Top 5 compared
The best suitcases
Everything for a week or two away in one case, checked at the counter and waiting for you at baggage claim.
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The top 5 at a glance
A checked suitcase travels in the plane’s hold, so it can be far bigger than a carry-on, though it still has to come in under the airline’s weight limit. Hard shells shrug off knocks; soft-sided cases give a little in a tight trunk and often have pockets on the outside. Mediums suit a trip of around a week, and large cases hold enough for longer.
The case’s own weight counts toward the checked-bag limit, so a lighter one leaves more for packing. Every case here has four spinner wheels and expands for the trip home, and most have a TSA lock built in, which airport security can open without breaking it. For bags that go in the cabin, see our carry-on bags list.
What matters
- A long warranty from the maker.
- Compression straps or a zippered divider inside.
#1Amazon Basics 30-inch Hardside Spinner Suitcase (large)
$75–$100
A large ABS case for two to three weeks away that expands by up to 15% when the packing runs over. Inside there’s a zippered divider and three zippered pockets, and it rolls on four spinner wheels with a telescoping handle.
What owners say: Owners find there’s room for everything they pack and say it rolls easily through airports and feels sturdy; most have had it hold up, but a few had theirs break early on.
Heads up: It has no lock of its own, so add a TSA-approved padlock to the zipper pulls.
A closer look: Pack shoes and heavy things at the wheel end and it stands steady and rolls straight. It weighs 12.7 lb before anything goes in, so a big two-week load can creep toward the airline’s limit: a quick check on the bathroom scale before leaving saves repacking at the counter.
- Four spinner wheels
- Scratch-resistant ABS shell
- Telescoping handle
Best for: Two or three weeks away
- Size (with wheels)
- 30.7 x 20.7 x 12.6 in
- Weight
- 12.7 lb
- Shell
- ABS
- Expands
- Up to 15%
- TSA lock
- No
- Warranty (maker)
- –
- Inside
- Zippered divider, 3 pockets
#2Coolife 28-inch Hardside Spinner Suitcase (large)
$75–$100
A 28-inch case in a blend of ABS and polycarbonate with a built-in TSA lock and YKK zippers, an aluminum handle with three heights, and quiet spinner wheels. It expands by up to 15%, which Coolife pitches at trips of seven to nine days.
What owners say: It’s light for its size, owners say, rolls smoothly and easily, and the bright colors make it simple to pick out at baggage claim, though some had trouble with the zipper.
A closer look: Set the TSA lock’s combination before the first trip and write it down somewhere other than the case. Close the zipper slowly when it’s full, pressing the lid down first so the teeth aren’t under strain, and use the expansion zipper only once the main compartment is packed.
- YKK zippers
- Three-height aluminum handle
- Quiet 360° spinner wheels
Best for: A week or more with a lock
- Size (with wheels)
- 29 x 20.5 x 13.5 in
- Weight
- 11 lb
- Shell
- ABS and polycarbonate
- Expands
- Up to 15%
- TSA lock
- Yes
- Warranty (maker)
- 2 years
- Inside
- Divided interior
#3Traveler's Choice Pagosa 27-inch Hardside Spinner Suitcase (medium)
$100–$150
A medium case for about a week away: a textured polypropylene shell that shrugs off scratches, an expansion gusset that adds up to 2 in, and a Travel Sentry TSA lock. Rubber handles on the top, side and bottom make it easy to lift from any angle.
What owners say: Owners like the two pockets on the inside of each half and the extra room the gusset gives, find the wheels turn easily in every direction, and like how the brighter colors stand out at baggage claim; durability gets mixed reports.
A closer look: At 8.8 lb empty it leaves plenty of the weight allowance for packing. The bottom handle makes it easier to lift into a car trunk or onto a luggage rack on a train, and the zippered divider keeps folded clothes in place.
