Your carry-on luggage provides you with the items you need while traveling, such as your identification, but it is also a good idea to pack some clothes and toiletries in it in case your checked luggage gets lost. Therefore, you need to have sturdy luggage that has pockets.
You need to look for a bag that meets airline and TSA regulations and is easily maneuverable through crowded airports. The reviews and comparisons we have provided will help you choose the best carry on luggage.
Top 5: Carry On Suitcases Review
Product Image & Rating (Out Of 10) | Product Name | Price |
|---|---|---|
9.1 | ||
9.3 | ||
9.4 | ||
9.7 | ||
9.9 |
This 20-inch Coolife carry-on Luggage complies with most airlines requirement that carry-on luggage should be less than 21 inches from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the handle. It is also available in 24 and 28 inches. The 28-inch is expandable adding up to 15-percent more packing space, and the smaller suitcases can be stored inside the larger suitcases.
It is made of polycarbonate and ABS and is available in Caribbean blue, teal, radiant pink, charcoal, and black. This PC and ABS option provides sturdiness that can take rough handling, and it is lightweight at 6.38 pounds. As a hard-side luggage, it protects your packed items better than soft-side luggage.
The bag features a built-in TSA lock; a sturdy, tri-level, adjustable, aluminum telescoping handle; and four 360° spinner wheels. Spinner wheels will help this suitcase be more maneuverable in tight spaces but can snag over rough terrain.
The interior is fully lined and has multiple pockets to help sort small items and provide easier access.
Coolife offers a two-year warranty with this product.
Pros
Cons
This Travelpro Maxlite 4 Suitcase offers up to two inches of tapered expandability. The tapering keeps the center of gravity low so your bag won't wobble when you're moving. This suitcase also uses a honeycomb framing system with a full-bottom tray for superior stabilization.
The interior and exterior of this bag is made with stain-resistant polyester and is available in black, blue, purple, and slate green. Since it is soft-side luggage, it does not protect your belongings as well as hard-side luggage. It has a full-size zippered lid, an exterior ticket pocket, and a zippered side mesh pocket. On the interior, there are hold-down straps that are adjustable and that have Duraflex anti-break buckles.
It has a telescoping handle, a top handle, a side handle, a bottom handle, and four 360° spinner wheels with protective housing. The four handle choices make transporting this bag easier, and the telescoping handle offers a 38-inch and a 42.5-inch height. The telescoping handle also has a patented contour grip. The spinner wheels provide easier maneuverability but are not good on rough terrain.
This product weighs 5.9 pounds, has a 51-litre capacity and offers dimensions of 9 inches deep x 14 inches wide x 21 inches high. However, it also states that the overall dimensions are 23 inches high x 15 inches wide x 9.5 inches deep. That would make it taller than the height allowed for carry-on luggage by most airlines, so you might want to measure it from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the handle.
Travelpro offers a limited lifetime warranty on this product.
Pros
Cons
Weighing only 6.6 pounds, this 20-inch Exzact Cabin Hardside Carry-on Bag is made with scratch-resistant polycarbonate and ABS, so it is also sturdy and durable. Since it is hardside luggage, it offers better protection for your belongings than softside luggage. The light weight allows you to pack more without going over airline weight limits.
This one is 14.5 inches wide x 8.3 inches deep but states that it is 20.5 inches high, and all parts are 22.5 inches high. You need to check the height from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the handle because it could be taller than many airlines allow for carry-on luggage. The interior has a 39-litre capacity.
Exzact equipped this model with a tri-level telescoping handle and four 360° spinner wheels. The tri-level telescoping handle allows the handle to be set where it is comfortable for a variety of people. The spinner wheels help you maneuver through crowded airports but are harder to control on rough terrain.
The fully lined interior includes cross ribbons to secure your clothes and a zippered, interior laptop pocket in the front that has separate compartments for your laptop, tablet, and passport. It is available in black, burgundy, silver, and white.
Pros
Cons
This 20-inch Kenneth Cole Out Of Bounds Carry-on by Reaction is made with durable ABS and has impact-resistant, reinforced molded corners. Since it is hard-side luggage, it protects your belongings better than soft-side luggage. At 6.25 pounds, it is lightweight providing more of your airline weight allowance for clothes. The four 360° spinner wheels provide easy maneuverability on smooth surfaces.
