Like a great vacation, your luggage should be memorable for all the right reasons. Style and comfort make for a great vacation, and the same can be said about suitcases and travel gear.
We’ve asked 24 globetrotting experts what luggage has worked best for them, from luxury travelers and adventurer seekers to weekend jet-setters and digital nomads. After all, if you’re going to listen to anyone’s advice on travel gear, it should come from industry professionals and seasoned travelers.
From sturdy checked bags to flexible carry-ons, these tried-and-true pieces of luggage have gotten our experts through their travels with ease, functionality, and in most cases, style. Let’s dig through their top picks for the very best luggage brands.
This article is part of Condé Nast Traveler’s second annual Luggage Week, for which dozens of suitcases, backpacks, and weekender bags were road-tested by our editors.
Discover travel experts’ favorite luggage brands:
Suitcases
Briggs & Riley
“I am in love with my Briggs & Riley Baseline spinner. The CX compression and expansion allows me to adjust to my travel needs. It’s lightweight for a bag of its size, plus I love the colors—my bright blue allows me to spot my suitcase quickly amongst the sea of black bags. For a carry-on, I love my It Luggage replicating cabin roller bag. It’s sleek, light, and very reasonably priced.” —Lindsey Ueberroth, CEO of Preferred Hotels & Resorts
Rimowa
“I always rely on my Rimowa carry-on. The blend of durability and sophisticated design makes it a perfect travel companion. Whether I’m navigating busy airports or heading to remote, beautiful destinations, Rimowa’s lightweight yet sturdy build allows me to pack everything I need while keeping my travel experience seamless and stress-free.” —Carolyne Doyon, president and CEO of Club Med North America & the Caribbean
SteamLine Luggage
“Airports can be a bleak setting, but seeing my SteamLine Luggage is a reminder of romantic travel days past. It always brings a smile to my face. Travel is amazing, but the process of getting places can be stressful. With SteamLine Luggage, I can take a bit of that control back and add some beauty to the process of getting away.” —Leora Novick, founder of Persephone Social, a hospitality-focused social media agency
Paravel
“Paravel has a wide selection and a core focus on producing sustainable, carbon-neutral luggage. I particularly like the Aviator collection, which is made from recycled materials yet feels luxurious and timeless. Paravel offsets all emissions in the production process from sourcing to delivery, so I like knowing that I’m contributing to a good cause when buying its products.” —Joan Roca, CEO and co-founder of Essentialist, a members-only travel service
Samsonite
“For smaller items, I really like Tumi. My backpack and carry-on trolleys are all Tumi. For larger suitcases, you can’t go wrong with a Samsonite lightweight hard-top. The brand’s customer service is exceptional—it replaced my two-year-old suitcase recently because the airline ripped off one of the wheels, no questions asked. Checked-in bags get pounded and beaten up and I would not want to spend a lot of money on an item that has to be replaced after a few years (if you travel frequently).” —Gary Portuesi, president and owner, Authentic Italy
Monos
“Every summer, we travel to Europe, and now that we have a toddler, we carry so many more things, so having the right luggage that is sturdy, lightweight, and smooth makes our life so much easier. From the sleek lines and vibrant colors to the durable materials and eco-friendly practices, every piece from Monos is crafted to elevate your adventure while minimizing your environmental impact. This summer felt extra special because I got to travel with my own luggage I designed with Monos from Los Angeles to Paris. We traveled with the Trunk, Check-in Large, Check-in Medium, and Carry-on, and it was the smoothest travel day we’ve ever had.” —Julie Sariñana, fashion and lifestyle influencer who recently created the new Monos x Sincerely Jules Collection
Victorinox
“As someone who travels full-time, clocking in hundreds of thousands of miles every year, durability isn’t just a perk—it’s a necessity. The wheels, especially on my Spectra 3.0 luggage, are an absolute standout feature. Whether it’s being dragged across the cobblestones of Europe or through the rough roads of remote regions, the wheels glide as smoothly today as they did on day one. I’ve had countless bellhops and fellow travelers comment on how effortlessly the bag rolls—and that’s after years of use. And then there’s the expandability. I travel light, but I’m always collecting items along the way—sometimes unexpectedly. Victorinox luggage has saved me more than once by expanding to accommodate souvenirs or extra gear.” —Valerie Joy Wilson, travel expert and on-air travel host
Eagle Creek
