The 13 Best International Carry-ons, Tested and Reviewed

Clocking in at 20.5 inches tall and with a 33-liter capacity, this stylish carry-on is among the smallest we tested, but don’t let that fool you—its smart design and several organizational features helped us pack everything we needed for a long weekend away. While this Dagne Dover suitcase isn’t expandable, its compact size is great for airlines with smaller overhead bins, and we recommend using compression packing cubes to really maximize precious luggage real estate. 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 design features of this bag is that the front pocket gives you access to the main cabin of the suitcase, meaning you can reach in through the front pocket to grab a sweater or light jacket,without having to open the entire suitcase on the floor of the airport.

The interior splits evenly like a clamshell, and each side features compression straps that help lock everything in place. One side has a panel that can zip completely shut to keep your belongings from falling out, and there are two mesh pockets on top of the panel for smaller items like underwear and socks. The suitcase also comes with a removable bag for dirty laundry or a pair shoes. 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 for some people to raise and store in overhead bins.

The Details: 20.5 x 13 x 8.75 inches | 9.1 pounds | 33-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Recycled 900D poly | 13-inch laptop sleeve

This Kenneth Cole underseater is the smallest wheeled bag on this list, impressing us with its stylish design, affordable price point, and surprising amount of packing space. Clocking in at 5.6 pounds, the bag has a 34-liter capacity and many organizational compartments. Outside, you’ll find two side pockets with expanders that can each fit a water bottle and a large front zippered pocket with a padded laptop sleeve. There are even more pockets within this larger front pocket, including a flap that can fit a device like a laptop or tablet. We placed the bag underneath an airplane seat during testing and found it easy to reach down and access all of the pockets. We also thought the compression straps were helpful to help cinch everything nice and tight.

Accented with gold hardware and crafted from durable polyester twill that’s wrapped in a stylish quilted chevron pattern, this budget-friendly underseater looks incredibly stylish. Its telescopic handle, which has various height settings, easily zips away into its own pocket when not in use. Best of all, the bag features thick and comfortable top handles that can snap together and are long enough to be held over your arm or shoulder, providing versatile carrying options.

The Details: 17 x 13 x 9 inches | 5.6 pounds | 34-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polyester twill | Laptop sleeve

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 and easy to carry when you want to be hands-free. It has an unstructured design that requires strategic packing to avoid sagging, but we like that it allows you to squish 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, which made it comfortable to wear for hours at a time.

The Details: 22 x 12 x 10 inches | 2.94 pounds | 35-liter capacity | TPU-coated 1000D polyester, nylon | 15-inch laptop sleeve

Crafted out durable recycled polyester and water-resistant TPU coating, this deceptively spacious Patagonia bag is our favorite carry-on duffel. Boasting an impressive 40-liter capacity while still being compact enough to fit into an overhead bin, this rugged duffel features a slew of pockets and compartments for staying organized on the go. The opening flap has a mesh pocket on the inside for storing smaller items like toiletries and undergarments, and its spacious main compartment can fit bulky items. Outside, you’ll find a zippered side pocket that can store cables, phones, and portable chargers. We found it easy to compress the duffel into a smaller included bag for storage when not in the use. Best of all, the bag comes with removable, ergonomic shoulder straps if you want to carry the duffel as a backpack, which overall makes it an incredibly versatile travel bag.

The Details: 19.7 x 12.5 x 8.5 inches | 2.1 pounds | 40-liter capacity | Recycled ripstop polyester | Water-resistant

Wrapped in a puffy, softside polyester shell that adds a layer of protective padding, this 21-inch-tall carry-on features a front laptop pocket on the outside of the bag. Large enough to fit devices up to 17 inches, we found that the pocket was nicely padded and durable. The top of the suitcase opens like a lid, revealing one main compartment inside. While the it’s great for packing away bulkier items, it doesn’t offer much organizational options, so we recommend using packing cubes. The handle has three height settings that are well-placed, but it felt a bit flimsy to pull. We thought it was easier to roll the suitcase up on two wheels rather than flatly on all four. We like the softside material because it’s more flexible than a rigid hardside suitcase when you need to squeeze it in tight spaces.

The Details: 21 x 13.75 x 9 inches | 6.4 pounds | 31-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polyester | 17-inch laptop sleeve

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. It only comes in a few colors that may not be for everyone.

The Details: 17 x 16.5 x 9 inches | 7 pounds | 39-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polycarbonate | 13-inch laptop pocket

This sporty carry-on from Thule is essentially one big main compartment that can fit up to a week’s worth of clothes, thanks to a few handy storage pockets. It features a removable compression packing cube with an easy-to-clean TPU coating that’s great for packing away shoes (we were able to fit in two pairs) or dirty clothing and outdoor gear like bathing suits. There are also additional compression straps to really cinch your clothing nice and tight, as well as a mesh zippered divider to separate smaller items like socks and underwear. Outside, you’ll find a large front zippered pocket that can fit a sweater or light jacket for easy access, as well as a smaller zippered pocket for smaller items including keys and a wallet.

