The 15 Best International Carry-ons of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Best Overall

Away The Carry-On

$275 at Away Travel

This sleek bag from popular luggage brand Away is incredibly spacious, despite the fact that it doesn't expand. It easily fit everything included on our packing list as well as an additional pair of sneakers. The lid of the case acts as it's own storage compartment, keeping items separate from the bottom half for easy organization. The lid also has a mesh zippered pocket with plenty of give so you can pack it full without your items spilling out upon closing.

The overall size of the bag is not at all cumbersome and is so light, it's easy to lift into storage bins and navigate across a range of surfaces with ease. We also love that the handle does have two different heights and did not get stuck during our tests (even after we hit it with a baseball bat). The shiny exterior did not crack, scratch, or scuff after pushing the suitcase off a counter and hitting it with a bat, so we're sure it would even survive if you needed to unexpectedly gate-check it at the last minute.

The Details: 21.7 x 14.4 x 9 inches | 7.5 pounds | 39.8-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polycarbonate | Personalization option

Best With Laptop Compartment

July Carry On Pro SnapSleeve

View on July.com

Characteristic of July's best luggage, the brand's Carry-on Pro suitcase has plenty of helpful features for ensuring a smooth packing and traveling experience. We love the sleek design, but our favorite part of the carry-on is the detachable front pocket for seamlessly traveling with a laptop. You can remove the padded pocket to use it as a laptop case, which is particularly useful for business travelers — an important feature to look for when shopping for carry-on luggage with a dedicated laptop compartment. Plus, the suitcase is outfitted with smart features, including USB and USB-C charging ports, a removable battery, and TSA-approved locks.

The interior of the carry-on is a breeze to pack thanks to the two spacious clamshell-style compartments, built-in compression system, and hidden laundry bag for keeping dirty clothes organized. And, even when the suitcase is packed full, we had no issues wheeling it over all types of surfaces with the help of the four 360-degree spinning wheels and adjustable handles. If you’re planning on gifting this suitcase or just want to add an extra special touch, you can personalize the bag with a name or initials for an extra fee.

The Details: 21.5 x 15 x 8.5 inches | 8.6 pounds | 42-liter capacity | Ejectable battery with USB and FastCharge USB-C | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polycarbonate | Removable laptop sleeve | Personalization option

Most Durable

Bric's Bellagio V2.0 Carry-on Spinner Trunk

$715 $394 at Amazon $665 at Saks Fifth Avenue $498 at Neiman Marcus

Small but mighty, we recommend this Bric’s carry-on if you’re in search of a suitcase that can take on everything from rough handling at the airport to the cobblestone streets of Paris. Made with a hardy polycarbonate shell and water-resistant zippers, this bag is equipped with all the necessary features for a lifetime of travels. In testing, we didn’t hold back on our durability test with the baseball bat by whacking it from all angles (wheels included) and tossing it off of a table to see if the exterior would hold up. We were thrilled to see that the bag didn’t scratch, dent, or crack under the pressure, and there was just a tiny scuff that we could rub off easily.

Apart from the superb durability, this suitcase has solid organization features on the interior with two main zippered compartments and pockets for smaller items. While the handle feels plenty sturdy, we had some slight issues with it sticking, but we’re chalking that up to a slight inconvenience instead of a deal-breaker.

The Details: 21 x 15 x 9 inches | 6.78 pounds | 40-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Makrolon polycarbonate with leather trim

Best Softside

Dagne Dover Smaller Seattle Carry-on Luggage

View on Dagnedover.com

Dagne Dover recently launched its first line of suitcases, and this compact carry-on is our favorite for international travel. Don’t let this softside suitcase’s small size fool you. While it’s not expandable, its organizational features allowed us to pack for several days away, and we were seriously impressed with the amount of exterior pockets this suitcase had. There’s one small zippered pocket at the back of the bag, perfect for holding a phone or a passport, and one large zippered pocket at the front of the bag with two additional mesh slip pockets large enough to fit laptops up to 13 inches. While we found this to be useful, we did wish there was just a little more padding for our laptop. One of the coolest features is that you can access the main cabin from the back of the exterior pocket, meaning you can reach in to grab some items without having to open the entire suitcase on the floor of the airport.

