The Best Hardside Luggage: Bags That’ll Stand Up to Travel

AMANDA MUSHRO

The Bigger Carry-On from Away Luggage is a fan favorite of travelers for all the features that are wrapped up in this hardside suitcase. Even though this is a larger carry-on, it’s lightweight and easy to stow in overhead compartments. The bag has two deep compartments—one designed for clothes and the other for your toiletries—and an interior compression system that allows you to pack more in the carry-on and keeps your items secure.

This carry-on even has a hidden, water-resistant laundry bag to keep dirty clothing separate when you travel home. If you want to pay more for extras like personalization, an outside pocket, or aluminum construction, that’s an option with this carry-on. Plus, Away’s bags all come with a lifetime warranty and free returns for 100 days after purchase. Choose from eight different colors—some even come with a built-in USB port for charging your phone.

If your home is short on storage space, but you’re still looking to invest in a great carry-on, the Flex Vega is the perfect pick. Called the “the world’s slimmest collapsible luggage,” this carry-on folds up to around 2 inches thick and takes up minimum space in your home or hotel room. At just five pounds, it’s also the lightest hardside luggage on our list.

When you aren’t using the bag, just slide it under the bed or, using the hook on the top of the bag, hang it in the closet. The bag quickly and easily expands when you’re ready to travel and is surprisingly spacious. However, this carry-on does lack interior pockets. If you are a fan of packing cubes, there’s no need to worry about pockets.

If keeping the inside of your suitcase organized seems like an impossible task, or you love any system that helps you stay on top of your organization game, the Carry-On Closet will quickly become your favorite bag. The suitcase is designed with a six-shelf unit inside the bag. The top shelves have a mesh liner, so it’s perfect for toiletries. The bottom sections have mesh zippers on the shelves so your clothes can be stacked inside the shelves.

When you arrive at your location, you can hang the shelving system in a closet or turn your suitcase into a wardrobe by attaching the shelving unit to the fully extended handle. If you still have items to pack and they don’t fit into the shelving unit, you can tuck them on the sides of the suitcase and still use the compression system on the shelving unit to make everything fit inside the suitcase.

Another interesting feature: The bag has no zippers. Instead, it has a touch system to unlock the bag. It also comes with a USB port so you can charge your devices.

For the times you need to add just one more pair of shoes to your already full luggage, having an expandable suitcase is a nice option to have. The Samsonite Omni PC has plenty of reviews from happy travelers who have taken this suitcase on weekend excursions and long European vacations. To use the expander, just unzip the second zipper on the outside of the bag to gain several inches of packing space inside the bag.

Because of the micro-diamond polycarbonate texture, scratches and dents are less noticeable. Plus the luggage comes in a variety of colors. The brand stands behind their suitcases and offers a 10-year limited warranty against defects in the materials and workmanship. However, the warranty doesn’t cover normal wear and tear on the suitcase.

Gorgeous colors and a sleek design, it’s no wonder the Beis hard-sided luggage has caught the eye of celebs and influencers. The Carry-On Roller has a feature that’s even better than its fabulous color: a built-in weight indicator. Toss your portable luggage scale because the button on the side handle will turn red if this suitcase weighs more than 50 pounds: the limit for checked luggage. So no need for surprise fees at the airline counter.

Beis luggage comes with a TSA-approved combination lock, and inside is a laundry bag. All sizes of this bag are expandable and offer two extra inches of expansion.

For some frequent travelers, aluminum suitcases are a status symbol. The sleek look of the aluminum is often dotted with dents and scratches that actually make the bag more appealing to some. However, while these bags often come with a hefty price tag, the durability of aluminum bags can be worth it for travelers who need a reliable and durable piece of luggage.

Inside, the Away suitcase is super roomy and gives you plenty of space to pack your items and compression straps to hold it all down. Other appealing features include a separate laundry bag, TSA-approved locks, and smooth 360-degree spinner wheels.

Designed with the business traveler in mind, the July Carry-On Pro offers more than just a place to store your clothes and toiletries. In the front of the suitcase is a detachable sleeve with a padded 16" laptop compartment that also holds tablets and other electronic devices safely while you travel. It has space for documents and folders and a zippered outside pocket for smaller items like pens and notebooks. Stow the suitcase and remove the sleeve so you can work at your seat while you travel.

One of the best features of this suitcase is a cleverly designed ejectable battery charger with standard USB and USB-C docks that charges both your phone and your laptop. Now you’ll never have to worry where you will charge your phone and electronics while you travel.