REASONS TO BUY
Elite construction and design
Premium accessories
High-end compression system
Fold-down clothing carrier
Premium wheels
Great handles and wheels
REASONS TO AVOID
Expensive
Weighs more
Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential Spinner Review
An elegant option with an amazing packing system, for those with the bug to have the best
Credit: Jason Wanlass
By Jason Wanlass ⋅ Review Editor ⋅ November 14, 2025
RELATED: The Best Carry-On Luggage of 2025
Our Verdict
Right from the get-go, we could tell this cabin bag was something special. In fact, we think the average traveler could pick it out of a lineup solely on appearance, if the goal was to find the bag with the highest quality. Truly, the Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential Spinner is one of the best bags we've tested. Through the years, we've handled several versions of this carry-on, and nothing has changed — same quality, design, performance, and style. And rightly so, we can't think of much that we would want to change; the Briggs & Riley pretty much has it all. It boasts a revolutionary expansion/compression system, has a smooth roll, and an amazing packing system that can carry dress clothes with far fewer wrinkles. Best of all, this carryall oozes with quality. Just be ready to pay a bit extra to upgrade to this first-class bag.
Our Analysis and Test Results
One aspect of the Baseline Essential Spinner that often gets overlooked is its substantial weight and density. Right out of the box, you just know this carry-on means business.
This bag's premium wheels absorb shock, so they roll well even on surfaces that aren't very smooth.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Capacity
The Baseline Essential scored a little lower based solely on its weight — it tipped our scales at 10.1 pounds, which is heavier than average. Therefore, you won't be able to pack as much while staying within airline weight limits. In practice, we've never had an issue with the weight.
We calculated the main compartment of the Briggs & Riley to be about 34.5 liters in volume. However, this bag has one of the coolest expansion systems we've ever used. With the help of two thumb levers, the entire case expands an additional two inches, bumping its volume to 41.5 liters. After packing, simply zip the bag closed and push down to compress your payload back to a smaller size. Pretty ingenious.
This bag's compression system is on an entirely different level.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Another forward-thinking feature of the Baseline is its trolley-handle housing. Many bags integrate this structure through the interior of the carry-on. However, with the Briggs & Riley, it sits on the exterior, giving you more internal space and a flatter home to stack your clothes and necessities. Lastly, as mentioned, we've never had a weight issue with this bag on domestic flights (generally 35 pounds), but some international carriers have stricter requirements. So you may want to do some research depending on your destination.
Placing the trolley-handle housing on the exterior of the bag creates more space on the inside of the bag and a flatter surface to pack your clothes on.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Ease of Transport
Smooth and vibration-free were our key notes after cruising our Baseline Essential Spinner through parking garages and airports. This bag has comfortable grab handles, premium wheels, and it loads and unloads with ease.
We think the handle on the very bottom of the carry-on is a little too tight, but we appreciate that it's there (this feature isn't present on every bag), and we had no other complaints when it came to moving our Briggs & Riley. We loved its leather top handle, and the adjustable trolley has one of the tallest extensions we've seen. Its top height is roughly 44 inches. When it comes to cruising, this beauty glides like Grandma's Cadillac. We also really like that the exterior trolley housing protects the case when hopping staircases or curbs, although it's made of metal and tends to scratch.
We love all of this bag's handles, and we think it hops curbs rather well too.
We would have given the Baseline a perfect score for this metric, but held back after completing our tracking tests. We loved how it rolled in the airport, but at home, we found that it tends to veer slightly when rolling unattended. This was a minor discovery, but we compared all of our carry-ons side by side, and it didn't perform as well as some others.
It doesn't roll perfectly straight, but it does roll and transfer smoothly.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Construction Quality
We don't just hand out perfect scores willy-nilly. When we give out a 10, it means something. The Baseline Essential Spinner is no joke. No piece of luggage is indestructible, but this one has clout that we don't see very often.
The construction features we immediately noted were this bag's thick ballistic nylon shell and reinforced sidewalls. Its corners and wheel housings are also well-protected with dense, molded plastic. We loved its super-strong zippers, chrome-plated zipper pulls, and handle hinges. The interior lining and pockets of the Baseline are all carefully crafted and made from premium fabrics. We've mentioned the bag's external trolley housing a few times, but it's worth reiterating in this section. It does an amazing job of structurally tying the entire carry-on together, and it really goes a long way towards providing protection against impacts of all kinds, as well as the basic rigors associated with travelling — like being crammed into an overhead bin.
From leather to chrome, everything on the Briggs & Riley is top tier.
We hated doing it, but we threw our Baseline Essential Spinner down a flight of concrete stairs a few times and then dropped it onto its head. After the carnage, we were pleased (but not surprised) that this bag handled every bump like a champ. There were a few minor scratches on its well-placed bumper guards, but otherwise it still looked brand new. Our results were identical to those of the past models we've tested.
Stop, drop, and roll. This bag can handle all of the bumps.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
The exterior fabric of the Briggs & Riley tends to absorb water a little bit, rather than repel it. We found this during our water tests. Although not much of our 2 minute rain shower made its way into the main compartment, the exterior pockets were wet on the inside. We've seen this with past models. Overall, we saturated this bag with more water than most travelers would ever really encounter, and it still had a moderate ability to fend it off.
It wasn't perfectly water-resistant in our water tests, but it still can hold its own in a basic rain shower.
Design and Functionality
The Baseline looks amazing, and it does all of the most important things very well. It also offers a ton of small and simple features that bring a decent amount of added value.
We fell in love with this carry-on's garment carrier. In fact, we were stunned by what it could hold. From dresses to skirts or blouses to suits, we stuffed ours with several different combinations of dress clothes. The overall process was easy, and it really does reduce creases and wrinkles.
The Baseline Essentials' fold-up garment compartment held a lot more than we thought it could. It's one of this carry-on's best features.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Our notes were chock-full of things we loved about this carry-on. It has a designated compartment (protected by the trolley handle) for phones and power banks. We also loved its quick-stash top pocket, which came in handy for storing ear buds, passports, or boarding passes. It also has a pouch for your laptop, an add-a-bag strap, a TSA lock, and a spring-loaded ID tag that snaps back into place. As for style, the Briggs & Riley is slightly understated, but it's all class with a timeless design that hasn't changed for several years.
We loved all of the little convenient extras this case offers.
Should You Buy the Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential Spinner?
The Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential Spinner will appeal to extensive business travelers or leisure jet-setters who don't mind paying a higher price for top quality. We noted very few negatives about this bag, and we believe that anyone who buys it will share the same sentiment. We don't recommend it for that once-a-year trip to Main Street, USA. However, if you ride in planes as much as you do cars, you just might want to consider this one.
This bag complements any traveler.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
What Other Carry-ons Should You Consider?
The Travelpro Platinum Elite 21" Expandable Spinner is as close as you can get to the Briggs & Riley in terms of quality, but comes at about half the price. Its packing systems aren't as elaborate, but it's still a high-quality bag. If you are interested in our highest-end hardshell, the Rimowa Original Cabin has an aluminum case, and it will set you back more than a grand. We also liked the luxury of the Tumi 19 Degree International Expandable, although its interior is much more basic.
This bag knows what it was made for.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Side-by-Side Comparison
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—Jason Wanlass
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