The Best Lightweight Luggage of 2024, Tested and Reviewed

Oct 14, 2024

We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation.

Keep your luggage under the weight limit with these lightweight options.

In This Article

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

It's easier said than done to "pack light," but it is a wise sentiment. When you want to bring plenty of outfit options (plus shoes and accessories to match), your full skincare routine, workout gear, and must-haves for working remotely, lightweight luggage can help balance out your load.

But the best suitcases, weekenders, backpacks, underseat bags, and duffels aren't just lightweight. They're also durable, easy to maneuver, and spacious, with lots of compartments and standout features like expanders, compression panels, laptop sleeves, TSA-approved locks, and USB charging ports.

To help you narrow down your options, we've tested over 600 pieces of luggage and sorted through our insights to choose the best lightweight options. Our Travel + Leisure editors packed the bags full, rolled them over different flooring materials, carried them for extended periods of time, threw them off tables, hit them with baseball bats and even built an airplane set where we could lift the bags into overhead bins. We then put together this list of notably lightweight carry-ons, checked bags, personal items, and other types of bags with high performance and low weights.

This monochromatic carry-on is exceptionally easy to lift by its thick carrying handles, and it has a 2-inch expander zipper.

The bag scratches more easily than we’d like.

It’s hard to find attractive softside suitcases these days, but we love this stylish carry-on that comes in monochromatic colors like harbour blue, lavender, or charcoal — including colored wheels, zippers, and handles. This felt spacious for a carry-on, and if you do a little more shopping than expected on your trip or just want to squeeze in a few extra outfits, it has an expandable zipper for an extra 2 inches, as well as a large, padded pocket on the front.

The handle has three different heights and felt strong enough that we could lift the fully packed bag easily by the handle without it feeling loose. We also took notice of how large and padded the top and side carry handles are, which made it easy to lift the bag into overhead bins; this will make it easy if you have to carry this bag up or down the stairs at any point during your travels. After we threw the bag off a table several times in our lab, it did get a few light scratches, but the softside material stood up well. We also thought there were some thoughtful touches, like waterproof material inside to safeguard against spills and a loop on the front of the bag to attach a luggage tag.

The Details: Carry-on | 5.95 pounds | 21.7 × 14.2 × 7.9 inches | Expandable | Nylon, polyester

The exceptionally sturdy yet flexible shell can be knocked around without damage while making it easy to pack all the essentials for a getaway.

This carry-on isn't expandable, and it doesn't take corners as well on two wheels.

At 6.7 pounds, the Coolife Spinner Trolley isn't the lightest of the lightweight luggage we tested, but it's undoubtedly the most durable. The ABS+PC (acrylonitrile butadiene and polycarbonate) shell is an exceptionally sturdy thermoplastic blend. After shoving it off multiple surfaces and giving it a few good hits with a bat, there was no visible damage.

This carry-on isn't expandable, but thanks to the strong yet slightly flexible exterior, stretchy cross bands, and smooth zippers, we were able to stuff in all the essentials for a four-day trip. It also has a double TSA lock for extra protection. Maneuvering the Spinner Trolley was a breeze, though it doesn't take corners as tightly on two wheels. We'd expect it to last several years and think it's a stellar option for such an affordable price.

The Details: Carry-on | 6.7 pounds | 21 x 14 x 9.5 inches | 38-liter capacity | Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polycarbonate

This felt spacious for a carry-on, and you can expand it even more if needed.

It took some effort to adjust the handle when the bag was packed full.

One of Samsonite’s newer launches from the Virtuosa collection, this stylish carry-on felt pleasantly portable and spacious, with wheels that spun around seamlessly over different terrains and through our obstacle course. This is one of the largest carry-ons on this list, and you can make it even larger if you use the expandable zipper, but keep in mind that it may not fit in the overhead bin on every airline if you fill it to capacity.

We found the organizational features to be extremely helpful when packing the bag: one side has adjustable compression straps and the other has a waterproof plastic divider with two pockets that would be ideal for toiletries. The handle has the ability to raise up or down in 1-inch height adjustments for a customizable fit, though we found it required some effort to adjust when you fully pack the bag.

The Details: Carry-on | 6.4 pounds | 23 x 15 x 10 inches | Expandable | Polycarbonate, PU

This mini softside suitcase has the ease of four wheels, but it’s small enough to fit underneath an airplane seat.

The zipper placement of the main compartment is a little awkward.

This underseater is surprisingly spacious for its smaller size thanks to its deep compartments and front pocket: we were able to pack two outfits, a pair of sneakers, two toiletry bags, a laptop, and a charger inside, making it useful for quick weekend trips or as a supplement to a larger bag. We love the puffy, water-resistant material; the luggage trolley sleeve if you want to place it on top of a carry-on or checked bag; and the cushioned top and side handles that made it easy to lift (especially since it only weighs 5.3 pounds). As with many other Calpak luggage pieces, there are plenty of pockets to keep your belongings organized, including a laptop sleeve on the lid of the suitcase, a small pocket on the outside to store a phone or keys, and three small accessory pockets lining the main compartment. We liked the semi-accordian style opening that allowed us to unzip the bag while it’s standing upright, though if you open the bag all the way, the zippers land below the accordion flap, which can then be tricky to open up again.