When you do want to open it completely, the suitcase opens evenly like a clamshell, with both sides featuring compression straps to lock everything in place. The suitcase's exterior material feels very thick and durable, and showed no visible signs of damage after we took a baseball bat to it. The corners of the suitcase also have hard plastic bumpers that will give it extra protection when it’s being thrown around during travel. One thing to note is that the carry-on itself its quite heavy, especially when fully packed, which can make it difficult to raise and store in overhead bins.

The Details: 20.5 x 13 x 8.75 inches | 9.13 pounds | 33-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Recycled 900D poly | 13-inch laptop sleeve

Best Expandable

Antler Icon Stripe Carry-on with Expander

$265 at Antler.com

While it may look small, this suitcase fit everything on our packing list with room to spare, even without having to unzip its expandable zipper. While we didn't need to use it, the suitcase's ability to expand an extra 2 inches is a nice bonus, especially for international travel. The carry-on’s smooth zippers made closing it a breeze, and we were especially impressed with how lightweight the suitcase is, which makes it very easy to roll around the airport and place in overhead bins.

Inside you'll find a compression strap and three interior zip pockets, comprised of two mesh pockets and one side pocket great for smaller essentials like an Apple AirTag or extra cables — though we'd add even more pockets if we could for extra organization since they're small. The exterior is wrapped in a water-resistant polycarbonate shell that feels vey durable; the suitcase emerged from a couple of rounds with a baseball bat with no visible scuffs or damage. This leads us to believe it’ll be able to withstand the wear and tear of travel for years to come.

The Details: 21.7 x 13.8 x 9 inches | 6.17 pounds | 46-liter capacity | Expandable | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polycarbonate

Best for Organization

Calpak Front Pocket Carry-On Luggage

$195 at Nordstrom View on Calpaktravel.com

The Calpak Ambeur Front-pocket Carry-on proved to be just as functional as it is stylish when put to the test. We packed it with several outfits, shoes, toiletries, a laptop, and other tech, and we felt like there was truly a place for everything. That’s thanks to the spinner’s multiple organization features, including a subtle front pocket for laptops up to 16 inches and other flat items, an interior divider boasting several pockets, and a handful of other external pockets throughout.

Senior editor Jasmine Grant especially appreciated a small pouch sewn into the bag’s interior, which she noted would be ideal for small items like jewelry or slightly larger laundry items. Besides the superior organization of this suitcase, we also found the Ambeur Front-pocket Carry-on is equipped with smooth-running zippers, a sturdy telescoping handle, excellent maneuverability, and a durable build. One thing to note is that when we stuffed the suitcase full, the front pocket seems to protrude from the bag, which may make it more difficult to fit into smaller overhead bins if you overpack it.

The Details: 21 x 14 x 9 inches | 7.6 pounds | 43-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Front pocket | Polycarbonate

Best Budget

Amazon Basics Expandable Hardside 21-inch Spinner

$70 $63 at Amazon

If you realize your suitcase is too large with days to spare before an international trip, Amazon Basics has you covered with fast shipping for Prime members at a fraction of the cost of some other brands on this list. The 21-inch hardside spinner is made with a heavy-duty ABS material that proved to be exceptionally durable when we whacked the case with a baseball bat and tossed it off of a ladder. We were so impressed with this durability when we first tested it two years ago that we recently put it through another round of testing and found the quality hasn't decreased a bit.

True to name, the interior of the suitcase has a minimalist design with two clamshell compartments, several zippered pockets, and compression straps. There could be a few more organizational features, but the suitcase was still very easy to pack and fill with clothing items, shoes, and a toiletry case. The spinner wheels rolled smoothly and the handle felt just as sturdy as the rest of the suitcase, so we think the bag has excellent value, especially for under $100. Senior editor Jasmine Grant notes that this carry-on is "an excellent choice for a budget suitcase. It's light, durable, and expands to fit way more than you might assume by just looking at it."

