The Best Soft-Sided Luggage, According to Our Editors

Dimensions: 13.5″ x 9″ x 24″
Capacity: 41 L
Weight: 10 lb.

Those looking for a sleek carry-on should look no further than the Dagne Dover Seattle carry-on. Contributor Juliet Izon recently took the larger carry-on bag to Italy and said this: “Not only did it easily fit all of my day and night outfits, it also got a few admiring stares in the Milan airport as well.” She says the bag has an ample number of pockets and the padded tech sleeve is a great addition. She also loved the smaller pocket located on the back of the suitcase, which is great for storing items like a phone or passport. Izon took the bag, in the Warm Dust color, to St. Barths, too. For the tropical trip, she did have to check the suitcase. “It did come back with a few scuff marks. You might want to opt for darker shades like Carbon if you’d rather not see as much wear and tear,” she says.

Pros: Ample amount of pockets; made with recycled materials
Cons: Lighter color shades can show wear and tear more easily

Dimensions: 9″ x 16″ x 23″
Capacity: 38 L
Weight: 9.8 lb.

Away luggage has been a popular choice among travelers for a while now thanks to the brand’s iconic colorways and chic design elements. Senior destinations editor Shannon McMahon has used the Away The Softside Bigger Carry-On on two plane trips and one road trip and says the soft-sided suitcase holds up well. “I’d recommend this for a long weekend’s worth of clothes as a rule of thumb,” she says. “I depended on it for some spring weather layers on a weeklong trip to the Pacific Northwest and got by thanks to its expandability—but because of the weight of the bag itself, it can get heavy fast.” McMahon also mentions that the nylon material looks great and holds up well to scratches. The zippers work seamlessly and don’t get caught while opening or closing the bag. She also loves how easily the suitcase moves around. “Its 360-degree wheels swivel and roll seamlessly, and the interior pocket that compresses everything down keeps it from getting front-heavy and toppling over, even with a laptop in the front cushioned sleeve,” she says.

Pros: Sleek design; plenty of pockets and compartments; optional portable charger add-on
Cons: Can be heavy if you’re lifting it into an overhead compartment

Dimensions: 9.5″ x 14.5″ x 23″
Capacity: 47 L
Weight: 7.7 lb.

Travelpro is a favorite brand of flight attendants, with suitcases built to withstand daily use and design details that smooth out the in-airport (and in-flight) experience. This particular carry-on, tested by senior commerce editor Madison Flager, is great for long weekend trips. While there’s just one large compartment inside, an included Versapack adds pockets to the interior flap that can be used to store undergarments, socks, hats, or other accessories. Flager’s favorite feature is the slightly hidden exterior pocket, sized to hold a passport, phone, or small wallet and keep it easily accessible during your travel days. The wheels are also exceptionally smooth—so much so that you’ll want to hang on to the bag if you’re on a smooth surface, or even a sidewalk that’s slightly tilted; if not, it just might roll away from you.

Pros: Gorgeous colors, hidden exterior passport pocket, expandable
Cons: Slightly smaller than other Travelpro carry-on options, super smooth wheels

Dimensions: 9.5″ x 14″ x 21″
Capacity: 37 L
Weight: 6.5 lb.

Travelers looking for a simple one-compartment carry-on bag will love the Herschel Heritage Softshell carry-on. This suitcase was recently used on two weekend trips to Maine by commerce writer Paris Wilson. She fit a weekend’s worth of clothes and one pair of shoes in the suitcase. “The simple design is chic and pairs well with a lot of other luggage that isn’t a part of the Herschel brand,” Wilson says. “It’s a good stand-alone piece.” While the bag is simple with just one large compartment, Wilson was able to fit everything she needed for a weekend road trip in it. “I think it’s perfect for short-term work trips and college students looking to build a full luggage set.”

Pros: Easy to store at home, durable fabric
Cons: The main compartment is small

Dimensions: 9″ x 14″ x 22″
Capacity: 35 L
Weight: 7.17 lb.

