Best Carry-On Suitcases (2026): Away, Rimowa, Tumi

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There is a surprisingly robust debate among frequent travelers about whether it’s best to carry on a suitcase or to check it. Sure, checking a bag saves you from worrying about space restrictions and confusing security requirements, needing to tote your suitcase into a bathroom stall with you, and sweating about snagging overhead bin space once you board. But you need only one really bad experience with checking luggage to convince you to avoid doing so whenever possible in favor of being a carry-on purist. My version of that incident occurred at the Delta counter in Dulles International Airport and almost made me miss my flight. (In fact, I’d prefer to not even use a carry-on! But that’s another story entirely.)

I fly more often than I’d like—short work trips, cross-country flights to visit family, and international vacation hauls. I’ve tested countless carry-on suitcases and have now enlisted my family members to help as well. These are the best carry-on suitcases that we’ve found that will fit pretty much any traveler’s needs.

Don’t see anything you like? Check out our buying guides to the Best Travel Totes, the Best Laptop Backpacks, and the Best Toiletry Bags. Here’s our guide to packing your carry-on correctly.

Updated May 2026: I completely overhauled this piece with new picks, new write-ups for existing picks, and updated FAQs. I also checked links and prices to ensure the most up-to-date information.

Does it surprise you that I didn’t pick the iconic Away polycarbonate carry-on, that gorgeous colorful unit that jump-started the whole direct-to-consumer luggage movement from one of the few affluent-millennial–coded companies to have weathered multiple scandals and economic storms successfully since its founding in 2015? Sometimes it surprises me, too. Multiple WIRED staffers own the hard-sided carry-on because it’s good-looking and reasonably priced. However, I prefer the brand’s Softside Carry-On. In general, I prefer soft-sided luggage because it shows scuffs less easily, won’t crack, and is more flexible if I overpack.

With regard to this specific soft-sided case, it also has a little more flexibility than its hard-shelled cousin regarding organization options. It has exterior pockets, but they’re cleverly hidden. The straps compress a back panel over half the suitcase, so your stuff is squeezed down evenly. There’s a proprietary interior stabilizer to help keep it balanced—it never tipped over on its front, even when I was trying to slide tote bags or backpacks onto the handle while rolling it down a rickety aluminum gangway ramp. It has three exterior handles, not just two, so you can fling it about any which way. Also, the bag’s profile and hardware are pleasantly understated. There’s no giant shiny logos or ugly plastic zipper pulls, and all the available colors are attractive.

The nylon is also water-resistant; last year, I sat (sadly) with my Softside in the rain in the Philippines, waiting for a ferry, and it kept its contents dry. Unlike other carry-ons that falsely bill themselves as small enough for international carriers, the Softside’s dimensions are accurate. I’ve flown on multiple international flights with it to Europe and Asia without issue.

In all previous versions of this guide, I have recommended a Travelpro suitcase for this category. But this year, Bagsmart’s latest carry-on suitcase shocked me with its strong value. I picked the 20-inch version to test because it comes in a yellow mango color that’s just plain gorgeous. While this one may not pass the requirements for carry-on size on all budget or international airlines, it’s available in a 19-inch version that should work universally.

Both my 8-year-old and my 11-year-old conducted suitcase-racing tests and commented on how smoothly the four-way spinner wheels rolled compared to much more expensive suitcases. The Getaway also never toppled forward off-balance, which Travelpro suitcases have an unfortunate tendency to do, in my experience. The storage options are identical to other, much more expensive suitcases, with several interior zip pockets and a compression panel. It’s expandable and has a TSA-combination lock. It also comes with a few fun accessories, like a luggage tag and a piece of nylon webbing that you can clip to the outside if you end up having to check it.

About my only complaint is that the telescoping handle is a bit wobbly, but its value is amazing for around the $150 mark. (It also comes in a slightly pricier front-opening version ($170) with a padded front compartment for your tech.) If you’re unwilling to ditch Travelpro, I recommend the Maxlite Air V2 ($160), which comes in at around the same price point but weighs about two pounds less. It’s also expandable, the wheels roll smoothly, my hand fits in the handle, and the interior is made from 100 percent postconsumer recycled plastic bottles.

