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The best suitcases for stylish storage on the go
Shop GQ’s pick of the very best suitcases to get you where you need to be, from Antler and Rimowa to Gucci and Louis Vuitton
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
All products are independently selected by our editors. If you buy something, we may earn an affiliate commission.
There’s nothing that can kill the joy of a summer getaway than having to deal with a low-quality suitcase. From wonky wheels to broken zippers, there’s only so much you should put up with when prepping for a summer holiday, so we recommend you give your luggage a much-needed spruce up by treating yourself to one of the best suitcases.
Pair it up with a quality pair of high-quality noise-cancelling headphones and a fancy new passport holder, and you’re all set up to breeze through departures with swagger.
Your only upcoming issue is having to figure out which piece of luggage or travel bag is going to be best for you. From wheeled suitcases and cabin bags to luggage sets ripped straight from Jennifer Coolidge’s White Lotus collection, we’ve got a good eye for picking out the best luggage brand options, so allow us to guide you through the best options in our roundup below.
What is the best suitcase to buy?
Blending a super slick aesthetic with eco-friendly credentials and suitcase smarts like a phone charger and compression pad, Horizn's H Series cases have it all, and at not too scary a price tag.
If you're a regular long weekend, Away's bigger carry-on can handle much longer than three nights but won't have you in a sticky situation at the departure desk. Features like a USB charger and accompanying laundry bag will make your trip all the more organised, too.
Rimowa is the collaborator of choice for fashion houses as high up as Dior, so you know it's doing something right. Its aluminium luggage is a first-class travel companion you'll never tire of packing.
- Best lightweight suitcase: American Tourister Soundbox,
£145£120 at amazon.co.uk - Best suitcase for personalisation: Carl Friedrik, £465 at harveynichols.com
- Best suitcase for suits: Briggs & Riley Baseline, £599 at briggs-riley.co.uk
- Best suitcase for tardis-like capacity: Eastpak Tranverz, £112.50 at amazon.co.uk
- Best suitcase for security: Delsey Monacy, £146 at amazon.co.uk
- Best suitcase for city breaks: Antler Clifton Cabin with Pocket, £199 at antler.co.uk
- Best leather suitcase: Brunello Cucinelli, £4,150 at matchesfashion.com
SKIP TO: How we test the best suitcases | What luggage brand is best? | What size suitcase do I need? | Is hard or soft-sided luggage better? | What material should I look for in a suitcase? | How much should I spend on a suitcase? | Best budget suitcases | GQ’s guide to the best luggage in 2024
How we test the best suitcases
To guarantee that your travels pass without frustration, chief travel writer for British GQ, Owen Gough, has tested several suitcases from some of the best brands around. Throughout his travels, both for business and pleasure, Owen tested out the ease of packing for each suitcase, as well as assessing the general shape, size and build quality to guarantee smooth travels. He picked out a selection of luggage options designed to cope with planes, trains and automobiles, intending to recommend brands that offer a variety of travel gear in a range of price points.
What luggage brand is best?
We're glad you asked. We've got a dedicated guide on the best luggage brands you need to know about to smooth over any potential travel mishaps, but generally, there's plenty of choice when it comes to who you buy with. It’s safe to say though, that you can’t go wrong with established brands like Samsonite, Antler, Tripp, and more.
You'll all be fully aware of the most popular options like Samsonite and Rimowa; titans of travel who are well-versed in what makes up a quality suitcase. These options will be perfect companions on your journeys, with bags, carry-ons and large trunks that can cope with weekend getaways, adventurous city breaks, and long-haul visits to the other side of the world. Here, bags can start on the affordable end of the scale, making it a great choice for cheap and cheerful luggage to get you through your immediate travel plans.
More rugged options like that of DB and Antler will scratch the wanderlust itch in you, with models to cope with more arduous journeys that stray away from the luxury of the Business Class lounge.
As for the sartorial options, we'd recommend taking a look at Carl Friedrik, Globe Trotter and Tumi for suitcases that boast a stylish presence from the front door to the hotel bed. Granted, these will be much more costly, but consider them an investment piece. If you travel often and want to stay stylish throughout, you won't find many better options.
What size suitcase do I need?
As any frequent traveller knows, the golden rule is to always travel with the best carry-on luggage if you can. To avoid getting caught out by any exorbitant last-minute handling fees, check that any cabin case or spinner suitcase you want to store in an overhead locker is no longer than 55cm and is no bigger than the listed requirements on the airline’s website.