Long weekends just got easier with the Thule Subterra 2 carry-on. Visuals editor Andrea Edelman traveled with this suitcase to and from New York on three separate occasions and it worked great for her. She says three to five days’ worth of clothes fit into the bag without much fuss. The removable compression panel is great for getting more clothes into the bag without fighting to zip the suitcase up. Even better is how easy the bag moves. “The best part about this bag is how smooth the wheels are,” Edelman says. “It’s so easy to wheel around an airport.” The durable material doesn’t get scratched easily, and it has a bit of a shine, making the bag feel more luxe. The bag is easy to pick up, too. “There is a side handle which is actually very unnoticeable but it makes it easy to pick up and put into an overhead or in the trunk of a car,” says Edelman.

Pros: The quiet rolling spinner wheels make it easy to move through busy spaces
Cons: The exterior half pocket cannot fit a laptop

Dimensions: 9″ x 14″ x 22″
Capacity: 38 L
Weight: 6.8 lb.

Whether you’re going on a tropical getaway or a city weekend, the Travelpro Crew Classic Compact carry-on spinner is a fantastic piece of soft-sided luggage. Alexandra Sanidad, research director at Traveler, used this bag on a trip to the Bahamas and two trips to upstate New York. “One side has a mesh zippered compartment for flatter items, and the other part is a deep section for clothes,” she says. “It also comes with a removable flap-like organizer with two zippered pouches for storing smaller things like toiletries and rolls of socks.” If you’re willing to mix and match outfits, she says you can get a week’s worth of clothes packed into the suitcase. “I particularly liked the little flap that you can remove or use to store smaller items. It was nice to keep socks and underwear separate, along with any knickknacks I wanted to bring,” she says.

Pros: Made from durable fabric that looks new even after travel; expandable zipper can add two more inches of packing space
Cons: Only comes in three colors, can roll away easily

Dimensions: 12″ x 14″ x 22″
Capacity: 38 L
Weight: 6.14 lb.

Adventure travelers looking for a new soft-sided suitcase should check out the Cotopaxi Allpa 38L Roller Bag. Flager used this suitcase on a weeklong trip to Panama earlier this summer. It fit easily into overhead bins, rideshares, and a shuttle bus. “I was able to fit eight days’ worth of clothes inside, though to be fair, I was headed to a warm climate, so it was mostly smaller, lightweight pieces like sundresses, shorts, and tanks,” she says. “If I was packing for a colder climate, I think it’d be best for three or four-day trips.” While she liked how easily the bag rolled on its own, once she put her backpack over the handle, rolling the suitcase was a bit harder. The look of the bag is sportier than her typical carry-on bag, but, “it’ll look right at home on an outdoorsy trip or in a place like the Pacific Northwest.” She also says that the bag’s “outside compression straps are nice, especially if you’re getting on a smaller size plane, as it helps to shrink down the height of the bag when laid flat (or the width when on its side).”

Pros: Water-resistant exterior; durable; great for adventure travel
Cons: Only has two wheels

Dimensions: 14″ x 9-11.5“ x 22″
Capacity: 37-48 L
Weight: 10 lb.

Senior features editor Rebecca Misner says, “As a proud overpacker (I live by: you never know, might as well throw it on in), I’m highly suspicious of carry-on suitcases for any trip longer than about two days or as anything other than overflow from my maxed out checked bag.” When she tested out the Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential carry-on, she was able to fit everything she needed for a three-day trip, including running shoes and large evening dresses. One draw to this bag is that the expander isn’t zippered—instead, you press a button and then pull up on a lever so that the sides automatically expand. Another nice perk is the “SpeedThru” pocket, which holds passports and tickets, and has an orange lining so you know when it’s open or closed. This bag’s sleek style is ideal for frequent business travelers. Bonus: It comes with a lifetime guarantee.

Pros: Automatic expander, designated pocket for passport and tickets
Cons: Overall look is a bit simple and industrial

Dimensions: 9.5″ x 22″ x 15.5″
Capacity: 46 L
Weight: 9.9 lb.

