for a trip with ease.

街中でも、音が響きにくい。

The double castors which made from highly sound-absorbent materials help to reduce noise when moving.

Sizes suitable for leisure or business trips

Functions for everyday convenience

揺れる電車の中でも転がりません。

Simply press the button to fix the castors in place to avoid rolling around. The improved stopper now allows fixing castor direction as well.

より頑丈に、より運びやすい軽さに。

The improvement includes parts reduction with adjusted size and shape, while keeping the same durability for more lightweight and easier to move.

Colours and sizes suitable for children's use

20L for daily use

Choose your kid's favourite colour

Available in creamy colours such as Light Yellow and Light Blue for easy coordination with daily outfit.

Suitable for children's use

Allows handle adjustment at every 1cm to fit into different heights. (Model height: 150cm)

Simply fold into half when not in use

XL size for long haul trips.

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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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I’ve Tested Suitcases From Every Popular Luggage Brand — and Here’s Why Monos Is My Favorite

From carry-ons to toiletry bags, here are the best Monos luggage pieces.

In This Article

Jump to a Section

• Why Trust T+L

We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more .

Travel + Leisure / Anna Popp

As a commerce writer for Travel + Leisure , I’ve tested a variety of luggage in our New York City lab and when traveling in a real-world setting. While I’ve tried minimalist suitcases from most popular luggage brands, Monos is now my go-to for all of my travel bags and accessories. 

The Canadian-based company makes suitcases and accessories that prioritize simple, functional designs at competitive prices. After using Monos luggage for all types of vacations from international flights to road trips , I continue to be impressed by the durable materials and special features that make packing and traveling so efficient it’s nearly effortless.

From stylish vegan-leather belt bags to sleek, hardshell suitcases, I’m confident about the versatility of Monos products for both trips and everyday use. Keep reading to find out more about my favorite Monos carry-ons, checked bags, backpacks, and accessories.

Monos Metro Sling Bag

It can easily fit a Kindle, larger wallet, passport, phone charger, and more.

The larger capacity makes it less compact than other belt bags on the market.

As the first piece of Monos luggage I tried, the Metro Sling made me an instant fan of the brand. This belt bag is incredibly spacious without feeling bulky to wear, and I love how versatile it is for running errands or traveling through an airport. The best part of this sling bag is that it can easily fit my carry-on essentials, including a Kindle, phone, passport, AirPods, wallet, and even a snack. I receive plenty of compliments on the stylish and simple vegan-leather design, especially when I wear the matching saddle tan Metro Backpack, too. It’s easy to dress the pouch up or down, which means it can be the only additional bag I pack while traveling for a variety of activities from sightseeing during the day to dining out at night . 

The Details: 10.24 x 5.51 x 1.97 inches | 0.75 pounds (nylon,) 0.88 pounds (vegan leather) | 1.28 liters

Travel + Leisure / Anna Popp

Monos Metro Backpack

The front pocket detaches without any buttons or latches showing. 

The leather straps could have more padding.

I always travel with a laptop so I’m a big fan of the protective and padded laptop pocket in the back of this Metro Backpack. The bag’s rectangular design makes it easy to pack other items in the main compartment, including a blanket (for when I get cold on a flight), a water bottle, snacks, and tech accessories. While going through the TSA security checkpoint usually stresses me out, having designated media pockets makes it easy to grab my computer and tablet without having to scramble and hold up the line. When I use the backpack to commute to work, I love having the ability to remove the front pouch thanks to the brand’s QuickSnap mechanism. With the press of one button, I can discreetly detach the zippered pocket from the mini trolley-like sleeve on the front of the bag leaving no noticeable buttons or latches behind. Once again, Monos impressed me with a versatile bag that is beyond functional for everyday use and traveling. 

The Details: 11.5 x 16.5 x 6 inches | 2.4 pounds (nylon), 3 pounds (vegan leather) | 18 liters

Travel + Leisure / Conor Ralph

Tripsavvy / Conor Ralph

Monos Hybrid Check-in

The capacity is perfect for a long trip without feeling like you’re lugging around an unnecessarily huge checked bag. 

