Best Carry-On Luggage (2026): What 9 Tested Roundups Picked, and Which Bags Really Fit

How we reviewed this: this is a research-based review. We did not buy or test the product ourselves. We checked the official website, policies and independent customer feedback, and every fact below links to its source. Facts checked 2026-11-01. How we review · Affiliate disclosure: we may earn a commission if you buy through our links, at no extra cost to you.

Quick answer: the best carry-on luggage

We read nine carry-on roundups from 2025 and 2026 whose editors packed, rolled and flew with the bags: OutdoorGearLab (53 carry-ons tested over time), Business Insider, Forbes Vetted, CNN Underscored’s hard-shell and soft-sided guides, Condé Nast Traveler, Good Housekeeping’s lab (with a drop tester), TODAY and Pack Hacker. Then we checked each bag’s real dimensions against airline limits, plus its warranty, returns and the company’s record.

Best overall: Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On Spinner ($390). OutdoorGearLab’s Best Overall (92/100, its top score) and Business Insider’s best overall; Travelpro won awards in 6 of the 9 roundups.
Best hardside: Away The Carry-On ($275). Good Housekeeping’s top-tested carry-on after its drop tests, OutdoorGearLab’s favorite hardside, and free repairs for airline damage for five years.
Best value: Travelpro Maxlite 5 ($148 on sale). Pack Hacker’s best value pick, and very light at 5.4 pounds.
Best warranty, and it truly fits: Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential ($729). Meets the 22 x 14 x 9 limit and repairs airline damage free for life.

Read this first: most award-winning carry-ons are bigger than the 22 x 14 x 9 inch limit American and Delta publish, including the Platinum Elite (23.5 inches tall with wheels, which Travelpro’s own FAQ admits) and Away’s Bigger Carry-On. They usually make it on board, but a strict gate agent or small plane can force you to check them. Only a few winners meet the limit on paper: Briggs & Riley, Monos and Travelpro’s Crew Classic Compact. Also, most warranties don’t cover airline damage unless you register or pay extra. See airline size limits.

Comparison: price, real size and what the testers said

Carry-on	Price (Nov 1, 2026)	Size with wheels (in)	Weight	Awards
Travelpro Platinum Elite (soft)	$390	23.5 x 14.5 x 9	7.8 lb	OGL Best Overall (92); BI Best overall; Forbes Best Compact; GH brand award for frequent flyers
Away The Carry-On (hard)	$275	22 x 14.4 x 9.1	7.5 lb	GH top-tested carry-on; OGL top pick hardside (82)
Away The Bigger Carry-On (hard)	$295	23 x 15.4 x 9.4	7.9 lb	Forbes Best Overall; Condé Nast Traveler best overall
Travelpro Maxlite 5 (soft)	$148 (sale; $160 list)	23 x 14.5 x 9	5.4 lb	Pack Hacker best value; OGL 67
Samsonite Freeform (hard)	$149.99 (sale; $219.99 list)	23 x 15 x 9.75	6.5 lb	OGL best buy (69); Forbes best value
Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential (soft)	$729	22 x 14 x 9	10 lb	Forbes best softside; CNN best soft-sided (Essential 22)
Travelpro Crew Classic Compact (soft)	$238 (sale; $255 list)	22 x 14 x 9	6.8 lb	Condé Nast Traveler best soft-sided
Monos Carry-On (hard)	$233.75 (sale; $275 list)	22 x 14 x 9	6.6 lb	Pack Hacker best splurge; GH brand award for design

Prices from each brand’s official US site on November 1, 2026. Sizes are the brand’s overall dimensions including wheels and handles where stated. OGL = OutdoorGearLab score; BI = Business Insider; GH = Good Housekeeping. Most of these outlets earn affiliate commissions.

Best overall: Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On Spinner

Travelpro traces back to a 747 captain who invented the rolling Rollaboard in 1987, and its Platinum Elite is the carry-on testers keep coming back to. OutdoorGearLab gave it its highest score (92) and Best Overall for “top-notch construction quality”; Business Insider said “no bag in our testing has come close to offering the same features at this price point”; Forbes named it Best Compact (“the chrome zippers, in particular, feel extra durable”); and Good Housekeeping, whose drop tests it “performed well in,” named Travelpro its best brand for frequent flyers. It’s a soft-sided spinner that expands 2 inches, holds 46 liters and weighs 7.8 pounds, and Travelpro sends a free return label within 100 days if it’s unused.