If you’re traveling with special clothing items, for weddings or business trips, and want to keep the wrinkles to a minimum, pack the Travelpro rolling garment bag. Traveler’s former global associate director of audience development Lara Kramer has used this bag on a trip to Italy, Croatia, and Montenegro, and it held up well. “I was able to pack a few nice dresses and my husband fit an entire suit, all of which remained wrinkle-free, which was a game changer,” she says. The bag is made from high-density nylon with a duraguard coating, which keeps the suitcase looking new for years. It also comes with a lifetime limited warranty that covers the cost of repairs from airline damage. The one downfall some may see with this bag is that it only has two wheels, which can make it a bit more challenging to maneuver within crowded airports or city streets.

Pros: Keeps clothes looking neat, suitcase has a lifetime warranty
Cons: Only has two wheels

Dimensions: 13″ x 14″ x 22″
Capacity: 60 L
Weight: 4 lb.

Travelers searching for a soft-sided piece of luggage that also doubles as a backpack will love the Baboon to the Moon Go-Bag Big. Associate articles director Megan Spurrell recently took this bag on a weeklong trip from New York City to Phoenix, Arizona, and Denver, Colorado. She says the bag is heavier than a backpacking backpack, but lighter than a rollaway carry-on, and can fit everything you need for a week with several outfit changes or a ski weekend when you’re packing thicker, heavier items. The wide color range makes this a fun option for those who are bored of basic black or navy, with bright options like bubblegum pink and melon green. This luggage is best for active travelers, but it’s not Spurrell’s first pick for comfort when it’s fully packed. “I had expected this to be a cool upgrade to my worn Gregory backpack, which I’ve used for everything from traveling around Southeast Asia for six months after college, to a multi-stop week in Kenya that included a few days on safari, a few at the beach, and a couple in Nairobi. While I could definitely pack for the second trip with this bag, it would be heavy to carry for extended periods of time,” Spurrell says.

Pros: High capacity for a week’s worth of clothes, wide color range
Cons: Doesn’t quite lay flat against your back when fully packed

Dimensions: 11″ x 19″ x 26″
Capacity: 69 L
Weight: 12.6 lb.

Another newer bag from Away, The Softside Medium has earned praise from manager of global audience development Abigail Malbon, who used this roomy suitcase for a train trip in the UK. She liked the checked piece of luggage for its compressor panel, “which I found useful to stop the case from bulging so much (especially since it’s soft-sided),” she says. “There’s also a mesh compartment for keeping small items separate and a laundry bag. I appreciated the two separate pockets on the front of the suitcase, which are easily accessible.” The suitcase can easily fit a week’s worth of clothes and shoes, she says, and if you open the extender, there’s likely enough room for two weeks of clothes. The suitcase is easy to move around, too. “It’s super easy to roll, and I don’t think there would ever be a problem with it being too full as there’s a stabilizer that ensures it doesn’t fall even when full,” she says. Even better is that the material used to make the suitcase is water-resistant and can be wiped clean easily.

Pros: Compression pad makes getting in as much as possible easy; cool design stands out
Cons: Can be heavy and hard to lift overhead once packed

Dimensions: 14″ x 15″ x 30″
Capacity: 92 L
Weight: 8.9 lb.

Another favorite of Sanidad’s is the Herschel Heritage Softshell Medium suitcase, which she used on a trip to San Francisco. The interior of the suitcase features one large compartment with garment straps that pull tight. The luggage flap does have a mesh storage area that can be accessed by zipper. Sanidad praised the “very nice, clean minimal design” of the suitcase. “My bag was Raven Crosshatch (gray), but this version also comes in Ash Rose and Black,” she says. The suitcase can fit a week’s worth of clothes and rolls along easily. It is easy to pick up thanks to the padded handle on top and metal bar by the wheels. And while it’s not the bag to take on rugged adventures, it’s “good basic luggage with comfy grab handles,” Sanidad says.

Pros: Easy to travel with; comfortable grab handles
Cons: No dedicated compartments