We spent hours testing luggage in The Lab from top brands, evaluating durability, versatility, organization, and value. Our best overall pick, the Samsonite Eco Advance Medium Spinner, proved very durable in our testing and had plenty of room inside for a week’s worth of clothes. It also offers a height-adjustable handle and four spinner wheels for better maneuverability on your journey. Here is the best luggage to take on your next getaway, backed by our thorough testing. Opening up the Samsonite Eco Advance Spinner, you’ll find a deep and roomy interior—enough for us to neatly stash seven pairs of pants, seven shirts, two sweaters, five dresses, a pair each of short boots, heels, cleats, and sandals, plus two purses, two books, a mug, a bottle of wine, and liquids. Compression straps assist in keeping your folded items securely in place while maximizing space. This feature is important since this Eco Advance Spinner isn’t expandable. However, it does feature multiple exterior pockets that are handy for stashing travel documents, electronics, or even liquids. We found no fault with the organization of this suitcase, though it’s worth noting that the deeper top pocket on the exterior of the suitcase does take up a few inches of interior space. A quality suitcase must be durable and protect your belongings inside, so we were impressed to see the resiliency of this soft-sided luggage option. Even after being pushed off a ledge onto a cobblestone street below and dropped multiple times from an 8-foot-high ladder, the suitcase and its wheels were perfectly intact. When we beat the suitcase with a baseball bat, nothing inside was broken and only minimal welts were visible on the tough, polyester fabric exterior.  Price at time of publish: $260 Dimensions: 26 x 17.5 x 11.5 inches | Weight: 8.7 pounds | Capacity: Not listed | Expandable: No | Lock Included: No | Wheels: Yes | Warranty: 10-year limited warranty The listed weight capacity for this suitcase is 50 pounds, and we found it had plenty of room for two small pairs of shoes, several shirts, and a few pairs of pants. Interior organization was nothing outstanding, but it’s sufficient for a budget suitcase. You’ll find a zipper compartment with a mesh pocket, plus cross straps to compress clothes in the main body of the suitcase. It’s worth noting that the manufacturer lists the weight as 8.7 pounds, but we found it to be just 6.9 pounds when weighed in our Lab.  Price at time of publish: $90 Dimensions: 21.75 x 14.25 x 9 inches | Weight: 8.7 pounds | Capacity: Not listed | Expandable: Yes | Lock Included: Yes | Wheels: Yes | Warranty: 1-year limited warranty This soft-side spinner suitcase weighs less than 8 pounds and has an interior capacity of 46 liters. Whether you’re packing for a business trip or a short weekend getaway, you’ll find this suitcase is well-equipped. It includes a garment bag for dress shirts or similar items you want to stay wrinkle-free, plus a wet bag for damp swimsuits and the like. In addition, the compression straps incorporate two small mesh pouches, which are perfect for odds and ends, including packing toiletries. The small wheel casings don’t take up much room from the inside of the compartment, plus the whole suitcase expands up to 2 inches for last-minute additions. It also comes with a USB port for convenient charging on the go, but you’ll need to supply the power bank. Living up to its expectations as a trusted travel companion for flight crew, the Travelpro Platinum Elite Expandable Spinner is a winner when it comes to wheeling it around. It has four sets of magnetically aligned wheels, giving it a reputation for tracking easily and responding well to changes in direction. The high-quality nylon exterior features a protective coating to resist stains and dirt. In our durability testing, the suitcase passed with flying colors when dropped from a ladder or absorbing blows from a bat. It was a little dirty and scuffed from being pulled up a ledge, but not enough to warrant a penalty. Plus, the suitcase comes with a limited lifetime warranty against airline-induced damage. Travelpro will cover the repair cost, as long as you register your suitcase within the applicable time period.  Price at time of publish: $370 Dimensions: 23.5 x 14.5 x 9 | Weight: 7.8 pounds | Capacity: 46 liters | Expandable: Yes | Lock Included: Yes | Wheels: Yes | Warranty: Lifetime limited warranty The Thule Chasm Sport Duffel easily accommodates four full outfits plus two pairs of shoes and includes a bonus packing cube. Two zippered mesh pockets on the bag’s lid offer some internal organization, but be aware that this duffel bag has no external pocket. That, plus the lack of a shoulder strap, are the two features that users are most likely to notice. However, our testers felt like the convertible straps were more than helpful in carrying this bag, even when it was fully loaded. If it gets too heavy or cumbersome as a handheld duffel, make a few quick adjustments and carry the duffel backpack-style. We tried it that way and found it to be very comfortable. The smart design also includes compression straps to keep everything orderly, even when the bag is carried vertically as a backpack.  Price at time of publish: $170 Dimensions: 29 x 17 x 13 inches | Weight: 4.4 pounds | Capacity: 90 liters | Expandable: No | Lock Included: No | Wheels: No | Warranty: Lifetime limited warranty It’s sized to fit in the overhead bin of most major airlines and glides along with four 360-degree spinner wheels that we found to be smooth and quiet on various surfaces. Other features that round out this suitcase include an antimicrobial laundry bag, a toiletry pouch for organizing makeup and other personal care essentials, two shoe bags, and a luggage tag. Greater than the sum of its parts, the Monos Carry-On Plus is our top choice when it comes to the best luggage design.  