The TSA-approved locks on each trunk-style latch jammed after rough handling when checked.

Made out of lightweight aluminum and polycarbonate, the Hybrid collection is the newest line of Monos luggage that includes carry-ons, checked bags, and a trunk. Personally, I already love a good piece of checked luggage, but the Hybrid Medium is much easier to travel with since it’s not as big as a regular checked bag. I’ve used this suitcase over a dozen times now and I have been able to roll it through city streets and busy train stations just as easily as a carry-on. Instead of zippers, the bag has two latches with TSA-approved locks, and I’ve never had any issues securing the suitcase thanks to the built-in compression pad on one side and the zippered compartment on the other. After checking in this suitcase for multiple cross-country flights, the hardshell material has a number of scratches and scuff marks, but the suitcase comes with little foam squares that work well at removing the scuffs. The contents of the suitcase have always remained perfectly safe and undamaged, so I prefer the hardshell design despite the inherent marks that come with using it. 

The Details: 26.5 x 18.5 x 10.5 inches | 11 pounds | 70 liters | Not expandable | Smart

Monos Carry-on Plus

The built-in compression pads make it easy to pack bulkier clothing. 

The hardshell material scuffs easily.

With six different carry-ons, it can be tough to choose which Monos suitcase is your best option. For a traditional style, the Carry-on Plus most resembles a typical carry-on out of all the models. This suitcase is on the bigger end for a carry-on, so I always double-check the size restrictions before going to the airport (and I’ve personally had no issues using it on Delta Air Lines and Alaska Airlines). The clamshell-style bag has two main compartments that are spacious and fit bulky items like boots or puffer jackets. I love the compression pad closure on one side of the suitcase, as it makes it easy to pack down items and seamlessly zip the luggage. The only downside to the Carry-on Plus is that the hardshell material scuffs easily, but the suitcase comes with a piece of foam that helps clean off the markings. My suitcases are a light blue color — I would recommend getting darker colors to hide the scuffs better, but I don’t mind them because the material has proved to be super durable despite the rough handling at the airport. 

The Details: 23 x 15 x 9.5 inches | 7.38 pounds | 48 liters | Not expandable | Smart

Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples

Monos Carry-on Pro

The hardshell front pocket is protective and ideal for storing a laptop. 

The capacity is better for a long weekend or shorter weeklong trip.

For short trips or airlines with smaller carry-on size restrictions, I suggest turning to the Carry-on Pro suitcase. When it comes to capacity, this is the smallest out of all of the carry-on models Monos offers, but it’s hands-down one of my favorites. The water-resistant polycarbonate shell makes this suitcase extremely lightweight and the 360-degree wheels help with maneuvering the bag through a busy airport. My favorite part of this hardside carry-on is the zippered front pocket like the ones often found on softside suitcases. The pocket is made with the same hardshell material so, when I know I’m not checking the bag, I’ll put my laptop in this storage section since it’s protective and sturdy. While I generally use this carry-on for short weekend trips due to the smaller size, it fits perfectly under my bed or inside the Monos medium checked bag for easy storage in my small New York City apartment. 

The Details: 22 x 14 x 9 inches | 7.8 pounds | 36 liters | Not expandable | Smart

Monos Toiletry Case

The capacity is big enough for up to two weeks’ worth of cosmetics, but small enough to fit in a carry-on.

It’s a little tough to wipe down the interior to clean.

I fell in love with the vegan leather from the Metro Backpack and Sling, so when it came to choosing a toiletry bag, the decision was a no-brainer. The large toiletry case in ivory vegan leather is ideal for carry-on and checked luggage, as it’s big enough to fit several full-size cosmetics or a variety of small items like makeup. I’ve used it for weekend getaways and two-week-long trips, and I was able to hold items like a toothbrush, full-size night cream, travel-size shampoo, face sunscreen, and plenty of makeup. Some of my powdered makeup spilled during travels and it did take a bit of spot cleaning to get the fabric lining clean again. I’m neither a light packer nor an over-packer, so I’m a big fan of the spacious yet compact design of Monos’ toiletry bag. 