- Rubber handles on three sides
- Textured, scratch-resistant shell
- Push-button telescopic handle
Best for: Trips by car or train
- Size (with wheels)
- 27 x 17 x 10.75 in
- Weight
- 8.8 lb
- Shell
- Polypropylene
- Expands
- Up to 2 in
- TSA lock
- Yes
- Warranty (maker)
- 2 years
- Inside
- Divider, compression straps
#4Travelpro Maxlite 5 25-inch Softside Spinner Suitcase (medium)
$150–$200
The soft-sided case on the list, and the lightest: Travelpro’s Maxlite 5 weighs 6.8 lb by its maker’s figure, in stain-resistant polyester with a water-resistant coating, two outside pockets for the things you want before the hotel, and a limited lifetime warranty. The handle locks at two heights, 38 and 42.5 in, so a tall traveler isn’t stooping to pull it.
What owners say: Light and easy to steer through an airport, owners say, with wheels that run smoothly and room for more than its size suggests; how long the handles last gets mixed reports, and some found it smaller than the listed measurements.
A closer look: Register the case with Travelpro after buying: its Trusted Companion Promise then covers repairs for airline damage for a year on top of the lifetime warranty. Use the full-length lid pocket for shirts that wrinkle, and the hold-down straps on the other side keep heavier things from shifting on the belt.
- Handle stops at two heights
- Stain- and water-resistant fabric
Best for: Tall travelers who want outside pockets
- Size (with wheels)
- 27 x 18.5 x 11.5 in
- Weight
- 6.8 lb
- Shell
- Polyester (soft-sided)
- Expands
- Up to 2 in
- TSA lock
- No
- Warranty (maker)
- Limited lifetime
- Inside
- Hold-down straps, lid pocket
#5Samsonite Freeform Large Spinner Suitcase (28-inch)
$100–$150
Samsonite’s light polypropylene case, at 9.6 lb for its large size, with dual spinner wheels, a recessed TSA lock and 1.5 in of expansion, backed by a 10-year limited warranty. The company was founded in Denver in 1910 and took its name from Samson, the Biblical strongman.
What owners say: It’s lightweight without feeling flimsy, owners say, and they like the design and how much more fits once it’s expanded; views split on how well it lasts, on its size and on how easily it pushes.
A closer look: The inside measures 27.6 x 20 x 13 in, with elastic straps and a divider to hold folded clothes flat. Keep the warranty details with the travel papers: a long warranty is only useful if the paperwork can be found when a wheel needs replacing.
- Dual spinner wheels
- Recessed 3-dial lock
Best for: Packing big without the weight
- Size (with wheels)
- 31.1 x 20.9 x 13.8 in
- Weight
- 9.6 lb
- Shell
- Polypropylene
- Expands
- 1.5 in
- TSA lock
- Yes
- Warranty (maker)
- 10 years, limited
- Inside
- Elastic straps, divider, pouch
How they compare
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| Feature | #1Amazon Basics 30-inch | #2Coolife 28-inch | #3Traveler's Choice Pagosa | #4Travelpro Maxlite 5 | #5Samsonite Freeform |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall | Best medium size | Best premium | |||
| Picked Rating | 8.9 | 8.8 | 8.7 | 8.6 | 8.4 |
| Price | $75–$100 | $75–$100 | $100–$150 | $150–$200 | $100–$150 |
| Size (with wheels) | 30.7 x 20.7 x 12.6 in | 29 x 20.5 x 13.5 in | 27 x 17 x 10.75 in | 27 x 18.5 x 11.5 in | 31.1 x 20.9 x 13.8 in |
| Weight | 12.7 lb | 11 lb | 8.8 lb | 6.8 lb | 9.6 lb |
| Shell | ABS | ABS and polycarbonate | Polypropylene | Polyester (soft-sided) | Polypropylene |
| Expands | Up to 15% | Up to 15% | Up to 2 in | Up to 2 in | 1.5 in |
| TSA lock | No | Yes | Yes | No | Yes |
| Warranty (maker) | – | 2 years | 2 years | Limited lifetime | 10 years, limited |
| Inside | Zippered divider, 3 pockets | Divided interior | Divider, compression straps | Hold-down straps, lid pocket | Elastic straps, divider, pouch |
| Best for | Two or three weeks away | A week or more with a lock | Trips by car or train | Tall travelers who want outside pockets | Packing big without the weight |
| Buy now | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon | Amazon |
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