“I travel to Kenya every month for business, and I have used the same Eagle Creek bag for the past 10 years. It has served me well—in and out of bush planes, in and out of good weather and bad, dragged along bumpy paths, fallen off the back of a vehicle in the middle of nowhere, and it has survived and thrived. A proper 4×4 bush bag! At the airport, I see people casting envious looks, and I have to keep a sharp eye that it is not lifted off the luggage carousel.”—Nicky Fitzgerald, founder and CEO of Kenya’s Angama Mara safari experiences
Lipault
“I love my tiny, lightweight carry-on from Lipault. It has wheels, is soft-sided, and can squeeze into most overhead compartments. It’s perfect for connecting commuter flights because its soft structure enables me to wiggle it into tinier overhead bins on smaller aircraft. And, despite it being soft-sided, it’s more durable than you think. One time we forgot to load it from the driveway to the car and ran it over, but it survived! I also like how it fits in car travel as it’s more malleable for a road trip, or even in a rental car, when we are low on luggage space.” —Mary Celeste Beall, owner, Blackberry Farm
Delsey Paris
“Delsey’s suitcases are inexpensive, lightweight, and have great wheels. They’re also French—and all that implies.” —Richard Bruce Turen, owner and managing director, Churchill & Turen LTD
Tumi
“I love the Tumi carry-on, the largest model—it expands or shrinks, depending. There’s also the Rimowa aluminum, which I love. It’s the trunk suitcase on wheels.” —Mary Jean Tully, founder and CEO, Tully Luxury Travel
Travelpro
“I’ve used Travelpro for the last four years, and I love it. Its luggage is made from really sturdy ballistic nylon, wears extremely well, and most importantly, it has solid construction of the zippers and wheels. It’s also washable! After a particularly dusty trip, like our African safaris, I will hose it down, scrub it a bit with fabric shampoo, and let it dry in the sun. And it looks like new.”—Jeff Gundvalson, co-founder of Brand g Vacations, a luxury LGBT+ tour group
Eastpak
“When it comes to luggage, I need something multipurpose without being clunky. Whether it’s a weekend trip or just packing outfits to bring to a set, my Eastpak Transit’R bag has been the perfect go-to. It has a really solid frame, sturdy handles, and smooth wheels, while the softer shell keeps the bag super lightweight. For any creative working in a city like New York, you probably have a lot of equipment or things overall you need with you to do your job, so you need reliable pieces like these to take your stuff from point A to point B. Typical luggage can be a bit overboard or clunky, and other bags can be too flimsy or hard to carry. I fit six different outfits in my luggage for the last shoot I was helping out with, and this bag was perfect for it.” —Edward Park, model and fashion influencer
Duffel bags
Arc’teryx
“I’m a fan of Arc’teryx, especially the Carrier 75 duffel. I just came back from a multi-day hike in Peru, going through parts of the Inca Trail that nobody visits, and the duffel bag was my main point-to-point bag. I had to schlep this through three airports, and it held up great. Plus, it’s weather-resistant, so you can take it out in the rain. It also comes in two colors—one of which is not black, so you can find it on the airport carousel easily.” —John Montgomery, co-founder of Landed travel specialty group
Ghurka
“I love Ghurka luggage, which is made in the US. Beautiful, simple, and by now, part of me.” —Francis Ford Coppola, director and hotelier
Osprey
“For me, multi-day treks are the name of the game, and the Fairview Trek is my dream pack. I lead multi-day hiking trips in Patagonia, and I use my Fairview Trek 50 every time. My pack has been dusted, muddied, blown, rained on, snowed on, and still it perseveres even through the toughest Patagonian weather. I love the main clamshell style, so I don’t have to blindly dig into the depths of my pack any time I want to access my gear. The dual water bottle pockets are absolutely clutch, not just for water bottles, but bear spray, trekking poles, or even my iPhone when it’s not in my pocket. Above all else, it is so comfortable, even with 20-30 pounds of weight day after day after day.”—Jackie Nourse, founder of the podcast Jump with Traveling Jackie and of Jump Adventures tour group
The North Face
“I don’t have just one [kind of bag]. My Patagonia roller duffel is handy. I almost always have my North Face duffel, since you can make it big or small with straps, and reduce it to a carry-on. We recommend unusual colors so that you can find your bag easily. Having one that’s waterproof is super handy, since we can go from plane to boat to kayak. And with active travel, it’s nice to have two bags—one for more formal, clean stuff, and the other for shoes or gear or dirty clothes. It’s very important to have good bag tags so that on arrival, staff can make sure that the right bags get into the right room. Always helpful to have a lock as well!” —Cari Gray, founder, Gray & Co.
