The Best Carry-On Luggage of 2024

Behold — the carry-on king of organization and traveling comfort! Boasting a staggering 12 separate compartments for storage, you’d think we’re reviewing a specced-out 120 L expedition duffel with more flaps and zippers than you can count … but you’d be wrong. The Topo Designs 44 L Global Travel Bag ($299) manages to cram so much under the hood that nearly every category of your travel loadout gets its own dedicated home.

We brought this feat of engineering on over seven domestic flights, two international flights, and a slew of road trips to truly push it to its limits, and we came away convinced. This has to be the best, most versatile carry-on for just about any border-hopping romp you could drum up.

Here’s a rundown of your storage options: a zippered main compartment, an internal zippered divider with two separate zippered pockets on top, two internal zippered mesh pockets in the lid, and a separate pouch that zips open internally from the lid — deep breath — one large external zippered pocket with three different pouches inside that, a smaller zippered pocket on top of this, and finally, a small zippered pouch on top for passports or wallets. If you need more organization, we don’t know what to tell you.

This elaborate design is both a resounding pro, and a con. While we love being able to keep every element of our travel kit separate and organized, the sheer number of zippers, pouches, and flaps this introduces does limit the bag’s overall storage volume. While it’s advertised as 44L, we found we were able to pack less gear overall than other carry-ons with the same claimed volume.

That said, as a soft-sided bag it has more give than hard-sided models, allowing you to still haul a bulging load — with the risk of it not fitting in the overhead compartment. Also, 12 pockets can feel like a bit much for less involved weekend trips where a change of clothes and a toothbrush suffices. For the hyper-organized business traveler or seasoned globetrotter on the other hand — this is a dream.

Soft-sided carry-ons also come with the inherent con of less durability and gear protection than their hard-sided peers. That said, the 1000-denier recycled nylon face fabric of the Topo Designs Global Travel Bag shrugs off some serious torture, and has shown little signs of wear even after years of rough use.

The chassis is sturdy, and the large red wheels roll smoothly over airport hallways, or bumpy cobblestone sidewalks alike. Trotting over some truly gnarly terrain to your next hostel for the night? Whip out the removable shoulder straps, and quickly convert it into a makeshift backpack.

While we wouldn’t recommend trekking long miles like this (the straps are sparsely padded, and it doesn’t have a hip belt), it’s an awesome feature that boosts the bag’s versatility and isn’t found on many other carry-ons.

With the most robust feature set of any carry-on on this list, a sleek, stylish silhouette, and durable design, this bag easily snagged our Best Overall award. Pop over to your cousin’s place a few states over for Christmas, or set off on a month-long escapade across Europe, the Global Travel Bag is the do-it-all travel companion you need.

Looking for a simple carry-on with those coveted 360-degree spinner wheels — but don’t want to break the bank? The Rockland Melbourne 20 ($120) is sure to fit the bill, earning its spot as our best budget carry-on. This no-frills bag opens up in a clamshell style, with one side having a zippered compartment and the other side remaining open with an optional criss-cross strap for keeping bulkier clothes secure. An expansion zipper allows for an extra 2 inches of packing space, maximizing the constraints of carry-on luggage for longer trips.

The Rockland Melbourne 20 won’t dazzle you with its organizational features, however, and its quality is noticeably lesser than more expensive models in our lineup. The straps on the inside don’t do much to compress, rather will just keep your clothes from moving around too much. There are no smaller pockets in the interior of the suitcase, and the cloth material for the zippered compartment feels flimsy and prone to tearing.

While this suitcase wouldn’t be our first choice in taking on a long trip across the world, it will more than suffice for the occasional traveler looking for an inexpensive suitcase for short work trips or holidays, and comes in a variety of colors as a bonus. 

This sharp-looking soft shell carry-on has multiple internal and external pockets to help keep you organized during travel and at the hotel. But what steals the show are its buttery smooth wheels.

The TravelPro Platinum Elite ($370) rides over four MagnaTrac “dually” spinner wheels. With 360 degrees of mobility, low-powered magnets gently pull the wheels into alignment when pushing the carry-on straight. The result is wheels that track and remain wobble-free. When will grocery carts adopt this technology? The Platinum Elite wheels were the smoothest we tested. Almost too smooth. When left unattended, we occasionally found the bag rolling away from us.

On the outside, the Platinum Elite has four external pockets. Three pockets sit over the lid, with two smaller pockets for loose items, like keys, papers, devices, and a large deep pocket that can hold a 17-inch laptop (or the entire New York Times Sunday edition). Unlike other carry-ons, this large laptop pocket doesn’t have a padded computer sleeve.

