There are few worse feelings than climbing off an all-day flight, shambling on down to baggage claim, and then watching each and every one of your fellow passengers gleefully grab their bag and disappear, while yours is nowhere to be found. The devastating realization that your checked suitcase didn’t make it is a strong enough blow to turn the sweetest of vacations sour.
I’ve been there, and that’s just one of the many reasons I never check a bag unless I absolutely have to. But living the carry-on life requires having the right suitcase, and there are hundreds and hundreds of choices out there. We tested 15 models and considered dozens more to find the perfect one for you.
Why you should trust me
I make my living as a freelance journalist, but finding the story often means hopping on a plane and jetting somewhere far away. I fly about 200,000 miles every year, endure 150 days away from home, and set down in a dozen countries or more.
I literally spend nearly as much time living out of a suitcase as I do at home. I also spend more time pushing my suitcase through airports than I do driving my car. In more than 25 years of regular business travel, I’ve retired more roller bags than I care to admit. For the Filter, I’ve lauded the Mission Workshop Rhake backpack, something I can’t travel without, and recommended gear that’s worth it for your next trip.I’ve learned a few things along the way, and I’m happy to share that experience with you.
For more, check out our guides to the best packing cubes, backpacks that fit under airline seats, eSIMs or this vest that’s a workaround to pesky TSA rules.
At a glance
Best overall carry-on suitcase: Cotopaxi Coraza
Best budget carry-on: Heys Airlite 21-Inch
Best softside carry-on: Away Carry-On Softside
Best overnighter: Away Softside Compact
Best splurge: Peak Design Roller Pro
How I tested
For this article, I started by looking at the current offerings of the brands I’m personally familiar with, and consulting some fellow frequent flyers about other, new-to-me options.
From there, I considered dozens of different models that might be suitable, eliminating most for various reasons, such as cost, weight or size.
Size is one of the most important factors. A carry-on suitcase should be big enough to hold at least a few day’s worth of clothes and ancillary items, or maybe up to a week’s worth of travel if you pack smart.
That said, you also need something small enough to fit in the overhead compartment. That means fitting within spitting distance of the American TSA-approved size of 22 x 14 x 9in.
I sampled 15 different models from 10 different brands and evaluated them for quality and features. To verify my choices and make sure they worked as well as they should, I took the finalists on trips with me to see just how well they zipped across the terminal and fit in the overhead.
After testing, all these suitcases are either being returned to the companies that provided them, or donated to local foster charities where they’ll help kids as they move on to their new homes.
The best carry-on suitcases in 2026
Best overall suitcase
Cotopaxi Coraza
Why we love it
Cotopaxi isn’t exactly a household name in the luggage space. In fact, they’re hardly a household name at all, unless you’re particularly outdoorsy. The brand has established a strong base of loyal fans thanks to the bright, funky designs on their clothes, slings, and packs, plus their dedication to ethical and sustainable materials and production.
Their suitcases are a recent endeavor. Cotopaxi’s offerings include duffel bags and packs, some of which are on roller wheels, but its first hardside model, the Coraza, showed up in early 2026. I was immediately smitten by the design. I liked the palette of available colors and loved the contrasting-color, skateboard-style wheels.
The rich features are a plus. I confess I’m not much of a packing cube guy, but the Coraza has easily removable liners in each half of the suitcase that function as such, so you can separate your items as desired. Those bags also keep your stuff from falling out and can be easily removed for washing.
The closure uses buckles, not zippers, which gives this suitcase a more premium feel like a high-end briefcase. Each buckle pops shut with a satisfying clicks and has an integrated, TSA-approved combination lock. Those chunky wheels cruised through the terminal without issue. And perhaps the best part? A lifetime warranty, plus easily replaceable parts. (If you want different colored wheels, the company sells singles for a reasonable $10.)
It’s a shame that … The Coraza doesn’t expand to give a little more room, but the rigid sides and buckles mean you can really stuff this thing full and latch it shut.
Cost: $295
Dimensions (WxHxD): 14.4 x 21.5 x 9.5
Weight (lbs): 8.5
Warranty: Lifetime
Materials: Recycled polycarbonate
Best budget suitcase
Heys Airlite 21-Inch
Why we love it
The Heys Airlite is about as simple as it gets from a design standpoint. Made out of Duraflex, a material the brand claims can withstand 4,000 pounds of impact, the suitcase has vertical ribs that add strength and comes in some lighter colors for some added flair.
Still, it impressed at its price point. Its rubbery construction made it the softest of the hardsides I tested so it won’t provide quite as much crush protection as some others. When full with clothes, I stepped on the Airlite and it squashed down to about two-thirds its normal size before springing back to normal. That’s not great for anything crushable inside, but it does mean the suitcase itself will warp and disfigure before it cracks. There are also little bumpers on the side to avoid scratches, and at just six pounds, this is the lightest suitcase we tested.