The Details: 21.7 x 14.8 x 10 inches | 6.8 pounds | 41-liter capacity | Expandable | 4 dual spinner wheels | Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene

Best Splurge

Rimowa Original Cabin

$2,400 at Amazon View on Rimowa.com

Rimowa is top of the line when it comes to suitcase brands, and we think the Original Cabin carry-on is worth the investment. The exterior of this aluminum suitcase looks luxurious, and the interior offers plenty of functional features that make both packing and traveling a breeze. We’re big fans of the compression dividers on each compartment that help condense clothing and keep packed items in place during transit and when you open up the suitcase. The luggage itself weighs 9.5 pounds, which isn’t the lightest, but we’ve never had any issues lifting it overhead, and the ball-bearing mounted wheels glide over cobblestone and pavement without any extra effort needed. One thing to note is that aluminum luggage does scratch and dent easier than polycarbonate cases, but rest assured that the sturdy material will be more resistant to cracks and will still keep your belongings safe.

The Details: 21.7 x 15.8 x 9.1 inches | 9.5 pounds | 34.8-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Aluminum

Best for Kids

Beis Mini Roller

View on Beis

If you're taking a family getaway, the Béis Mini Roller makes a great option for kids and teens. It's compact enough for kids to roll themselves, but it still boasts a surprising amount of space and has great organizational features that will work for kids and adults alike. Inside you'll find a divider pocket with a zippered compartment, X compression straps, and a smaller zippered pouch great for stashing away smaller valuable items. There's also has an adorable removable laundry bag labeled "stink bag" to keep your family's dirty clothes separate from the clean ones.

It's crowning feature may be its front padded laptop and tablet pocket with Velcro closure that we found could fit a 13-inch MacBook laptop or a handful of smaller devices including tablets, portable chargers, and cellphones. What's more, the mini roller comes with a retractable bag strap that can hold smaller personal items up to 15 pounds, although we noticed that any hanging bag would need to be small and short to avoid dragging on floor. It's cushioned roller board handle is comfortable and easy to grip, and its four spinner wheels glide effortlessly when rolled.

The Details: 17 x 16.5 x 9 inches | 7 pounds | 41-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Front pocket | Polycarbonate

Best Carry-on Backpack

Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack

$230 at Amazon $225 at REI View on Cotopaxi.com

There's a lot to love about the Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel Pack, which is why we're confident saying it's the best carry-on backpack we've ever tested. If you want to swap your roller bag for a backpack on your next international trip, this bag has all the features you need. The 35-liter size is large enough to fit your essentials while staying compact enough to fit in the overhead bin of most airplanes. It has an unstructured design that requires strategic packing to avoid sagging, but we like that it allows us to squish our things into every last bit of space. This backpack also opens like a suitcase, making it easy to load and unload.

Made from sturdy TPU-coated 1000D polyester, this pack has a rugged feel and should offer some moisture protection, although it also comes with a rain cover to ensure your things stay dry. The shoulder straps and back are padded to keep you comfortable during long periods of wear and the newest version of the bag even has a water bottle holder on one side. It's a great backpack that somehow keeps getting better with every version.

The Details: 22 x 12 x 10 inches | 2.94 pounds | 35-liter capacity | Padded laptop sleeve | TPU-coated 1000D polyester, nylon

Best Wheeled Duffel

Vera Bradley Foldable Rolling Duffel Bag

$190 $153 at Amazon View on Verabradley.com

This carry-on duffel bag from Vera Bradley has tons of hidden features that make it an excellent piece of luggage to add to your collection. It’s small and lightweight enough that you can carry it like a tote bag, or you can opt to use the wheels and discrete handle that pops out to convert the duffel into a traditional suitcase so you won't have to choose between a weekender and duffel bag. During testing, we also loved that the duffel has a separate shoe compartment on the bottom of the bag for separating clothing from shoes or any other items you might not want to pack in the main compartment. The suitcase has one large zippered mesh pocket on the inside of the opening flap and one exterior pocket. While the bag feels durable and long-lasting, the ripstop polyester material isn’t waterproof, so you may not want to use this as a checked suitcase.