Photograph: Adrienne So

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Rimowa

Original Cabin

$1,525

Rimowa

Aluminum luggage offers a number of benefits (aside from the fact that pushing one automatically makes you look like you fly first-class and therefore can demand access to various airport lounges). It won’t crack like a polycarbonate shell will. Aluminum is recyclable and repairable, and the clamps don’t fail like zippers do. It holds its resale value after a lifetime of use, and it just looks cooler with more dents, dings, and tatty stickers. (At least I think so.) That said, aluminum suitcases are usually much heavier and harder to lift or fit into overhead bins.

If you’re considering aluminum luggage, there’s only one brand that you’re thinking of, and that’s Rimowa. Commerce tech director Martin Cizmar has tested his for more two years and says it only looks better with wear; the roller wheels are still balanced, and the seals are still tight.

If you’d like to upgrade your suitcase but you’re not willing to commit to aluminum quite yet (or you been slacking on your kettlebell push presses and need something lighter to fit in the overhead bin), I also recommend Tumi’s 19 Degree polycarbonate international carry-on. Though polycarbonate is a less-durable material than aluminum, this one is half the price of the Rimowa and comes with a fairly generous five-year warranty (which is a downgrade from Tumi’s former famous lifetime warranty but is still longer than many other manufacturers). It includes Tumi Tracer, which is the brand’s complimentary registration program that lets you report your bag lost or stolen and get assistance with recovery. The grab handles are rounded for greater comfort, the wheels roll much more smoothly than my other suitcases, and it’s very pretty.

Many luggage manufacturers—Away, Béis, Monos, July—outsource production to the same overseas companies, which explains why their products tend to look and feel similar. Part of why I especially liked testing Cotopaxi’s new suitcase, the Cotopaxi Coraza ($295), is because the manufacturer that is really thinking differently, and it shows. Latched suitcases are a feature that’s common to aluminum suitcases and waterproof dry boxes, but I’ve only recently started seeing it on more affordable options. Latched hard-shell luggage offers many of the benefits of an aluminum option, but without the weight or the cost. Latches are just better than zippers, which are the most common failure point on any bag. They’re inherently insecure, they stretch, get warped, get caught on things, or get deformed.

A latched, hard-shell suitcase also makes successfully overstuffing your bag an easier feat. You just sit on it and just squeeeeze it shut. That tack worked for me while on a work trip when I had to fit the stuffed animals I bought for my kids into my already full case.

The Coraza is just a gorgeous suitcase, with fun, contrast-color wheels that look a lot like roller-skating wheels. You can also mix and match or replace the wheels yourself. (Unfortunately, they also tend to wobble and go in different directions much more than any other suitcase wheels that I’ve tried.) It comes with a zip-closed interior organizer that can function as an interior duffel bag, but you can remove it if you have bulkier or dirty items. The Coraza is available in a larger checked version ($345), and on the sustainability front, Cotopaxi has an unusually generous lifetime repair warranty and a long-term plan to decrease emissions.

Photograph: Adrienne So

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Peak Design

Roller Pro

$600

REI

As I mentioned, many direct-to-consumer bags are made in the same factories and look and function the same way. Peak Design’s first piece of luggage was purpose-built from the ground up (hence the steep price tag). The Roller Pro works as a standard expandable carry-on or as a large camera bag with an extra-large camera cube. The standout feature is what Peak Design calls a “drawbridge” opening—you can open it like a box instead of swinging it open on both sides like a clamshell. This design means it requires a shockingly tiny footprint in a hotel room. (I perched it on top of a cabinet to give myself more floor space.)

It’s a hybrid hard shell/soft shell, with Peak Design’s signature VersaPack fabric covering. The compression strap system has easy-to-use hooks and is retractable (also a delightful feature). Finally, the entire bag is engineered to maximize interior storage. The carbon-fiber handle is smaller, so it takes up less space; the wheels are positioned at the corners. It’s also expandable, from about 34 liters to 39 liters. At CES one year, I unwisely decided that I could just bring testers of earbuds and smart toys home from the show instead of having them shipped to my house. Thanks to the Roller Pro, I fit them all in. In order to really compete at a Briggs or Tumi price point, though, the warranty should be simple and comprehensive (it doesn’t cover wear and tear). It’s also a tad heavier than a simple DTC polycarbonate shell, which may affect how much you can bring on smaller planes.

I test so many carry-on suitcases. Here are the others that I loved that didn’t quite make the cut for my top picks overall.

