The Best Carry-On Travel Bags

Published February 16, 2018 12:00AM

Baggage fees are for suckers. These five carry-on bags will hold everything you need for a long weekend and still fit in the overhead bin.

Thule Subterra ($280)

The Subterra has a sleek design with 36-liters of space that you can make the most of thanks to an internal compression panel that also allows you to pack wrinkle free and separate dirty clothes from clean.

Genius G3 ($240)

This four-wheel, 22-inch carry-on is all about organization. There’s a travel checklist built into the bag, and a slew of handy details, like a slot for magazines, a built-in umbrella, and an exterior strap for your jacket. But the real genius of the Genius is the air valve that compresses everything in a “dirty clothes” pouch to save space.

Osprey Porter ($140)

Compression straps on the outside of this backpack keep the load tight so it’ll fit in overhead bins, and the front panel organizational pocket and rear panel laptop sleeve offers easy access to items you’ll need mid-flight. The Porter comes in a range of sizes between 30 and 60 liters, but we think the 46-liter size hits the sweet spot.

Timbuk2 Wingman Travel Duffel ($130)

This 40-liter duffel is all about the pockets: a zippered pocket for passport, another for an iPad, another for a laptop, and a dry pouch for shoes.You’ve also got multiple handles so you can grab it on the fly, while hidden backpack straps and an over the shoulder strap make the bag versatile. We also dig the compression straps for cinching clothes tight.

G-RO Carry-On ($400)

Techies take note: The 22-inch G-RO Carry-On won an Edison Award for design in 2016 and has only gotten better with the latest update. It has an onboard power bank with dual USB charging ports and a Bluetooth tracker that allows you to locate the bag in the airport. The oversized wheels can handle any curb you throw at them, and there's an easy access pocket and water-bottle pouch in the space between the telescoping handle.