The Best Hardside Suitcases for Every Traveler - Nantong ClearWater Ventures Group

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$345

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$900

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$599

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$395

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$298

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$650

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$435

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By Rachel Chang

There's a good reason to go hard on your travels—that is, when it comes to your suitcase. "Hardsides often look a bit more put together," says Bruce Poon Tip, the Toronto-based founder of G Adventures, of the genre's aesthetic simplicity. "Things stay put and the structure makes me more organized when packing."

While fans of softside luggage might tout its lightweight and flexible nature, hardshell suitcases these days have an extra degree of toughness as the commonly used polycarbonate material has gotten even stronger—and lighter. New York City-based travel journalist Oneika Raymond vouches for hardside luggage's durability, adding that these bags are "easy to keep clean" and "tend to be more water-resistant than softside luggage."

Another perk: The very nature of hardsides can save you time on the go. "They slide nicely under higher beds, so you can have access to your items without removing them and placing them in drawers," says Portland, Ore.-based packing expert Anne McAlpin.

We put 10 hardside suitcases (including both carry-on and checked sizes) through a barrage of tests. In the end, the buzzy brand Away lived up to its hype and topped our list for best overall hardside luggage. In particular, we were fans of The Bigger Carry-On Flex, which offers more internal space than its standard Carry-On and Bigger Carry-On, thanks to 2.25 inches of zippered expansion, but still meets most domestic standards for carry-on (check with specific carriers for exact dimension limits).

Our top hardside picks are below; we’ve also tested other types of carry-on suitcases and have recommendations for quality weekender bags.

$345 at Away

The sleek and simple design maximizes interior space and strikes the right balance of durability and maneuverability.

There's a reason that overhead bins these days are so often stuffed with a kaleidoscope of Away suitcases. The Bigger Carry-On Flex is an all-purpose bag that unassumingly packs extra strength into its polycarbonate shell.

Weighing in at 8.55 pounds, it feels impressively lightweight as it rolls and spins, thanks to 360-degree wheels that give the bag a smooth glide. During our tests, the bag sailed seamlessly from wood floors to carpet to tile, with the ability to zip around sharp corners, no matter how sudden or jagged. "It goes without saying that trying the suitcase out before purchasing to see how it moves and feels is really important," says Raymond, who calls herself a "long-time lover" of Away luggage. "You want to make sure that you are comfortable." That's why we appreciate that the bag comes with a 100-day trial period, just enough time to gain complete confidence in its reliability.

And comfort is key when maneuvering this Away bag. The adjustable-height handle lifts with a touch of the button and doesn't wiggle. Additional grippy handles on both the top and side of the suitcase provide just the right amount of elasticity to grab and lift the suitcase securely (a helpful feature when you’re lifting it into an airline overhead bin). One of its most innovative features is a tucked-away underside grip handle, which comes in particularly handy when trying to fish the suitcase out of a car trunk or off the baggage carousel.

But the true power of the brand's expandable carry-on is in its ability to reel it all in, thanks to interior compression. The suitcase unzips to a 50/50 clamshell; one half is an empty compartment that can be used with packing cubes to organize clothing and other essentials. At the bottom is a removable laundry bag, which snaps into a skinny zippered compartment. On the other side is another open space enclosed in zippered mesh, serving almost like a built-in packing cube: Stack or roll your garments in there to the max and zip it in tightly. A center divider with a mesh zippered pocket can be used to rein in small items and keep essential documents neat and protected. Plus the interior lining was able to withstand red wine and shampoo spills in our tests, showing no stains after we wiped up the spills.

Even when both sides of the bag were filled to the max, we were able to close the suitcase; it's as though it's perfectly squeezing everything together, showing the magic of the interior compression. If you tend to test the limits, know that sitting on top of the suitcase will help it gather more than expected—the sturdy zippers had no issues with extra pressure. The expansion feature of the Flex, which provides an additional 2.25 inches of space when unzipped, also helps with peace of mind when cramming things in.

The clean appearance, with rounded corners, horizontal embossed lines across its front and back side, and leather detailing, makes it serious enough to tote around on business trips, yet playful enough to be your BFF on carefree getaways, whether relaxing trips to the beach or adventurous jaunts to the mountains.