The Details: 7.5 x 3 x 3.4 inches | 0.69 pounds (nylon),  0.77 pounds (vegan leather) | 2.8 liters

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Anna Popp is a Commerce Writer at Travel + Leisure , where she writes most of T+L’s tested articles. Anna has tested and written about hundreds of pieces of luggage and has developed a keen eye for high-quality suitcases, bags, and accessories. She traveled with her recommended Monos luggage pieces on international and domestic flights, as well as road trips and weekend getaways to test the durability and functionality of each bag. 

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I’ve Been Using Away Luggage For Years — Here’s Why I Recommend It

By Morgan Greenwald

Morgan Greenwald

If you purchase an independently reviewed product or service through a link on our website, Rolling Stone may receive an affiliate commission.

If you’ve done any sort of research on popular luggage brands or have spent some time scrolling through Instagram, odds are you’ve come across Away , the trendy, DTC luggage brand known for its sleek suitcases and vibrant colorways. The polycarbonate shell suitcases have maintained their popularity almost a decade after their launch and social media virality, but for those who may be hesitant to spend upwards of $300 on a piece of luggage, the question remains: Is Away really worth the hype (and price tag)?

At a Glance: Our Top Picks

• Editor’s Choice: Away The Carry-On Flex
• Large Carry-on Pick: Away Bigger Carry-On
• Also Consider: Away Large Suitcase

As a journalist and avid traveler, I have used Away’s Carry-On Flex , Bigger Carry-On , and Large suitcase since 2018 to travel everywhere from Spain and France to California and Vermont. During this time, I’ve tried other suitcase brands like Monos and Samsonite , but Away has remained my top choice thanks to its roomy interior and lightweight shell. There are some drawbacks to the bags — notably, the lighter colors scuff pretty easily and it can be hard to find your suitcase on a conveyor belt full of Away bags — but ultimately the pros far outweigh the cons, especially if you travel often.

In This Article

What is away luggage, what makes away luggage so unique.

• Away Luggage Pros & Cons

How Does Away Luggage Compare to Competitors?

• Is Away Luggage Worth it?

Away was founded in 2015 by Jen Rubio and Steph Korey, who previously worked together at Warby Parker. They originally launched with a single product — the Carry-On — but later expanded their suitcase offerings and eventually branched out into accessories, totes, and other travel-related essentials. 

Since its launch in 2015, Away has taken customer feedback to heart, and the brand’s suitcases have evolved significantly: Among other things, the bags now have a grab handle under the wheels that make them easier to carry, and previously existing handles now protrude less. The carry-on pieces were previously offered with built-in battery packs, but these have since been phased out based on customer feedback. (As someone who owns one of the older battery pack models, I agree that while the battery pack was convenient, it’s just as convenient to bring a portable charger with you on the plane.)

There are a lot of things to appreciate about Away’s suitcases . All of the brand’s signature carry-ons and checked bags are protected by a polycarbonate hard shell that, according to Travelpro , is sturdier and more crack-resistant than other common hardside materials like polypropylene. Thanks to the hard shell, it’s also easy to fill the suitcase to the brim without worrying about whether it will fit in an overhead compartment. “I am an overpacker through and through, and I love that the shell is hard but also flexible, so I can pack as much as I want into this bag that fits into a carry-on compartment,” says Becca Higgins , Rolling Stone ’s senior producer of artist relations who has been using her Bigger Carry-On for years.

The bags are also secured by a three-digit, TSA-approved combination lock that’s built directly into the suitcase. (A word to the wise, though: Do not forget your lock combination. More on that later.)

From a size standpoint, the Away bags also offer a lot of bang for your buck. All of the suitcases have an interior compression system that keeps your belongings compartmentalized while condensing them down. If you tend to be an overpacker, the Flex suitcases also come with zipper expansions that enlarge the interior to give you more packing space. 

