We buy all the products we test — no freebies from companies. If you purchase through our links, we may earn a commission, which helps support our testing.
We've circled the globe with all kinds of luggage, from rolling carry-ons and organized travel backpacks to oversized duffel bags and checked suitcases from top makers like Osprey, Travelpro, Cotopaxi, Rimowa, Samsonite, Patagonia, Timbuk2, and more.
That's a wrap: heading home after a long day of side by side testing. We put each bag through the same gauntlet of tests to see how they performed and which ones are the best. And somehow airport security didn't kick us out.
From stashable rollaboard bags to cleverly laid-out backpacks, the right luggage should enhance your travel experience by fading into the background. It should keep you organized and streamlined so you can focus on where you are rather than what you brought.
Our team of traveling expert testers has several decades of sightseeing, adventuring, and commuting across the world and has tested nearly 500 bags. We've pushed the limits of international carry-on baggage size allowances, carted our belongings via train, bus, and pack animal, and spent months living out of these bags to find the best options for every type of traveler.
Our favorite pieces of standard rolling luggage are the Travelpro Platinum Elite 21" carry-on and 29" checked bags. This line from Travelpro has great capacity, smart packing systems, exceptional durability, and looks smart wherever you roam. Pair this luggage with the Timbuk2 Authority Deluxe as your under-seat personal item for a truly smooth travel experience.
When it comes to carried bags, the Cotopaxi Allpa is our top recommendation for a carry-on-friendly travel backpack that most types of travelers will appreciate. It's well-organized but still adaptable, with handy features, comfortable straps, and high livability. If you prefer a duffel when you travel, the Patagonia Black Hole comes in a ton of sizes, is impressively stuffable and durable, and has been one of our absolute favorites through years of testing.
If you like keeping a few items close as you explore a new place or kick back on a long flight, we've also tested convenient crossbody fanny packs. For more adventurous trips, consider swapping out your regular personal item backpack for a daypack. No matter where or how you roam, our globetrotting experts can help you travel better.
Editor's Note: We updated this review on May 7, 2025, to include new test results and insights from long-term use of travel backpacks.
Who it is best for: The Travelpro Platinum Elite 21" Expandable Spinner is the top choice from our carry on review and is ideal for frequent travelers who value organization and durability, whether they prefer meticulous packing or a more casual approach. Its 40-liter main compartment, exterior pockets, and internal features like a removable garment bag and toiletry bag cater to those who want everything in its place, as one tester noted: “When I travel, I like everything in a specific spot. My husband prefers the 'chuck it all in' method. We've both been using this roller for almost a decade — and we BOTH love it.”
Why we love it: Its treasure chest of organization, including a large pocket under the lid, pockets on compression strap arms, and unmatched durability, is almost unrivaled. Its magnetic wheels ensure smooth, effortless rolling, and the five-height telescoping handle remains reliable even with a fully packed bag, as one tester raved: “I love this classy roller's thoughtful features and sturdiness. Its magnetic wheels are amazingly smooth and roll in a straight line next to me without any effort.” The soft-sided ballistic nylon withstands years of travel—some team members report it looking nearly new after seven years of heavy use across flights, trains, and buses. Larger versions, like the 29" checked version, offer similar organization, perfect for living out of without unpacking.
Should you buy it? This is a top recommendation due to its unmatched combination of intuitive organization, ease of use, and durability at its price point. While not cheap, a lot of bags cost more and offer less. It suits domestic and international travelers, though its 23.5-inch height (including wheels) slightly exceeds U.S. (22 inches) and international (21.5-22 inches) carry-on limits, which may be an issue with smaller international carriers. For those prioritizing strict compliance, Travelpro offers a smaller international-sized version.
Grabbing a quick charge on the fly. We are impressed with how many features this pint-size spinner offers -- our favorite being the pre-wired USB charging port.
