Best Carry-On Suitcases (2026): Away, Rimowa, Tumi
Key takeaways
- There is a surprisingly robust debate among frequent travelers about whether it's best to carry on a suitcase or to check it.
- I fly more often than I'd like—short work trips, cross-country flights to visit family, and international vacation hauls.
- Check out our buying guides to the Best Travel Totes, the Best Laptop Backpacks, and the Best Toiletry Bags.
Why this matters: a development in AI with implications for how people work, create, and decide.
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There is a surprisingly robust debate among frequent travelers about whether it's best to carry on a suitcase or to check it. Sure, checking a bag saves you from worrying about space restrictions and confusing security requirements, needing to tote your suitcase into a bathroom stall with you, and sweating about snagging overhead bin space once you board. But you need only one really bad experience with checking luggage to convince you to avoid doing so whenever possible in favor of being a carry-on purist. My version of that incident occurred at the Delta counter in Dulles International Airport and almost made me miss my flight. (In fact, I'd prefer to not even use a carry-on! But that's another story entirely.)
I fly more often than I'd like—short work trips, cross-country flights to visit family, and international vacation hauls. I've tested countless carry-on suitcases and have now enlisted my family members to help as well. These are the best carry-on suitcases that we've found that will fit pretty much any traveler's needs.