Away The Carry-On Flex Review

Away carry-on flex.

Specs: • Measurements: 21.7″ x 13.7″ x 9″ (exterior) and 20” x 13.5” (interior)
 • Weight: 8.15 lbs
 • Capacity: 39.8 L (46.7 L when expanded)


Away’s The Carry-On is the bag that first helped the company rise to prominence in 2015. The smallest suitcase option in Away’s lineup, the bag has deep compartments on either side that are secured with either a zippered mesh sleeve or a buckled mesh compression divider.

“The square shape maximizes the usable storage in all bag sizes,” says Jessica Seib , Rolling Stone ’s VP of Commerce who owns several Away bags. “The mesh zip compartments and divider built-ins also make sorting clean and dirty or delicate clothing and shoes within one bag a breeze.”

When I used my Carry-On Flex for a four-day trip to Lake Placid, I had no trouble packing six outfits, a few sweaters, and all of my toiletries; however, there wasn’t any room left to pack a second pair of shoes, so I would recommend The Bigger Carry-On Flex (which has a 55.7-liter capacity) if you want to pack larger items like sneakers or a hair styling tool.

Away The Bigger Carry-On Review

Away the bigger carry-on.

Specs: • Measurements: 22.7″ x 15.4″ x 9.6″ (exterior) and 20.9″ x 15″ x 7.9″ (interior)
 • Weight: 7.9 lbs
 • Capacity: 47.9 L


The Bigger Carry-On has been my go-to travel companion since I first bought it in 2018. Though it’s just slightly bigger than the Carry-On Flex at its full capacity, I have found that it offers more room for larger items like shoes, jackets, and heavy sweaters. I have relied on my Bigger Carry-On alone for week-long work trips, bachelorette trips, and more; on average, I can fit up to eight or nine outfits in my bag, but that number gets smaller depending on how many larger items I need to bring with me. 

Away The Large Review

Away the large.

Specs : • Measurements: 29″ x 20.5″ x 12.5″ (exterior) and 26.9″ x 19.7″ x 10.6″ (interior)
 • Weight: 12.1 lbs
 • Capacity: 99.2 L


Away’s checked bag offerings include The Medium, The Large, and The Trunk, as well as Flex and Aluminum versions of the first two. The Large , which remains relatively lightweight at 12.1 pounds, has a shockingly sizeable interior; on a recent two-week trip across Germany and Denmark, I was able to fit everything into my Large suitcase without having to bring a carry-on (on top of my usual outfits, I had to pack gym clothes and a dirndl for Oktoberfest!).

The Large is easily my favorite Away suitcase of all the ones I own thanks to how reliable it is on longer trips. My light pink shell is pretty scuffed up after years of use, but there isn’t any damage that would compromise the integrity of the suitcase. The other thing that I love about The Large is that, when I’m not traveling, my Bigger Carry-On can be stored inside of it so the two suitcases aren’t taking up as much space inside my closet.

Away Luggage Pros:

• The Away suitcases are relatively lightweight, which makes them easier to lift into overhead bins and makes it easier to stay under the weight limit.
 • The suitcases’ 360-degree wheels hold up well after several years of use and easily glide across all types of surfaces, from carpeting to asphalt — “the wheels are 360-degree magic and so smooth,” Higgins says.
 • Away’s customer service is excellent and the lifetime limited warranty covers most major damage.
 • The myriad pockets (and optional packing cubes ) allow for maximized use of the interior space.


Away Luggage Cons:

• The polycarbonate shell scuffs relatively easily, especially in the lighter colorways.
 • The combination lock is impossible to reset if you forget the code.
 • The suitcases are on the pricier side, so they may not make sense for people who don’t travel as often.
 • Since Away bags are so popular, it can be easy to mix your bag up with someone else’s. “My suggestion: Buy an Away suitcase and then pick up one of these cheap accessories to help differentiate your bag from someone else’s,” says Tim Chan , PMC’s associate VP of editorial and commerce.