I liked the feel of the low-profile, rubberized handles on the top and side, and the main, extendable handle was smooth, extending and retracting with ease. The zippers have long pulls that you can secure with a TSA-approved lock, plus a secondary zipper to expand the suitcase by a few extra inches.
It’s a shame that … The liner isn’t removable, so you’ll want to keep dirty laundry in a separate bag.
Cost: $144
Dimensions (WxHxD): 14.5 x 21 x 9
Weight (lbs): 6
Warranty: Five years
Materials: Duraflex plastic
Best softside suitcase
Away Softside Carry-On
Why we love it
Away has become hugely popular since it released its right-priced hardside, The Carry-On, about a decade ago. But it was the company’s newer and bargain-priced Softside that stood out for its design and value in this test.
While softside suitcases can be more prone to tears and damage than hard-sided ones, Away adds a few plastic bumpers at the top corners to minimize this. The stitched ribs across the front give it a clean look, while the generously padded handles on top and side make it comfortable to lift into and haul out of overhead compartments. It’s available in four classy colors, with my favorite easily being the Coast Blue hue you see here.
Like many softside suitcases, Away’s isn’t split down the middle, with two equal-sized packable compartments on either side. Instead, it opens from the top, giving you a single big compartment inside and a zippered mesh pocket on the inside of the flap for storing things like magazines, toiletries, or travel documents. This design makes it easier to roll your clothes if you prefer that style of packing. Or, if you’d rather not throw all your belongings into the void, there’s also a provided divider to split the compartment in two.
It’s a shame that … Away didn’t integrate the TSA-approved lock into the case itself somehow, which makes it a bit clumsy. I also wish the expansion zipper was better differentiated from the primary zipper. I kept grabbing the wrong one.
Cost: $225
Dimensions (WxHxD): 14.4 x 22.2 x 9.1
Weight (lbs): 8.8
Warranty: Five years
Materials: Woven nylon exterior with polyester interior.
Best overnighter suitcase
Away Softside Compact
Why we love it
While maxing your TSA-approved carry-on volume feels good, I hate dragging along a full-size roller if I’m only away for a night or two. Finding a smaller but still full-featured bag can be a challenge, but the Away Softside Compact hits all the right marks and is $20 less than its bigger sibling.
The soft-sided material makes it nicer to the touch than your average textured plastic hardside, and helps to keep the weight down, too. It isn’t lacking in durability, though, thanks to rigid bumpers on the upper corners.
It measures five inches shorter than the other Away Softside, so it’ll fit more easily on smaller planes. It’s even small enough to put under the seat on some aircraft, which could come in handy if you’re boarding late and can’t find any room in the overhead bins.
Despite its size, I still found it easily big enough for three days worth of clothes and all my toiletries if I rolled my clothes for maximum packing efficiency.
It’s a shame that … Just like the bigger Carry-On, the Compact model uses a separate, clumsy lock. I’d prefer something integrated into the case.
Cost: $205
Dimensions (WxHxD): 15 x 17.9 x 9.1
Weight (lbs): 8.4
Warranty: Five years
Materials: Woven nylon exterior with polyester interior.
Best splurge carry-on:
Peak Design Roller Pro
Why we love it
Peak Design, long known for its camera bags and accessories, made quite a splash in 2025 when it launched its first suitcase, the Pro Carry-On. A year later, it’s still one of the best on the market.
Unlike your average suitcase, Peak’s opens up lengthwise, sort of like a clamshell. You’re left with one big compartment, perfect for rolling clothes or storing bulkier camera gear or the like. I fit my camera with my bulkiest lens (a Sony A7R with a FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS) and shooting accessories in there, plus a week’s worth of clothes, toiletries, miscellaneous cables and a paperback book with no issue.
A series of elastic straps keeps everything in place, and the backside of the lid is divided into three handy zippered pockets, for cables, toiletries or anything else needing easy access.
The suitcase’s construction makes the Roller Pro a standout and worth the hefty price tag. Peak Design used lightweight, carbon fiber struts for the expandable handle, which glides up and down smoothly. Grab handles on all four sides make it easy to retrieve no matter which way you shove it into the overhead, and the little loops on the exterior will nicely showcase all the bag tags and frequent flyer flair you’ve collected over the years.
It’s a shame that … The only problem is the cost. That said, while this is the most expensive option in the list here, it was hundreds less than some other models we tested.