Samsonite Outline Pro Carry-On for $220: Samsonite is probably the most well-known brand that didn’t get one of our top slots. This is a hard-sided, four-wheeled spinner carry-on with an outer shell of durable polypropylene. The interior fabric is made from 100 percent recycled plastic bottles, and it has a “WetPak” storage pocket for keeping damp items separated from the rest of your luggage.

Courtesy of Amazon

Briggs & Riley Baseline CX for $679: Briggs & Riley is known for its lifetime warranty. I bought this Briggs suitcase when I graduated from college (you don’t need to know when, but you can trust that I’ve had my suitcase for awhile, to say the least), and every few years, I take it in to my local Briggs dealer to repair a zipper, free of charge. However, suitcases are just getting so good-looking now, and this one is quite long in the tooth. There are many more exciting options available, and some other brands also offer lifetime warranties, like Cotopaxi.

Amazon Basics Expandable Hardside Carry-On for $60: Getting on a plane in two days and need a functional roller bag that doesn’t require you to drop a lot of money? This Amazon Basics bag will totally do the trick. The wheels certainly don’t roll like a Rimowa and the zippers far too often snag, but it’s very light and the textured ABS shell doesn’t scuff easily. —Martin Cizmar

Photograph: Adrienne So

Antler Icon Stripe Carry-On for $325: This handsome roller bag comes from the British luggage company Antler, which has just started making its push into the US retail market. The standout feature here is the zip-up hardshell front pocket that falls open just enough for you to reach inside from the top. The wheels roll magically smoothly, and the carry-on conforms to US and European baggage size restrictions. I took it on a couple of cross-country domestic flights and overseas to Portugal and Mexico, and it always fit in the overhead bins. —Michael Calore

Timbuk2 Freestyle Carry-On for $325: This is the company’s first serious move into hardshell luggage, and I was excited to try it. However, the stated dimensions just aren’t accurate. I measured it at 10 inches deep (compared to its listed 9.8 inches). It’s noticeably deeper than any other carry-on I’ve tried. While I did take it to the airport, I chickened out and was afraid to risk trying to fit it into the overhead bin, so I checked it instead.

Travelpro Optima for $265: Travelpro’s latest lightweight contender weighs a mere 6.9 pounds. It’s gorgeous, rolls smoothly, and has a slim profile. However, it’s not as cheap as the aforementioned Maxlite, and it has that problem common to all Travelpro suitcases I’ve tried, which is that it topples over continuously. Why is that? It’s so weird.

Photograph: Adrienne So

July Trackable Carry-On With CaseSafe for $325: This is my husband’s favorite suitcase; it doesn’t show any damage after over a year of use, it includes a Bluetooth tracker and an ejectable power bank, and it’s the only suitcase that I’ve tried that’s slim enough to fit in the overhead bin of a tiny propeller plane. However, you probably just want to buy an AirTag and a power bank separately, and I don’t blame you.

Aer Carry-On for $299: Aer’s carry-on has nice Hinomoto ball-bearing wheels as well as wheel locks, which are helpful for stopping your suitcase from rolling everywhere while you’re taking the shuttle to the car rental office.

Casetify Bounce Suitcase for $699: Casetify’s phone cases always earn a spot in our phone case roundups because they’re cute and customizable. So is the company’s first piece of luggage, which is adorable and which you can monogram. Unfortunately, it’s also smaller and much more expensive than most of our other picks.

Photograph: Chris Haslam

Carl Friedrik Aluminum Carry-On for $845: I found myself tempted by many of the selections in WIRED reviewer Chris Haslam’s roundup of the Best Aluminum Luggage, and not just because an aluminum suitcase gives you that “turn left on a plane” look. Carl Friedrik’s aluminum case has leather trim, flawless aluminum paneling, and classy fixtures throughout.

State Logan Carry-On for $230: I tried to cheap out on my kids’ luggage when they were toddlers, and all that happened was I got a garage full of dead, cheap kids’ suitcases. State Bags makes the cutest kids’ suitcases in a wide variety of fun prints and designs, with kid-friendly features like a big front pocket for a snack box and an iPad, plus two straps on the side that are ideal for tucking in Yellow Blanky and Truck Blanky when we have to move quickly at the gate.

Beis Carry-On Roller for $268: WIRED reviewer Nena Farrell tried the viral Beis suitcase and loved its sleek looks, variety of colors, and extras, like a built-in weight gauge and a retractable strap that lets you clip a backpack or duffel to the front.

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