Make travel easier with these top-rated, durable suitcases
No matter how often or why you're traveling, you’ll need a suitcase that suits your needs, It has to be spacious enough to hold all your stuff, light enough to carry around, and durable enough to last year after year
The Good Housekeeping Institute’s Textile Lab tests luggage of all kinds, from carry,ons, to checked bags, and more, We evaluate in them in the Lab by measuring things like abrasion and scratch resistance, water resistance, weight and size, ease of use, and durability in our drop tests, We also perform packing tests to compare compartments and see how much each can hold, Then we bring in consumer testers to use the luggage in an obstacle course and give feedback on aspects like handle comfort, wheel performance, and maneuverability, In our most recent evaluation, we tested 25 of the hottest new styles and logged over 4,000 data points to find the best cases you can buy
After combing through the past 10 years of test data with thousands of additional scores, we’ve selected the best luggage brands based on top-performing cases from our review, our expert favorites that we use when we travel, and newer styles with unique features. Read on to learn more about our top picks, but in summary's the best luggage brands to shop in 2021 are:
Best Overall Luggage: Away Luggage
This direct-to-consumer brand makes suitcase shopping a whole lot easier: It offers a top-quality bag in a variety of sizes and colors. The luggage is made of 100% polycarbonate, so it’s durable yet lightweight — even lighter than some fabric bags we’ve tested, It’s also surprisingly spacious and has an easily removable battery so you can charge your phone or other devices, while still complying with airline regulations, The company offers a 100-day any-reason return policy, so you can send it back for a refund even after you've used it
Best Value Luggage: Open Story
Target's new luggage brand gives you top-quality hardside materials and a lower cost than its competitors. The carry-on size is just $160 and is lightweight, spacious, and has lots of compartments to keep you organized, It even comes with a detachable laundry bag and a USB port in case you want to add a battery to charge on the go, The checked size is $190, and both sizes have polycarbonate shells and come in nine different colors
Best Luggage for Long Trips: L, L, Bean Luggage
If you’re going away for weeks or just have lots to pack, L, L, Bean’s duffels are roomy enough to stuff in everything you need, There are options with or without wheels and lots of sizes to choose from (the extra-large bag is incredibly durable), The flexible shape also allows it to store easily under your bed, so it’s perfect for college students or summer camp goers, It’s also made of sturdy, water-resistant nylon fabric to last no matter where your travels take you
Best Luggage for Frequent Flyers: Hartmann Luggage
This luxury brand is on the pricey side, but has timeless designs — from hardside to tweed fabric — that never go out of style, In fact, the brand’s marketing and aesthetics are focused heavily on its heritage, It has been a top performer in our tests thanks to its spacious interior that's easy to pack and its wheels and handles that make it smooth and comfortable to maneuver, It outperformed even pricier styles, so you know you’re getting good bang for your buck
Best Luggage for Infrequent Flyers: American Tourister Luggage
If you don’t use luggage regularly — i, e, it doesn’t need to be the most durable and you don’t need all the bells and whistles —American Tourister offers good value and lots of options to choose from, There are lots of options if you prefer bright colors and fun pritns, plus there are cases for the entire family, including kids
Best Luggage for Business Travel: Samsonite Luggage
Samsonite’s another brand that has proven high quality as we’ve tested it over the years, including both hard and soft styles, It has specifically stood out for durability and ease of use: There’s been no struggling to open and close the cases, and packing them has been a breeze thanks to the functional compartments, making them perfect for someone who is constantly on the go
Best Luggage for Adventure Travel: Eagle Creek Luggage
Whether you’re backpacking through foreign countries or exploring a national park, Eagle Creek gives you both the convenience and durability you need in a bag, Some have various compartments you can stay organized (or store dirty laundry separately), and some bags have straps you can wear it as a backpack if you need to be hands-free. We especially love the Cargo Hauler Duffel: It’s affordable, spacious, lightweight, and folds up into a small pouch for easy storage
Best Luggage for Flight Crews: TravelPro Luggage
This company was founded by a pilot and it makes luggage specifically for airline personnel who travel for a living, It’s primarily soft fabric luggage (though it does have some hardside available) There’s excellent attention to detail that makes frequent flying easier, like cushioning around the handles, self-aligning wheels that let you roll the luggage in any direction, and abrasion-resistant nylon fabric
Best Luxury Luggage: Bric's Luggage
If you’re willing splurge, Bric’s luggage is both high quality and super chic, The Italian brand is best known for its leather, which it even uses as trim on non-leather cases, The Bellagio spinner was a top performer in a recent luggage test: It was lightweight yet held a lot inside and proved to be durable, And if you’re on a budget, check out the brand’s sale section — it has some of its bestselling styles in last season’s colors
Best Classic Hardside Luggage: Rimowa Luggage
This brand has always been at the cutting edge of luggage materials and made the first polycarbonate suitcase in 2000, It only makes hardside luggage, but has several different collections ranging from the Essential Lite, which is the lightest and least expensive, to the Original, which is made of durable aluminum and clever packing compartments, It’s super pricey — the cheapest case is over $500! – but its polycarbonate spinner was among the best in our test based on its weight, packing space, durability, and maneuverability
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