Hiya,

I'm in the market for a carry-on, nothing that will break the bank (Rimowa).

I'm looking for something I can take 3-4 days worth of clothes and such, something with an expander as well and something I can check if I end up buying carrying something that's more than 3 oz.

I've read differing things about hardback and soft luggage (soft is better).

Any help would be great, thank you.

I love my MEI Voyageur. Had it for years and it's my go-to "travel light" bag. The onebag.com guy endorses it, and that's where I heard of it first. My wife has one as well. They are made in the USA, basically by request, and have a lifetime warranty. Under $200.

meipacks.com

Edit: well, shoot, it looks like they are closed at the moment. I bought their "personal item"-sized mini-voyageur last year in January and they were still taking orders, then.

Years ago when my wife was traveling 80% of the time, she got a Briggs and Riley roller that is great. Lifetime warranty that they back up. 14 years after purchase they replaced a wheel under warranty. Down side. It was $400 back then.
For a less expensive option, three years ago we bought a travel pro 19 inch hard side from Amazon for $130. The zipper isn't quite as good, but no problems so far. I like the hard side, but I don't think it is any sturdier than the more expensive hard side. We got the one that is maximum carryon for international, and checked it before with no worries

I know it's the instagram answer but I've been very happy with my Away carry-on. It scuffs a bit but otherwise has held up really well, rolls well, and is decently light for a hard-sided carry-on. They do have an expandable version now but I would recommend staying away from anything expandable. It creates potential tension points and just encourages overpacking.

The Briggs & Riley recommendation above is fantastic…I just could never justify the $$ so the Away was a compromise for me that I've been happy with.

Go to tj max and find you one. Unless you travel a lot I've never understood the point of spending big money on a suitcase.

Agreed. Go to tj maxx or Marshall's or home goods and just buy one. They do have some decent brands. And when it gets throw around by a driver or baggage person or something you won't care as much.

I used to be in the "cheapest that meets the needs" category and then I was gifted a Tumi three years ago…it's night and day different. The rollers are smooth, it's easy to push and just seemingly very well designed, much more so than any other suitcase I've ever owned.

Tumi might be out of your budget but I would at least look at something like TravelPro which is what you see most pilots using. I also have a friend who swears by his Briggs and Riley.

Sooner Born said:

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I used to be in the "cheapest that meets the needs" category and then I was gifted a Tumi three years ago…it's night and day different. The rollers are smooth, it's easy to push and just seemingly very well designed, much more so than any other suitcase I've ever owned.

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I agree. Absolutely loved my Tumi and ultimately gifted it to a friend because I'd switched to mainly backpack travel for my 3-5 day trips. Regretted it and ended up with the Away which honestly has been on par with my Tumi thus far.

Others are right, you can get anything from tj maxx and it will absolutely work. But travel is already enough of a hassle, I don't like to risk wonky wheels, cheap materials, or broken zippers. It's worth it to spend a bit more (IMO).

Also, for 3-5 days, I'd highly encourage you to look into mostly backpack travel with packing cubes instead of a roller. I've been shocked how easy it actually is to pack light and it's so much easier to navigate airports and public transportation with a backpack vs a roller. It's not for everyone or every situation (hence why I also have the Away), but worth exploring. I use an Osprey Daylite Plus (20L) for 2-day trips and previously a North Face Surge (38L) for 3-5 days although I'm about to swap out the North Face for the Cotopaxi Allpa (35L).

I'd also like to add that you might check on the RTIC duffle bags. I've got the medium size and the small size and they would work great for travel bags. They are large, sturdy, waterproof, and have the backpack type of straps along with the normal duffle kind. good bag for the price.

TravelPro bags are great.

I highly recommend TravelPro as well. I used to average 25-40 roundtrips/year.

Away suitcase for the win