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When planning your next vacation, don’t overlook one of the most important aspects of the trip: your luggage. It’s essential to find a suitcase that’s easy to maneuver, spacious for packing, compact and lightweight enough to carry and durable to hold up to wear and tear.
Best Overall – Samsonite
Samsonite earns our top spot for the best luggage brand because it has a wide assortment for every preference — from business travelers to vacationers — plus both its hard and softside suitcases have continuously proven to be high quality in our tests over the years.
In particular, it stands out for its durability and ease-of-use features: In our tests, opening and closing the cases required no struggling, and packing them has been a breeze, thanks to the functional compartments that maximize space. It’s certainly not inexpensive, but as direct-to-consumer luggage brand prices have skyrocketed, Samsonite’s have remained fairly consistent over the years.
- Why we love it: Quality construction at accessible prices that remain fairly consistent
- Take note: Testers wished the brand’s telescopic handles were easier to use
- Price range: From $106 for hardside carry-ons to $340 for larger hardside checked bags, usually on sale for less
- WHAT TESTERS SAY: Our testers who tried Samsonite’s Elevation and Freeform suitcases appreciated the sturdy and functional design, highlighting the easy-to-use zippers, spacious interiors and smooth wheels.
Best Value – American Tourister
If you’re on a budget or you don’t use luggage regularly — i.e., it doesn’t have to be the most durable and you don’t need all the bells and whistles — American Tourister offers competitive pricing and an excellent variety to choose from, including cool prints and brightly colored options for the whole family. Between the designs and versatile range of offerings, the models are fun, functional and especially ideal for vacationers.
For its hardside bags, American Tourister typically uses ABS plastic, which helps to keep the price low but is more prone to scratches. Still, it gets high ratings from online reviewers who noted that the bags are surprisingly spacious, and our testers said the luggage is lightweight and easy to use.
- Why we love it: Affordable option, simple yet spacious designs
- Take note: The bags are no-frills and aren’t as durable as others we’ve tested
- Price range: From $89 for small softside and hardside carry-ons to $185 for larger hardside checked bags, usually on sale for less
WHAT TESTERS SAY: Testers of the Air collection said the bags are great for shorter trips and vacations because of their compact size. They also appreciated how lightweight the luggage is, sharing that it’s easy to lift into overhead bins and pull around the airport.
Best for International Travel – Briggs & Riley
Briggs & Riley bags are pricey — a carry-on can cost over $600 — but they come with a lifetime guarantee that will cover all repairs if the luggage ever gets broken or damaged. The brand offers timeless styles, including hardside, softside, carry-ons and checked bags, that use innovative features, such as its signature compression packing system. Bags that have this design expand to allow you to pack and then compress down after they’re filled. The suitcases also use top-notch construction and have proven durable in our drop, abrasion and scratch tests.
- Why we love it: Spacious bags made of quality materials that have lifetime guarantees
- Take note: Pricier than other brands
- Price range: From $499 for small softside carry-ons to $977 for larger hardside checked bags
WHAT TESTERS SAY: They were wowed by how much they could fit in the brand’s Baseline bags, including one tester who said she packed a week’s worth of summer clothes for two people into her carry-on, and it still easily fit into an airline’s overhead bin. Other testers highlighted the smooth wheels and sturdy telescopic handle.
Best Under $100 – Amazon Basics
It’s hard to find good luggage for under $100, but Amazon’s luggage does not disappoint. There are softside and hardside styles to choose from, plus garment bags, duffels and more. Amazon also boasts extensive testing to make sure their products will hold up, and though the luggage might not the absolute best quality out there, the prices can’t be beat.
The ABS plastic hardside suitcases are lightweight but not quite as durable as other bags we’ve tested, showing more apparent scratches and scuffs in durability evaluations. During our Textiles Lab assessments, the suitcases proved easy to pack, thanks to features like adjustable cross straps and convenient mesh zipper pockets.
- Why we love it: Most styles arrive quickly with Prime shipping, were easy to pack in our tests
- Take note: Exteriors of hardside bags showed marks in scratch tests
- Price range: From $57 for small carry-on sets to $112 for larger softside checked bags
WHAT TESTERS SAY: Our testers noted that the telescopic handles on Amazon Basics hardside luggage wasn’t as sturdy as others, but they were impressed by the wheel performance. They said the bags were easy to maneuver through twists and turns and over the different types of flooring of our luggage obstacle course.