We see the most deals on Wirecutter picks from November through December, and we tend to see slightly deeper but more option-limited discounts in the beginning of the year.
If you’re particular about colors or style trends, Black Friday and Cyber Monday sales are your best bet. It can be a great time to score discounts on models and options that don’t really see sales otherwise. This was the case last year with Carl Friedrik’s The Carry-On, our upgrade hard-shell carry-on pick, which went on a rare sale for 30% off in all colors.
If you don’t care as much about the exact color or style of your luggage, we’ve traditionally seen the lowest prices around the end of the year and after New Year’s, typically on limited colors or fewer options. You’ll need to keep your eyes peeled, but it just might work out in your favor: In January 2025, some Wirecutter readers were lucky to score stellar discounts our upgrade two-wheel carry-on pick and upgrade checked suitcase pick from Briggs & Riley during a fleeting sale in which each model was a whopping 50% off — but only in black.
Don’t just take our word for it. California-based luggage brand Calpak notes on its website that “the best time to buy suitcases is typically closer to the holiday season: September to November,” and that the opportunity extends into December and January. “As the post-holiday rush dies down, many retailers offer steep discounts to move their stock. If you missed the end-of-year sales, January is the next best time to buy suitcases.”
Often those end-of-year sales dry up by February, according to several luggage dealers I interviewed. I also researched the best sale periods for what were Amazon’s 10 most popular suitcases from recognizable brands on the day I checked the list, including models from American Tourister, Level8, and Samsonite. On average, November and December were the best times to buy, but July was a close second. The data showed that July — which, surely relatedly, is when Amazon holds its summer Prime Day sale — is growing in popularity, as the number of worthwhile luggage deals on our picks that the Wirecutter Deals team dug up in July 2025 had quadrupled in comparison with July 2024.
But as anyone who has ever coveted higher-end luggage knows, not every brand offers legitimate sales anymore. I spoke with Erin Leonard, general manager and buyer for Bag and Baggage in the Kansas City area, where she has worked for nearly 30 years. “It used to be, companies would always have a holiday sale, but not anymore,” she said. “The best markdowns is when a company decides to discontinue a collection, and then it all is on sale, usually starting at 20-30% off, or if we as a store decide to not carry a line anymore, then we mark it down.”
For some people, luxe luggage is worth the wait. If that sounds like you, one way to avoid missing those rare sales is by signing up for email or text alerts so that you know about them immediately — inventory during those drops goes quickly. (Just be sure to check the fine print, because retailers typically offer discontinued items as final sale.)
link