Featuring a durable polycarbonate back panel and recycled waxed polyester canvas exterior, this carry-on was a pro at absorbing blows and scuffs. That being said, we wouldn’t recommend packing a delicate device like a tablet in it’s front pocket as there isn’t enough padding—we packed a laptop in the carry-on’s front pocket and its screen broke when we threw the suitcase off a table. The suitcase is relatively lightweight when it’s empty, but it can get heavy quickly and requires some maneuvering when placing into the overhead compartment. The zippers ran smoothly, but we did encounter some difficult in attaching and removing the compression packing cube. The oversized wheels are nice and sleek and easy to pull on both two and four wheels. 

The Details: 21.7 x 13.8 x 9.1 inches | 35-liter capacity | 7.16 pounds | 4 dual spinner wheels | Recycled waxed P600 polyester canvas, polycarbonate

This aluminum version of Away’s popular carry-on is compact enough to fit in the overhead bins of most major airlines while still having enough packing capacity for a long weekend away. Featuring a shiny aluminum shell that feels durable and looks sleek, this smooth-gliding suitcase is sure to help you stand out on your travels. It has latches in place of zippers, so it’s not expandable in anyway, which is actually a benefit for smaller overhead bins because you cannot overstuff this bag. We found the compression panel helpful for packing since it helped press all of our packing list inside; there are also small zipper pockets, a hidden laundry bag, and a leather luggage tag. Like all aluminum suitcases, it does weigh more than the average hardside carry-on, so keep that in mind if you prefer a lightweight bag. Aluminum is also prone to dents and scratches, but it shouldn’t get too dented if you’re carrying it on.

The Details: 21.5 x 13.5 x 9 inches | 10.1 pounds | 35-liter capacity | Aluminum | 4 dual spinner wheels

Don’t let this aesthetically pleasing, pastel-colored, expandable carry-on fool you: it’s a durable piece of luggage with plenty of internal organization features that can fit up to three days’ worth of clothes. Crafted from protective yet lightweight polycarbonate, the compact suitcase clocks in at just over 7 pounds and features some of the smoothest zippers we’ve tested. Even its handle, which has two height settings, didn’t stick in the slightest.

Inside, you’ll find two dividers: one zippered divider with two additional zippered pockets (one mesh and one clear) on it and a snap-in divider with an a large, zippered mesh pocket. There are also two buckled compression straps that can extend over the snap-in divider to maximize storage space. We found that the carry-on’s four dual spinner wheels overall ran quite smooth, although they did stick on certain surfaces like carpet. The suitcase’s crowning feature is, without a doubt, it’s incredible value. Coming in at just $150, we think its worth every cent.

The Details: 21.7 x 13.9 x 9 inches | 7.05 pounds | 35-liter capacity | Expandable | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polycarbonate

At just over 5 pounds, this carry-on is among the lightest we’ve ever tested, but it proved to be incredibly durable during testing. This hardside suitcase didn’t get dented at all when we hit it repeatedly with a metal baseball bat, so we think this will withstand your international travels well. We did notice a few cosmetic scratches on its polycarbonate shell, but that doesn’t affect overall durability.

The hardside suitcase opens evenly like a clamshell and features expandable sides that add an extra inch of depth. Inside you’ll find two open compartments sans pockets or compression straps. While we would have appreciated more internal pockets to better hold our items, including smaller essentials like socks and underwear, we think this suitcase is best suited to those who want to pack as much as possible without compartments getting in the way. The TSA-approved locks were easy to open, its zippers ran smoothly and its handle, which has four height settings, was easy to adjust. The suitcase’s four dual spinner wheels also glided effortlessly on all pavements.

The Details: 22 x 14 x 9 inches | 5.07 pounds | Expandable | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polycarbonate Recyclex

This zipperless suitcase opens and closes thanks to two, easy-to-use latches featuring TSA-approved locks. Although the carry-on might be on the smaller size, it still has enough capacity to fit up to a week’s worth of clothes. The suitcase has two open compartments and a mesh divider with a zippered pocket great for storing smaller items. Each half of the suitcase has secure divider closures that clamp in place to keep all of your essentials secure. While these closures aren’t adjustable, they help avoid your clothing from spilling out when trying to close the suitcase. Because the carry-on isn’t expandable and is zipperless, we recommend exercising caution when packing as it will be difficult to close the latches otherwise. Its smaller size, however, is perfect for international flights.

When we threw the suitcase repeatedly off a table during our durability test, the latches never popped open, even when unlocked, so we know that your essentials will stay safe and secure during transit. In fact, the suitcase is marketed as “built to last” (this phrase is literally printed onto the luggage’s handle), and we can confidently say that it really is — during our baseball bat and drop tests the suitcase only experience a few minor scuffs that were easily buffed out with our fingers. Our only gripe is that the carry-on’s wheels could glide slightly smoother.

The Details: 21.85 x 13.98 x 9.06 inches | 7.7 pounds | 35-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polycarbonate

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 when you need the extra space if you do a lot of shopping at your destination. 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 | 39.6-liter capacity | Expandable (2 inches) | 4 dual spinner wheels | Polycarbonate

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