Travel
Luggage and bags engineered for a lifetime of trips.
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Buying guides
Best Checked Luggage
A checked bag takes more abuse than any other piece of luggage you own, so the right one comes down to how hard you travel and how long you want it to last, which is exactly what we weighed, alongside expert reviews, owner-reported durability, and warranty terms. Our overall pick is the buy-it-for-life bag with the best warranty in travel; from there the picks split by need: the value-and-performance choice for frequent flyers, the best hardshell, the budget option, and the luxury statement. One honest theme runs through it: price and performance don’t track, and the $1,800 bag is not the best bag.
5 picksBest Travel Backpacks
A carry-on travel backpack keeps your hands free and skips baggage claim, but the right one depends on whether you value comfort, organization, or versatility most, so we researched the leading 35 to 45L packs against expert reviews, owner-reported durability, and warranty terms. The premium Peak Design is the famous benchmark, but our overall pick is the bag that nails the fundamentals most travelers actually feel: comfort and durability, at the best price. The picks split by priority: best value, best versatility, best organization, best comfort, and the most organized for tech.
3 picksBest Premium Carry-On Luggage
A premium carry-on is the rare upgrade you feel on every trip: better wheels, a sturdier shell, and a warranty that can outlast several cheap bags. We researched the leading options against expert reviews, owner-reported reliability, and warranty terms to find the ones worth the money. The picks split cleanly by what you value most: all-round value, business-travel features, or buy-it-for-life durability.
Reviews
Best BudgetSamsonite
Samsonite Omni 2 Hardside
The Samsonite Omni 2 is the budget pick: a light, expandable, brand-name hardshell that often sells for $120 to $149, a fraction of everything else here. For an occasional traveler who flies a few times a year, it covers the basics: a TSA lock, decent organization, and a 10-year warranty that’s generous for the price. But it’s honestly the weakest bag in this guide, and we score it that way: the shell is thinner than the previous Omni, and the wheels and zippers are the most-cited failure points under real airline handling. Buy it to save money, not to keep for a decade of heavy use.
Best LuxuryRimowa
Rimowa Original Check-In L
The Rimowa Original Check-In L is the luxury icon: the grooved anodized-aluminum case that has signaled “serious traveler” in airports since the 1950s. It’s genuinely beautiful, built in Germany, rolls on some of the smoothest wheels made, and carries a no-registration lifetime functional guarantee. But our score is deliberately honest: at ~$1,800 it’s the most expensive bag here by far, it’s heavy (13.7 lb), it dents permanently (Rimowa reframes this as “patina”), it doesn’t expand, and its interior organization trails fabric bags costing a fifth as much. You’re buying design and status, not function-per-dollar.
Best HardsideAway
Away The Large
The Away The Large is the best-value hard-shell checked bag, and the suitcase that proves you don’t need to spend four figures. Its polycarbonate shell takes years of abuse, the WhisperGlide spinners roll beautifully, and the clamshell interior (compression panel, mesh pockets, a built-in laundry bag) is better organized than bags costing far more, all for $375 with Away’s LifetimeCare warranty. The honest caveats: the standard Large doesn’t expand (you’d need the separate Large Flex), there are no exterior pockets, light colors scuff, and the price has crept up enough to narrow its old value gap.
Best for Frequent FlyersTravelpro
Travelpro Platinum Elite 29-inch
The Travelpro Platinum Elite is the critics’ favorite checked bag and the smart-money pick: a flight-crew staple (the brand was founded by an airline pilot) that out-rolls and out-organizes bags costing twice as much. Its MagnaTrac self-aligning wheels are the best spinners in softside luggage, the DuraGuard ballistic nylon shrugs off water and stains, and a fold-out suiter and 2-inch expansion handle real trips: all for about $485 with a lifetime warranty that covers airline damage once registered. The honest catches: at 66.75 linear inches it can trip airlines’ 62-inch oversize limit, and the look is pure function, not fashion.
Best for DurabilityBriggs & Riley
Briggs & Riley Baseline Large
The Briggs & Riley Baseline Large is our Editor’s Choice: the buy-it-for-life checked bag for travelers who never want to think about luggage again. Its “Simple as That” lifetime guarantee is the most comprehensive in travel: it repairs functional damage for life, free, with no proof of purchase, and uniquely, it even covers damage caused by airlines. Add 1680D ballistic nylon, the clever CX expansion that adds ~22% packing room, and an external Outsider handle that leaves the interior perfectly flat, and you have a bag built to outlast everything around it. The honest costs: at 13.6 lb it’s the heaviest here, and at $929 it’s nearly double the Travelpro.
