10 Best Carry-On Luggage Suitcases in 2023 – Buying Guide and Reviews

Brand: Travelpro
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The Maxlite 3 Expandable Rollaboard is a two-wheel, soft-cover made from polyester. Travelpro founder Bob Plath revolutionized luggage standards in 1987 when he made, in his garage, the first vertical luggage with 2 wheels – the Rollaboard. Like wildfire, this caught the attention of fellow pilots and flight attendants, who started using the luggage. Later, passengers caught the trend and started to buy Rollaboard. The rest, as they say, is history.

Travelpro continues to innovate and develop different luggage and travel bags with convenient features that make traveling a breeze. Maxlite 3 Expandable Rollaboard is the lightest luggage line. It is a 2-wheel rollaboard that meets airline carry-on size standards at 21″ x 9″ x 14″ – but be careful with filling it to full capacity.

Although the design does not include laptop protection, it is still a winner in terms of storage capacity with inner and outer pockets and compartments for easy organization, plus a ticket pocket for easy access to travel documents. It has an adjustable telescopic handle that can be locked at two lengths to suit different heights. It offers a limited lifetime warranty that allows you to send damaged handles and wheels to repair facilities.

Check out the latest price on Amazon.

Dimensions: 24.02 x 16.5 x 10.51 inches

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Brand: Samsonite

The Omni PC Hardside Spinner 20” is a hard-cover carry-on from the Samsonite Omni PC collection. It’s been tested to withstand wear and tear with its scratch resistant quality and 100% polycarbonate material. Samsonite has been the trusted brand of briefcases and luggage since 1910.

Jesse Shwayder, founder of Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company, named it’s vulcanized fiber suitcase Samsonite in 1939, after the biblical man of strength. When the Samsonite suitcase became their best selling product in 1965, the company decided to adopt Samsonite as the enterprise name. The brand still makes high quality luggage, bags, and other merchandise including the Omni PC Hardside Spinner 20”.

The polycarbonate material ensures strength and protection from harsh elements and rough handling. It also has four spinner wheels that allow 360-degree maneuvering even in tight spaces. Its expandable construction allows for additional loading but still meets the airline standards.

Omni PC Spinner 20” has TSA-approved locks for security. Its lack of side handle makes it harder to store in the cabin compartment – a minor disadvantage – but because of its sleek style, sturdiness, and easy maneuvering features, the Omni PC Spinner 20” still makes the list.

You can buy this online at Amazon

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Brand: American Tourister

The American Tourister iLite Xtreme Spinner 21” is the best choice for the budget conscious who still know value for money. American Tourister has been a household name for inexpensive luggage with quality. It has been in the market for 75 years. Under the wings of Samsonite, it is definitely flying high on the list of quality carry-ons, luggage, and bags.

The iLite Xtreme Spinner 21” has the trademark of American Tourister’s style and bold colors, made from polyester and nylon fabrics for that extra strength and protection from wear and tear of outside elements and harsh handling. The carry-on expands for extra room with zipper pulls and two large front compartments. Sadly it doesn’t have a padded pocket to store laptops and other gadgets.

At 21”, it passes most airline carry-on size standards. Be mindful that filling it to fullest capacity including the front compartments might make the carry-on too large for cabin space. The four spinner wheels’ multi-directional airflow allows for free movement in all directions. The interior is fully lined and have two zipped compartments on it’s flap. The large packing area enables you to pack cubes and other essentials with ease. Check out the latest pricing for the American Tourister xLite Xtreme Spinner 21” carry-on luggage online at Amazon.

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Brand: Lipault
Size: 22 Inch

The awesome Lipault 4-wheeled 22” provides lightweight traveling convenience at a fairly good price. Lipault is a French brand of high-crafted bags and luggage, with trendy, chic designs and rich colors, and was established in 2005 by Francois Lipovetsky. Later on, the brand became part of the Samsonite family. Their bag and luggage construction, designs, fabric and colors are carefully crafted to meet modern French standards.