But the pocket itself is padded and we liked that it was gusseted, which allowed us to effortlessly pull out the computer from an overstuffed bag. While it’s narrow, the pocket has a lot of room — and we feel it sort of misses the mark. We think it would benefit from a padded sleeve to better lock in the laptop, or even a mesh pocket for accessory cables.

A fourth “power bank” pocket hides on the left side, allowing you to plug in your own power bank to the internally routed cable that ports to the external USB port on the backside of the bag. While most airports are upgraded with USB ports these days, we like that this configuration allows you to charge your device without pulling out the power bank. You can charge anywhere (think the train station) without the risk of forgetting an expensive power bank when rushing to the gate.

The main compartment is deep, and unzips to hinge along the carry-on’s long side. It’s big enough to swallow supplies for a week-long vacation and expands an extra two inches in case you want to bring a bit extra home. Lining the bin-side are four accessory pockets. A long side pocket can hold brushes, belts, or ties. Two mesh pockets are tacked mid-depth on the top and bottom and buckle together to form a compression divider. A fourth, clear plastic pocket is perfect for holding any liquids that might need to be removed at TSA.

The pair of pockets that buckle together do help wrestle a wardrobe into submission, but they aren’t removable, and when flipped out of the bag, they roll upside-down — making them much harder to access. They are also small, maybe just large enough to hold your passport, loose coins, and receipts. 

Under the lid is a large mesh pocket that’s great for keeping your pressed wears tidy. If you travel with a suit or dress, the Platinum Elite comes with a hanging garment bag that folds up perfectly inside the main bin. 

Like the wheels, all zippers slide exceptionally smooth, including the 2-inch expansion zipper that buys you more packing real estate. A pair of replaceable leather grips are bolted to the top and sidewall with Phillips head screws, and a pull handle sits on the underside. The ergonomic handle has four extension lengths, extending from 36 inches to 42.5 inches, making the TravelPro comfortable and easy to pull, push, or grab from any angle.

All in all, this is a versatile carry-on that blends function and style, and boasts stellar organizational features.

A bestselling, hard-sided, attractive suitcase, The Carry-On by Away ($275) is our pick for the most stylish suitcase. While style might not matter for some travelers, others going on business trips — or who are the fashion-forward type — might appreciate the sleek modern look of this bag.

These suitcases come in gloss or matte finishes, with many colorways to choose from. Whether you’re the bold and bright type, or prefer more subdued pastels, there are a variety of options to choose from.

Though style is part of this suitcase’s appeal, function is given equal weight in its design. While hard-sided suitcases are always going to have fewer pockets than soft ones, the interior of The Carry-On is designed with organization in mind. A clamshell opening reveals two compartments — one with a zippered enclosure and the other with a divider that acts as a way to compress down your clothes.

The divider cinches down with two buckled straps and maximizes space by including two zippered mesh pockets on one side for small items. The other compartment is a great place to store bulkier items like shoes or things that are best held in place by the zippered closure.

We took this carry-on on a 5-day trip and felt that it had just enough space for a getaway of this length, but would probably be too small for anything much longer. Soft-sided suitcases do better at maximizing every inch of an airplane’s overhead bins and typically have more pockets, making them more suitable for longer trips.

For your more rugged travels, whether backpacking around Southeast Asia, or flying to Europe for a hiking trip in the Alps, the Osprey Transporter Wheeled Duffel 40 ($300) is a great choice for withstanding rougher conditions. A workhorse duffel, the outside of this carry-on is made with 900D recycled polyester, has a DWR coating for protection against wet weather, and is TPU-coated to boot.

Overlapping rain flaps and weather-resistant zippers ensure your contents won’t get drenched if you find yourself caught in a storm in transit. Put simply, this piece of luggage is burly. Oversized wheels roll easily through long layovers in foreign airports and perform excellently over uneven surfaces like dirt and grass. We even sprayed it with a hose to test its weatherproofing capabilities, and our clothes inside remained dry as ever.

Duffel bags are made to be tossed around and lashed to the roofs of cars or pack animals, but can be awkward and uncomfortable to carry. The Osprey Transporter has the benefit of being as burly and featured as a good duffel bag with the added bonus of a pair of wheels making it a great hybrid suitcase.

We stuffed its 40-liter interior with the contents for a climbing trip and could fit a rope, harness, shoes, ten quickdraws, plus clothes and toiletries for a week. The soft top was indeed bulging, but we could still zip it shut and were grateful that it expands.