While I have found that the Away suitcases best fit my travel needs, some of the other popular luggage brands may be a better option depending on how often you travel and the type of travel you’re doing. If you’re looking for something to use for work travel, for instance, I am a fan of Monos’ Carry-On Pro ; in addition to boasting many of the features of the Away bag — like a polycarbonate shell, combination lock, and 360-degree spinning wheels — it also has an exterior pocket that can hold a laptop, notebooks, and other work travel essentials. A more affordable alternative that Chan is also a fan of is Brandless’ Checked Luggage : “It features a suitcase with vertical lines (Away has horizontal lines) so I can always pick my bag out of a crowd,” he says.

Though many of the popular luggage retailers offer similar features, one of the biggest selling points when it comes to Away is the company’s customer service. Most Away bags come with a lifetime limited warranty , which covers everything from cracks and unusable wheels to broken zippers and fabric tears. “My first Medium Bag zipper was damaged by an airline bag handler when it was brand new. I brought the bag to an Away store in Brooklyn and received a brand new bag within minutes,” Seib recalls.

So, Is Away Luggage Worth it?

Away’s luggage isn’t going to make sense for everybody; for those who travel less often, something more affordable might make more sense, and if you’re mostly traveling for work, you might want to consider a carry-on that offers easy access to your laptop, notebook, and electronics. However, if you travel regularly and are looking for a durable, sleek suitcase that’s easy to organize, the Away bags are well worth the price tag when you consider how long they last and the brand’s lifetime warranty. “I basically overstuff my suitcase and put it through the wildest conditions and it comes out unscathed,” Higgins notes. Away even has a 100-day free return policy on unused bags, so if you’re on the fence, you can order one to test out at home before you fully commit.

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Indian Handwoven Mini Tote Bag - Natural

2-Way Water Repellent Sacoche / Crossbody Bag

A compact, shoulder-slung pouch for your everyday carry items. The removable shoulder strap allows you to also use it as a clutch pouch. It has a w...

EVA Clear Case

An easy-to-carry case for your everyday and travel needs. Perfect for holding cosmetics, stationery, tickets, and other small items. Available in a...

Polyester Gusset Case

A travel case made from a durable and lightweight mesh fabric. It folds up into a compact and ultra-portable square for easy storage when not in us...

Polyester Hanging Toiletry Case

A hanging toiletry case perfect for travelling or maximizing small spaces. Simply hook this case onto an available surface and you can have all you...

Polyester Gusset Case - Double

Assorted Zip Locked Divided Bags

A set of 11 resealable bags in 4 assorted sizes, perfect for sorting small items for travel. There is space on the front to write a label on the bag.

Hanging Case with Pouch

A compact case that is designed for travel. Simply hang this case onto an available surface or hook for an easy storage solution to keep all of you...

EVA Spa Pouch

Pouch made of EVA material for easy cleaning. Water-draining mesh bottom.

TPU Clear Case

Made of TPU material for easy cleaning. Clear case lets you see the contents.

A toiletry pouch made of EVA material with a water-draining mesh bottom for convenient cleaning. Its top-open lid design ensures that you can acces...

Side Mesh Toothbrush Pouch

Convenient pouch to carry a toothbrush, made of EVA material for easy cleaning. Water-draining mesh bottom.

Polyethylene Petite Tube

A compact travel sized tube to bring your shampoo, conditioner, lotion or skincare with you on your adventures. ⚠ Warning: Cancer - https://www.p65...

Polyethylene Cylinder Bottle with Snap Cap

A compact travel-sized bottle to bring your shampoo, conditioner, lotion or cleanser with you on your adventures.⚠ Warning: Cancer - https://www.p6...

Cream Container

A compact travel sized jar to bring your lotion or skincare with you on your adventures. Comes in various convenient sizes to suit your needs. ⚠ Wa...