Who it is best for: The Away The Carry-On is an exceptionally durable hardshell roller that's perfect for frequent travelers who are tough on their stuff. It's a great option for folks who want to stay organized but also prevent themselves from overpacking. And though it costs a little more up front, this bag is our top luggage recommendation for travelers looking for a high-value item that's still built to last.
Why we love it: The packing and compression system in The Carry-On is one of the best we've seen outside of the luxury luggage market — which costs three to six times as much. The external polycarbonate shell has a matte finish that resisted picking up scratches or dents, even when dragged up stairs, dropped from head height, or checked. It rolls exceptionally smoothly and has durable handles that stay tucked tightly against the sides when not in use. While most carry-on rollers technically exceed airline size restrictions, this one stays within them. It looks great and comes in a staggering array of colors.
Should you buy it? We recommend this for travelers who want peace of mind that their luggage will fit in the overhead bin. Without any expansion zippers, this bag is impossible to overpack — and even fits the smaller size restrictions for most European airlines. It's a durable bag that proves its value over years of punishing trips, and one that we don't hesitate to recommend to anyone looking for a smart packing system in a durable shell.
Who it is best for: The Cotopaxi Allpa 35L is perfect for travelers who stay on the go and need to live out of their luggage while maintaining easy access to essentials without unpacking. It's ideal for those embarking on trips with impractical rolling bags, such as multi-week adventures or urban travel through crowded spaces. This backpack suits individuals who value a semi-structured packing system and prefer a comfortable, carry-on-friendly bag over suitcases or duffels.
Why we love it: It stands out for its integrated, yet versatile organizational system, mimicking the benefits of packing cubes with mesh pockets that divide the main compartment to secure socks, essentials, and larger clothes. The main compartment fully unzips without gear spilling out, and the bag is comfortable for extended wear due to its supportive shoulder and waist straps and back panel. The removable waist strap adds versatility for navigating crowds. One tester raved, “I took this on my multi-week trip through Europe, where a rolling bag would slow me down. Its ingenious organizational system made living out and staying organized easy.”
Should you buy it? This is for travelers who don't want to unpack while they travel: accessing items without disrupting careful packing is easy. However, its laptop sleeve is weak, with less padding than we'd like for a full bag and a small, 15-inch sleeve. While excellent for organization, the mesh pocket system and clamshell design limit shoving bulky items in a hurry. But if you prioritize structured packing that you can live out of for weeks — and can overlook the laptop sleeve's shortcomings — this bag is our top recommendation for a carry-on travel backpack.
Keeping Your Essentials Close
Often, when traveling with a carry-on backpack like this one, we find it useful to pair it with a small fanny pack to keep the items we want with us close at hand and not have to rifle through a bulky backpack on the airplane or train.
Who it is best for: The Timbuk2 Authority Deluxe is ideal for travelers needing a reliable laptop backpack as a personal item during airline travel, particularly for work trips involving electronics. It's perfect for those prioritizing organized storage for tech essentials like laptops, chargers, and documents while valuing a compact design that fits under plane seats. This backpack suits professionals or tech-savvy travelers who don't need extensive overnight packing capacity.
Why we love it: The Timbuk2 Authority Deluxe excels with its padded, dedicated laptop pocket and a secondary sleeve for documents or another device, complemented by auxiliary pockets for pens, keys, chargers, or a wireless mouse. Its thick fabric beads water well, and a waterproof bottom protects against wet surfaces. Additional features include a luggage loop, exterior accessory straps, and a water bottle sleeve, making it highly travel-ready. A tester praised, “I like this pack's extra features. It has a luggage loop across the back, dual electronics sleeves, exterior accessory straps, and a water bottle sleeve. This bag is travel-ready.”
Should you buy it? This is for tech-focused travelers seeking a compact, organized laptop backpack with useful features for airline travel. However, its small dimensions limit its capacity for folders, notebooks, or overnight gear, and the water bottle pocket is designed for skinny bottles only. Choose this if tech organization and compactness are your priorities.