Best for TechNomatic
Nomatic Travel Bag 40L
The Nomatic Travel Bag 40L is the most organized bag here: a hybrid duffel-and-backpack with 12+ dedicated pockets for tech, shoes, laundry, and RFID-protected documents, wrapped in a sleek all-black business look. If a slot for every cable is your priority, nothing in this group matches it. But it’s our lowest-scoring pick for honest reasons: the backpack straps are thin, under-padded, and unventilated, so it’s uncomfortable to carry for more than a short stretch; it’s heavy and over-engineered; and at $330 you’re paying for pockets, not comfort. It’s a niche pick for tech-heavy short hauls, not an all-rounder.
Best for ComfortTortuga
Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L
The Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40L is the comfort king: the one to buy if you carry your bag for hours and want it to feel like a hiking pack, not a brick on your shoulders. Its standout is a 4-point adjustable harness with a real load-bearing hipbelt that shifts roughly 80% of the weight to your hips, and it maximizes legal carry-on space in waterproof recycled sailcloth. The catch is that it’s the priciest bag here at $375 and among the heaviest at 4.5 lb, with no expansion and limited colors. For long, heavy, one-bag trips, nothing here carries better.
Best for OrganizationCotopaxi
Cotopaxi Allpa 35L
The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L is the pick for travelers who love to stay organized: its full clamshell opens like a suitcase to reveal built-in zippered mesh pockets that sort a whole trip without buying separate packing cubes. It’s durable, distinctively colorful, ethically made by a B Corp, and a strong value at $229 with a lifetime warranty. The trade-offs: the harness has only modest padding, so it’s less comfortable than the Osprey or Tortuga under heavy loads or long carries, there’s no expansion beyond 35L, and the side-access laptop sleeve is awkward when the bag is full. For organized 3 to 7 day trips, it’s excellent.
Best for VersatilityPeak Design
Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L
The Peak Design Travel Backpack 45L is the premium do-everything pick and the category benchmark: the most versatile bag here. It expands from 30L to 45L, opens three ways (full rear clamshell, side access, and a top pocket), and plugs into Peak Design’s modular ecosystem of packing and camera cubes, which is why it’s the travel photographer’s default. Build and hardware are excellent and it’s backed by a lifetime guarantee. The honest caveats: at $300 (plus cubes for full organization) it’s pricey, it’s the heaviest bag here at 4.5 lb, and its simple suspension isn’t as comfortable under heavy loads as the Osprey or Tortuga.
Best ValueOsprey
Osprey Farpoint 40
The Osprey Farpoint 40 is our Editor’s Choice and the best travel backpack for most people, because it nails the two things that matter most for years of travel, comfort and durability, at half the price of the premium pack. Its hiking-grade adjustable harness carries a heavy load better than any travel bag near its ~$190 price, and Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee will repair or replace it for any reason, forever. The honest trade-offs are a bare, single-cavity interior (packing cubes are basically required) and a utilitarian, outdoorsy look. There’s also a women’s-fit version, the Fairview 40. For value and carry comfort, nothing here touches it.
Best for DurabilityBriggs & Riley
Briggs & Riley Baseline Carry-On
This Briggs & Riley Baseline Carry-On review centers on one thing the others cannot match: an unconditional lifetime guarantee that repairs any functional damage for free (even when an airline causes it) with no proof of purchase. Pair that with a perfect-scoring ballistic-nylon build, the flat-packing Outsider handle, and the one-touch CX expansion, and it is the genuine buy-it-for-life carry-on. The price is steep at $729 and, at 10 lbs empty, it is heavy.
Best for Business TravelMonos
Monos Carry-On Pro
This Monos Carry-On Pro review finds a design-forward hard-shell whose standout trick is a front compartment with a padded 16-inch laptop sleeve, rare on a hard-shell and genuinely useful at security. Add near-silent Hinomoto wheels and a premium look and it is a strong business-travel pick. The catch is capacity: that front pocket trims usable main space to about 30 liters, less than rivals at the same $295, and the shell scuffs easily while the warranty excludes cosmetic and airline damage.
