The Best Luggage Of 2024, According To Our Travel Experts

Samsonite specializes in luggage that’s both durable and innovative, at prices that won’t blow your travel budget. The brand’s hardside and softside suitcases feature crisp wheels for smooth toting and comfortable handles that easily pull out and retract. Most designs also feature interior pockets and dividers for organization, including the softside Bartlett Carry-On Spinner and Detour Wheeled Duffel.

Samsonite’s Freeform Spinner, a favorite of Forbes Vetted’s senior deals editor Kara Cuzzone, is an excellent place to start if you’re thinking of revamping your luggage setup. Featured as the top pick on our list of the Best Carry-On Luggage, the affordably priced hardside suitcase has a TSA-approved lock, a built-in ID tag and a modern palette of color options to pick from.

Thanks to its unbreakable polycarbonate shell, you won’t have to worry about scuffing the beautiful design when you tote Monos’ great selection of suitcases to your final destination. Forbes Vetted updates writer Francesca Sales recommends the Carry-On Pro, which is featured as the top pick on our list of the Best Hardside Luggage. It features TSA-approved locks, quiet wheels, vegan leather accents and a built-in front compartment for easy access to your essentials. The Carry-On Pro is outfitted with room for a 15-inch laptop, and yet it still fits in the overhead bin of almost any flight in the world. For longer trips, the Check-In Medium offers more space without feeling too bulky.

While many luggage brands offer suitcases in familiar muted colors, we appreciate Monos’ commitment to keeping things fresh with fun hues like Banana Pudding, Purple Icing and Terracotta.

A top pick in our Best Carry-On Luggage story, Briggs & Riley is known for its durability, reliability and excellent warranties on luggage. If you’re looking for a classic softshell bag, this brand has consistently been named a favorite of flight attendants, pilots and traveling professionals. With a spring-loaded handle, flat interior and built-in compartment configuration, every feature of a Briggs & Riley suitcase is carefully thought out to make its use as seamless as possible.

While its Essential 22-inch Carry-On Expandable Spinner is definitely an investment piece, its compressive technology, built-in garment folder and shock-absorbent wheels warrant the luxury price tag. Further, its lifetime guarantee, which covers all repairs for free, means this could be the last piece of luggage you ever purchase.

For those who frequently travel for work, it’s imperative to have a suitcase that is professional-looking enough to hop off the plane and into a board meeting. Carl Friedrik’s classic designs—including the highly rated Carry-On—features smooth-rolling wheels, luxe leather trimming and a textured exterior that makes scuffs hard to spot. The suitcases also come with a password-protected TSA lock and multiple interior zipped pockets for your laptop and documents. If you need more room, the Check-In and Check-In Large are both great options. The brand also offers sets of two suitcases if you’re looking for both carry-on and checked luggage.

Designed in Germany, each one of Rimowa’s timeless designs are a calling card in the world of modern luggage brands. Durable and lightweight, the brand is known globally for craftsmanship and innovation, and its classic Original Cabin design is instantly recognizable in any airport. The stunning details, like the high-end anodized aluminum exterior, never go out of style.

Those looking for something lighter (and easier on the wallet) should check out the Essential Lite Cabin, which features a polycarbonate shell and T-bar telescopic handle. Not to mention, this design claims the top spot on our list of the Best Lightweight Luggage. Yes, this brand is an investment, but the included manufacturer’s lifetime guarantee covers any damage to your suitcase, meaning it’s luggage you’ll keep for life.

Away’s polycarbonate shell suitcases are some of the most accessible bags on the market. They’re lightweight, easy to use and come in a wide variety of fun colors while also being relatively well-priced. For the traveler who is just beginning to expand their travel arsenal, we recommend starting with the brand’s Bigger Carry-On, which is sized correctly for airport overhead bins but offers that much-needed bit of extra space. The bag comes with great features like quiet, easy-to-use wheels, an underside grab handle, a TSA-approved lock and even a laundry bag for storing dirty clothes while on the road.

If you need just a little more room, we recommend upgrading to the Carry-On Flex, which unzips to create an extra 2.25 inches of space. Away also gives you the option to add personalized monogramming, which can come in handy to identify your luggage on the carousel.

For those who have too many belongings to squeeze into a carry-on, SwissGear is a great choice for checked luggage that is durable and reliable. We love the Sion Softside Expandable Roller, which is featured as our top softside pick on our Best Checked Luggage list. With two exterior zippers, it’s perfect for organization, and its interior features an adjustable tie-down along with three zippered compartments.

Swiss Gear’s luggage offerings are durable and scuff-proof, meaning you won’t have to worry about its exteriors being damaged when you pass your precious belongings over to the strangers handling your suitcase. Plus, many of the brand’s suitcases—including the sleek Energie Hardside Checked Medium—offer an expandable feature that helps make your bag even larger, so none of those souvenirs will get left behind.

American Tourister makes solid luggage pieces at reasonable prices, and its Kix 2.0 softside suitcase is no exception. The 20-inch version of the spinner is the perfect size for a trip under one week and is also carry-on compliant so you won’t have to check it at the airport. American Tourister’s luggage offerings are constructed with smooth wheels, trolley grips that adjust to your size and large zipper pulls that won’t rip if you grab them in a rush. For those who prefer hardside luggage, we recommend the expandable (and wallet-friendly) Moonlight Carry-On.

For underseat luggage that’s easy to tow along and slides under the airplane seat in front of you, it’s hard to top Calpak’s mini offerings. With 31 liters of space, the Ambeur Mini Carry-On is roomy enough to squeeze in a pair of shoes along with an outfit for an overnight trip while also being lightweight and super compact.

In addition to this space-saving design, Calpak makes a variety of suitcases featuring its signature poppy color scheme; its three-piece Ambeur set is a great way to stock up on pieces without breaking the bank. Plus, the brand’s sparkly metallic shell will ensure that it stands out in any airport carousel if you ever need to check it. We also recommend the matte Hue collection—the Mini Carry-On design is the top hardshell pick on our list of the Best Underseat Luggage.

Investing in a solid luggage set simplifies your shopping list and can save you money, given that many luggage bundles clock in at a lower price than buying each suitcase individually. Stylish and durable, Australian brand July’s Classic Family Set is the top pick on our Best Luggage Sets round-up and an excellent pick if you’re looking for a core collection.

This trio of the brand’s Carry-On, Checked and Checked Plus bags will have you ready to go for any type of trip, from a weekend getaway to a medium-length vacation to serious long-haul travel. They’re built for ease of use, too, equipped with smooth-rolling wheels, retractable handles, dirty laundry bags and TSA locks. Use all three bags for yourself or share with your family or partner.

A weekender bag is essential to have for those quick getaways that don’t warrant bringing anything bulky. Béis has nailed the art of the chic and sophisticated travel bag with The Weekender, which we chose as our best overall pick on our roundup of weekender bags. It features a trusted zip top and full bottom compartment, so you can separate your shoes and toiletries from your clothes. Béis’ neutral color palette makes its over-the-shoulder offerings perfect for just about any type of trip, from beach to business. The brand also offers sleek, streamlined hardside options, including the highly rated Carry-On Roller.