As veteran travelers and travel advisors, we care about luggage and bags. Our clients often ask us for recommendations, so we put together this list. These are all things we use when we travel. We’ll cover the best carry-on luggage and the best luggage sets. If you are interested in purchasing something, just click on the image.
Our Best Tip: The Secret Nylon Zipper Travel Bag
This is one of our best travel tips. We ALWAYS do this. It solves two problems: purchasing a few too many items and dirty clothes.
Get a rip-stop nylon bag that lays flat or almost flat. Then, lay it empty on the bottom of your main suitcase before you pack. During the trip use it for dirty clothes. If you happen to come home with a few more items than you left with, zip it tightly with those dirty clothes and check one more bag. Everything else goes in the hard-sided bags. The key is to get one that is light but very sturdy like this one.
Best Carry On Luggage
We know we are in the minority on this but we think the best carry-on bags are those without wheels. We like to tuck our carry-on under the seat ahead and not deal with overhead bins. It lets us reach our things easily during the flight. Also, it makes us feel oddly virtuous to be leaving overhead bin space for the rest of you. We use a bag such as this by Vera Bradley. Important! Be sure it has a luggage sleeve so you can slip it on top of the handles of your larger bag.
If you really must have a wheeled carry-on bag, we like this well-regarded Travelpro. Which comes in a lot of color options!
What’s a Personal Item?
Even the airlines that charge for carry-ons and checked bags will usually allow for a “personal item” for free. This would be a purse, briefcase, messenger bag, or a laptop bag. It needs to be able to fit under the seat in front of you. We like to carry a very small travel purse but tuck it into a large tote for our personal item. We like a tote with exterior pocket so we can slip our phone and boarding passes quickly. And, be sure it has a zip top to better secure your things.
Best Choices for Checked Bags
We have long used these Traveler’s Choice sets. We like the colors and they hold up quite well.
Traveler’s Choice has other nice sets too.
If your tastes are a bit more upscale, Briggs and Riley is an excellent brand. Another brand we have long used and love is Lipault Paris.
Something To Consider
Rolling garment bags are not much in style nowadays. However, we use one for cruises, especially those with formal nights. They keep clothes hanging inside and are then less likely to wrinkle badly. Great for business people or those who hate wrinkles. We have used two wheeled styles and consider four-wheeled versions far superior. This is what we own.
Looking for more travel items? We have recommendations for great travel gifts. Also essential items for your cruise.
Ready For More Great Travel Tips?
Every week we share our favorite travel secrets and tips. You can view them all here.