The Details: 21 x 13 x 10 inches | 4.82 pounds | 45-liter capacity | 2 wheels | Ripstop polyester

Best Style

Delsey Chatelet Air 2.0 Carry-on Spinner

$300 $216 at Amazon $600 at Bloomingdales

This carry-on from Delsey comes in the brand’s most iconic design for looking effortlessly chic and elegant while traveling. While light-colored suitcases can be a dicey option, the suitcase is incredibly durable, and we didn’t see any scuffs, scratches, or dents tarnish the cream-colored bag after we hit it with a baseball bat and tossed it off of a ladder. Throughout three months of long-term testing, we even checked this bag twice, and it came out still looking sleek and new. To complement a neutral suitcase exterior (which also comes in brown, blue, and blush), the interior is lined with a bolder orange color with several pockets and compression straps for packing. While the capacity is on the smaller end for a carry-on, we love that the compact size makes it incredibly easy to wheel the bag through the airport or lift it overhead for a smooth travel experience.

The Details: 21 x 13 x 10 inches | 6.4 pounds | 38-liter capacity | USB port | Polycarbonate

Best Underseat

Calpak Luka Soft-sided Mini Carry-on Luggage

View on Calpaktravel.com $165 at The Container Store $165 at Anthropologie

This Calpak bag may be a tiny, nonexpandable underseater, but make no mistake — this little thing packs a punch. During our tests, we were able to fit two outfits, a pair of sneakers, two toiletry bags, a laptop, and a charger inside, and thanks to an accordion-style front opening, we could easily access all of our items without unzipping the whole thing. The bag has a number of useful pockets, including three small accessory slots in in the main compartment, a small exterior pocket for a phone or keys, a dedicated laptop sleeve, and a luggage sleeve to attach it to a larger wheeled suitcase. At less than 2 feet by 2 feet in size, it fit easily under airplane seats and impressed us with its smooth-running zippers. Similar to the Luka is the Calpak Hue, which we tested and loved for its hardside construction and organizational features. Ultimately, though, we liked the Luka more since it has that front pocket and a place for a laptop.

The Details: 16 x 14.25 x 9 inches | 5.3 pounds | 23.2-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Front pocket | Polyester

Best Value

IT Luggage Softside Carry-on Spinner

$162 $110 at Target $220 $132 at Macy's $160 at Kohls.com

Hardside luggage is certainly having a moment, but this softside carry-on earned bonus points in testing for style thanks to the monochromatic coloring and flexible softside exterior. From wheels to handle, this bag boasts a bold teal shade, which means it's never been easier to spot your bag in a sea of black or beige suitcases (though it's also available in charcoal for a more muted vibe). Best of all, the suitcase often goes on sale which is ideal for budget-conscious travelers.

The suitcase has one main compartment that can easily fit outfits, accessories, and shoes for a weeklong vacation. The interior has a zippered pocket and two elastic pockets, while the exterior has one spacious zippered pocket for storing electronics or anything else you need quick access to. During our durability tests, the fabric and wheels scuffed a bit so we think the material isn't as durable as some other softside suitcases we tried. However, the stylish and lightweight design of that suitcase makes it a great option for travelers looking for a colorful and functional bag. Note: the bag is expandable, so you can extend it by 2 inches if you need more space, but that might make it go over the stricter international carry-on restrictions depending on your airline.

The Details: 21.7 x 14.2 x 7.9 inches | 5.95 pounds | Expandable | 4 dual spinner wheels | Front pocket | Nylon, polyester

Best Features

Traveler’s Choice Maxporter II Carry-On Spinner Luggage

$170 at Amazon

This carry-on from Traveler's Choice is made from a durable and textured polycarbonate that looks like armor, which makes it stand out from your everyday hardside carry-on. Adding to the rugged look are four protective corner guards that are meant to withstand the wear and tear of travel and a front stow along bag strap to hang smaller personal items.

The suitcase's interior is designed to maximize space. On one side is a divider with four zippered compartments that can fit socks, underwear, and thinner shoes such as sandals. On the other side is a removable, clear plastic pouch that you can use to stash smaller items such as jewelry, first aid supplies, or travel-size toiletries. There's also a hidden pocket with a USB charging port along the suitcase's wall that can be useful for stashing away an Apple AirTag device or a few loose cords.

Although the carry-on isn't expandable, we found that its organizational features and Y compression strap allowed us to pack all our essentials and close the suitcase without a problem. We also noticed that that carry-on's four spinner wheels glided smoothly, and its unique T-shaped handle was both ergonomic and comfortable to grip.

The Details: 14 x 9 x 21.5 inches | 9.1 pounds | 30-liter capacity | USB charging port | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polycarbonate