The catches: at 23.5 inches tall with wheels, it’s taller than the 22-inch limit, which Travelpro’s FAQ admits while saying it’s “sizer-bin tested” on major US airlines. Its lifetime warranty covers defects in wheels, zippers and handles, but airline damage is covered only if you register within 120 days for Travelpro’s Trusted Companion promise. Testers found it more utilitarian than stylish, and Good Housekeeping found Travelpro bags heavier than other brands. Travelpro has a C- BBB rating (226 complaints in three years, mostly warranty disputes) and a 3.6 Trustpilot score. Read our full Travelpro review.

Check the Platinum Elite price →

Best hardside: Away The Carry-On

If you want a hard shell, Away’s polycarbonate Carry-On ($275) is the most-awarded: Good Housekeeping called it its “top-tested carry-on suitcase” after it “resisted damage after being repeatedly released from our drop tester machine,” and OutdoorGearLab named it its favorite hardside (82, “very scratch and dent-resistant”). It weighs 7.5 pounds, and Away’s warranty is the most generous among hardside picks: free repairs for the first five years for defects “and for travel damage like airline mishandling,” with up to one replacement. Returns are free within 100 days if unused.

The catches: it doesn’t expand (Away sells a separate Carry-On Flex for that), Good Housekeeping found the handles less sturdy than others, and Away’s own page lists two slightly different sizes. Need more room? The Bigger Carry-On ($295) was Forbes’ and Condé Nast Traveler’s best overall, but it’s 23 x 15.4 x 9.4 inches, and CNT warns it “may be checked on smaller planes.” Away has an A+ BBB rating (not accredited) and 4.7 on Trustpilot from 3,759 reviews.

See Away The Carry-On →

Best value: Travelpro Maxlite 5

The Maxlite 5 is the lightweight, lower-priced Travelpro: 5.4 pounds, 46 liters, a 2-inch expansion, and on sale for $148 (list $160) when we checked. Pack Hacker named it its best value carry-on: “The wheels are smooth and feel durable.” Travelpro’s free 100-day returns apply here too.

The catches: OutdoorGearLab scored it only 67 (12th of 16), Pack Hacker calls it not “the most stylish option,” it’s 23 inches tall with wheels, and airline damage is covered only in the first year through Trusted Companion. Prefer a hard shell at the same price? The Samsonite Freeform ($149.99 on sale) was OutdoorGearLab’s and Forbes’ value pick, but its polypropylene shell is “not as durable as some of our other hardside picks” (Forbes), its handle is weak (OutdoorGearLab), and its warranty excludes airline damage.

Check the Maxlite 5 price →

See the Samsonite Freeform →

Best warranty, and it fits: Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential

The Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential ($729) is the one bag here that both meets the 22 x 14 x 9 limit unexpanded and has a warranty that covers airline damage for life: “if your bag is ever damaged, even by an airline, we’ll repair it, for life. Free of charge, no proof of purchase needed.” Forbes named it Best Softside, CNN’s soft-sided test picked the Essential 22 as best (“best warranty in the business”), and its compression-expansion system adds up to 30% more space.

The catches: it’s the most expensive bag here and the heaviest at 10 pounds (Forbes), the warranty excludes cosmetic wear like scuffs and dents, you pay shipping to send a bag in, and Briggs & Riley has a D- BBB rating (failure to respond to 9 complaints).

See the Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential →

Other bags that meet 22 x 14 x 9

Travelpro Crew Classic Compact ($238 on sale): Condé Nast Traveler’s best soft-sided carry-on, sized exactly 22 x 14 x 9. Con from CNT: overly smooth wheels that tend to roll away on their own.
Monos Carry-On ($233.75 on sale): a 6.6-pound hardside that’s 22 x 14 x 9 including wheels; Pack Hacker’s best splurge. But Monos has a BBB F (39 of 41 complaints unanswered), its base warranty excludes airline damage unless you buy a $35 or $115 upgrade, and its 100-day trial is void once the bag has traveled.

Check the Travelpro Crew Classic →

See the Monos Carry-On →

Popular, but read the fine print first

Béis Carry-On Roller ($268): award-winner for space at Forbes, Business Insider and Condé Nast Traveler, and the biggest bag here at 49 liters before expanding. But its Trustpilot score is 1.6 with 78% one-star reviews, its BBB rating is F (76 complaints in three years), returns cost a $10 handling fee, and Business Insider called its warranty “a little unclear.” Three proposed class actions were filed against it in 2025 and 2026.
Quince Expandable Carry-On ($169.90): CNN’s best budget hard-shell, but it’s 23 x 15.2 x 10.2 inches, its warranty excludes airline handling damage, and its “originally $325” reference price is the subject of pending class actions.
LEVEL8 Voyageur ($259.99): we reviewed LEVEL8 separately, but none of the nine roundups included it, its warranty excludes airline damage, and its exclusion wording is copied word for word from Samsonite’s. See our LEVEL8 review.