We found a few faults during our testing, but they’re minor enough to be tolerated. During our impact test, in which we threw the suitcase down a concrete stairwell, the dark-blue shell became significantly scuffed. It didn't have any visible dents, though, and everything we packed inside was unperturbed. Some of the scratches were deeper, almost like they had actually scraped off a layer of the surface. The luggage comes with its own cleaning sponge, and wetting it helped remove the cosmetic scars, though it took some serious elbow grease.

The Away suitcase closes up with an easy-to-program, TSA-approved three-digit combination lock that clips in the zipper pulls. Also included are a leather luggage tag and a limited warranty covering functional elements, including the shells and zippers.

$900 at Rimowa

$900 at Nordstrom

This bag oozes with style, thanks to a uniform color except for the wheels. But don't underestimate its strength—it came out as the best survivor of our impact test.

There's no denying that this Rimowa case will make the airplane aisle feel like your own catwalk. The uniform shade—with six glossy options and two matte—gives an instantly stylish first impression.

At a very easy-to-lift 7.1 pounds, it may seem that all the emphasis has been put on its fashionable exterior. In fact, it's quite the opposite. The Essential Cabin truly is a feat of German design—the flexible polycarbonate shell is actually impressively durable and showed no signs of stress during our testing.

Everything about this bag's movement is smooth. The telescopic handle with three different height options slid like butter and showed no sign of distress when we wiggled it vigorously. The ball bearing-secured wheels made this spinner coast over hard flooring almost like it was ice skating. The only thing that slowed it down was the transition to carpeting, where it took slightly more arm strength to drag it across.

The suitcase also emerged as the winner of the toughest test—a tumble down a flight of stairs. The reinforced corner guards did their job, as just a few scratches appeared. But even what looked to be etched-in, permanent damage wiped right off with a dry sponge. The inside lining fared perfectly, too, as the shampoo spill completely evaporated and the red wine halfway dried out overnight, with the rest absorbed quickly with the pat of a dry towel.

The only major barrier to this pick is its high price at $875. Let's put it this way: You could get two of the Away bags and still have enough for a nice meal for the same cost. But if that's not a concern, this sleek, durable bag is a solid choice.

$599 at Amazon

$599 at Briggs & Riley

Several features differentiate this bag from other expandable options, particularly its 70/30 opening and its unique compression system.

If you’ve ever felt hard-pressed about cramming all your belongings in your carry-on, this Briggs & Riley bag is your answer since all you have to do is, well, press hard. While it's just a tad heavier than its competitors (the suitcase comes in at 9.2 pounds), what's weighing it down is worth it. The brand's unique compression system has two plastic pieces on the top and bottom of the interior that, unlike other expanding suitcases that unzip, actually release the additional 2 inches vertically from the inside.

Here's why it matters—after packing in your contents and pulling them tight with the mesh harness, all you have to do is zip up the suitcase as you normally would, and then press down the entire piece of luggage for the compression to work its magic.

It's a dream for anyone with a tendency to overpack. When we crammed in an additional blanket beyond what seemed possible, it bulged just a bit in a few pressure points, but the zipper remained strong. Its packability is not the only thing that makes this spinner special. While the majority of other hard-sides open up 50/50 like a clamshell, this one has a 70/30 opening, meaning that it's more like a traditional softside with a larger single compartment that can make packing bulkier items (e.g., jackets and purses) easier.

The specific kind of polycarbonate used, Makrolon, is a tough yet flexible material—and almost feels metallic. While the bag showed no dents after we threw it down a flight of stairs, the black exterior came up with significant scratches and very noticeable white marks that didn't come off with a wet or dry sponge, even on the logo badge.

When the case was packed extra tight, the handle was a bit harder to pull out, but it was fine once extended. The bag seemed to stumble forward a bit more than others when we ran through an obstacle course, perhaps because of the front-heavy load of books that we packed, though they didn't seem to affect other luggage as much.

During the spill test, both the wine and shampoo were still there, forming wet spots, after we let them sit overnight. When we wiped up the wine, the spot spread and stained into the fabric; the shampoo left behind a giant spot, too.

