suitcase recommendations

Roller, small enough to carry on or check. Expandable. Light for the size.

20-22 inch roller. I am very happy with my Travelpro

Look at TJ Maxx. They often have a selection that's good quality for a reasonable price.

I agree with selkie...I buy all of my luggage at TJ Maxx...they have a huge selection and the prices are great! I use a carry-on, hard-sided roller that's a 24 inch.

Anita......what airline allows a 24 inch carry on?

On my last trip through TJMaxx (I also check Marshalls periodically), there was almost nothing available other than spinners. I do not like those 4 flimsy wheels, but they should last more than long enough to complete a 14-day trip. My first spinner wheel failed on my 91st day of European travel; the second one, on the 121st day. At that point the suitcase had to be discarded.

We notice many experienced trave!see use Travel Pro. We ordered a very lightweight 21 inch rolling/swivel wheeled carryon from Amazon.com reasonably priced.

I too hate spinners. I have never owned one, but as a hotel employee I have handled many. They can be like shopping trolleys with minds of their own. And the protruding wheels can be ankle biters. Yuk!!
Give me a nicely balanced unit on 2 wheels that are recessed into the case’s corner.

Asking for generic "suitcase" recommendations is like asking for recommendations on wine. We need more information.

Do you want wheels or no wheels? If wheels, two or four? If not wheels, do you want backpack straps? How about size and weight? Are you traveling on a strict size and weight restriction airline or going with one more lenient?

I use a RS 20" rolly, fits all airline carryon rules so far. I also take a Civita or Ravenna daybag as a personal item. My trips are 90-100 days.

The RS store is having a sale now, their customer service/return/replacement policies are excellent.

As Frank II says, everyone has different preferences. If you do want to do carry-on only, you have to check the particular requirements for your airline; these are no longer uniform. For instance, many US carriers will allow a carry-on that measures 22 inches high, but Aer Lingus (among others) limits you to 21 inches.

For my carry-on, I use the Delsey Hyperlite 20 inch bag with 2 wheels. It actually measure 21 inches including wheels and handles. In the 20 inch size, you can get either 2 or 4 wheels; larger suitcases in that line are only 4 wheels. It is indeed extremely light; when I went to pick it up in the store, it flew up as I wasn't expecting it to be so light! This particular one is a Macy's exclusive, but they have frequent online sales, and stores will match the online sale prices. Right now, I see it's on sale for under $100!

They now have a slightly newer (2.0) version of what I bought a year ago, and am still very happy with. https://www.macys.com/shop/product/delsey-hyperlite-2.0-20-expandable-carry-on-rolling-suitcase-created-for-macys?ID=2579056&CategoryID=25691

If you like it as a spinner (4 wheels), here's that model: https://www.macys.com/shop/product/delsey-hyperlite-2.0-20-carry-on-expandable-spinner-suitcase-created-for-macys?ID=2575176

My mother got this instead, and likes it a lot; note that it's smaller than the ones above: https://www.macys.com/shop/product/delsey-hyperlite-2.0-14-trolley-rolling-carry-on-created-for-macys?ID=2579063

For my personal item, I use an older version of Rick's Euro Flight Bag, for the simple reason that my mother gave me hers because it didn't work with her packing style (object lesson there). It fits on top of the Delsey, although it does make it tip over if I'm not careful. It fits really well under the seat, still leaving me room for my feet! I can stuff it with several changes of shirts, socks, and underwear, as well as electronics and toiletries.

Again, what works for me may not work for you.

We use the same packing strategy whether for 1 week or 8. After years of using a R.S. 21° rollaboard, we splurged on Osprey Ozone bags for a recent extended trip. One reason I chose them was weight: 4.37 pounds. This is 3 pounds lighter than my previous R.S. bag. 3 pounds is a lot when you are schlepping. We are very happy with our bags and they performed very well for an 8-week European trip as well as for a domestic 1-week trip, long weekends, etc. I also recommend the Eagle Creek Pack-it Specter cubes. Super light and flexible.

Why does everyone only suggest rollers? Rollers add weight and their structures take away from the volume of stuff you can pack, and, in my experience, they are a lot more work to handle. Rollers just facilitate overpacking.

Rick has some nice convertible backpack bags that are just about the maximum carryon size for some airlines. A great bag, if you can find it, is the Essential Carry-on. It's about an inch under regulation carryon size in several directions and weighs less than 2#. I used one for years until I reduced my packing volume to the point that it sagged; then I went to the eTech 2.0 Weekender Jr. bag from eBags. (I assume the TLS Motherlode Weekender Jr. would also work.) They're a little heavier than the Essential Carry-on, but have cinch straps to keep the contents from sagging.