Will it fit? Airline carry-on size limits

Delta: 22 x 14 x 9 inches; “These measurements include any handles or wheels,” and combined length plus width plus height can’t exceed 45 inches.
American: lists the same 22 x 14 x 9 limit, including handles and wheels.
Southwest: more generous at 24 x 16 x 10 inches, wheels and handles included.
Budget and international airlines are often stricter; CNN warns larger bags push the limits on some European carriers. Check your airline before you fly.

Away says its Carry-On is “sized to fit in all overhead bins,” and Travelpro says its bags are “sizer-bin tested” on major US airlines. But only a bag at or under 22 x 14 x 9 (Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential, Monos, Travelpro Crew Classic Compact) is safe if an agent measures.

The fine print: warranties and companies

Brand	Airline damage covered?	Returns	BBB	Trustpilot
Travelpro	Only via free Trusted Companion registration within 120 days (Maxlite 5: first year)	100 days, unused; free label	C- (226 complaints)	3.6 (1,209 reviews)
Away	Yes, free repairs for 5 years	100 days, unused; free	A+ (84 complaints)	4.7 (3,759 reviews)
Briggs & Riley	Yes, free repairs for life	30 days, unused; free US return shipping	D- (9 unanswered)	4.6 (3,640 reviews)
Samsonite	No (transport damage excluded)	60 to 90 days (its pages conflict); label fee	D- (25 unanswered)	3.7 (1,381 reviews, 59% one-star)
Monos	Only with a paid $35 or $115 upgrade	100-day indoor trial; shipping deducted	F (39 of 41 unanswered)	4.3 (2,518 reviews)
Béis	Unclear	45 days; $10 fee	F (76 complaints)	1.6 (272 reviews, 78% one-star)

FAQ

What is the best carry-on luggage in 2026?

The Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On Spinner ($390): it was OutdoorGearLab’s Best Overall with its top score (92) and Business Insider’s best overall, and Travelpro won awards in 6 of the 9 roundups we read. For a hard shell, Away The Carry-On ($275) is the most-awarded.

What is the best luggage brand?

Travelpro won the most awards across the nine roundups (6 of 9), followed by Away and Briggs & Riley (5 each). Good Housekeeping’s lab named Samsonite its best overall brand, Away best for carry-ons and Travelpro best for frequent flyers.

What size carry-on is allowed on planes?

American and Delta publish 22 x 14 x 9 inches including wheels and handles; Southwest allows 24 x 16 x 10. Many popular carry-ons, including the Travelpro Platinum Elite (23.5 inches tall), are slightly larger on paper.

Is the Travelpro Platinum Elite worth $390?

Testers think so: OutdoorGearLab rated it 92, its best, for construction quality, and Business Insider found nothing matching its features at the price. The trade-offs are its 23.5-inch height, a utilitarian look and airline-damage coverage that requires registering within 120 days.

Hardside or softside carry-on?

Hardside bags like Away resist scratches and dents better and protect fragile items; softside bags like the Travelpro Platinum Elite and Briggs & Riley usually expand and have handy outside pockets. Forbes notes the Briggs & Riley softside isn’t ideal for fragile items.

Which luggage warranty covers airline damage?

Briggs & Riley repairs airline damage free for life, and Away covers it free for five years. Travelpro covers it only if you register for Trusted Companion within 120 days; Samsonite, LEVEL8 and Quince exclude it, and Monos charges extra.

What’s the best cheap carry-on?

Travelpro’s Maxlite 5 ($148 on sale, 5.4 pounds) was Pack Hacker’s best value pick, and the Samsonite Freeform ($149.99 on sale) was OutdoorGearLab’s and Forbes’ value pick, though Forbes found its shell less durable.

Is Away luggage worth it?

For a hardside, yes: Good Housekeeping’s drop tests made Away The Carry-On its top-tested carry-on, and Away’s warranty includes free repairs for airline damage for five years. It doesn’t expand, and Good Housekeeping found its handles less sturdy than some.