Who it is best for: The Patagonia Black Hole Duffel is ideal for travelers seeking a versatile, durable duffel bag in multiple sizes to suit various trip lengths and needs. It has always scored at or near the top in our duffel tests. It's perfect for those who need a reliable bag for both urban and rugged environments, with the flexibility to carry it as a backpack or duffel. This bag suits adventurers who value durability and water resistance but don't require extensive internal organization.
Why we love it: It has a high-performance design, with burly fabric that is water- and abrasion-resistant, with a reinforced bottom panel to protect gear during rough handling. Available in various sizes, it offers features like removable backpack-style shoulder straps for easy transitions, daisy chain attachments, and, on larger models like the 100-liter, multiple zippered pockets and internal compression straps. A tester noted, “The backpack-style shoulder straps of the latest version are easily removable, making the transition from street to airport a breeze.” Its versatility and durability make it a testing team favorite.
Should you buy it? This duffel excels in durability, versatility, and performance across sizes, making it ideal for various travel needs. However, the 55-liter version lacks internal compression and has fewer pockets, and all sizes could use more small-item storage. Handle button snaps are less convenient than Velcro. It's a great choice for those valuing toughness and adaptability over minor organizational drawbacks, but pocket-heavy users may prefer alternatives.
Weight: 2.6 lb (55 L size) | Sizes Available: 40, 55, 70, 100 L
Who it is best for: The Osprey Sojourn Shuttle 100L is perfect for adventurers and frequent travelers needing a high-capacity, durable gear hauler for global trips. It's ideal for those who prioritize gear protection and mobility across diverse terrains and don't mind a larger bag that may slightly exceed standard airline checked luggage dimensions. This bag suits users who value purposeful design and are willing to invest in premium quality.
Why we love it: The sturdy design features a straitjacket compression system with padded, durable flaps and webbing to secure gear, extra-large 4-inch wheels for smooth rolling, and a full-length interior metal frame for stability. Standout features include balance-engineered grab handles, a water-tight shell, beefy zippers, an exterior muddy boot bin, and an add-a-bag strap. A tester shared, “I've lugged my Sojourn around the globe for nearly two years. It protects my gear and rolls on nearly any surface, especially cobblestone streets. My favorite feature is its adjustable storage system.” Its comprehensive, adventure-ready design makes it top-of-the-line.
Should you buy it? This is an excellent choice for those seeking a premium, high-capacity bag with superior gear protection and mobility. However, its 67-linear-inch dimensions exceed the 62-inch limit for most airline checked bags, which could pose a risk despite successful past use. The high-quality materials, like top-tier zippers and fabrics, justify a higher price but ensure durability, though the zippers can feel stiff. If you need a tough, feature-packed bag for extensive travel and can manage the size and cost, this is a fantastic option, but those strictly adhering to airline size restrictions might need to explore smaller alternatives.
Putting our Sojourn through the ringer. We tested its over-sized 4-inch wheels, and super tough, water-resistant exterior, and we feel this bag is ready to haul your gear just about anywhere.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
How We Tested
Over many years, our travel enthusiasts and bag aficionados have been researching, traveling with, and testing the top travel bags, packs, and luggage available. We've bought over 400 pieces of travel gear and carted them along on global adventures to evaluate their performance in the real world. We've wheeled bags through security, checked them on international flights, strapped them to pack animals in remote mountains, worn them trekking in foreign cities, and commuted to school and work with them.
We hauled The North Face Base Camp Rolling Thunder all over Tibet, China, to discover how it would hold up as an elite adventure bag.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
We also tested each bag through standardized and rigorous testing to determine the nuances in performance and capabilities. We've put them in our showers, cycled through rainstorms, carried them in the snow, and jammed them full of as much as they could hold. We've dropped suitcases from unnerving heights and pushed them down concrete stairs. Year after year, no matter the situation, we push these travel bags to their limits to learn which ones are best for what types of travel.