Since you are taking a RS tour you might consider using your $100 store credit to buy one of their suitcases. I bought my current RS roller bag this way and it ended up costing me under $30. They are currently running the same 20% off promotion.
I have used the RS bag for several overseas and domestic trips, and it seems to be holding up well. (for the price I don't expect the same durability as my Briggs and Riley bags which are now collecting dust in my closet because of their weight).
The one tip I have is to waterproof your RS bag. On one trip my suitcase obviously sat on a wet tarmac and got soaked. We used some spray Scotchguard which has kept it dry even in fairly heavy rain.

On one trip my suitcase obviously sat on a wet tarmac and got soaked.

One more problem you don't have if you carry-on. A good reason to make sure you are within the size and weight specifications for carry-on on your airline.

Hello swetrich,
If you decide to buy a bag from Rick Steves' business ("Shop Online") at this internet website :
I recommend :
If you want a bag that has wheels -- Rolling Carry - on. Sale Price = $127.99 (U.S.A. Dollars). Free shipping in the U.S.A.
Its dimensions are 20 inches x 13 and 1/2 inches x 9 inches (including wheels). Weight = 6.65 pounds.

If you want a bag that does not have wheels -- Classic back door. Sale price = $63.99 (U.S.A. Dollars). Free shipping in the U.S.A.
Its dimensions are 21 inches x 14 inches x 9 inches. Weight = 1.95 pounds.

Some people use a suitcase that is a hard shell, for carrying glass items (such as a wine bottle containing wine). But, a wine bottle can be put in a stiff container, for preventing breaking of the glass. That stiff container, containing the bottle, can be put in a cloth bag (bags that I mentioned).
(Edit)

Everyone has different needs/ habits/ abilities and it is never good to jump to conclusions about those individual practices.

Here is an example of what I mean: “One more problem you don't have if you carry-on. A good reason to make sure you are within the size and weight specifications for carry-on on your airline.”
I never exceed weight/ size restrictions. Coming home from a trip I am sometimes “guilty” of bringing back liquid souvenirs that require checking my bag.
It is clear in all of your posts how strong your bias is against roller bags. I respect your preference, but it doesn’t work for everyone. My arthritic spine and knees require that I use a roller bag. I am not just lazy or prone to overpacking as you have suggested to others in their posts about luggage. I am able to get on/ off trains/ trams and navigate platform changes with very little carrying of my roller bag. Using a roller bag allows me to continue traveling. I am sure I am not the only one in that situation.

I'm very much pro-checking bags, even when they're within the specs for putting them in the overhead bin. Generally less hassle at security checkpoints when you're schlepping less stuff and since my travel days include at least one, if not multiple connecting flights, it's nice to not feel like a turtle carrying my home on my back as I walk from T to F concourse at Atlanta-Hartsfield.

For the OP, if time is not of the essence, a lot of the mid-level or middle-upper level bag manufacturers send their discontinued models and colors to the clearance web sites starting in mid or late January. My 25" PacSafe wheelie came from theclymb.com that way at a nice 70% discount off original MSRP. And I got my 21" Eagle Creek from Sierra Trading Post (same parent company as TJ Maxx) for a 70% discount off MSRP there. The Eagle Creek bag is, granted, a cheerful bright lime green, but since I check it, I find that it's a feature since it's so easy to spot on a baggage carousel amid a sea of standard black wheelies.

I also hit the stopwatch on my watch when the plane door opens and have managed to get my family 10K extra Delta frequent flyer miles this year for their '20 minutes or 2500 miles' checked bag to carousel guarantee when your flight day ends with a domestic leg. (my local airport is slightly understaffed when it comes to ramp agents and the usual time to carousel is in the 17-23 minute range)

I would have posted the same thing Zoe did. I have taken 14 RS tours in 16 years and am signed up for 2 more in 2018 and on all of them have used one of RS roller bags - I can not put a pack on my back. I also use these same RS bags on several other trips each year and have never had a problem with them. As mentioned above, the RS bags are now on sale thru Dec. 14.

The Essential Carry On has been discontinued.

I used the RS Convertible Carry-On for a few years until my knees simply would not tolerate the extra weight, even though I kept the weight down to less than 20 pounds. It's a very comfortable backpack. My husband still uses his.