Altogether, for those who want the insurance of extra space and who aren't bothered by a bit more heft, this Sympatico is a solid choice, as long as you don't mind wearing any scars from your journey proudly.

$395 at Samsara

Sturdy and strong, this bag is made for business travelers with a flat-top that doubles as a workspace.

If strong and multifunctional is your type, then the Samsara Grand Carry-On is for you. This nearly 11-pound piece of luggage is built like a tank, so if you’re looking to traverse jagged surfaces or face turbulent travels, you can feel secure that this bag will take care of your belongings. The price that comes at is a little extra weight—it scales in at 10.8 pounds—and no extra give when you’re stuffing the luggage shut (it's not expandable). With its zipperless two-clasp lock system, that means everything must fit inside comfortably before it will fully close.

The sense of sturdiness radiates throughout. The handle glides up impressively easily, locking in at four different heights. And there's no losing your grip here—even with an aggressive wiggle, it remained comfortably in place. That same attitude goes down to its wheels, which were so steady that at times it felt like the bag was in the driver's seat, leading the way. There was a unique sense of smoothness in the way it coasted compared to other bags, and when we spun in a circle, it did perfect pirouettes.

With all that, it's no surprise that the bag barely sustained any injuries during the stair-fall test. In fact, we gave it an extra push down another half-flight just to make sure. We found just a few barely noticeable scratches along the edges afterward. But since the material is so tough, those little scruffs were hard to get off, whether with wet or dry sponge.

We also gave its intended double personality a test as a rolling desk, working on it for half an hour. Our MacBook Air didn't sit on it quite as flatly as intended, so it did shake a little, but it still beats working off your own lap in an airport waiting area. Another plus is that the Samsara's aluminum frame is made of recycled materials, and that both the aluminum and polycarbonate can be recycled, according to the brand. And when it came to the spill test, both the red wine and shampoo dried up overnight without staining, with the shampoo doing so extremely fast. So if it's tough stuff with a heart of gold you’re seeking, the Grand Carry-On will make a perfect travel buddy.

$298 at Beis

$298 at Nordstrom

Thoughtful interior features, like a built-in pocket for damp clothing, balance out a durable exterior.

Founded by actress Shay Mitchell in 2018, Béis has quickly graduated from celebrity vanity brand to an actual player on the luggage market. Admittedly, we headed in with some skepticism after talking to fellow travel professionals at the International Media Marketplace (IMM) conference about the brand and hearing some iffy reviews, but through every test, the 29-Inch Large Check-In Roller showed its true colors, making it the best overall checked suitcase we got our hands on.

Most checked bags on the market weigh between 10 and 15 pounds and have a capacity between 77 to 137 liters. This 11.84-pound bag that holds 112 liters is a lightweight model with a middle-ground capacity, hitting all the right notes for most travelers. While the shell may feel a little flimsy, the lightweight is strong enough to provide plenty of durability. That said, while it fit much more than we expected during our packing test of books, pillows and blankets, the casing is also flexible, which means it warped, showing visible bulges when full.

Of course, that's just an issue of appearance and didn't affect the bag during the impact test, which it fared well in—the best of all the checked bags—with just a few nicks, mostly at the corners. An effortless swipe of a dry sponge removed light scars, though a few deeper ones did seem to be etched in as there was some slight discoloration.

The major weak spot is that the handle felt a tad flimsy, especially for a bag of this size. Though the spongy grip was comfy to hold, it did require extra effort to point it in the right direction through the obstacles. The wheels spun just fine, but were challenged on sharp corners. That said, checked bags are mostly just traveling between airports and accommodations, so its less-than-perfect maneuverability shouldn't be a problem for most.

What really makes the bag functional is its interior. The zip flap on one side features two zippered pockets, one that's waterproof for swimwear or liquids and another that's a catch-all. The other side has a removable divider that serves as a compression flap, with zippered pockets on both sides: one mesh, one solid. Also included are two drawstring bags for dirty clothes or shoes.

In our spill tests, the red wine was repelled on contact with the lining, and turned into just a few beads. But the shampoo just sat as a glob on top, and when we wiped it off after leaving it out overnight, a huge wet spot formed. We should note that the lining is a lighter shade of gray than that of the other bags we tested.All in all, despite its malleable nature, this luggage—available in six shades—hits all the right notes for longer trips that require you to check your luggage—plus at $298, it's lower in price than the other checked bags that topped our ranking.