Price at time of publish: $294 Dimensions: 23 x 15 x 9.5 inches | Weight: 7.38 pounds | Capacity: 48 liters | Expandable: No | Lock Included: Yes | Wheels: Yes | Warranty: Lifetime limited warranty with 100-day trial While this isn’t an expandable hardshell suitcase, its 80-liter capacity gave our testing team plenty of space to fit seven pairs of pants, seven shirts, two sweaters, five dresses, four pairs of shoes, and two purses, plus books, a mug, wine, and liquids. To keep everything neat and tidy, July outfits this suitcase with a Y-strap compression system. A unique feature is the integrated laundry bag. It’s odor-proof and hidden away, so that dirty laundry doesn’t end up tangling with your clean clothes. To be durable and long-lasting, the best hardshell suitcases are made of a resilient material that can absorb impact and resist crushing or denting. Polycarbonate suitcases, like the July Checked Suitcase, are a great option because they’re stronger and typically more lightweight than ABS suitcases. When dropped from a ledge 5 feet above a cobblestone street, a few of the corners did dent—despite the fact that the suitcase has reinforced aluminum corners. Still, this bag protected the wine and mug inside and kept on rolling, even after being thrown from an 8-foot ladder three times.  Price at time of publish: $325 Dimensions: 26 x 18.75 x 11 inches | Weight: 8.3 pounds | Capacity: 80 liters | Expandable: No | Lock Included: Yes | Wheels: Yes | Warranty: Lifetime limited warranty We tried a handful of lightweight luggage options that weigh 7 pounds or less, but our testing team gave the nod to the 6.7-pound Samsonite Winfield 2 for its maneuverability and organizational features. This 20-inch carry-on version of this Samsonite hardshell suitcase has a polycarbonate build, which is lightweight and impact-resistant. It scored above average in our durability tests and moved exceptionally well across three different surface types. Our testers found the interior organization to be stellar, with the only gripe being that the hardware for the handle takes up some valuable interior space. The 20-inch carry-on suitcase we tried out isn’t expandable, but other models within the Winfield 2 collection are if that is an important must-have for your suitcase search. Price at time of publish: $310 Dimensions: 23 x 14.5 x 9.5 inches | Weight: 6.7 pounds | Capacity: Not listed | Expandable: No | Lock Included: Yes | Wheels: Yes | Warranty: 10-year limited warranty Plenty of travel professionals, including pilots and flight attendants, have made the Timbuk2 CoPilot series their go-to pick for luggage, and the brand is known for its lifetime warranty. Despite its supersized capacity of 108 liters, this suitcase weighs only 10 pounds. It has two exterior pockets, including one that is roomy enough for an extra pair of shoes. The aesthetics of this suitcase are a bit basic, but the CoPilot’s maneuverability picks up the slack. Although it only has two wheels, our testers found it rolls extremely well and is totally silent. Price at time of publish: $319 Dimensions: 28.3 x 14.8 x 15 inches | Weight: 10 pounds | Capacity: 108 liters | Expandable: No | Lock Included: No | Wheels: Yes | Warranty: Lifetime limited warranty The Original Check-In L has several features that enhance its appeal. Ball-bearing spinner wheels are made to glide effortlessly along, and a telescoping handle offers height adjustment and a comfortable grip. Inside the suitcase is an adjustable divider that keeps your belongings in order. Its height is adjustable, giving you options on how to most efficiently pack your suitcase. A latch closure with TSA locks keeps the contents of your suitcase secure, especially when compared to zippers that can be pried open. Zippers have become the more standard option for suitcase closures since latches add more weight. This is true of the Rimowa, which is one of the heaviest checked bags we considered. But if the added security of a latch closure is important to you, the extra few pounds of weight is worth it. Price at time of publish: $1,750 Dimensions: 31.2 x 20.1 x 10.7 inches | Weight: 13.7 pounds | Capacity: 82 liters | Expandable: No | Lock Included: Yes | Wheels: Yes | Warranty: Lifetime warranty on purchases after July 25, 2022 While it lacks features like expandability and the handle encroaches on interior space, the Away Bigger Carry-On won us over as a smart luggage standout in our testing. The 10,000-milliampere (mAh) power pack has two USB ports, including a fast-charge port for when you need more power stat. We found that the power pack works well and nicely integrates into the suitcase’s design. The design allows you to eject the USB charger from the suitcase with a quick push, which might be required when traveling with some airlines, to specific destinations, or if you end up checking your bag. Price at time of publish: $295 Dimensions: 22.7 x 14.7 x 9.6 inches | Weight: 8.4 pounds | Capacity: 47.9 liters | Expandable: No | Lock Included: Yes | Wheels: Yes | Warranty: Lifetime limited warranty When fully loaded, this suitcase sometimes tips over, but that’s the most frequent complaint from parents. The wheeled design makes it easy for a child to pull it along through the airport, but it’s also possible to pick it up and carry it from the top handle.  Dimensions: 19 x 11.5 x 6.75 inches | Weight: 4.85 pounds | Capacity: Not listed | Expandable: No | Lock Included: No | Wheels: Yes | Warranty: 3-year limited warranty We began by measuring and weighing each suitcase against the manufacturer’s specifications, noting any discrepancies. We found that most of the models we tested weighed slightly more and were smaller than advertised due to features like pockets, handles, and wheel corners that the dimension listings didn’t account for. After taking note of the measurements, we evaluated each bag’s capacity and ease of organization by packing various essentials such as pants, shirts, dresses, sweaters, and toiletries. We also took advantage of specialized compartments by packing shoes, purses, and smaller items like mugs, wine bottles, and books. To test maneuverability, we rolled each suitcase across various surfaces, including carpet, concrete, and cobblestone, paying attention to steering and how easily the bags glided and moved overall. We then tested each bag’s durability by launching them from a 5-foot ledge and an 8-foot ladder multiple times. Finally, we struck the bags with a baseball bat. We assessed each piece of luggage for exterior damage and checked to see if the breakable objects inside (a bottle of wine and a mug) survived. Our editors then compiled all testing data and insights to present the best luggage options across various categories.

