Must-have picks from your favourite luggage brands

Luggage serves as a home away from home. It not only houses our belongings on the road, but also becomes the one item we actually can’t live (remotely) without. Whether you’re looking for a weekender bag, a backpack for a short getaway, or a carry-on/check-in suitcase for a longer vacation, we’ve got you covered. And rest assured, quality, style, durability, and ease of transport are all crucial factors in our best travel companions.

You cast your votes for the luggage brands you trust most. Without further ado: Here they are, along with some of our favourite picks for good measure.

Sustainability comes first with this clean-cut 55-centimeter spinner, available in seven shades. Not only is it constructed with recycled post-consumer waste, it’s also made in Europe and sent in recycled packaging. The cabin-sized polypropylene bag weighs 2.6 kilograms but has 38 litres of space rolling along on its four double wheels.

This backpack’s clean lines and boxy construction give it a polished exterior. Inside, it looks like a mini suitcase, with a pocket inside the front panel and a roomy compartment for clothes and other essentials, plus a padded laptop pocket. Made out of 100 percent recycled PET, it’s also comfy to carry long distances, thanks to its sternum strap and removable hip belt.

Hailing itself as a laptop backpack, this Swissgear accessory is so much better suited as a daypack or airline personal item. Sure, it has a special lay-flat slot for computers so that it doesn’t need to be removed at TSA checkpoints, but it also bears spacious front compartments for other tech accessories and traveling essentials. Among its best features: compression straps, side water bottle pockets, and a crush-resistant compartment for glasses.

There’s something so empowering about the moment you unzip a top-load duffel and see all the room for packing possibilities. This 51-centimeter bag only weighs one kilogram, but makes a perfect weekender—with a side zip pocket for shoes or dirty laundry, a front zip organizer for all the little things, and a mesh pocket for a water bottle.

For those who prefer a softside suitcase, this carry-on checks all the right boxes, from top to bottom. It starts with a lightweight handle that locks at two heights, and then moves down to a polyester exterior that fends off liquids and stains. The top-zip opens up to a singular spacious compartment, with the option to expand another five centimeters. Finally, the four wheels spin 360-degrees to go any which way your adventures may lead you.

If there’s anyone who knows how to maximize travel efficiency, it’s the airline crew—and this shoulder bag comes from a collection designed by this very community. Weighing in at less than a kilogram, the 36-by-38-by-17-centimeter black tote can be used in so many ways—an extra large purse, a laptop bag, a personal item, or a spillover back that attaches to a rollerboard.

Go big with this 80-centimeter softside, which was made for trips lasting longer than two weeks. With a 92-litre packing capacity, no essential will be left behind (and no souvenir needs to be left unpurchased). The polyester suitcase—available in black, navy, or turquoise—has a flat front pocket and a roomy single compartment with one interior pocket. Weighing in at 3.6 kilograms, it’s a great choice for frequent overpackers.

Yes, it rocks (it’s a cabin case that has a padded laptop and tablet slots) and it rolls (with two wheels). With a push-button handle and side pockets, there’s no better way to pack for a weekend trip than with this 2.5-kilogram black bag with orange detailing that measures 38 by 44 by 23 centimeters. With features designed for both business and pleasure, it’s the ideal bag for a quick business trip with a side of fun.

Turn heads at the terminal with this international carry-on that oozes with sophistication. Weighing 3.6 kilograms and measuring 55 by 23 by 35.5 centimeters, the spinner is made with a durable recycled polycarbonate shell and quiet wheels that will keep the bag in step with you. The interior is minimalistic in basic black—but with an antimicrobial coating on the lining to make sure no germs stow away on the return trip.

The style is in the simplicity of this compact backpack that’s chock full of features, despite its small footprint (the bag weighs 1.2 kilograms and measures 39 by 12 by 30 centimeters). With a padded laptop slot, built-in USB port, leather handle, key leash, TUMI luggage tracer, and tons of interior and exterior pockets all packed into a classic design, it’s well worth the investment for a lifetime of use.