Some travelers prefer the sleek look of hard-sided luggage. Others will look for bags with pockets and organizational features to maximize packing space. Those in the latter category will appreciate the features of the SwissGear 6283 21” Expandable Carry On Spinner ($120). The most prominent features are two exterior pockets, a removable zippered pouch for dirty laundry, an internal storage pocket, and a large, flat panel pocket on the underside of the suitcase’s lid.

It’s hard to deny that it’s nice when your bag can be somewhat organized, and our testers really appreciated utilizing the exterior pockets for small items like an e-book, passport, phone, and earbuds for quick and easy access. Opening up this carry-on, there is one main compartment to put the bulk of your items, and some adjustable tie-down straps to keep them in place.

The large, zippered flat pocket on the underside of the bag’s lid was a perfect place for a laptop. The internal storage pocket provided another ideal storage spot for small items like toiletries or electronics, and the zippered “wet” bag proved useful, especially for keeping our dirty sundries separated.

The SwissGear 6283 provides ample organizational features for its relatively low price tag, and our reviewers were pleased with the capacity of this utilitarian carry-on.

If you’re looking for a basic, hard-sided suitcase that isn’t boring and won’t break the bank, look no further than the American Tourister Moonlight 21” Spinner ($130). With a classic, split-case construction, this carry-on also expands 1.5 inches to give you the most bang for your buck.

Four single spinner wheels allow you to roll this suitcase with ease, and the interior hosts buckled straps to keep your clothes packed down and a mesh compartment to keep the rest of your items secure.

This isn’t the most feature-rich carry-on. Hard-sided suitcases already have fewer features and pockets by design, and the interior of the American Tourister is pretty lackluster. The quality of this carry-on is decent for the price point, and American Tourister makes fun Disney- and Star Wars-themed suitcases if you’re into that kind of thing.

All in all, our testers weren’t overly impressed with the American Tourister, which is just a regular hard-sided suitcase with some fun branding. But for a decent price and fun color schemes, this could be a great choice for those who like to express a more offbeat style.

The Samsonite Centric Carry-On Spinner ($200) is a sleek and rugged hard-sided suitcase that fulfills the basic duties of a good carry-on without much fuss. This carry-on’s polycarbonate shell has a twill texture that protects against the inevitable scuffs and scratches of transit. 360-degree spinner wheels allow for easy gliding across crowded airport terminals. TSA-approved locks cleverly secure the zippers so you can feel at ease that your valuables are secure.

The Samsonite Centric is a well-made suitcase with very few frills. The wheels are quite small, and not as robust across varying terrain as some of the other suitcases in our lineup, but will do well enough as you rush to your gate or try to find the hotel at your destination. Our reviewers appreciated the build quality of this carry-on, and were not afraid to toss it around and find that it did indeed come away with fewer scratches than some of its competition.

The suitcase’s interior is a little lackluster, however, with the basic setup of two compartments on each side of the clamshell, one that is large and zippered, and the other with some straps to keep your bulky items at bay. The suitcase in general lacks any exterior pockets, as is typical with a hardshell design, and doesn’t have much in the way of pockets or other organizational tools on the inside, either. But if you are looking for a simple, well-made suitcase that is sleek enough for a business trip but burly enough to withstand use and abuse, the Samsonite Centric is a good bet.

From the land of overbuilt and “Ford tough,” YETI entered the baggage game in 2021 with its Crossroads luggage series. The Crossroad 22 ($350) is positioned as the brand’s carry-on bag. Built for where the road ends and adventure begins, YETI’s hybrid 700-denier softshell/polycarbonate clamshell bag is a sophisticated take on the carry-on.

In addition to the main storage, the Crossroad 22 has two external pockets. Off the front, a large gusseted pocket reveals two padded sleeves that can protect both a 17-inch laptop and a large tablet. An accessory mesh pocket works great for keeping your cables and power supplies in order. A second, stealth pocket with a key keeper can hold your wallet, device, glasses, passport, etc. 

Unlike most carry-ons which hinge at the side, the main pocket drops open with a clamshell configuration hinging at the bottom of the bag. The deep side is protected with a polycarbonate back and has enough room to store a pair of dress shoes, running shoes, and your wardrobe for a week.

A mesh divider unzips off the backside of the lid, allowing you to separate your laundry or keep your shirts pressed while in transit. Laying over the mesh wall, a small and large mesh pocket zip-up toiletries or accessories.

All external zippers are water-resistant and machined to hook a lock, keeping both the elements and sticky fingers at bay. As expected from YETI, the zippers are tough. And a bit sticky. They don’t slide as easily as zippers found on other high-end carry-ons, like the TravelPro Platinum Elite.