Pushing our Samsonite Freeform Large Spinner down a flight of concrete stairs at Salt Lake City International Airport.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Why Trust GearLab
To find bags for travel, we've assembled a team of bag geeks and travel experts to test everything from daypacks to duffel bags to roller suitcases. Jason Wanlass heads our rolling suitcase reviews, testing carry-on and checked sizes. Jason has spent decades wandering the globe searching for adventure with his family. He's traversed continents, taken more airplane trips than he cares to count, and needs great luggage to get him there.
Ensuring the carry on bags fit within airline requirements.
We've put dozens of pieces of luggage through their paces in airports and airplanes across the world.
Setting off on a big journey? A big suitcase or an oversized duffel might just be your best friend along the way.
We've tested hundreds of travel bags over the years, heading to far corners of the globe and the office up the road.
Leading the team on the hunt for the best duffel bags and travel backpacks for your journey is Hale Milano, along with a few other fellow gear testers. Hale has traversed the globe several times, living out of everything from Army-issued duffel bags to rolling suitcases for business trips and ultra-light backpacks for adventure. Whether it's for work or play, Hale never lets his gear hold him back from enjoying his trip.
Many duffel bags we tested have a backpack carry option, which we appreciate when we have to lug our belongings through the airport or down the street.
Credit: Hale Milano
How to Pick the Best Travel Bag for You
Choosing the right type of bag is often a matter of determining what type of travel or adventure you're doing and working backward. To choose the right bag for your trip, consider what you need to bring, how long you'll be away, and how you plan to get around.
We test our travel bags side by side, but we also take them with us to see how they hold up against real-life travel. We examined our REI Co-op Big Haul Rolling Duffel 30" from head to toe on a recent adventure trip to Maine.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Check Your Airline's Carry-On Allowance
While plenty of luggage is advertised as “carry-on size”, some of these bags are actually larger than airlines allow. While US airlines often let things go that aren't overstuffed, certain international carriers have weight limitations instead.
A cautionary tale from one of our testers…
"I always travel with Travelpro Platinum Elite 21", so I took it on my honeymoon to Svalbard — aka the North Pole. We made it to Norway just fine, but I forgot to check the domestic baggage allowances for the final leg. My bag was over the weight limit, so they checked it. Because of plane weight restrictions on Svalbard's landing strip, the airline left many bags behind — including mine. I didn't have any of the layers I had packed for our Arctic expedition, and I had to buy extra clothes on a very expensive island to stay warm enough until my bag arrived 28 hours later. I'll never repeat the mistake of not checking airline regulations!"
How Long Is Your Trip?
In many cases, the size of the bag you need depends on how long you'll be away and how much you plan to take. Heavy packers or those headed away for an extended time should prioritize larger capacities and good compression systems. A smaller bag with good internal organization works well for a weekend getaway.
If traveling by air, you must pay particular attention to the size of your bag. Check your airline's posted limits for carry-ons, personal items, and full-sized luggage. Carry-on bags are designed to fit into airplane overhead bins, but each airline has its allowable limits for the size or weight of these parcels. And while many carry-ons offer expansion zippers, cramming your bag full may exceed your airline's size restrictions — meaning you'll have to check (and potentially pay extra for) your bag.
Personal items, as defined in air travel, must fit under the seat before you. They can be a backpack, purse, messenger bag, or tote — really anything, as long as it fits, typically under 30 liters. Just like carry-ons, every airline has different restrictions for personal items. While most US airlines allow any bag that fits under the seat, some international carriers also impose weight restrictions — and charge you extra for packing more.
Though you can check most pieces of luggage, even checked bags are subject to airline size and weight limitations. Most carriers define an upper weight limit and “linear dimensions” as allowed. That means you need to add the length, width, and height of your travel bag to ensure it falls within that limit. You can still check bags that are larger and heavier than these allowances, but you'll pay extra to do so, and you may have to pick up your bag from a specialty “oversized baggage” area when you reach your destination.