What to Look for in Luggage

Size, Capacity, and Weight

Deciding what size luggage to buy is important, since a suitcase that is too small can be frustrating and a suitcase that is too large means carrying around more weight than necessary. Smaller suitcases, such as our Best Carry-On pick, the 21-inch Travelpro Platinum Elite Expandable Spinner, are usually classified as carry-on bags, and larger suitcases are typically grouped together as checked bags.  Size and weight are especially important factors to consider if you’ll be traveling on a plane. Airlines have specific size requirements for carry-on bags and checked bags might be penalized for being oversized or over the weight limit. A 22-inch bag should fit in most airlines’ overhead bins, but if you want a suitcase that will definitely fit overhead, research your favorite carriers’ rules before you commit. Pay attention to the weight of the suitcase itself, since this will count against the total weight limit for your luggage, which is often 50 pounds for domestic travel on U.S. airlines. A heavier bag may mean you have less capacity for packing items on your trip. A suitcase’s capacity is usually identified in liters, so this can be a helpful spec to keep in mind as you compare one suitcase to another.

Hardshell vs. Softshell

Deciding between a hardshell or softshell suitcase is largely a personal preference, but there are definite advantages to each type of suitcase construction. Softshell suitcases, also known as soft-sided luggage, offer excellent durability. Our Best Overall pick, the Samsonite Eco Advance Medium Spinner, is a softshell bag that showed great resiliency during our durability tests, keeping wine bottles intact and showing minimal abrasions from 5-foot and 8-foot drops and impact from a bat. Without a rigid shell, the suitcase can compress under pressure or in tight spaces without cracking. The exterior fabric is usually tough nylon or polyester that resists tearing and doesn’t show abrasions. On the other hand, hardshell suitcases are generally impenetrable, meaning you won’t need to worry about the contents getting soaked if you leave your bag exposed to the elements. They also tend to weigh less than softshell suitcases, especially when made with a polycarbonate shell. You’ll find an expandable design in both hardshell and softshell suitcases, though it’s more common to see this feature on soft-sided luggage. 