The hardshell polycarbonate back and 700-denier water and abrasion-resistant top yield a carry-on that is overbuilt for the road and should last for years. We’ve used it for work and the computer sleeves are a practical addition to the mobile office. Just as long as you don’t overpack the bag. Overpacking the main compartment pushes contents up against the external pocket space, making it harder to pull and store the laptop from the sleeves.

And like the Crossroad 29 our editor reviewed back in 2022, the 22 suffers from the same pocket dilemma. There are just so many of them. If you keep an organized garage, this can bring some piece of mind. Everything has its place. For others, sifting through which pocket stores what can be an overwhelming game of hide and seek. And like backpacks, more pockets mean more components that can eventually fail.

Like all good carry-ons, the Crossroad has an extendable arm that pulls to 31 inches and 42 inches, and that fat grip feels good in the hand. 

Need more space? We paired our Crossroad 22 with YETI’s 27L Crossroads backpack and had no trouble walking through security with both bags. The backpack slips over the carry-on handle, the 22 stowed nicely on its side in overhead storage and the backpack slid under the seat in front.

In short, like all YETI products, the Crossroad 22 is overbuilt and should last you for years of travel.

Dakine’s 42L Carry-On is a simple single pocket, split-level clamshell style carry-on that opens on the long edge of the bag. Prices vary according to fabric (they offer a variety of fabrics to choose from). We reviewed the black 600-denier version, available for $185.

Regardless of the material, all Dakine 42L Carry-On bags are configured the same, with a single external pocket closing the split-level main storage.

A large horseshoe pocket unzips over the lid, allowing you to store a 17-inch laptop (or two) behind a padded sleeve. An accessory pocket can keep your cables organized. 

The main compartment unzips to hinge on the long side, revealing the split-level storage. The deep bucket is backed by a hard polycarbonate. Behind the lid, the top-level storage is zipped behind a mesh divider and has a flexible polycarbonate sheet that protects the underside while providing some framework to keep the pocket from falling in on itself. 

The entire carry-on is wrapped and protected with a 600-denier ripstop water-repellent polyester and has stealthy internal zippers to access the hardware. This allows you to repair or replace the handle, wheels, or stubby support legs beaten down during travel. Dakine backs this with a limited lifetime warranty.

Extending to 33”, 38”, and 44”, the handle doesn’t feel as durable as other handles we tested. Dakine uses a thinner diameter aluminum tubing that looks (and feels) more dainty than the other bags.

Quirks? We found the bag feels tippy when standing. And while the bottom of the lid has a plastic molded insert, the top does not. This leaves the bag feeling floppy while packing.

As the adage goes, you get what you pay for. At $185 you won’t break the bank, but Dakine’s 42L Carry-On lacks the durability and accessories of pricer carry-ons.

It’s hard to find a carry-on suitcase that’s more innovative than the Mystery Ranch Mission 40L Wheelie ($349). This suitcase has a plethora of features that make it unique and is made with burly, 1000-denier CORDURA fabric to withstand years of use and abuse. This bag makes the most out of being a mere carry-on, and for that reason, it earns an honorable mention in our review. 

Being a soft-sided piece of luggage, the Mission 40L feels way more spacious than its hard-sided, clamshell counterparts. A large, U-shaped zipper on the front of the suitcase opens to reveal the spacious main compartment. The inside flap is composed of large, zippered mesh pockets to hold small items.

There is a removable, large zippered pouch that floats in the middle of the main compartment as well, which provides some mild compression for bulky items, as well as helps keep more of your smaller items organized.

The most unique features of the Mission 40L are the separate pouches for dirty laundry and shoes — both of which can be accessed from exterior zippers and allow for even more organization of your items. They can also be rolled up and stowed away if you choose not to use them. 

Nothing is perfect, though, and while this carry-on has an incredible amount of thought and ingenuity behind it, there are a few downsides worth mentioning. The 40L size, packed to the gills, will most likely be denied entry as a carry-on on regional flights with small planes. It definitely is on the larger side of a carry-on, and as such you could run into issues with the more scrutinizing of airlines. 

While the shoes and laundry pouches make organization a breeze, when full it becomes more difficult to quickly see and access other articles in the suitcase. This, however, is only really an issue in transit, because when you get to your destination you can take out your shoes and laundry and easily live out of the suitcase as it is. 

Our reviewers also wished for two zippers for the main compartment, for quick opening and closing of the bag as well as providing the option to lock the compartment with a zipper lock. 