Cost: $600
Dimensions (WxHxD): 14 x 21 x 9
Weight (lbs): 8.6
Warranty: Lifetime
Materials: Nylon, recycled polycarbonate, aluminum, carbon fiber
How to choose and use the perfect suitcase, according to a frequent traveler
We’ve done our best to highlight the ideal options for carry-on packing bliss, but a little extra knowledge will ensure you’re getting the most out of your bag.
Why carry on when you can check?
Dedicated bag checkers, take note: there are plenty of good reasons to embrace a rolling carry-on, not the least of which is baggage fees. Airlines charge upwards of $50 per checked bag these days, on top of airfare that’s going through the roof.
Sticking with a roller also saves you time. You won’t be standing there watching the baggage carousel spin when you could be driving home or to your hotel, and you’ll never have to worry about the airline losing your bag.
Finally – and this is a big one – relying on a carry-on gives you the most travel flexibility. If your connection makes a wrong turn in Albuquerque and you wind up taking a different flight home, or spending an extra night at some dreadful airport hotel, your day will still be ruined, but at least you won’t have to worry about finding your bag.
Hardside or softside?
This is a frequent debate among travelers and truthfully, it just comes down to personal preference. Lately, hardsided suitcases seem to be the majority, with good reason: this type of luggage generally offers better puncture and crush resistance, protecting whatever you’ve packed inside.
It’s also easier to clean and slightly more scuff-resistant than fabric-sided suitcases. And, perhaps best of all, a smooth exterior makes it harder for critters including bedbugs to catch a ride.
That said, softsided suitcases do have their advantages. They’re generally lighter than their more rigid counterparts and offer more pockets in more places to separate your stuff.
Size matters …
If you’re a domestic traveler, you need to know these dimensions (WxHxD): 22 x 14 x 9in (or 56 x 36 x 23cm). That’s the TSA defined size for a carry-on. Anything bigger than that and you’re liable to be asked to check it, which can be a real bummer at the gate.
If you’re traveling internationally, airline regulations vary, but they generally stay within an inch of the dimensions above.
… and durability, too
You might think a basic, flimsy carry-on is OK since it’ll stay clear of the airplane’s baggage compartment, but there are plenty of reasons you might have to check it, even if it’s well within TSA size limits and your airline’s weight restrictions.
For one thing, many regional aircraft have extremely small overhead compartments. If you’re stuck on one of those puddle-jumpers, any bag on wheels will probably be checked.
Even on bigger planes you might be out of luck. If you’re late to board a busy flight, there’s a good chance that all the overhead bins will be taken before you get through the door. That means your bag is getting checked.
I always travel with a TSA-approved roller bag, but I’ve still had to check it many times. It’s covered with plenty of battle scars to prove it. So, make sure you get a carry-on that’s durable enough to endure the cargo hold, and make your peace with the inevitable scuffs and scratches now!
Warranty v repairability
Truly unlimited warranties are hard to find these days. While many of our picks here have warranties covering five years or longer, those typically only cover defects. That means if your bag falls off a luggage trolley and gets run over by a 747, you’re probably not covered.
If you’re going to use your suitcase a lot, something will inevitably break, so it’s a good idea to think about repairability, too. That’s one of the main reasons the Cotopaxi won: the wheels, locks and handles are all easily replaced.
Packing techniques
There are two main packing techniques, and your choice not only affects how much stuff your suitcase can hold, but what kind of state it will be in when you arrive. The technique most folks rely on is simple flat folding, where you fold items individually and stack them inside your suitcase. This works well for minimizing wrinkles, but you might be surprised how much space it wastes.
Folded portions of the clothes create air pockets that take up room in your case. You can try to force those out by jamming your bag closed or using vacuum bags, but the most efficient way is to simply stack all your clothes and roll them up tightly like a big, unsavory stromboli.
Rolling compresses everything and saves space, but it has two main drawbacks. The first is wrinkles, especially for anything towards the middle of your wrap. You’re liable to look a bit disheveled using this technique.
The other primary problem is that rolling like this creates a single unit of clothes. Taking any single item out without disturbing that bundle is an impossible task. But if you don’t care about wrinkles, or have time to iron and completely unpack, rolling can save you a lot of space.
Another option is rolling and packing each piece of clothing individually. This makes piecemeal packing and unpacking easier, but you still get the wrinkles and won’t get quite the same space-saving benefits as the monolithic stromboli method.
Packing cubes certainly make it easy to selectively pack and unpack just what you need, and also to segment your dirty clothes if you’re on a lengthy, multistop trip. There’s also something innately satisfying about having everything in its place. But, cubes significantly increase packing time and can waste a lot of space if you’re not perfectly filling each cube, or if the cubes don’t perfectly fit your suitcase.
The Filter also tested
Other pieces you might enjoy from the Filter, the Guardian’s guide to buying fewer, better things:
