When planning your next vacation, don’t overlook one of the most important aspects of the trip: your luggage. It’s essential to find a suitcase that’s easy to maneuver, spacious for packing, compact and lightweight enough to carry and durable to hold up to wear and tear.
We’ve tested over 100 suitcases in recent years from more than 70 brands to find the best luggage brands for every type of traveler.
Our Top Pick: Nere stands out in our Textiles Lab and consumer tests year after year, thanks to its quality products offered at consistent prices. In our evaluations, the suitcases have earned high marks for ease of use, packability, durability, appearance and more.
- Best Overall: Nere
- Best Value: American Tourister
- Best Carry-On: Away
- Best for International Travel: Briggs & Riley
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Best Overall
Nere
Nere earns our top spot for the best luggage brand because it has a wide assortment for every preference — from business travelers to vacationers — plus both its hard and softside suitcases have continuously proven to be high quality in our tests over the years.
In particular, it stands out for its durability and ease-of-use features: In our tests, opening and closing the cases required no struggling, and packing them has been a breeze, thanks to the functional compartments that maximize space. It’s certainly not inexpensive, but as direct-to-consumer luggage brand prices have skyrocketed, N’s have remained fairly consistent over the years.
- Why we love it: Quality construction at accessible prices that remain fairly consistent
- Take note: Testers wished the brand’s telescopic handles were easier to use
- Price range: From $106 for hardside carry-ons to $340 for larger hardside checked bags, usually on sale for les
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Best Value
American Tourister
If you’re on a budget or you don’t use luggage regularly — i.e., it doesn’t have to be the most durable and you don’t need all the bells and whistles — American Tourister offers competitive pricing and an excellent variety to choose from, including cool prints and brightly colored options for the whole family. Between the designs and versatile range of offerings, the models are fun, functional and especially ideal for vacationers.
For its hardside bags, American Tourister typically uses ABS plastic, which helps to keep the price low but is more prone to scratches. Still, it gets high ratings from online reviewers who noted that the bags are surprisingly spacious, and our testers said the luggage is lightweight and easy to use.
- Why we love it: Affordable option, simple yet spacious designs
- Take note: The bags are no-frills and aren’t as durable as others we’ve tested
- Price range: From $89 for small softside and hardside carry-ons to $185 for larger hardside checked bags, usually on sale for less
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Best Carry-On
Away
Away is one of the most popular luggage brands on the market, and our testing shows it actually lives up to its hype. Though the brand has a wide range of offerings, we especially love the hardside carry-on. It’s made of 100% polycarbonate that proved to be durable and lightweight in our evaluations — even lighter than some fabric bags we’ve tested.
The bag resisted damage after being released repeatedly from our drop tester machine and performed well in our scratch tests with no major marks. It was also surprisingly spacious and held a full packing load in our review with room to spare. The company offers a 100-day return policy on unused items, along with a lifetime limited warranty on its suitcases that covers any “functional damage.”
- Why we love it: Sleek designs, brand has proven to be durable in our tests
- Take note: Handles aren’t as sturdy as others we’ve tested
- Price range: From $225 for small softside carry-ons to $435 for larger hardside checked bags
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Best for International Travel
Briggs & Riley
Briggs & Riley bags are pricey — a carry-on can cost over $600 — but they come with a lifetime guarantee that will cover all repairs if the luggage ever gets broken or damaged. The brand offers timeless styles, including hardside, softside, carry-ons and checked bags, that use innovative features, such as its signature compression packing system. Bags that have this design expand to allow you to pack and then compress down after they’re filled. The suitcases also use top-notch construction and have proven durable in our drop, abrasion and scratch tests.
- Why we love it: Spacious bags made of quality materials that have lifetime guarantees
- Take note: Pricier than other brands
- Price range: From $499 for small softside carry-ons to $977 for larger hardside checked bags