Bric’s
“I have a Bric’s rolling duffel that I particularly love. Because we travel to distant lands, and I’m sometimes flying on small planes that have limited overhead bin space, this duffel can be a lifesaver. Often standard rolling bags won’t fit in those bins, and I can pack this duffel a bit loosely so that it can be smushed down a bit to fit into those bins. No gate-checking needed!”—Brian Van Wey, co-founder of Brand g Vacations, a luxury LGBT+ tour group
Head
“I love my Head travel bags. They are huge and fit a lot of stuff—not just my tennis racquets—in special compartments for my long trips.” —Taylor Fritz, top-ranked US men’s tennis player
Personal items
Métier London
“For travel and day bags, I love Métier London. The bags are discreet and do not shout for attention, yet people always notice them, especially on airport transit buses. Every design detail is minutely observed and purposeful, from hidden pockets for phones and travel documents to modular packing cases and gorgeous brass hardware. I use them for carry-on weekend, short-haul trips to Bordeaux and Berlin, and around London for meetings. The bags are constructed to last forever and to age beautifully: they look even more wonderful after a few years.”—Jannes Soerensen, founder of Kepler Hotel Group and The Kepler International Hospitality Academy
Baggallini
“I think it’s important while traveling to blend in and not call attention with jewelry, dresses, or accessories—so I stick with basic suitcases like Travelpro. I’m also a fan of Baggallini; my go-to travel tote, backpack, and purse are all Baggallini. I also always have my passport in a RFID-blocking passport holder.” —Linda Allen-Speer, owner, Cruises by Linda
Thule
“Within the last month I was in Santa Fe, New Mexico, biking in Norway, and now in route to Dallas, Texas,” says Myron “Mylo” Fowler, a National Geographic photographer, mountain biker, and an activist for Navajo Nation. “The Thule Aion allows me to pack gear, clothes, laptops, battery banks, and my water bottle much more efficiently with the layout of the bag, and it is incredibly comfortable. From the heat, rain, or the travel shuffle, the Thule Aion is my favorite travel bag for various assignments. And, the materials it is made of are absolutely durable.” Another perk: Thule’s Aion collection is Bluesign certified and made from 100 percent recycled materials. —Myron “Mylo” Fowler, a National Geographic photographer, mountain biker, and an activist for Navajo Nation
Travel accessories
Dagne Dover
“Being on the road frequently, I have a system where I take three Hunter pouches on every trip: one has skincare and toiletries, one has makeup, and the other shampoo. I also use a small Hunter to organize in-flight essentials like wipes, ear plugs, and chargers. I love that the pouch easily holds everything I need to throw in for travel, it’s water-resistant, and I’m able to slip in small things like hair ties and contact lenses into the side pockets. I’ve been using Dagne Dover for years, and now it’s become an essential part of my travel routine, from the duffel that slides onto my roller suitcase, to the phone sling that carries my ID and phone, to the tech organizer I can’t live without.” —Christine Chang, co-CEO and co-founder of Glow Recipe
Away
“My Away bag is perfectly designed for someone who loves organization. The only downside of Away is that since it’s so perfect, everyone in my family now has the same bag. I recently bought my family new luggage tags in different colors so we can quickly identify whose luggage belongs to whom! Away recently collaborated with the fashion brand La Ligne; I now use it to carry my full makeup kit so when I’m going on set for a photo shoot or doing a celebrity’s makeup, I just roll in with my very chic Away bag. No one’s makeup kit is as cool as mine.”—Bobbi Brown, makeup artist; hotelier and founder, Jones Road Beauty
This article has been updated with new information since its original publish date.