Maneuverability

Most luggage comes equipped with wheels for easier transport. There’s no doubt that a wheeled suitcase makes it much easier to race through an airport or meander down the streets of a new city. However, not all wheels are created equal. Magnetically aligned wheels are the best since they track straight and don’t tend to need as much straightening. Some suitcases still rely on just two wheels, which will require you to tip your luggage as you push or pull it along. The most maneuverable suitcases will be equipped with four spinner wheels that offer 360 degrees of swivel action. Our pick for Best Design, the July Checked suitcase, is a prime example of how this feature enhances maneuverability. We found it easy-gliding on carpet, concrete, cobblestone, and sidewalks. Another factor impacting maneuverability is a suitcase’s handle height. Most suitcases are equipped with a telescoping handle, but one size doesn’t always fit all, especially if you are taller or shorter than average. Some handles are adjustable, making it easier to get an ergonomic grip on your suitcase as you pull it behind you. The July Checked bag stands out in this area as well, offering 20 different height adjustments.

Organization Options

With only so much space available in a suitcase, you want to make the most of every inch. Suitcases have various organizational features to help you pack more and stay neat and tidy throughout your travels. Options vary, so choose the most important features for your needs. A compression system is one of the most typical organizational aspects of a suitcase. This feature allows you to squeeze more stuff in your suitcase but is also important for keeping folded items for tossing and turning in your bag. A strap or pads are the most typical type of compression. Another organizational feature to consider is a laundry bag to keep dirty clothes separate from items yet to be worn. A garment bag or suiter can also be helpful if you have a suit, shirt, or dress that you don’t want to get wrinkled in your bag. You can often find additional pockets and pouches on the interior and exterior of your suitcase for organizing smaller items and toiletries. It can be especially helpful to have an exterior pocket accessible for electronics and travel documents. 

Standout Features

Weight Indicator

Eliminate the guesswork of determining whether or not your suitcase is overweight by choosing one with a built-in weight indicator. Once you’ve packed your luggage, lift your suitcase up to activate the weight indicator located in the handle. It will turn red if your bag is heavier than a predetermined weight, usually 50 pounds.

Multiple Handles

Pulling, lifting, or carrying your suitcase involves adjusting your grip. Multiple handles can make it easier and more comfortable to handle your luggage. A telescoping handle (one that expands and retracts with a touch of a button) is the most comfortable option for pushing or pulling your suitcase a long distance. Side or top handles are helpful if you need to hoist the suitcase overhead or lift it from the trunk of your car.

TSA-Approved Lock

If you plan to check your luggage, it will be out of your sight for an extended period of time. A lock helps to ensure that your suitcase stays secure. However, if TSA officials deem it necessary to open your luggage, your lock will likely be broken. As a result, some suitcases come equipped with a TSA-approved lock, which can be opened using a special tool that TSA officers carry.

Why Trust The Spruce?

This article was written by Erica Puisis, a freelance writer and product tester for The Spruce. Whether it’s traveling by plane or car, she has firsthand experience with picking and packing suitcases for short and long trips. To gain the perspective of a travel industry expert, Erica spoke to Kim McCardell, a luxury travel advisor and the founder of Windward and Crown, which offers curated travel experiences. It is clear that some of the most important features to look for when comparing luggage include weight, durability, and space to organize your travel essentials. With this in mind, we included both hardshell and softshell suitcases in our search. 

What Is Spruce Approved?

Here at The Spruce we want to ensure we fully stand behind every product we recommend, and that when we say something is the best, we mean it. You might have noticed The Spruce Approved badge next to the products on this list. Every product with this badge has been rigorously tested in person and carefully selected by our expert team of lab testers and editors. In most cases, we buy all these products ourselves, though occasionally we get samples provided to us directly by companies. No matter how we procure products, they all go through the same tests and must meet the same strict criteria to make the best-of cut. We also pride ourselves on transparency and will always let you know if we received a product for free.