The Details: Carry-on/personal item | 5.3 pounds | 16 x 14.25 x 9 inches | 23.2-liter capacity | Polyester

This versatile bag has so many organizational features, including seven exterior pockets, nine interior pockets, and a laptop sleeve.

Although the bag is comfortable to carry, we would add padding to the straps.

The most lightweight option on this list, the MZ Wallace Nik Duffel Bag is so resourceful for travel: it’s compact enough to use as an overnight bag or even a daily commuter bag, but you can also use it for a longer four or five day trip if you maximize packing space with all the pockets and compartments. This weekender shines when it comes to organization since there are tons of pockets and storage space, including seven pockets on the outside, nine pockets on the inside, a 16-inch laptop sleeve, a detachable pouch, and a key ring strap. Even when we packed this bag full, it still felt comfortable to carry because of the quilted material that has a natural padding, although the crossbody strap doesn’t have any padding on it. It has long top handles; a detachable, adjustable crossbody strap; and a trolley sleeve, giving you the option to carry it in so many different ways. All in all, we think the high price tag is well worth it for this versatile weekender.

The Details: Personal item | 2.1 pounds | 16.93 x 7.09 x 12.2 inches | REC Oxford, Italian leather

This 45-liter, barrel-shaped bag is water-resistant and has a slip pocket for an Apple AirTag.

The clips that attach the crossbody strap to the bag are plastic rather than metal.

This spacious duffel bag easily fit our full packing list during testing, including four shirts, a jacket, pants, a toiletry kit, a makeup kit, a laptop, chargers, two pairs of shoes, and more, with plenty of room to spare. The bag has two top handles; a detachable, padded shoulder strap; a luggage pass-through, internal slip pockets for smaller items; an external pocket with a key clip; and an internal Apple AirTag slip pocket. Some large bags can't help but feel bulky when you're wearing them as a crossbody, but this 45-liter bag has a barrel shape that makes it slim and easy to carry, and we noticed that it managed to feel more lightweight and portable than some other bags we tested that had the same exact packing list. You can also feel safe if you have to carry this bag in the rain thanks to the water-resistant polyester material (made from 100 percent recycled PET plastic bottles) and storm flaps that protect the main zipper.

The Details: Carry-on | 2.2 pounds | 15 x 25.6 x 15.75 inches | 45-liter capacity | Recycled ripstop | Water resistant

This large and durable wheeled duffel is under 5 pounds, with a generous capacity and comfortable shoulder straps.

There's no proper handle, and it would be nice if there were a couple more pockets.

The Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler is an excellent checked luggage option, and at 4.7 pounds, it weighs less than most carry-ons. We could easily fit all items on the packing list, though a couple more pockets or separators would have helped keep things organized. This extra-large duffel has two wheels and glides pretty well, but since it doesn't have an extendable handle, rolling it around isn't very comfortable. However, the shoulder straps allow you to carry it like a backpack.

This durable duffel bag showed no signs of damage during our whacking and shoving tests. The bold monochrome colors add a tasteful touch to the rugged design while helping you quickly recognize it at baggage claim. While it's a bit pricey for this type of luggage, the Cargo Hauler seems like it'll last a long time. We think it's a solid choice for camping, hiking, backpacking, and other outdoor excursions.

The Details: Checked | 4.7 pounds | 34 x 15 x 14 inches | 130-liter capacity | 1000D polyester, 600D polyester TPU

This bags weighs just over 4 pounds and is surprisingly spacious.

We wish the wheels and zippers glided more smoothly.

In addition to being an objectively stylish bag, this softside carry-on from Antler is incredibly lightweight, weighing just over 4 pounds when empty. While it's on the smaller side for a carry-on, it's quite spacious inside with one main compartment, one large pocket on the front of the opening flat, and one large pocket on the back of the opening flap. We didn't have any issues fitting our packing list during testing and like that we could toss in an extra pair of shoes without worrying about exceeding the airline's weight limit.

"This carry-on is one of the most lightweight bags I've personally tested, " says T+L testing editor Jackie Cucco. "It feels weightless when it's empty and still pretty lightweight when fully packed. It was so easy and effortless to lift the fully packed bag above my head into the overhead bin on our airplane set. The grab handles are large and padded, too, which makes it even easier. I could basically swing the bag around over my head without any effort."

We did experience some lagging when trying to zig-zag this suitcase through an obstacle course and felt that the wheels and zippers weren't as smooth as we would have liked. But we'll still be reaching for this bag when weight is a priority, as we don't think this will be a huge issue thanks to its lightweight nature.

The Details: Carry-on | 4.19 pounds | 21.7 x 13.8 x 8.3 inches | 32-liter capacity | Recycled polyester

This checked bag is extremely lightweight for its size and has plenty of packing space.

There aren't many organizational features inside.