In hopes of going back to a backpack and packing even lighter, I bought the Eagle Creek Afar backpack this past year. My knees weren't so upset by the extra 15 pounds, but this time the problem was with my shoulders and the fit. It was not comfortable at all and I could not manage to adjust it so that my hips would carry the weight instead of my shoulders. The sternum strap did not seem to be designed for women with ample bosoms. It might work for someone else.

About 5 years ago, I got a Lipault spinner. Spinners take a lot of flak here, but it remains my favorite bag for travel. I haven't babied it and the wheels are still fine. It's carry-on size, lightweight, maneuverable and much easier to manage than my 2-wheeled bag. It cannot be expanded. I think that's a good thing.

Note the difference in body and overall dimensions under Description & Features. Most manufacturers will give you the body numbers, but not the overall ones. Especially if you shop in person for any bag, do not believe the size advertized on the bag. It's most likely for the body, not overall. Take a measuring device to verify the overall dimensions, particularly including the wheels and handles.

About 2 years ago, I decided to try a 2-wheeled bag. I bought a 22" Eagle Creek Load Warrior. The bag has lots of advantages, including multiple places to grab it. But it is not nearly so easy to move about as my spinner.

I provided my personal experience and the links to illustrate some of the options out there. I'm always looking for something lighter and better than what I have, yet still in my price range. So far I haven't found it.

My advice is to choose something that is true carry-on size and under 6 pounds. Backpacks will be half that weight or less. Roller bags with T-shaped handles usually are lighter than those with U-shaped ones, but I found the T-shaped handle very uncomfortable and useless for stacking a personal item on top. I'm glad I discovered that in a store!

"Especially if you shop in person for any bag, do not believe the size advertized on the bag. It's most likely for the body, not overall. Take a measuring device to verify the overall dimensions, particularly including the wheels and handles."

Absolutely! That's why I emphasized that my Delsey was called a "20 inch" bag, but a measuring tape showed that, including wheels and handles, it's actually 21 inches. That worked fine as a carry-on for Aer Lingus (and many others), but I later learned it would not have worked as a carry-on for Ryanair or Wizz Air.

For some airlines and at some airports, they just eyeball the bag, and if it looks about the right size, you can take it on. For other airlines and at other airports, they put some or all bags in a sizer box. If your bag doesn't fit in the sizer box, it's not getting on. Sizer boxes are more common in Europe, and on European airlines compared to US ones. Since you don't know when you'll be checked and how strictly, it's safest to makes sure your luggage meets size and weight requirements for carry-on - or else, plan to check it.

Thanks for mentioning your impression of the T-shaped handles, Lo. I'll remember to check that out if I'm ever considering such a bag. And I might be tempted by the comparative lightness. There's quite a difference between 4.5 lb. (what my old 4-wheeled bag--whose wheels failed--weighed) and the 6.5-lb. weight of my current 2-wheeled bag, an emergency purchase in Europe. I could really tell the difference. The new bag is expandable, a feature I do not need; that seems to contribute to the heavier weight.

@David -- where do I hire the monkey to pull my roller bag ?

I had the opportunity on my last trip to objectively compare the ease of using a backpack with using a roller. The backpack won hands down.

As you know, I am normally against a rolling backpack, but since my partner had spent three of the last six months in either the hospital or rehab, I didn't prevent her from using a rolling bag. I, of course, used my usual convertible backpack, but it weighed 17 lb, rather than my normal 13 lb, because I also carried the charger and spare battery for her oxygen concentrator.

Even with the added weight, my backpack required virtually no effort at all. If we were changing trains, I put it on when we came into the station and took it off when we sat down on the next train.

Her roller, on the other hand, required constant attention. On arrival at the station, pick it up and carry it off the train, pull out the handle and roll it to the stairs, collapse the handle, pick it up and carry it down the stairs, pull out the handle and roll it to the next stairs, collapse the handle, pick it up and carry it to the platform, pull out the handle and roll it to the train, collapse the handle, pick it up and carry it onto the next train and to our seat.

Moving into a hotel was not much better. Although I tried to stay in hotels with rooms on as low a floor as possible, four out of five rooms were on upper floors (one or two floors up from the ground floor), and the lobby was usually enough steps up from the street that I had to schlep the bag into the hotel. And then I had to carry the roller up steep stairs to the room.

And all the time, my backpack was right there on my back, requiring no attention until I took it off in the next train or our room. You don't realize all of the extra effort a roller takes unless you are used to a backpack.

Note that rolling bags always have handles so you can carry them. That should tell you something.

