All Travelpro luggage we tested earned high scores for maneuverability, durability, capacity, and overall design. The brand’s hardside and softside models were a hit in the T+L lab, and both carry-on and checked options have spacious interiors and expandable capacities. Though we could fit everything on our packing list without using the expanders, it’s nice to know there’s wiggle room. We appreciated the various organizational features, like zipper panels, cross straps, and pockets.

With self-aligning spinner wheels and sturdy telescoping handles, Travelpro luggage is also easy to maneuver on hard floors, carpet, and even gravel (though some suitcases are slightly harder to roll on two wheels than four, especially when packed full). We particularly love the Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On Expandable Hardside Spinner that has sleek wheels and a textured handle that helps maintain a comfortable grip. Even Travelpro’s rolling garment bag impressed with its high capacity for the size. And, while the carry-ons are generally lightweight, one thing to note is that the larger checked models weigh almost twice as much when empty.

After shoving the suitcases off a table and whacking them with a baseball bat, we were pleasantly surprised by their durability. We only noticed a couple superficial marks — no scratches or dents, and nothing that wouldn’t wipe clean. Travelpro offers a generous 100-day return policy and backs its luggage with warranties ranging from 10 years to a lifetime, though it can be difficult to connect with their customer service department to initiate returns or repair requests at times.

The Details: 100 day return policy | 10-year to lifetime warranty

Best Overall, Runner-up

Samsonite

Samsonite luggage is generally lightweight and compact on the outside, with spacious interiors and built-in expanders. The Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable Carry-on was even ranked best overall carry-on after we tested 45 carry-on suitcases. Though most Samsonite suitcases don’t come with laundry bags, we appreciated the zippered compartments, compression straps, shoe separators, and easy-access pockets. Even its Just Right Garment Bag featured more pockets and organizational features than other similar bags we tested.

The hardside suitcases are made of high-strength thermoplastic, and the softside exteriors are sourced from recycled plastic bottles. They sustained hardly any damage after we hit them with a baseball bat and shoved them off a table. Samsonite luggage also maneuvers without a fuss, even on carpeted floors and gravel. The sturdy, lockable aluminum handles are a nice touch, too. Prices are more than reasonable, and while you’ll have to make any returns within 30 days, the brand backs its products with a 10-year warranty.

The Details: 30 day return policy | 10-year warranty

Best for Staying Organized

Away

Away luggage has a minimalist-modern aesthetic and a sophisticated yet practical appeal. We’re huge fans of the brand’s suitcases and weekenders and particularly love The Everywhere Bag that’s perfect for overnight trips, quick weekend adventures, and use as a personal item on longer trips. The checked baggage and hardside carry-on luggage pieces are light yet durable and easy to wipe clean. They didn’t sustain any dents from our baseball bat tests, but there were a few scratches after we shoved them off a table. There are so many sizes to choose from, including one of our favorite trunks we’ve ever tested. We liked the dual main compartments, compression systems, expanders, and dirty laundry satchels of the roller bags.

The suitcases were a breeze to maneuver on their 360-degree spinner wheels, and carrying The Everywhere and The Garment Bag was comfortable with the padded shoulder straps. The Garment Bag also has interior padding that keeps all of your longer clothing items protected and helps to minimize wrinkles. Away is certainly not the cheapest luggage brand out there, but it’s also far from the most expensive. Considering the 100-day return window, lifetime warranty, and stylish designs, we wouldn’t hesitate to recommend it to pretty much any traveler.

The Details: 100 day return policy | Lifetime warranty

Perfect for organized travelers, Paravel takes the cake for additional features. We loved the dual compartments, many pockets, dividers, and removable laundry bags. While the suitcases don’t expand, the compression pads make fitting everything a cinch. The Paravel Aviator Carry-on Plus was one of our top carry-on bags thanks to its sleek design, roomy interior that makes packing a breeze, and slick wheels that were great on every surface. We also love the super cute Paravel Mini Fold-up Backpack that earned perfect scores in every category, as well as our pick as best overall mini backpack. Not only does the bag fold up small so you can pack it in larger bags, but it also has a high capacity that can even fit a tablet, making it the perfect eye-catching style to wear on any vacation.

Most Paravel luggage pieces held up well during our durability tests, though the lighter-colored hardside models are prone to scuffing. The suitcases are also easy to pull, push, and roll over various flooring materials. What’s more, Paravel luggage is undeniably stylish with a sophisticated appeal and a cool mid-century flair. Prices are somewhat steep, but in the end, we think it’s worth the investment.

The Details: 30 day return policy | 10-year warranty

Delsey is a go-to for large-capacity luggage. This brand carries both hardside and softside suitcases, including surprisingly spacious carry-ons and checked baggage in multiple sizes so you can find the best design for your needs. We were thrilled by how much they fit, noting that they could easily pack all items on our packing list with room to spare, even without expansion functions.

The suitcases maneuver well on their four spinner wheels, even over carpet, cracks, and bumps. Most models are also lightweight, so lifting them into an overhead bin is no problem. We checked the Chatelet Air 2.0 Carry-on and matching Chatelet Air 2.0 Medium Checked bag on four different long-haul international flights and each time they made it to the luggage carousel with only minor scuffs that were easily wiped away. We appreciate Delsey’s accessible price points, plus the brand backs its luggage with warranties ranging from five to 10 years.