$650 at Roam

Never mix up luggage at the baggage carousel with this hardside suitcase you can customize to your exact color preferences.

With so many look-alike bags spinning around on luggage carousels these days, the surefire way to not mix things up is by customizing your bag completely—and that's exactly what Roam is all about. With the brand's Large Check-In, you can choose your own colors on eight different elements: the front shell, back shell, zipper, binding, wheels, handles, monogram patch and lining.

Right out of the box, there's something innately likable about this suitcase. Of course, there's the attachment factor since the colors are all you, but beyond that, there's also a whimsical aura about it, part playful (you may feel a childhood nostalgia for Legos!) and part chic (note the textured line patterns on the front shell).

Despite its light weight for a bag of this size, we found that the bag can be stuffed to the max with no signs of stress. The two inside divider boards can be taken out, so you can use them as you wish, emphasizing Roam's dedication to personalization.

Though its handle seemed a little short for its size at first, once we started moving it, this was a nonissue. In fact, because of its lower position, it did the best on the handle wiggle test; the handle was so sturdy that it wiggled the entire bag. The suitcase floated over surfaces and around corners like a pro skater. It also survived a fall down a flight of stairs well, with no dents and a few significant scratches that came off with a wet sponge.

When it came to spills, the red wine was repelled on contact with the interior, but it left behind a liquid stain after sitting overnight. The shampoo dried up a bit, but mostly formed a wet stain.

The only major pain point is the zipper. While it was difficult to work, both when we first opened the empty suitcase and when we zipped it up stuffed, it never felt as if it would break. That said, we have seen reviews online that said the zipper broke, so it's one thing to watch for.

While on the higher end of cost for its personalization, the Roam is a survivor, as long as it keeps itself zipped.

$435 at Monos

This suitcase's snap closure is just one element of its classy design, appearing more like a sized-down trunk on wheels that glide smoothly.

While zipper closures are the standard for hardside suitcases these days, the genre started off historically with snap closures, which some travelers may prefer. When it comes to the innate heft of a checked bag, there's always a fear that those locks will come undone, but this Monos outlasted even a violent tumble down a rugged concrete stairwell without showing any signs of opening (another carry-on with similar locks opened up during the same stair fall).

That said, it did get a bit dinged up, showing actual dents, but only on its corner protectors. Arguably, that's what those protectors are there for, so they did indeed retain the integrity of the bag itself. Dirt and grime from the fall were quickly eradicated with a wet sponge, but the scratches and dents seemed permanent. That said, this hefty luggage can withstand just about anything. In fact, just to give it an extra test, instead of just sitting on it, I also stood on it and did a few mini jumps, and it felt like standing on a concrete surface.

The bag is also surprisingly easy to maneuver smoothly over all surfaces and bumps along the way. On carpet, it almost felt more instinctive to pull it like an old-school, two-wheel bag, but it worked just fine moving it flatly as a spinner. While the handle extended easily, it did feel a tad on the weak side, creating a little fear it might break off, though it fared well throughout testing.

During the spill test, a few red wine spots stained into the fabric, while the shampoo had partially soaked into the lining when we tried wiping it up after letting it sit overnight.

For people who prefer a classic trunk style with a snap closure, this Monos hits the balance of extra durability and a smooth glide.

While we were also hoping to test the Samsonite Elevation Plus Large Spinner, since it has all the right variables and even has built-in tracking with an integrated Apple AirTag, the sample didn't arrive in time for our testing. We also tested the Travelpro Maxlite Air Carry-On Expandable Hardside Spinner, which features a grooved polycarbonate shell and has a 46-liter capacity. We liked the bag, but it became severely dented in one corner during our impact testing. We were also intrigued by the Solgaard Carry-On Closet Large Suitcase, which features a unique built-in shelving system that's easy to pack, but one of the two locks came undone during its stairwell fall, which concerned us as far as durability goes.

