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Travel /
By Juan Ruiz, CNN Underscored
Updated 1:35 PM EST, Fri March 8, 2024
Travel enthusiasts are on a quest for high-end carry-on luggage to take with them on their adventures. Many luggage brands have introduced forward-thinking luxury collections that blend durability, style and functionality.
There are various options available for chic carry-on luggage, including different shell materials and wheel types. Here, we’ll show you our favorite luxury bags from brands like Away, Carl Friedrik and Travelpro.
Let’s take a look at each of our favorite luxury carry-on bags and why you might consider them for your next trip.
The Travelpro x Travel + Leisure Carry-On is a distinguished luggage collaboration from a reputable brand, displaying a sturdy and attractive design for travelers. Travelpro is a popular choice among flight crew members for its durable luggage designed to withstand the demands of frequent travel, all at an affordable price.
This hard-shell spinner offers a stylish, resilient design and is a practical option for travelers. Featuring expandable storage, internal pockets and tension straps, this travel bag helps keep your belongings organized and fits in most airlines’ overhead bins.
This bag is known for its exceptional construction, fashionable design and incredibly smooth roller wheels. With its wide range of appealing features, this carry-on has become loved by travelers.
Briggs & Riley is known for its top-notch, innovative expandable bags designed for frequent flyers. Impressively crafted, the is designed with meticulous attention to detail. From the innovative one-touch system that expands to fit all wardrobe essentials to the convenient wrinkle-resistant suit compartment, this carry-on luggage is engineered to optimize space, surpassing numerous other soft-shell spinner bags we've tested.
Exclusive to Briggs & Riley, a unique compression system allows you to fit an additional outfit within the same external dimensions as standard carry-ons. This compression system stands out for its simplicity, innovativeness and unmatched quality compared to other brands.
The bag also features a built-in garment folder to keep your clothes pristine, so you can arrive at your destination with wrinkle-free outfits.
If you appreciate the look and durability of an aluminum suitcase but don’t want to spend as much as the typical retail prices on brands like Rimowa, the aluminum edition of Away’s The Carry-On is worth considering.
This product is durable, lightweight and sturdy, and it maintains its appearance even after being subjected to rough handling.
This 10.7-pound carry-on includes durable, TSA-friendly latches that prevent zipper issues and ensure your suitcase stays securely closed and locked. This carry-on has a 35-liter capacity, or you can buy The Bigger Carry-On, which has a 40.1-liter capacity.
A trunk-style suitcase usually has a different split than standard check-in baggage, being taller and deeper on average. Instead of two equal-sized compartments, they often contain one deep, wide area and one smaller, thinner one.
The sleekly designed July carry-on spinner luggage is one of our favorites on the market and comes in a variety of matte or gloss colors to suit your preferences.
This bag’s trunk design and size eliminate the need for sections and zippers. Simply unclip the dual latches and raise them to open, revealing a spacious storage area for all your items.
The July Carry-On Trunk is designed for timeless travel, combining a classic trunk style with contemporary conveniences. The glazed polycarbonate shell has latch locks, smooth wheels and an ejectable USB-C battery.
Tumi’s Alpha Bravo London International carry-on, another product of collaboration, this time between a respected luggage company and premium carmaker McLaren, combines high-performance materials with stylish and functional baggage.
Tumi’s unique FXT ballistic nylon is used to produce the hard-side exterior, which combines extreme durability with a lightweight design. This carry-on is perfect as a weekender bag since it features a duffel bag-style opening for maximum packing capacity, but it also works well for longer journeys due to its expandability.
It features two inner shelves with divider panels making it easier to store clothing without incurring wrinkles, while the tie-down straps keep valuables safe and within easy reach.
This chic carry-on bag, backed by Tumi’s five-year guarantee, is ideal for regular travelers who want a dependable carry-on suitcase as they trek around the globe.
The Rimowa Essential Lite Cabin is the lightest suitcase ever produced by the brand, ensuring maximum stability with a weight that is 30% lighter than the Rimowa Essential suitcases.
This bag has a sleek design and includes a TSA-approved universal power bank and external USB-C port for charging your devices. Effortless mobility is provided by smooth-rolling multiwheel spinners, an adjustable telescopic handle and a padded top carry handle. Its interior is cleverly designed with a built-in divider pad, straps to keep clothing in place and a separate section for shoes or toiletries.
Considering the brand’s renowned durability, a warranty may not be a concern. However, Rimowa offers a lifetime guarantee for new suitcases. This warranty protects all functional components of your suitcase, excluding cosmetic damage, misuse or abuse.
Carl Friedrik products are exquisitely crafted, and The Carry-On X is no different. It’s not only visually stunning but functional and long-lasting. This luggage is a standout piece, crafted with high-quality materials that can withstand various weather conditions.
Featuring an aluminum frame with built-in TSA locks on each clasp closure, this suitcase also boasts sleek leather detailing. The suitcase features two distinctive textured surfaces you can choose from that effectively hide scratches, scuffs and other imperfections.
While looks are important, they aren’t everything. Our favorite practical feature of the Carry-On X is the integrated front pocket, which makes it convenient to retrieve travel documents and electronic devices at a moment’s notice. Additionally, we love the built-in charging port, which is compatible with a portable power bank.
The Paravel Aviator Carry-On Plus oozes sophistication and elegance in its construction. The strong polycarbonate shell of the bag, which has a timeless and classy aesthetic, is available in five beautiful colors.
Although the luggage is not expandable, it has a volume of 46.6 liters, so it can hold a considerable amount of clothes. Moreover, the bag has organizational features that facilitate easy packing. The bag has dual-zippered compartments, compressive cushioning and a removable bag for separating shoes or dirty clothes.
Aside from the carefully designed interior packing elements, the Paravel Aviator Carry-On Plus also has very smooth wheels crafted from steel axles and carbon steel bearings.
The July Carry-On Light weighs just 3.9 pounds — significantly less than others on this list. And with a solid 32-liter interior capacity, you can pack more and bring back gifts and souvenirs from your trip.
This also means that you won’t have to worry about your carry-on being too heavy when packed with goods, given that even at full capacity, the July Carry-On Light is very simple to maneuver with its weight and impressively smooth double wheels.
It is also the most affordable luxury bag on our list while maintaining a high-quality build. The suitcase’s exterior is made of scratch-resistant German polycarbonate and is strengthened with aluminum bumpers for further protection.
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Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.
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