The Details: 30 day return policy | 5-to-10-year warranty

You’ll feel like a kid in a candy store with all of the colorful suitcase options from July — and if you tend to gravitate toward neutrals, July has those, too. After we tested over a dozen bags in our lab on on our airplane set, some of our favorites included the July Carry On (includes a portable charger), the July Checked Plus (the largest suitcase in July’s range), the July Checked Plus Light (a great lightweight option), and the July Trunk Set (a stylish, zipperless two-piece set). 

We found the bags to be very durable against our baseball bat tests, although we noticed that the bags with aluminum corner bumpers tended to scuff more easily specifically on the corners. One of our favorite features was that some bags, including the Carry On Pro SnapSleeve, feature a multi-stop telescopic handle that you can adjust to 20 different heights, when many suitcase handles only stop at three heights.

Different bag styles are available in different colorways, and you can choose from delightful shades of blues, greens, pinks, reds, shadow lavender, plum, yellow, sand, and more, most of which will easily stand out on any baggage carousel. We did notice that some of the carry-ons tend to be much more spacious than others, so be sure to check the dimensions to find a size that will fit everything you need.

The Details: 100 day return policy | Limited lifetime warranty on luggage; 5-year warranty on soft bags and accessories; 2-year warranty on small leather goods

Best for Smaller Bags

Calpak

If you’re looking for something you can stash in the overhead bin or under the seat in front of you, Calpak might be your best bet. We loved the duffles, backpacks, and suitcases with a particular appreciation for the Hue Mini Carry-on Luggage, our best overall underseat bag. We love that it glides smoothly, has a sturdy exterior, and can even fit a laptop, making it perfect for weekend getaways or even business trips.

Even when packed full, we found each Calpak suitcase to roll beautifully on both two wheels and four. We also like the Compakt Small Garment Bag, which is perfect to transport of one or two formal pieces inside a carry-on suitcase. The Stevyn Duffel Bag was very comfortable to tote with its shoulder strap and features a separate shoe compartment to keep your items clean if you’re in the market for something smaller. Though the two-year warranty is shorter than most other brands, we think Calpak’s prices are more than fair.

The Details: 30 day return policy | 2-year warranty

Best Budget

Amazon Basics

We can confidently tell you there’s much more to love about Amazon Basics luggage than a budget-friendly price tag. The Amazon Basics Hardside Spinner also landed on our list of the best lightweight luggage after earning a perfect score in all categories. We especially love that even though it is a light suitcase, it’s sturdy with wheels that easily maneuver over gravel and carpeting. More pockets would have been appreciated, but both the carry-on and checked models easily fit everything on our packing list without the expanders, which adds another 15 percent to the capacity.

The hardside suitcases have extra-thick thermoplastic shells that passed our durability tests with flying colors — no scratches or dents in sight. They were generally easy to maneuver, too, albeit a little more difficult on gravel. Color options are limited, and while most Amazon Basics carriers don’t have TSA locks or smart features, the designs exceeded our expectations.

The Details: 30 day return policy | 3-year warranty

If you want the crème de la crème of luggage, Tumi is where it’s at. The suitcases and underseat bags fared better than the duffel we tested, but all in all, we were impressed. Our favorite by far is the Alpha International Expandable 4-wheeled Carry-on that looks compact but includes plenty of organizational compartments and even comes with its own removable garment bag. There was plenty of space to pack everything on our list in every Tumi bag, even without the expanders. This brand also stands out for its organizational, smart, and security features. We’re talking ample pockets, removable garment bags, laptop sleeves, USB ports, lockable zippers, and TSA-approved locks.

Whether you go softside or hardside, you can count on reliable durability — we even jumped on the bags and rode on top of them and not one feature broke or dented. We observed virtually no scuffs or scratches after whacking the bags with a baseball bat. Tumi luggage is easy to maneuver, thanks to the spinner wheels, but bear in mind the checked sizes are pretty heavy when empty. If you can swing the steep price, we think the brand is an excellent choice for long trips, frequent fliers, and those who like to stay organized.

The Details: 30 day return policy | 5-year warranty

Most Durable

Briggs & Riley

The most durable luggage we tested comes from Briggs & Riley. The brand carries softside suitcases with ballistic nylon exteriors that resist premature wear and tear, as well as hardside models like the Sympatico Domestic Carry-on Expandable Spinner with shock-absorbing polycarbonate shells that promise to protect your cargo from getting crushed. We were impressed by how well they stood up to our shoves and bat swings — no dents or scratches to speak of.

Durability aside, Briggs & Riley suitcases roll effortlessly on hard floors and carpet, over bumps, and around tight corners. They also have decent capacities, many with built-in expanders. This is one of the more expensive luggage brands, but it’s backed by a lifetime guarantee. We wouldn’t be surprised if the suitcases last 10 or more years. Not only that, but there are a few options for remedying potential damage, including self-repair kits, authorized repair centers, or shipping back to Briggs & Riley for a tune-up.

The Details: 30 day return policy | Lifetime warranty