With so many hardside suitcases out there, personal preference definitely matters, but we tried to find the middle ground of what most travelers are looking for: durability and maneuverability in a lightweight case. Other brands we looked at include Paravel, Calpack, Arlo Skye, Delsey Paris USA, Tumi, Kenneth Cole, Amazon Basics, Victorinox, L.L. Bean and Target's Open Story line.

I’m a lifelong traveler who has visited more than 50 countries, and I have been an editor and journalist for more than 20 years, with a focus on travel journalism in the last decade. With the exception of the early pandemic years, I tend to take at least one trip a month, ranging from short road trips to longer plane journeys around the globe. While I’ve written about consumer products throughout my career, in recent years I’ve been focused on stories about travel products for Condé Nast Traveler and Tripadvisor's Good Gear. For additional insights, I turned to other frequent travelers, including an award-winning travel TV host, the founder of a global travel company and a packing expert.

Hardside luggage—specifically spinners with 360-degree wheels—are no doubt the most popular suitcases out in airports around the world these days. The experts we talked to all mentioned durability as the key factor, including a bag's ability to keep the contents safe from impact and water damage and its lasting power to keep its integrity trip after trip. The experts we spoke to also mentioned easy maneuverability, meaning bags that wheel effortlessly even when fully packed, whether around jagged corners or over rough and changing surfaces.

Certain features are so commonplace with hardside bags that nearly every suitcase we looked at had them, like four wheels that spin 360 degrees, polycarbonate shells and telescopic handles with adjustable heights. Some double up with two wheels in each corner, called eight-wheel systems (like the Kenneth Cole Renegade 20-Inch Carry-On Hard-Side Expandable Suitcase and the Victorinox Spectra 3.0 Expandable Large Case), though none of our winners fell into this category. TSA-approved three-digit combination locks are also standard on hardside bags, with the exception of some more simple models, like the Amazon Basics 21-Inch Hardside Spinner and the L.L. Bean 22-Inch Hardside Spinner.

For carry-ons, our focus was on maximizing volume and minimizing weight. For checked suitcases, we focused more on durability and maneuverability, in hopes of finding a bag that could protect larger volumes but still glide with ease. Here are the features we considered:

In total, we looked at features on more than 40 suitcases, homing in on 10 for our testing that had the best balance of other features we also looked at, including interior compartments (pockets, zippered compartments, laundry bags) and shipping fees. While USB ports, including Away's famous compartment for an internal battery, were seen as innovative a few years back, the trend has moved away (after all, external battery packs have gotten lighter), and tracking devices, most popularly Apple's AirTag, are starting to become embedded, though they aren't as widespread. Another newer feature is exterior pockets on hardside suitcases; we didn't include those in order to keep our testing uniform.

We reached out to the 10 brands and asked for a sample, letting them know we’d be putting the luggage through the wringer. First, we stuffed the bags to the max to see how they reacted to being overpacked. Since each one varied in volume, we packed them comfortably with five hardback books on the front side, and then started stuffing them, first with a full-size pillow and then packing them with blankets to a reasonable limit, and then adding two more to see how they reacted.

Next we took them for a roll to see how the wheels maneuvered through an obstacle course we created around a large kitchen island on hardwood floors. Along the way were a small area rug and a rubber mat, as well as a set of barstools staggered so the bags had to zigzag through them. Then we made a sharp turn into a carpeted bedroom and finally into a tiled bathroom. At both transitions, we created small speed humps to navigate. We took two different speeds around the course—a leisurely walking pace and then more of a light run, as if we were running to catch a flight. There was no noticeable difference in bag performance between the two paces, though some bags did have slightly different reactions to speeding up, and the luggage tended to hit the same problem spots. We also did a "wiggle test" on the handle, vigorously shaking it back and forth to see how stable it felt.

The most intense test came when we let each of the suitcases fall down a flight of concrete stairs in a fire stairwell. This became the true make-it or break-it phase, as some got significantly dinged up, others had deep scars and a handful came out relatively unscathed.

After that, we tried cleaning each suitcase, first with a dry sponge, then with a wet Mr. Clean Magic Eraser. For those that came with their own sponges, we then gave them a try too. Finally, we spilled two substances on the interior lining of each—red wine and hotel shampoo—to see how they reacted overnight, then wiped up what remained.