The Best Luggage of 2024: Traveler's Essential Guide to Suitcases & Bags

16.09.2024 - 21:06 / cntraveler.com / Meaghan Kenny / Nast Traveler / Paris Olympics

Wherever you're headed—be it on a bucket list trip across the globe or a lowkey staycation in your own city—you're going to need luggage. Minimalists and overpackers alike need durable and easy-to-carry suitcases and bags to safely transport clothes, travel accessories, and any souvenirs picked up along the way. As travel editors, we have high expectations for our gear—requiring that reliable, long-lasting bags accompany us on every journey.

To zero in on the absolute best luggage to recommend to our readers, we put the newest and most talked-about luggage on the market from beloved brands like Away, Calpak, and Paravel to the test. After carefully evaluating each piece, we compared them to previously tested bags and longtime favorites. With this, we bring you our second annual Luggage Week: An honest review of the best checked suitcases, carry-ons, weekenders, and backpacks in the biz. Below, the tried-and-true luggage we strongly recommend to our readers and travelers everywhere for every type of adventure.

More than a dozen Condé Nast Traveler editors and contributors spent months (and in some cases, years) road-testing new and best-selling bags from top travel brands. These bags accompanied us near and far on planes, trains, buses, and cruises, from local staycations and Hamptons getaways to the Paris Olympics and Marlon Brando’s private island in French Polynesia. We packed these bags to the brim, lifted them into overhead bins, rolled them down cobblestone streets, and inspected every bump and scuff they endured. We considered each bag's weight, capacity, functionality, price point, and how well it held up after several trips. We also identified smart design features that make a bag stand out from its competitors, like having weight indicators, separate shoe compartments, or ample pockets. After traveling with each bag, we carefully reviewed them, keeping the aforementioned criteria in mind to determine which ones are worth your dollars, and a spot in our 2024 Luggage Week lineup. —Meaghan Kenny, commerce editor

Monos's Expandable Carry-On glides into New York City's The Carlyle, A Rosewood Hotel.

Checked bags are a staple for longer trips (anywhere from 10 to 14 days) and for anyone who wants or needs more room in their suitcase. We found durable options you won't have to worry about saying goodbye to at check-in.

Carry-ons are arguably the piece of luggage travelers pull out most often. These are the lightweight yet sturdy carry-ons we turn to time and time again.

Coming soon

Our favorite duffels, expandable totes, and garment bags to take on on weekend getaways, overnight stays, and use as a personal item on flights. These have smart features like separate shoe compartments, trolley