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8 Best Travel Bags (2023): Carry-On Luggage, Duffel, Budget

Posted on January 19, 2023

8 Best Travel Bags (2023): Carry-On Luggage, Duffel, Budget

  • Photograph: Amazon

    Best Soft-Shell Bag

    Travelpro Crew Versapack

    The Travelpro Versapack system consists of modules that zip into the lidded half of the main compartment. It comes with a single compartment module that's good for separating dirty laundry, and others are available separately: one that folds into thirds to keep suits and shirts wrinkle-free (what's called a suiter), and another made of several small compartments. It has a sealed, clear-plastic pocket for toiletries that’s removable if you have to go through a security screening. I like it for the peace of mind. I’m always worried about a bottle breaking and soaking all my clothes when there’s not a way to separate items.

    I give points to Travelpro for adding a pocket for a battery bank, with a pass-through for a cable. You can buy an Anker power bank and stuff it in there, and it'll probably work better than the ones other suitcase companies build into their bags.

    The Crew Versapack is heavy at 7.9 pounds for the roll-aboard version, but it hasn’t been struck by Travelpro’s cost-cutting the way the Maxlite line has been. There are lots of pockets, and the handles are nicely padded, securely attached, and … kind of tight. The aluminum handle extensions are solid, smooth, and don’t get hung up. It's heavy but very tough and full-featured.

    $270 at Amazon
    $270 at Travelpro

  • Photograph: Away

    Best Hard-Shell Bag

    Away Bigger Carry-On Flex

    Away's newest bag is a version of its stalwart hard-sided Bigger Carry-On, with a twist. An expandable fabric section between the two polycarbonate clamshells allows you to grow your bag an extra 2 ¼ inches when you're coming back from a trip stuffed to the gills. Hard-shell bags tend to be unforgiving when you need to cram extra stuff into them, so I enjoyed the ability to expand the Flex when needed and keep it small when I didn't. All the better for wedging it into overhead bins. There's a built-in TSA-approved combination lock, four spinner wheels capable of rotating 360 degrees, and an included laundry bag to keep dirty clothes separate from the rest of your stuff. 

    $345 at Away

  • Photograph: Amazon

    Best Budget Bag

    Travelpro Maxlite 5

    The Travelpro Maxlite 4 was a top pick of mine. The Maxlite 5 is still good but not perfect. At 5.4 pounds, it's “up to a half-pound lighter” than the older model, but it seems to be lighter because of cost-cutting measures.

    Still, it’s very light for a rolling suitcase. The exterior toiletry pocket is a nice touch for when you go through security and need to take out your liquids. The zippers are also quite strong and don't tend to get stuck, which is a big problem with cheap suitcases. The wheels also rolled nicely on both the spinner and roll-aboard versions. Cheaper suitcase manufacturers will skimp on the wheels and pick ones that have too much rolling resistance.

    The aluminum extensions for the handle have a tendency to stick, and the Maxlite 5's main handle is only single-stitched. I also worry about the durability of that handle and the fabric slit at the bottom of the suitcase that replaced the Maxlite 4's bottom-side handle. Despite this, it's made better than most everything else at this price and is your best bet for a cheaper suitcase.

    $170 at Amazon
    $170 at Travelpro

  • Photograph: Amazon

    Most Luxurious, Durable Soft Shell

    Briggs & Riley Baseline CX

    A Briggs & Riley carry-on was WIRED reviewer Adrienne So's first and most expensive post-college purchase. Its bags will almost certainly outlive you. B & R is one of the few companies with a lifetime unlimited warranty. She recently had to replace a busted zipper, but it was done for free at a nearby B & R retailer within a few days. 

    Its components are top-of-the-line. The face fabric is a heavy-duty ballistic nylon that’s water-repellent and abrasion-resistant, and hers is still as gleaming bright-red today as when she bought it. The zippers have survived a decade of being yanked on, and the low-profile wheels haven't broken or fallen off. The grab handles are also luxuriously padded. Back when people used to travel, her husband had her carry his suits for him because they'd stay wrinkle-free. The only downside is that at 9.3 pounds, it’s pretty heavy.

    $659 at Briggs & Riley

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