An easy way around this problem is to opt for a smaller expandable suitcase in the first place, with compression straps that can cram in as much as possible. Also, make sure your hand luggage doesn’t boast ridiculously large wheels or a massive handle, as it’ll have less chance of squeezing into those metal-sizing frames that airlines are so fond of. Should you need a large suitcase to check in, opt for something with a length upwards of 75cm and a capacity of around 70L, and look out for suitcases that are expandable for roomy storage, with bonus points for exterior pockets. Remember, however, that the larger the luggage, the weightier, so you could be better off opting for the lightest soft shell suitcase to keep kgs down.
An alternative to wheeled suitcases is to check out our guide on the best backpacks. You might think this is a less sartorial option and betrays your potentially breezy journey through the airport as you lug your gear over your shoulder, but there's plenty to appreciate about rucksacks generally. Often the choice for long-distance backpackers and journeyman travellers, the best travel backpacks can house a surprising amount of gear to be taken onto the plane, train or bus, with the freedom to tackle stairs or more adventurous modes of transportation than chunkier suitcases can cope with.
Of course, if you’re travelling within the UK (may we direct you to our guides to the best UK holiday cottages and hotels), just make sure it’s the right size for your car and/or won’t take up too much space on a train.
Is hard or soft-sided luggage better?
While you’re of course welcome to your personal preference, unless your bag is being put in the overhead locker, stay clear of soft-sided suitcases to avoid damage to your possessions inside. Either way, ask to have your luggage marked as fragile and it will be one of the first to come off of the plane. Hard-shell suitcases tend to be the most durable and are the kind of luggage most pilots use for good reason. It also tends to be much more stylish, with luxury aluminium finishes offering an especially high-end look.
That said, your hard-sided suitcase is still likely to get chucked about a fair bit on its journey, so get a case that has separate compartments to make sure that you don’t smell like duty-free vodka for the entirety of your weekend away. You can keep things neat with the help of packing cubes, which brands such as Away offer in multipacks of various sizes (set of six, £65).
What material should I look for in a suitcase?
Leather or waxed twill cotton are the usual suspects in the soft-shell area, thanks to their water-resistant capabilities and durability. Generally, you won’t be lugging around any bulky digital equipment, so you could choose to avoid the clunky protection of a polycarbonate shell suitcase, though the sleeker aluminium casing by brands such as Rimowa and Samsonite is increasingly appealing. Similarly, don’t buy a case that is going to look dirty and damaged after one flight – stay away from white or cream colours. If it’s a short trip and you’re not a heavy traveller, a duffel bag offers a convenient way to get around without the hangups of wheels, bulk or weight.
How much should I spend on a suitcase?
As with most travel essentials, the important thing here is that you do get what you pay for with a suitcase. Granted, airport security will gleefully break open your bag if they can’t access it easily, but durability is crucial in any luggage item.
So do the sensible thing and test all the TSA locks, zips and other appendages that could break before investing. Luggage that comes with a one-year warranty is also a huge boon, should some baggage handler chuck your case around as though it’s Thor’s hammer. This increased hardiness comes at a price, so if you’re after proper protection, anything more than £300 should be best placed to get you through your trip. Top picks will inevitably cost more, around the £500 mark, but if you’re after one of the best budget, options, £150 can get you from A-to-B comfortably.
As you should expect, designer-led options will easily shoot the cost beyond the £1,000 mark, radically elevating your sartorial travel reputation well into the luxurious. These exceptionally pricey models don't offer any more protection but will unlock the option to release a smug smile as you witness admiring glances through security.
Finally, if you’re a frequent flyer, think about the extras you want from a suitcase, such as easy-access front pockets, an extendable handle or wheels. An in-built phone charger is all very well, but most aeroplanes have a USB port embedded by your seating as standard…
Best budget suitcase
The best budget suitcase for our money would be the American Tourister range, or opting for something from Amazon directly. American Tourister are exceptional if money is tight but you still need quality for your upcoming trip, with a wealth of polycarbonate shell suitcases that sit well under the £200 mark but don't sacrifice on the quality. In fact, the brand will also chuck in an extended warranty on the vast majority of its suitcases to further up the value ante on anything you buy. They are also impressively colourful and are practical for your upcoming journey thanks to the usual 360-spinner wheels and telescopic handle.
Amazon is also a solid secondary choice for bargain bucket diving, but be mindful that the build quality will usually be sub-par, and you may have to buy replacements after several trips. Basic sets of suitcases that include a carry-on and a larger suitcase can cost less than £100.
GQ’s guide to the best luggage in 2024
Check out our dedicated guides to the best suitcases, best carry-on suitcases, best cheap suitcases, best luggage brands, best backpacks, best holdalls and best laptop bags to get yourself kitted out for every trip in 2024.
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