So, my advice, based on experience, is, unless you have a disability that prevents you from using a packpack, don't use a roller. And if you are advising others on what to use, be sure to emphasize that backpacks are far easier to use unless you are disabled.

I really like my 22" Eagle Creek Tarmac. They position it as a carry on, but I alway check it. It was very liberating moving down from a 25" bag, though the loss in volume was substantial. For international carry on, they also have a 21" version but for me since I always check, that was a little to small. Eagle Creek can be pricey but both of mine came with a lifetime guarantee. The handle on my 25" inch broke at one point and they fixed it for free (I paid $40 on way shipping is all).

I'm down to a black cordura shoulder bag, carry on, that's made by City Bags. It's just right for me now although I've seen some recently that are about the same size and a little nicer looking. I'm not sure I'd trade weight for looks, though, I prefer traveling in the 10-12 pound range unless I'm moving there.

Off in the far corner of the always lively conversation of what's the best luggage...surely there's only one, I sit quietly. My squishable Rick Steve's backpack sold by Rick works just fine and meets carry-on standards without a worry.

Nah, different tools for different trips and different types or trips. It's all about the right tool for the job.

Or so I keep telling myself to justify my bag addiction.

Selkie I totally agree! I've only been on one RS tour, but that was the trip that I took my RS rolling carryon. It's an old version that I don't think is even available. I've used it so many times it's really starting to show it's wear, but mostly I use it domestically. On the RS tour there is no changing trains so the roller makes sense. All of our other long trips have been with one backpack or another. For our next trip we are using Osprey Ozone 22" bags which are rolling backpacks.

Why does everyone only suggest rollers? Rollers add weight and their structures take away from the volume of stuff you can pack, and, in my experience, they are a lot more work to handle. Rollers just facilitate overpacking.

Lee - As others have mentioned, some of us cannot do backpacks. I used a R.S. convertible for a couple of trips but I had three problems: 1) I am too short for it to fit properly, 2) I felt like I was going to tumble over backwards in stairs and hills even though it only weight 20 pounds, 3) I also needed a day pack and where do you carry that when you have a 20# backpack on?

Different strokes for different folks, but realize not everyone can handle a backpack even if they do not have knee or back problems.

Before I switched over to a roller, I used a medium size suitcase going back to 1971. In 2014 I changed over to a roller, used it for two trips until the handle broke, ie it was no longer working as it was supposed to. For the 2016 trip I bought a Samsonite spinner, which relative to the roller has both advantages and disadvantages. With the roller I could pack up to 30 lbs. easily and travel with no problems. The spinner I've had to lower the weight, hard to do, but just have get it under 26 pounds. If I go two weeks, I generally, but not necessarily, pack less. If the trip is close to two months, as the last one was, 7 weeks, then I pack much more, one way is redistribute the weight.

I also find those "T" handles very uncomfortable (or imagine that I would, as I don't have one). There's an Eagle Creek bag I'd really like to get, but I have to keep reminding myself that that handle would drive me crazy -- that no matter how much I like so many other features of the bag, this one element would overshadow them all when trying to use the darned thing.

Why does everyone only suggest rollers?

Everyone doesn't. It so happens that each poster prior to your post did suggest rollers, but we all know that there are backpack devotees here as well. People are free to respond to the question with their own preferences; hence, people who prefer rollers will mention rollers. Those who prefer backpacks will mention backpacks. Some might mention both! and mention advantages and drawbacks to each style.

Ah luggage - one of my favorite things to buy .... but we have finally found luggage that works for us...
we use them for different types of trips

1 Eagle Creek duffle roller
2 Briggs & Riley 24 inch rollers (not spinners)
1 Briggs & Riley 22 inch carry- on (which I used on the recent 18 night trip to Italy) although I still checked in (not spinners)
1 Barracuda Smart Collapsible Carry-on

We have an RS backpack suitcase but honestly as we age carrying anything is just getting harder. I do carry a "day pack" as my personal item

Hello swetrich,
I remember, a long time ago, Rick Steves said all persons who travel in a Rick Steves group tour of Europe (in a bus, with a tour guide) are required to bring a carry-on size bag as a person's primary travel bag. If you wish to receive advice for how to put all of your things in a carry-on size bag, and what to do with items that you will acquire at countries in Europe -- I learned what to do. If you are interested in knowing my advice on that, you may send a Private message to me. (And, much discussion on that topic of travel bags was here at Travel Forum (formerly "The Traveler's Helpline) at various times during the past ten years).