Lipault bags and soft side luggage are made with luxurious nylon twill fabric that’s strong and can withstand abrasion and spills and nylon interior lining. It has one telescopic handle and side and top handles for ease in carrying and storing in airline cabins.

Lipault 4-wheel 22” Carry-on is for the no-fuss traveler who wants maximum space without too much features. The 4 spinner wheels ensure ease in moving in all directions. Lipault 4 wheeled 22” has a worry-free warranty that ensures replacement for factory or material defects and is available online at Amazon.

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Brand: Tumi

The Alpha Expandable 22” by Tumi is the perfect choice of business travelers for its durable material and extensive features. Tumi was established by Charlie Clifford in 1975, after his term as a Peace Corps volunteer. At first, his leather bags catered to the hippie crowd. Later, they pivoted towards traveling bags and luggage with business travelers in mind. They’ve constructed cases and luggage with durable material, ballistic nylon, with modern features and design. Tumi is part of today’s business travelers’ uniform.

Alpha Expandable 22” is just what any frequent traveler will use on a 3-day to a week’s trip for a business conference or client meetings. It is constructed with ballistic nylon that’s scratch, spill, and rip resistant. The telescopic handle is made with aircraft standard aluminum that makes it more lightweight while maintaining strength over the course of going through different airports and hotels. It has bumper protection on all corners to protect it from your harsh handling as you lug it up and down airline cabins.

Another great feature of Alpha 2 Expandable are the 4 recessed spinning wheels. Tumi designers are thoughtful enough to think of how vulnerable spinner wheels are to cracks and breaks when exposed. Alpha 2 spinners recessed design makes them less prone to breakage from too much manhandling by the owner. Alpha 2 Expandable is truly worth every dollar and you can see the latest pricing online at Amazon.

Features: Deep gussetted U-zip pocket for easy quick access to items at security; straight zipper pocket with two flap pockets, perfect for boarding pass or passport; Add a Bag feature to attach other bags for convenient carrying;

Materials: TUMI's patented FTX ballistic nylon delivers ultra-durability for extended use

Dimensions: 22" X 16" X 9"; expanded depth 11"; weight 11.1 lbs

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Brand: Briggs and Riley

The Briggs and Riley Baseline International Carry-on is below the typical standard size, but its perks make up for it. Briggs and Riley was established in 1993 by Richard Costa in Hauppauge, NY. Their unique design feature Expandable System was the first of its kind, adding more room to the luggage. Their trademark design of handles on the exterior part of the carry-on allows for packing on flat interior surface to protect clothes from wrinkling. But their warranty stands out the most – the “simple as that” lifetime guarantee covers all types of damages and dents, even from the brutal handling of airline personnel.

The Baseline International Carry-on fits perfectly into overhead plane compartments however the distinctive feature of the carry-on is the CX technology enabling the bag to expand 34% and squeeze back to its original size. It is made from 100% nylon with a fabric-lined interior. The telescopic aluminum handle can be expanded to 4 different lengths to adjust to its owner’s height.

The zip pocket on the top cover of the luggage is designed to fit suit jackets and pants and prevent them from wrinkling. The interior zipped pockets and compression straps keeps everything in place and organized. The Briggs and Riley Baseline International Carry-on is available to buy online at Amazon.

Swiss Army Victorinox’s Avolve 2.0 22” Spinner is the perfect carry-on for business travelers as it has space for everything from laptops to clothes and personal essentials. Swiss Army Victorinox started out as the manufacturer of the famed Swiss Army knives. It has branched out to include different merchandise including travel essentials such as luggage, bags, and other travel items. 