Most airports have these checkpoints to ensure your bag is carry-on sized. Though, you can always look up the airlines specific requirements prior to the flight.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
What Are Your Methods of Transportation?
Beyond airline rules, trains and buses have their own rules about luggage quantity and size — though they are almost always less restrictive than planes. More importantly, consider how many transportation changes you must make, how much walking is involved, and what surfaces you need to cross.
Frequent changes from plane to train to city bus to walking over uneven stones can make a wheeled bag cumbersome and difficult to hit tight connections with. If being quick and crossing questionable terrain is a part of your journey, a bag you can carry is a better option. On the other hand, if you're hopping in a car right out of the airport or taking a long train journey where you'll want to stow — and even lock — your luggage, your trip is likely better suited to rolling luggage.
If you're taking multiple modes of transportation on your travels, consider all the surfaces you'll cover and the best way to easily cart your luggage.
Credit: Jason Wanlass
Choosing Your Best Type of Bag
Now that you know your travel style, it's time to find your bag. Many different types of bags help you get from here to there. While many have obvious uses and strengths, many have multiple usable situations and attributes that help them excel in different travel environments.
For the budget-conscious traveler, it can be a great value to purchase a set of luggage that includes multiple pieces you'll want for travel.. While the value for so many bags is undeniable, our testing revealed that these extremely low-budget sets were made with far less durable materials and construction than most other bags. So, if you're hoping to keep using your bags for many years of travel, these bottom-of-the-barrel options might be unable to keep up.
Credit: Rimowa
Rolling Luggage — These bags can be a traditional suitcase (hardsided or softsided) or a rolling duffel bag with two or four wheels. Wheels make these bags highly maneuverable and convenient on flat, smooth surfaces. Those with four wheels instead of just two can be pushed or pulled and stay closer to you as you weave through crowded or narrow spaces. However, if you plan on spending a considerable amount of time walking through gravel, over cobbles, or navigating public transportation, a roller bag can be cumbersome, frustrating, and slow.
Credit: Cotopaxi
Travel Backpacks — Larger than your typical backpack, these bags have enough internal storage and clever organization to securely hold everything you need for your trip, sans suitcase,. These travel-focused bags are meant to be carried when rolling bags will slow you down. They're a great choice for destination hopping and utilizing multiple types of transportation — like taking the train and then a bus from the airport to a stop near your accommodation.
Credit: The North Face
Personal Backpacks — Especially when traveling on an airplane, using a backpack as your item is the best way to achieve maximum packing capacity. If you bring your computer, a laptop backpack offers protection and organization for your belongings. For traveling children (or those who prefer to leave the laptop at home), a standard school backpack can perform the same function. If you plan hiking or adventuring at your destination, you may substitute a daypack instead. As long as it fits under the seat in front of you — which includes most bags up to almost 30 liters — most US airlines will allow it.
Base Camp Duffel
Credit: The North Face
Duffel Bags — These bags are great for packing in many clothes, oversized items, or oddly shaped gear due to their large main compartment. While soft-sided and flexible, allowing them to be packed into oddly shaped spaces, their carry method will dictate where you're willing to take them. Traditional single-handed carry handles make great road trip bags. Some duffels feature backpack straps or even wheels, making them solid choices for airport journeys or far-flung adventures.
No matter what you're packing or where you're heading, there's a great travel bag for you.
Credit: Hayley Thomas
Conclusion
Whether packing for a three-month expedition or commuting to work daily, these backpacks, duffel bags, and suitcases have you covered. No matter the journey ahead of you — be it a cobblestone road in Scotland or a bike ride to the gym — we've done in-depth testing and side-by-side comparisons on hundreds of travel bags to help you choose the best companion for your packing needs. Wherever your travels take you, we hope you're well-prepared with one (or more) of these top travel bags.