PET Cylinder Pump Bottle

This bottle is ideal for dividing lotions and other liquids. Simply press the dispenser multiple times until the contents are released. It is capab...

PET Cylinder Spray Bottle

A compact travel sized bottle to bring your shampoo, conditioner, lotion or cleanser with you on your adventures.⚠ Warning: Cancer - https://www.p6...

Stacking Case

Convenient for organizing and carrying office accessories such as accessories and clips.

Polypropylene Case

This case is suitable for carrying and storing small items such as hairpins. It is made from a durable and lightweight material that won't add addi...

Polyethylene Petite Bottle

A compact travel-sized spray bottle to bring your skincare products with you on your adventures. Also suitable for products containing alcohol. ⚠ W...

Polypropylene Pill Case

Suitable for storing small items such as medicines and earrings. This case is also designed for convenience, offering easy storage and quick access...

Polyethylene Petite Bottle With Flip-Top Cap

A compact travel-sized spray bottle to bring your skincare products with you on your adventures. ⚠ Warning: Cancer - https://www.p65warnings.ca.gov/

Double Fastener Case

A portable storage pouch that has convenient mesh pockets so you can easily see its contents, perfect for organizing items for travel.

Polyester Two Zipper Case

A compact mesh pouch that is great for travel, and for storing a variety of small items. The mesh pocket on the front allows you to easily see the ...

Polyester Card Holder

A card case with a strap that lets you conveniently attach it to your bag. You can keep coins and keys in the front, and store cards securely in th...

Clear Pocket Divider Refill for Passport Case

A clear pocket for our passport case made from a durable EVA resin material. The sliding zipper makes it easy to quickly access documents on-the-go.

Polyester Travel Wallet

A slim and compact wallet that is perfect for travelling light. Features an elastic band closure for convenience.

Perforated Fastening Tape

A perforated white fastening tape that are made in 50mm (1.96in) increments and can be cut easily by hand without using scissors. Convenient for or...

Nylon Mesh Pouch with Pocket

A convenient case for taking notepads, supplies and other small items with you. In mesh to easily see what's inside.

Nylon Mesh Bag

A bag organizer made out of a sturdy nylon mesh material. The inside is lined with individual compartments for a convenient organization of small i...

Nylon Mesh Bag Organizer

Polyester Mesh Cushion Case

A case made of cushioned mesh material. Great for organizing electronics & accessories, or fragile items, inside bags and suitcases for travel.

Polyester Laptop Cover with Pocket

This laptop or device cover is specifically designed for 13-inch devices, with dimensions of up to 30 x 21 x 2 cm (12 x 8 x 0.8"). Made of cushione...

Polyester Laptop Cover

This laptop or device cover is specifically designed for 13-inch devices, with dimensions of up to 30 x 21 x 2 cm (12 x 8 x 0.8"). The mesh cushion...

Always-On Laptop Case

The case lid opens at the same angle as the computer so that it can be used while in the case. Contains additional pockets to store documents, mobi...

Umbrellas & Raincoats

Markable Umbrella - Light Gray

A sturdy umbrella that can be buttoned closed both ways. A marker (not included) can be attached to the handle for easy identification. Additional ...

Markable Umbrella Navy

A sturdy umbrella that can be buttoned closed both ways. A marker (not included with the product) can be attached to the handle for easy identifica...

All-Weather Foldable Umbrella Dark Green Check

A compact umbrella that can be folded two ways for easy traveling. The fastening strap can be buttoned closed both ways. Comes with an umbrella sle...

All-Weather Foldable Umbrella Black Check

All-Weather Foldable Umbrella Light Gray

Markable Umbrella Beige

All-Weather Foldable Umbrella Beige

All-Weather Foldable Umbrella Black

Lightweight All Weather Foldable Umbrella Apricot

A compact and lightweight umbrella that can be used either for shade against the sun, or for coverage from the rain. 

Travel Made Easy

Whether you're going on a weekend getaway or a week-long business trip, we've streamlined packing with our Hard carry suitcase and companion travel accessories.

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