Victorinox is a name derived from Victoria, the founder, Karl Elsener’s mother, and inox, an abbreviation for stainless steel in French. The Avolve 2.0 22” offers a padded front compartment can hold a 17” laptop that is easy to access for those situations you need to pull out your laptop quickly. The interior has organizational zipped pockets and straps to compress clothes and items to make more room. It is also expandable to 1.5” without disqualifying it from airline carry-on standards. 

The Avolve 2.0 22” has the same limited 10-year warranty that allows for repair and replacement at no cost within 10 years for material and factory defects. It is made with polyester fabric that is abrasion, dirt, and water-resistant, and has 4 spinner wheels and a telescopic handle for easy maneuvering. There are 2 carry-on handles for easy storage in airline cabins and this bag is available online at Amazon.

The Delsey Helium Aero 20.5” Carry-on is a thing of beauty in style and durability. Delsey is a French brand to be reckoned with, considering it’s been around since 1946, as makers of high quality camera cases and bags with the Parisian flare. This has been the trademark of Delsey, which continues today – high quality not compromised by the price.

Helium Aero’s carry-on is made with 100% polycarbonate that’s crack and break resistant but still lightweight. The metallic finish gives it a sleek and stylish look that’s a characteristic of high end brands. It has a TSA-approved locking mechanism. And the four spinner wheels ensure that you can move the luggage in any direction you need to. Another notable feature is the 2” expandable design that is rare for hard-case luggage. This means you get more room for your trip back home without worrying about being oversized by airline carry-on standards.

Helium Aero’s carry-on also has 10-year limited warranty worldwide. This 10-year limited warranty grants you repairs and replacement within these years for defects in material and manufacturing, at no extra cost. The Delsey Helium Aero 20.5” Carry-on is available to purchase online at Amazon.

Related: You can also check out our review of the Best Delsey Luggage.

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The KCR Out of Bounds 20” 4 Wheel Upright is quite a surprise, in quality and price. It is by far the best looking carry-on for its price range. Kenneth Cole Productions was formed to enable Kenneth Cole to sell shoes out of a trailer 2 blocks from the Hilton Hotel. The full-length film, “The Birth of a Shoe Company” paved the way for him to sell 40,000 pairs of shoes while documenting the beginnings of the company in 1982. Since then, Kenneth Cole has designed shoes, bags, and clothes, including luggage. 

KCR Out of Bounds 20” is made with ABS – a common thermoplastic that’s lighter than polycarbonate, but less durable. It has a telescopic handle for easy rolling as well as side and top handles for carrying and storing in compartments and cabins. The interior is fully lined with side zipped pocket and garment restraints for easy organized packing. The two-shell design with zippers enables easy access for garment bags or cubes. 

The 4 spinner wheels enable rolling in all directions. The Kenneth Cole Reaction (KCR) Out of Bounds 20” is a good buy for people frequently traveling for business and who pack clothing that must be protected from wrinkling. It can be purchased online at Amazon.

The fantastic it Luggage Valiant 22” give you a vintage look with modern sturdy materials. The it Luggage brand started in 1985 by Landor Ltd. It was a family owned and run business that first imported quality materials from China which allowed them to provide high-quality, functional, and stylish products at affordable prices. Landor Ltd. integrated with Hawa International and formed Landor & Hawa International Ltd. The business was rebranded to it Luggage, an abbreviation for “International Traveler” in 2011. 

Considered one of the newer brands in the market, it Luggage is all the rage in Europe for its high-quality design and style. Valiant 22” 8-wheel follows the modern design in luggage, made from 100% polycarbonate for lightness and strength, with a classic vintage look. The interiors are divided into two halves with a zippered center compartment and garment straps. This makes for easy and organized packing – separating clothes from other personal essentials and protecting them from wrinkles. 

The 8-wheel spinner feature enables you to steer the luggage in any direction and is easy on your shoulders and back because you don’t have to drag or lift the carry-on. The Valiant Hardside 22” 8-wheel by it Luggage has the old school aesthetic design with modern luggage conveniences with secure construction, easy organization, all for a reasonable price.