The 9 Best Carry On Luggage
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Our top carry-on is the Travelpro Platinum Elite spinner. Nine softside and hardshell bags compared by airline size limits, weight, wheels and warranty. When users buy our independently chosen editorial selections, we may earn commissions to help fund the Wiki.
Carry-on luggage is the roller bag that rides in the cabin, so you skip checked-bag fees and the wait at baggage claim. Business travelers, weekend flyers and long-haul tourists all use one. Models differ in overall size with wheels, empty weight, hard or soft shell, spinner or two-wheel design, expansion, pockets and warranty.
Editor's Notes
October 16, 2026, by Ezvid Wiki Admin:
This list hadn't been re-ranked since 2021, and most of it was gone. The Samsonite Underseater and Lucas Ultra are no longer sold, the Samsonite eTude, Victorinox Spectra 2.0 and Eagle Creek Gear Warrior are unavailable, and we couldn't confirm the Tumi Tegra-Lite 2 International is still sold new. The two-wheel Briggs & Riley Baseline we listed is unavailable too, so the Briggs & Riley ZDX Global carries the brand's lifetime guarantee here instead.
The Travelpro Platinum Elite stays, now in its spinner version, the one independent reviewers keep putting first. The Delsey Helium Aero stays for its outside laptop pocket, and the U.S. Traveler Rio stays as the cheap two-wheel set. Away The Carry-On moves up from a special honor to the main list. Also new are the Samsonite Freeform and Samsonite Omni PC, the very light Travelpro Maxlite 5 International, and a very cheap hardshell for occasional flyers.
One thing surprised us while checking sizes: several popular carry-ons are bigger than 22 by 14 by 9 inches once you count the wheels. Each entry gives the overall size, so measure against your airline's rule, not the label on the bag.
March 03, 2021:
When you pick a good piece of luggage, it will last through years of use and countless trips, which is exactly why we didn't need to make a lot of changes to our recommendations. The selections here represent some of the best names in the business in a variety of price ranges.
In fact, the only notable replacement we made was to swap out the Tumi Tegra Lite Max Continental for the Tumi Tegra Lite 2 International. We like the latter better thanks to its hidden USB port, because we know that all travelers have run into situations where their phone runs low on battery power right when they need it to book an Uber or get directions to their hotel. This one, along with the Delsey Helium Aero, is ideal for people who travel with a laptop and want to be able to access their device quickly when passing through security.
Heavy packers should probably turn to the Briggs & Riley Baseline because of its compression system that packs everything down for you, so you won't be left struggling and putting all your weight on your luggage just to get it to zip closed. The Lucas Ultra is another good option for those who like to bring a lot of stuff along on their travels, as its expansion zipper adds an addition four liters to its already high capacity.
If you like the idea of a duffle, but want the convenience to roll your luggage at times, turn to the Eagle Creek Load Warrior, which offers the best of both worlds.
May 21, 2019:
The right carry on luggage can make or break a trip, especially if you often bounce from place to place. These days, you can find a range of handy features that make an already convenient item even more so. For example, the Briggs & Riley Baseline has an expansion-compression system that allows you to overstuff it, then reduce its size, so you always meet airline regulations. The Victorinox Spectra 2.0 has a removable laptop sleeve that makes going through security less of a hassle, and the Samsonite Etude features a removable toiletry bag that makes for quicker unpacking when you reach your destination. The Travelpro Platinum Elite and Samsonite Underseater also have this handy feature. For business travelers, or anybody else concerned about having wrinkled clothes when they arrive, we recommend the Briggs & Riley Baseline, Travelpro Platinum Elite, Tumi Tegra Lite Max, which are all equipped with suiters. We realize that the price of the Briggs & Riley Baseline and Tumi Tegra Lite Max may seem exorbitant to some, and in truth they generally aren't worth it for anybody who doesn't travel often, there is some credence to the saying that you get what you pay for. It is not uncommon for models from these companies these to still be in great shape after 10 years of constant use, when lesser brands would have long since failed in some manner.
