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The best lightweight luggage, according to experts
The best lightweight luggage can help ease the load during your long-haul trips
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How I picked the best lightweight luggage
Every option we recommend below, whether a carry-on, checked bag or weekender comes recommended by our experts or is a Select staff favorite. Here’s what experts suggest keeping in mind while shopping for a quality option:
- Weight: Every piece of expert-recommended luggage on our list weighs less than 11 pounds, which travel bloggers and journalists consider ‘lightweight.’
- TSA requirements: Every carry-on bag we recommend fits most domestic airlines’ overhead compartment requirements (22 inches by 14 inches by 9 inches).
- Locks: Every checked bag we recommend has a TSA-approved lock for safety.
The best lightweight luggage in 2024
To help you find the best lightweight suitcase options for your next trip, we took into consideration expert recommendations, staff picks and highly rated options.
The Everywhere Bag
A quality weekender bag, the Everywhere Bag can store your 15-inch laptop, a weekend’s worth of garments and travel snacks. It’s a favorite of Sally Nguyen, a travel content creator and blogger who loves the bag’s multiple interior pockets, where she can store her electronics and travel documents separately. The water-resistant bag “also has a trolley sleeve which makes it easy to put it over your carry-on suitcase to wheel around,” says Nguyen. The zippers are lockable too, and the bag is customizable with your initials for an additional $35 fee. If you want more storage, pick the medium or large Everywhere Bag.
Material: Nylon, leather | Weight: 2.75 pounds with shoulder strap (2.25 without)
Rimowa Essential Check-In L
This large, checked luggage option has a hard shell polycarbonate exterior, an adjustable handle and an interior flex-divider, which the brand says can hold your belongings in place while you travel. It’s a favorite of travel journalist and writer Rana Good, who loves its hard shell build. It’s not entirely scratch-resistant, but any bumps and bruises don’t affect the stability or durability of the bag, according to Good. The bag has TSA-approved locks, spinner wheels for steering and zippered compartments for organization. And while this is the largest option on our list, it still weighs only 10.6 pounds.
Material: Polycarbonate | Weight: 10.6 pounds |
Away The Carry-On Flex
Away also makes Nguyen’s favorite carry-on suitcase option, which she says can easily hold all her garments on long-haul trips and comes with a 100-day return policy. “I can fit two weeks’ worth of clothes in it and still have extra room to bring extra souvenirs home from my trips,” she says. It has a TSA combination lock, 360-degree spinner wheels and interior compression belts to hold your clothes in place. This luggage even has a hidden handle by its wheels to make it easier to lift it off baggage belts, according to the brand. The zipper expansion also adds 2.25 inches of packing space, according to the brand, and the bag weighs nine pounds when empty, according to the brand.
Material: Polycarbonate| Weight: 8.15 pounds |
Samsonite Freeform Medium Spinner
Hardshell Samsonite spinner is a favorite of NBC Select managing editor Leah Ginsberg who calls it “indestructible yet so lightweight.” It has a TSA combination lock, is expandable by 1.5 inches through the additional zipper and has a built-in ID tag to make it identifiable on baggage belts. There are double wheels for maneuvering and a divider on the interior to store your items separately. There is a retractable handle, which you can adjust to height.
Material: Polycarbonate | Weight: 8.48 pounds
Delsey Chatelet Air Checked Luggage
I own this checked bag and love its zippers, as they’re extremely durable: even after years of overpacking my bag on trips to India, they haven’t frayed or broken off. I also appreciate that both the interior compartments have compression straps — my clothes and makeup remain unscathed even after long-haul flights. The bag has a removable hanger, laundry bag and shoe bag to keep things organized. Its TSA-approved combination lock ensures your goods remain safe, and the spinner wheels and retractable handle make it a breeze to drag it through the airport. Each Delsey bag also has a unique tracking plate and code, which helps the brand track your bag if it gets lost during travel.
Material: Polycarbonate | Weight: 9.30 pounds
Briggs & Riley Carry-On Expandable Spinner
Briggs & Riley is another favorite brand of NBC Select managing editor Leah Ginsberg, who loves it for its durable, long-lasting products. Ginsberg has used her carry-on bag for over eight years and claims it’s still in “pristine condition.” According to the brand, this carry-on suitcase can be expanded by pressing a button and pulling the sides up. It also has a built-in garment folder, allowing you to store a suit or two to prevent wrinkles on long journeys. There are two mesh lid pockets to store any last-minute snacks, documents or devices. If you want to personalize this suitcase, you can add your initials at no extra cost.