Despite these cons, we took our Mission 40L from the West Coast to the East Coast and back again for a 6-day trip, and were very pleased with how comfortably we could fit a week’s worth of clothes and not have to check a bag.

The North Face knows adventure and has been supplying travelers with luggage to escape off the grid for decades now. Its 22” All Weather 4-Wheeler carry-on ($350) is a hardshell carry-on that can hold a long weekend’s worth of supplies. 

With no external bling, this brutalist hard-sided carry-on feels more like a Pelican Case, and is truly inspired by deconstructing the bivalve. Hinged in the middle, the top and bottom halves mirror the same volume and open flat along the long side. The lid locks shut with a pair of TSA-compatible combination locks. Two rubberized handles sit on the long and tall side to help wrestle the smooth polycarbonate cube.

On the inside, both halves hold 12 liters of contents. One side is open with a removable compression divider that buckles into place mid-depth to the four corners. The divider has a thin mesh pocket to hold loose items, like papers or receipts. A long mesh pocket tucks on the inside along the hinge and stows an accessory bag that can be deployed for trail shoes or laundry.

The other half is zipped shut with a mesh divider that has both a horizontal quick-access zipper, and a horseshoe zipper that opens up the bin entirely. Both bays are trimmed with smooth-facing nylon, adding elegance to the otherwise spartan exterior.

True to The North Face’s modus operandi, the All Weather looks and feels like it could survive a weekend at war. The polycarbonate shell is secure and sturdy. The two sides close shut with a rubber gasket rand, sealing out water, and making the All Weather the most waterproof carry-on on our list. The four double wheels have 360˚ of mobility and track effortlessly from gate to transportation. And the Brut-design handle locks at three positions (30”, 33”, and 38.5”).

On the downside, at $350, it’s expensive and limiting — offering just over half the volume of other carry-ons on the list. And with both sides of the carry-on being equal, the capacity feels much smaller than others.

But, if durability, security, and weatherproof are your key metrics (and you pack light), the All Weather 4-Wheeler is worth a look. This carry-on is like a Volvo — boxy but good, with limited volume. It’s best suited for long weekend trips where you won’t overpack but want bomber durability.

If you haven’t seen the ubiquitous Black Hole duffel bag while flying around on your travels — you probably aren’t getting out as much as you should. It’s a cult classic, and like every hero, it has a sidekick. Meet the Patagonia Black Hole Rolling Duffel ($359), a sleek rolling version of the outdoor community’s favorite rugged duffel.

With that same shiny, bombproof TPU laminate coating we’ve grown to cherish, a stalwart chassis, and a silky smooth ride, the carry-on version of this line brings some serious competition to the market. We took the Black Hole Roller on four domestic flights and a number of road trips during our testing period, and got a slew of compliments each time. This is a good-looking carry-on.

But its allure doesn’t stop at style, and the durable but compressible nature of its malleable face fabric means it can cram into smaller spaces with ease, and compress down as your loadout fluctuates during extended travel. A limit with hard-sided bags, and a relief while trying to cram your bag into the overhead compartment while everyone waits impatiently behind you on the plane.

While it easily fits the dimension restrictions of carry-ons, the interior space seems more voluminous than others we tested — largely due to the lack of internal features and high side walls. One small front zippered pocket constitutes the bag’s external organization, and two zippered pockets on the inside of the lid round out its simple featured set.

It does come with internal compression straps, and a full internal liner that zips open for a second makeshift compartment if you feel the need. We ended up shoving our dirty clothes into this pouch to keep them separate from our clean ones as they amassed mid-trip.

The hallmark of these bags is their signature shiny TPU coating. This affords both the duffle and rolling carry-ons top-shelf durability while keeping weight to a minimum. The external material is extremely water-resistant, and the fabric overlays the zippers, which allows rain to roll off the bag without seeping in.

This came in quite handy on one trip when our bags were unloaded from the plane in an absolute downpour, and came onto the luggage carousel soaking wet (we had to check our carry-ons at the gate for that particular trip).

Cons? Well, aside from a relatively minimal feature set, it was hard to drum up any quibbles with this bag. It comes with the same precautions as any soft-sided carry-on, namely a comparable lack of protection for sensitive internal contents. But that is standard, and the sturdy base and sidewalls provide adequate defense for anything not on the very top of your package.

The Patagonia Black Hole Rolling Duffel has a supremely smooth ride, durable chassis, and plenty of volume for a weekend getaway — and looks stylish to boot. Anyone looking to add some glossy, outdoor flair to their country-hopping loadout shouldn’t sleep on this one.