This carry-on bag measures 20 inches high x 13.25 inches wide x 7.5 inches deep but the overall height including the wheels and the handle is listed as 21.75 inches with the width and the depth listed as 14.5 inches x 8.5 inches. This may make this bag a little taller than allowed for carry-on bags by many airlines.
It offers a large fully lined interior with a zippered side pocket and garment restraints. There is a zippered, u-shaped pocket in the lid.
Reaction offers a 10-year limited warranty with the Kenneth Cole Out Of Bounds carry-on bag.
Pros
Cons
This U.S Traveler Rio Two-piece carry-on luggage set includes both a 14-inch and 21-inch 1,200-denier polyester bag with PVC backing and polyester lining. Denier refers to the thickness of the thread used in the fabric. The higher the denier, the more durable the fabric. Even though these are soft-side bags with the solid metal frame, your packed belongings are protected.
Both bags are expandable for 25-percent more packing capacity and are available in black, green, mustard/orange, purple, red, and royal blue. The 14-inch bag measures 14 inches wide x 10 inches high x six inches deep and weighs 1.3 pounds. The 21-inch bag measures 21 inches high x 13.5 inches wide x 7.5 inches deep, can expand to nine inches deep, and weighs 6.6 pounds. Both bags meet airline carry-on restrictions.
These U.S Traveler carry-on bags include an internal retractable push-button handle, a top handle, a side handle, and a bottom grip to make it easier to transport them. There is also a piggy-back strap to attach and carry the small tote bag with the 21-inch bag.
On the exterior, for added storage and quick access, there are multiple front-zippered pockets and a large zippered mesh lid pocket. The two inline-skate-style wheels are fixed, and two feet on the front prevent the bags from rolling on inclines. The inline wheels roll more easily over curbs and on rough terrain than 360° spinner wheels. This bag also has corner protectors.
The interior is fully lined, has a large zippered, mesh interior pocket, and provides dual adjustable tie-down straps to hold your clothes. The front panel is padded with ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) for durability.
Pros
Cons
best carry on suitcase - Buying Guide
To compare these suitcases, we can consider several features. First, are the suitcases hard-side or soft-side? Hard-side luggage will better protect your packed items from rough handling and precipitation and cannot be cut into with a sharp object. However, you can squeeze a bit more into soft-side, and you can squeeze soft-side luggage into small spaces more easily.
The Coolife Suitcase, the Exzact Cabin Carry-on Bag, and the Reaction Kenneth Cole Out Of Bounds Carry-on Bag are all hard-side luggage.
The Travelpro Maxlite 4 Suitcase and the U.S Traveler Rio Two Piece Expandable Carry-on Luggage Set are both soft-side luggage.
This feature is not weighing in on our choice for the best carry-on luggage, but if you have a preference, then choose from the suitcases that match your preference.
Carry On Suitcase Size Requirements
All of these options say that they meet the size requirements of most airlines for carry-on luggage.
We recommend that you check the regulations of the airlines that you use and measure the suitcases yourself from the bottom of the wheels to the top of the collapsed handle to be sure that they do comply with your airline's regulations.
All of these are comparable as far as the handles, zippers, storage space, and compartments.
The first four options do offer 360° spinner wheels that are easier to maneuver in tight spaces, while the U.S Traveler Rio Two Piece Expandable Carry-on Luggage Set has inline wheels that work better on rough terrain and over curbs.
best carry on suitcase
In the end, our choice for the best carry-on luggage is the U.S Traveler Rio Two Piece Expandable Carry-on Luggage Set.
We chose this set because of the versatility that the two pieces offers.
Final Verdict
When choosing and packing your bags, think of your under seat, personal bag as the one that you can easily access during your flight. The overhead storage bag will hold things you may want easy access to on the ground plus possibly some clothing and toiletries in case your checked luggage gets lost. Any thing else will go in your checked luggage.
Now that you know about the different features available in carry-on luggage, you can choose the luggage that is best for you and be ready for your next trip.