Best OverallAway
Away The Bigger Carry-On
Our Away Bigger Carry-On review lands on the brand’s best all-rounder: a roughly 49-liter polycarbonate hard-shell with Hinomoto wheels widely judged among the best-rolling in any suitcase, smart interior organization, and a strong warranty, all at $295, well below legacy premium names. The catches are that it is on the heavier side at 7.9 lbs, runs slightly over some airlines’ published size limits, and no longer offers in-bag charging.
Comparisons
Two ways to spend big on a suitcase: the Briggs & Riley wins on function and warranty, while the Rimowa wins only if design and status are what you’re buying.
See the breakdownThe softside titans: the Briggs & Riley is the better, longer-lasting bag, but the Travelpro is the better value for most: half the price and nearly as good.
See the breakdownThe clearest “is luxury luggage worth it” test: the $375 Away outperforms the $1,800 Rimowa on almost everything but looks and status.
See the breakdownBoth are organization-first bags, but the Cotopaxi wins for most: it’s more comfortable, cheaper, and tidier, while the Nomatic packs more pockets at the cost of comfort.
See the breakdownThe premium showdown: the Peak Design wins on versatility and modularity, while the Tortuga is the better bag if carry comfort on long trips is your priority.
See the breakdownFor most travelers the Osprey wins on comfort, durability, warranty, and price. But the Peak Design is the pick if you want versatility, modularity, or a camera bag.
See the breakdownFor most buyers the Away wins on usable space, scuff resistance, and warranty breadth. But the Monos Carry-On Pro is the better bag if you want a built-in laptop pocket.
See the breakdownIs it worth it?
Are Expensive Suitcases Worth It?
Up to a point, yes, but the curve flattens fast. Going from a bargain-bin suitcase to a genuinely well-built one (think $375 to $500) buys real, felt improvements: smoother wheels, a shell or fabric that survives airline handling, and warranties that actually get honored. For anyone who travels more than a few times a year, that’s money well spent. But beyond roughly the buy-it-for-life tier, you’re mostly paying for materials, brand, and design: our research found a $1,800 Rimowa is functionally outperformed by bags costing a fifth as much. So “expensive” is worth it; “luxury” usually isn’t, unless the look is the point.
Worth It for SomeIs Rimowa Worth It?
Honestly? For most people, no, and we say that as fans of the bag. The Rimowa Original Check-In L is a gorgeous, durable, status-carrying aluminum icon, but at ~$1,800 it’s functionally outclassed by suitcases costing a fifth as much: it holds less, weighs more, organizes worse, and dents permanently. It’s worth it only for a specific buyer: someone who genuinely wants the aluminum design and cachet, travels often enough to amortize it over years, and treats the inevitable dents as character. If you’re buying a suitcase to travel well rather than to own a Rimowa, your money goes further almost anywhere else.
Worth It for SomeIs the Peak Design Travel Backpack Worth It?
The Peak Design Travel Backpack is worth it if you’ll use its versatility: the 30 to 45L expansion, three-way access, and especially the modular camera and packing cubes. For travel photographers and gear-heavy one-bag travelers who want a do-everything premium bag, it’s the category benchmark and earns its $300. But it’s expensive (more once you add cubes), it’s the heaviest bag in its class at 4.5 lb, and its simple suspension isn’t the most comfortable under a heavy load. If you mainly want a comfortable, durable bag to pack clothes in, the Osprey Farpoint 40 gives you that for around $190.
Worth It for SomeAre Travel Backpacks Worth It?
A travel backpack is worth it if you move around a lot once you land: it keeps your hands free, handles stairs, cobblestones, crowded transit, and budget-airline gates far better than a rolling suitcase, and it never gets checked. The trade-off is that you carry the weight on your back, so comfort and packing discipline matter. For multi-stop trips, active travel, and one-bag minimalists, a good backpack is genuinely better than a suitcase; for long flat hauls with heavy loads, a roller is easier on your body. Many frequent travelers own both and choose by trip.
Worth It for SomeAre Premium Carry-Ons Worth It?
If you fly more than a few times a year, a premium carry-on is usually worth it: better wheels, sturdier shells, and real warranties mean it rolls better and lasts far longer than a $60 bag, often outliving several of them. If you travel rarely, the gap in everyday experience is smaller and a solid mid-range bag is the smarter spend. The deciding factor is how often you actually travel, not how nice the suitcase looks.