Material: Nylon | Weight: 10 pounds
Baboon To The Moon Go Bag
Baboon To The Moon makes bright-colored bags with whimsical prints and patterns and is a favorite brand of editorial director Lauren Swanson. We recommend the small Go Bag, which can hold enough for three to five days. Each bag is waterproof, lockable and has multiple external pockets for storage. The straps are adjustable too and there are handles as well if you don’t feel like slinging this duffel across your shoulder.
Material: Polyester, jacquard | Weight: 3.5 pounds
Calpak Hue Carry-On Luggage
Calpak makes a variety of lightweight luggage, including this carry-on spinner bag. “This bag has been on several international trips with me and it still looks brand new,” says NBC Select contributor Bethany Heitman. “It’s lightweight, fits enough for a week away and I love that it comes in various fun colors.” The bag has a TSA-approved lock and is expandable to give you two extra inches. On the inside, one side has straps to keep your things in place and the other has a zippered closure. The telescope handle can also be set at different heights to make it comfortable for people of varying statures.
Material: Polycarbonate | Weight: 7.5 pounds
Beis Weekender
This weekender bag from Beis is a popular pick with our staffers. “It changed my life — it’s the only weekender I can truly rely on for trips, and it sparks joy when I use it,” says NBC Select associate updates editor Zoe Malin, who likes that it has a bottom compartment to keep shoes separate: “I always travel with my running sneakers, and having that dedicated compartment for them keeps their dirty soles away from my clean clothes.” This compartment is also removable, so you can convert it to a minimalist tote. The bag has multiple interior pockets and a removable padded laptop sleeve. In addition to black, other available colors include beige, grey and atlas pink. The brand also offers a mini version.
Material: Poly canvas, vegan leather | Weight: 3.86 pounds
Quince 21” Carry-On
This hardshell, 21-inch carry-on earned a spot on our 2024 NBC Select Travel Awards for being lightweight and easy to maneuver. Malin tested the bag and loved how well it handled different terrain. “I dragged this bag through the streets of New York, on multiple flights, checked and not checked, and dragged it up flights of stairs and it looks great,” she says. While the bag is prone to some scrapes (the case with many hardshell bags), it has a small sponge to help wipe scuffs away.
Material: Polycarbonate | Weight: 6.7 pounds
SwissGear Sion Softside Expandable Carry-On
If affordability is as important as your suitcase being lightweight, consider this option from SwissGear — it made our list of top suitcases under $150. The soft side bag is well under $100 and has multiple front panel pockets that store reading materials, laptops and more. At 20 inches, this bag fits most airline carry-on requirements and comes with multi-directional spinner wheels and reinforced side handles that make it easy to lift into an overhead compartment. You’ll find a removable zippered wet bag and a large mesh pocket.
Material: Polyester | Weight: 7.96 pounds
Patagonia Black Hole Duffel
Another 2024 NBC Select Travel Award winner, Patagonia’s Black Hole Duffel comes in four sizes — 40L, 55L, 70L and 100L — so you can choose the best capacity for your travels. This spacious bag inside has interior pockets similar to a carry-on suitcase. It also closes and opens easily since the zippers glide easily, says tester Mili Godio, NBC Select updates editor. The bag is made of water-resistant polyester, making it could for traveling in all kinds of weather and it can be carried as a backpack, by the top handle or by the included shoulder strap.
Material: Recycled polyester | Weight: 2.1 pounds
How to shop for the best lightweight luggage
We consulted experts about what features to consider when shopping. They recommend keeping the following in mind:
- 360-degree spinner wheels: According to Nguyen, luggage with wheels that can move in any direction is easier to maneuver. This is especially important when you’re rushing at the airport and need your carry-on to keep up with you.
- Material: Both Good and Nguyen prefer hard shell luggage, which is more scratch-resistant and durable. “Having a hard shell [suitcase] makes it easier to clean and less likely to break when the airlines decide to throw your bags around,” says Nguyen.
- Handles: Retractable handles that glide smoothly when adjusted are a must for any luggage. A wide or grippy handle also makes it easier to drag your suitcase around.
- TSA-approved Locks: According to experts, this is especially important for checked-in luggage. It keeps your belongings safe and saves you the trouble of buying an additional lock for your suitcase.
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Meet our experts
At NBC Select, we work with experts with specialized knowledge and authority based on relevant training and/or experience. We also ensure all expert advice and recommendations are made independently and without undisclosed financial conflicts of interest.
- Rana Good is a travel writer and founder of Naïra, a digital magazine for women of color.
- Sally Isabella Nguyen is an influencer and luxury travel advisor who has traveled to over 37 countries.
Why trust NBC Select?
Nishka Dhawan is a former associate commerce editor at NBC Select who’s written about the best travel backpacks and the best luggage sets. For this article, she interviewed travel bloggers and journalists about their favorite travel steamers and considered staff favorites as well.
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