Samsonite is known for its consistency in design, so it wasn't a shock that we were so impressed with this lightweight checked spinner. Weighing in at 6.9 pounds, it's incredibly light for a checked bag while keeping the durability features Samsonite bags are known for. It showed no signs of damage after being hit with a baseball bat during testing, so we're confident it will stand up to being tossed around during travel. There is plenty of space inside this bag, which has to do with the thin mesh lining sewn close to the shell (as opposed to the billowy nylon you see in most suitcases). Because of this design, it feels like there isn't a bit of space wasted, and we were able to fit our entire packing list with plenty of room left over. This bag rolled smoothly during testing and we didn't experience any issues with the zippers or handle. Even when fully packed, it was effortless to maneuver and pick up.

The organizational features are fairly simple, with an X compression strap on one side and a large zippered mesh pocket on the other. The outside of this hardside bag feels sturdy and also looks great. "This suitcase is an absolute stunner," T+L senior editor Jasmine Grant says. "The outer shell is textured and resembles superhero-like armor, which is so gorgeous."

The Details: Checked | 6.9 pounds | 27.2 x 18.9 x 11.4 inches | Roxkin outer shell

Our T+L team has tested more than 600 pieces of luggage in our New York City lab, choosing the most lightweight options that performed well for this particular article. During our tests, we weigh the bags, then assess the maneuverability, portability, capacity, durability, and value. We pack each bag with a predetermined packing to see what the capacity looks like and to assess organizational features like pockets and compression straps.

Travel + Leisure/Joy Kim

To see how the bags would perform in a real-life setting, we rolled them around on different types of flooring, raced them through obstacle courses, slung them over our shoulders to carry them around, and hoisted them over our heads into overhead bins on our airplane set. Next, we hit each piece a few times with a baseball bat and shoved it off a table to evaluate durability and potential wear and tear, taking notes of any scuff marks or dents.

We also test each bag on our real-world travels for an additional six months after our lab tests to make sure they perform just as well on real flights, car rides, train rides, and more. With size, price, and weight in mind, the luggage options with the highest ratings and the lightest weights were selected for this roundup, and we will continue to update this article as we test new bags.

Three pieces of lightweight luggage we tested couldn’t quite earn a spot on our list but had standout features that may meet the needs of some travelers.

Kipling Darcey Small Carry-on Rolling Luggage: Weighing just over five pounds, this carry-on is lightweight, spacious enough for a four-day trip, and compact enough to fit in an overhead compartment. That said, the maneuverability is clunky compared to others we tried.

Lipault Plume Cabin Spinner: This duffel-suitcase hybrid weighs only 4.8 pounds and comes in stylish color options, but we found it difficult to access the exterior pocket when the suitcase is packed full, and the handle felt a little wobbly.

Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Carry-on Spinner: This 5.4-pound spinner rolls smoothly for the most part and didn't sustain any scuffs from our bat test. However, it's a pretty simple bag and lacks organizational features.

Prioritizing a lightweight design doesn't mean you have to sacrifice durability. Hardside luggage tends to be better for safeguarding electronics and preventing your stuff from getting crushed. And while they’re usually easy to wipe clean, some rigid suitcases are prone to scuffing. Believe it or not, softside carriers are often just as sturdy. Although textile exteriors can be trickier to keep clean, they also usually don't scuff as easily or show dirt.

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Besides staying within any potential weight limits for plane travel, one of the main points of lightweight luggage is to make your trip easier and more efficient. With this in mind, you'll want to look for models with various comfort features. These may include easy-to-push spinner wheels, a telescoping handle, padded grab handles, an adjustable strap, or even a trolley sleeve.

The lightest-weight carry-ons are usually anywhere from 4.5 to 6.5 pounds. For checked suitcases, you're looking at closer to eight to 10 pounds. However, alternative luggage options, such as duffels, weekenders, and carry-on backpacks, can be as light as 2 or 3 pounds when empty.

Hardside luggage made from polycarbonate, ABS, and polypropylene tend to be the most durable bags, but softside luggage can be just as protective when it comes to storing your items for takeoff.

Our tests proved that lightweight luggage can be just as durable as other bags. In our lab, we hit the luggage pieces with a baseball bat and pushed them off a table to evaluate potential wear and tear. We found that most of these bags easily stood up to our tests with no visible damage.

It depends on the airline. Some set the weight limit for carry-on luggage at about 35 pounds, though international flights may be more restrictive. But unlike checked baggage that's weighed in at the counter, weight limits are often not enforced very strictly. And some domestic airlines don't have any restrictions.

This also varies among airlines. Many set the weight limit for checked baggage at 50 pounds. But in many cases, you can go up to 70 pounds for an extra fee. At any rate, it's a good idea to check the airline's website before packing, as rules and guidelines are subject to change.

For this story, commerce writer Theresa Holland combed through in-house testing insights, then referenced product descriptions and luggage manuals to create a comprehensive roundup of the best lightweight luggage available today. She has extensive experience writing about travel products and has tried a handful of the above brands herself, including July, Amazon Basics, Samsonite, and Osprey. T+L editors will continue to update this article as we test more bags.

Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week.