Special Honors
Monos Carry-On Pro The Monos Carry-On Pro is a polycarbonate hardshell with a zippered front compartment for a laptop, so it comes out at security without opening the case. It's on the small side inside, at about 30 liters, and OutdoorGearLab scored it well in its 2026 carry-on review. Monos sells it directly, with a trial period for returns. monos.com
Calpak Ambeur Yahoo Travel's testers, who put more than 100 bags through drop and stair tests, named the Calpak Ambeur their best carry-on overall. It's an expandable hardshell sold mainly through Calpak's own store, at a price between the budget and premium bags on this list. calpaktravel.com
Will It Fit? Airline Size And Weight Limits
If your airline caps a cabin bag at 7 or 8 kilograms, a heavy bag leaves little for your things, and every pound goes up to a bin at shoulder height.
There's no single carry-on size. Most big U.S. airlines post 22 by 14 by 9 inches, and that includes the wheels and handles. Delta uses that limit and sets no weight cap for most routes. Airlines elsewhere usually work in centimeters and often allow a wider, shallower bag: Air Canada allows 23 by 40 by 55 centimeters, or 9 by 15.5 by 21.5 inches. Many international and budget carriers also weigh cabin bags, and some low-cost airlines charge extra for anything bigger than an under-seat bag. Check your airline's own page before you fly.
Read the overall size, not the size in a bag's name. A 21-inch bag can stand 23.5 inches tall with its wheels and handle, as the Travelpro Platinum Elite does. Expansion zippers add 1 to 2 inches of depth, which can push a bag that fits empty over the limit, so pack expanded bags carefully or plan to check them. On full flights, gate agents may check bags anyway.
Weight counts twice. The empty bags on this list run from about 5.3 pounds for the Travelpro Maxlite 5 International to about 8 pounds for the heaviest. If your airline caps a cabin bag at 7 or 8 kilograms, a heavy bag leaves little for your things, and every pound goes up to a bin at shoulder height.
Hardshell Or Softside, Spinner Or Two Wheels
Hardshell bags are made of polycarbonate, ABS or polypropylene. They protect fragile items, shrug off rain, and usually split into two halves. Polycarbonate flexes and springs back, while cheaper ABS is stiffer and more likely to crack. Hard shells show scratches, and they don't squeeze into a tight bin. Softside bags in ballistic nylon or polyester give a little when a bin is full, scuff less visibly and usually have outside pockets for a jacket or a laptop. OutdoorGearLab reviewed 16 current carry-ons in 2026 and put a softside bag on top, ahead of several hardshells.
Spinners have four wheels that turn in every direction, so the bag rolls upright beside you and through narrow aisles with no weight on your wrist. They take up some of the packing space, and they can roll away on a slope. Two-wheel bags tilt and roll behind you. Their bigger inline wheels sit inside the case corners, handle curbs and cobblestones better, and leave more room inside.
Wheels and trolley handles fail first. That holds across brands in owner reports and in OutdoorGearLab's notes on budget bags. A cheap bag is fine for a few trips a year. If you fly every week, spend more and look for a warranty that names wheels and handles.
Warranties, Locks, Batteries And Liquids
Luggage warranties vary more than prices. Briggs & Riley's lifetime guarantee covers damage, including damage done by airlines. Travelpro offers a limited lifetime warranty on defects, and Samsonite and Delsey commonly offer 10-year limited warranties. Away's coverage depends on the type of damage, so read its terms. Register your bag if the maker asks, and keep the receipt.
If a bag has a lock, it should be a type that security screeners can open with a master key, so they don't have to cut it. Several bags here have such a combination lock built in.
Spare lithium batteries, including power banks, must travel in the cabin, never in checked bags, according to the TSA. That matters if a bag with a power-bank pocket gets gate-checked: take the battery out first. For liquids, the TSA's 3-1-1 rule allows containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less, all in one quart-size bag. Larger bottles go in checked luggage.
We checked every brand on this list in the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission's database and found no luggage recalls (CPSC).
