See Also
For an explanation of how we rank reviews, see our ratings criteria page.
by Editors of Good Housekeeping
Good Housekeeping tests eleven spacious bags that are too large to carry on, but light enough to make it easy to meet new airline weight limits. Tests cover maneuverability, capacity, construction and… durability. The luggage recommended here are the only five bags that pass the handle-strength test; the bags that fail aren't specified. Only one of the top picks, the Briggs & Riley Transcend 24" Expandable Upright, earns perfect scores for water resistance, durability and fabric abrasion, but its expandable handle sometimes sticks.
by Editors of Consumer Reports
by Yolanda Wikiel
Based on tests of more than 100 pieces of luggage, editors recommend one winner plus one runner-up in each of four categories. Among rolling luggage, the Victorinox Werks and Travelpro Crew6 Suiter are… top-rated. The L.L.Bean Rolling Adventure duffel and Barbour Canvas Travel Explorer tote bag are also highlighted. All eight bags are sized to fit into most airplanes overhead compartments. They're also lightweight and easy to pack. The rolling luggage is also judged easy to maneuver.
by Editors of Outside magazine
Based on abusive tests of new luggage (including trying to soak it with water), Outside editors review the seven best luggage picks and give one, the Eagle Creek Take 2 ORV Trunk 28, their Outside Gear of… the Year award. A big expedition duffle, the Osprey SpaceStation 100, is picked as the best value in adventure luggage. The luggage reviews from 2007 back to 2004 are also available online, including Gear of the Year luggage for each year.
by Erin McCarthy
We'd rank this current review higher if more suitcases were tested. To find out if expensive rolling luggage is more durable and protects contents better than an inexpensive suitcase, this review compares… three suitcases ranging in price from $180 to $630. Each suitcase is packed with paint-filled glass bottles wrapped in towels, and then thrown off a loading dock 40 times. The luggage is also tested for maneuverability, on bumpy terrain as well as hairpin turns. Unfortunately, none of the three bags excels in all three tests. The most expensive bag, the Titan Diamond, proves the most durable and second-best at protection, and is easy to pull but hard to push.
by Jen Trolio
by Charles Passy
Reviewer Charles Passy tests five very lightweight rolling suitcases for durability and functionality in a hands-on torture test. Each bag gets an overall grade (ranging from A minus down to D) plus brief… evaluations for durability, functionality, features and warranty. The Eagle Creek Tarmac ES 25 bag gets a much higher overall grade than the other four bags, and is the only one that carries a lifetime warranty.
by Brad Tuttle
Brad Tuttle and editors from Budget Travel test five wheeled bags by dragging them over cobblestones and cracked sidewalks in New York City. The main focus of this review is on the bags' rolling… performance, with a bit of attention to packing and comfort. These medium-size bags are too big to meet requirements for carry-on luggage, but the reviewers reason that testing larger, heavier bags is the best way to test a brand's wheels. The review provides details about the performance of each bag, test by test, on fast pulls, cornering, bumpy terrain, curb hopping, stability and maneuvering through a crowd. The Eagle Creek Velocity 25 is the clear winner.
by Charles Passy
The same reviewer who tests medium-sized rolling luggage for Money magazine also tests five carry-on spinner bags to find out if this four-wheeled style is easier to use than the usual two-wheeled bags.… Each bag is run through an obstacle course of traffic cones, on both carpet and tile - but not over anything rougher. All five spinner bags prove easier to maneuver than the unspecified two-wheel luggage used for comparison, but they can get out of control on a slanting floor. The Atlantic Graphite Lite earns top ranking. The American Flyer Elite Quattro 360 is judged the best value, but some drawbacks are noted and it costs only $10 less.
by Rosemary McClure
by Ryan Malkin
by Seth Stevenson
Despite the age of this review, we rank it high because the comparison testing is so clear and thorough. Six wheeled upright carry-on suitcases are tested here, evaluated for layout, ergonomics, durability,… aesthetics and light weight. Tests cover maneuverability (on streets and airplane aisle setups), rain resistance and puncture resistance. The Tumi Vestry 22-inch Wheeled Packing Case excels in all respects, with two others trailing behind.
by John Flinn, Travel Editor
by Doug Dyment
This site devoted to packing light in one carry-on bag is rated by PC Magazine as one of the top 100 sites on the web. The author's luggage recommendations have also been published in Kiplinger's Personal… Finance and in Ski magazine. In addition to detailed articles on what and how to pack, the author recommends specific luggage for leisure travel, business travel - plus dual-purpose luggage that serves both needs well. The long article on why wheeled bags are a bad idea also includes some criticisms of popular luggage by Rick Steves and Eagle Creek.
by Editors of TheTravelInsider.info
We'd rank this review much higher if it were updated to cover current luggage. However, some top picks are still available, and it's possible to guess the current models that replace the discontinued… luggage recommended here. The testing includes measuring the actual bags - crucial now that airlines are tightening up on size and weight requirements - and the reviews are detailed, noting drawbacks as well as strengths.
by Doug Stallings
by Jayne Clark
This review recommends five newer, lighter carry-on bags to help travelers travel without incurring fees. The light weight and sleek design also make it easier to get these bags into overhead compartments.… The brief description of each bag includes both pros and cons, evidently based on examination of the luggage. Criticisms are quite minor, but no real testing is documented, and it's not clear how many other luggage brands and models are considered. Readers add useful comments.
by James Martin
by Contributors to LuggageOnline.com
This retail site publishes owner-written reviews and ratings of luggage from a great many different brands. The lists show the average rating and are easy to narrow down to your specifications. The main… luggage page also has a tool for finding the carry-on bags that meet a specific airline's requirements. Though not all specific bags have accumulated enough reviews to give their average ratings much weight, the site also shows the average rating for an entire brand. Most luggage brands get average ratings of 4 on a 5-point scale, but Briggs & Riley rates higher, and Heys USA and a few others, including Atlantic and Pierre Cardin, rate lower as brands.
by Contributors to eBags.com
Many brands and styles of luggage are sold here, most getting fairly high average ratings - sometimes from hundreds of owners. The site is valuable, however, since you can sort the reviews of a bag to read… the most critical comments, and check to see what percentage of buyers say they'd buy the bag again. It's a good site for checking owner-written reviews once you've narrowed your choice, and Ebags also has well-rated luggage here under its own brand, at a good price.
by Contributors to REI.com
by Contributors to Amazon.com
by Contributors to Flyertalk.com
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