Back Pack or Roller Luggage for Petite Woman

The rolling luggage would work better for you. Avoid the spinner if you can and find a bag with to fixed wheels. Far easier to handle over rough surfaces.

Buy the backpack.

I am a man. I am 5'2-1/2". I can lift or pull at least 1/3 or more of my body weight, with my arms, on machines at the gym I am a member of, with some effort but not the maximum possible effort, without hurting myself. I travel with a maximum of two changes of clothes in a travel bag like a duffle bag without wheels, and most or everything else in backpack. My current backpack is unfortunately just barely too big to fit under the seat in front of me on the planes. My previous backpack was a Jansport school backpack but on my last major trip I overstuffed it and it ripped. I bought my current bag because it was the best I could find at a camping or outdoor store in Munich, Germany. My luggage works because it forces me to pack lightly and hard-shell suitcases take up the same amount of space even if you only fill them part-way. I know there are backpacks that are supposed to fit almost everything you carry.

After you pack your back pack, if you can't lift it or carry it in your house, you over-packed.

Kimberly, what I would do is go to a store like REI or another sporting good stores that carries some good backpacks and try some on. Walk around with them and see how they fit on your frame. If you like them, then maybe check on their return policy, take it home and try it out with actual luggage in it and see if it works.

You could also do the same with luggage. Personally, I like spinners so don’t believe people that tell you that spinners don’t work. I’ve had mine for a long time and they are wonderful. I’m 5’4” tall and it’s handy for me, because I can maneuver it in an airport very easily. But I’ve also taken it over cobblestones and down city sidewalks with no problem.

But bottom line, it’s about what you want and what works for you. You will get a bunch of responses here all telling you different things all based on what we use. Like I said, I like my spinner, but you may not. I also have a backpack that I use and I like that one as well.

Just go out and try them out and see how they work. Maybe bring some clothes with you and ask the sales person to put the clothes in the backpack so you can really see what it feels like.

I used a 2-wheel carry on suitcase for years, packed light, and I liked it very much. In the last four years I have reduced down what I bring much more, so a backpack is more practical & easier on my body. If you are just starting out, I would tend to lean towards a wheeled carry on, so you can bring home souvenirs and have a little more flexibility in your packing list.

Bring a tape measure to verify whatever you choose is actually within your airline’s required dimensions.

Have a great time!

The answer is you are the only one who can decide which type of luggage to bring.

If you have never traveled with a backpack, get a hold of one, fill it with the approximate amount of weight you would take to Italy, and take a walk. I don't mean around the house. I mean around the block, in the neighborhood, for at least 30 minutes. Then see how you feel. 9.8Ask yourself would I be happy traveling like this for my entire trip.

With wheeled luggage, whether to get 2 wheels or 4, is also personal choice. I use a spinner and don't have any problems. I used to use a 2 wheeled bag. And before that a backpack.

There is no absolute answer to your question. You have to figure out which type of luggage would work best for you.

I’m 5’ 2” and have stuck with a 2-wheeled rolling bag for my last several suitcases, both carry-on size and larger. I’ve occasionally used a small day bag pack for hikes or carrying items while out on the street on vacation, but not as my main luggage. I use a larger backpack only for backpacking and camping, and wearing it is not wonderful, but a rolling bag is really impractical on a rocky trail. If you’re traveling on planes and walking through cities with sidewalks and/or cobblestones, rolling a bag is easy. Getting on and off a train or bus means lifting the rolling bag up and down steps, or ka-thumping down them if rolling down. Staircases in your lodging are maybe a little more awkward with a roller than having a backpack on your back - maybe - but a loaded backpack can be awkward squeezing into elevators, in aisles on a crowded plane, train or bus, and getting through a doorway.

Suitcases that flip open are easier to pack and unpack than a top-loading backpack, so that’s something else to consider. And what about dangling shoulder straps on a backpack? How nimble do you need to be to take a pack on and off your shoulders?

2 Factors: how much weight can you handle; how much (volume) stuff you are bringing.
Are you a minimalist packer? Are you bringing formal dresses and dress shoes for the opera? Pack for 5 days and do laundry. Take some clothing that can be worn more than once before washing - like black pants. On the low end - look for a 30 liter bag. (I can do 27 liters, but that’s pushing things.). On the high end - do not go larger than 40 liters.

Smaller woman, smaller clothes. Less volume. I am 6” with size 14 shoes. I often do take a second pair of shoes. My pack is 42 liters, 17-18#, total. You can do with much less.
Backpack is nebulous term. I would avoid real backpacks as they tend to have a lot of extra straps, waist belts, etc that cannot be tamed. Other backpacks could be simpler shapes with only the shoulder straps for carrying.
I just bought a Hynes Eagle two wheel roller back pack that has the ability to roll or carry with hideaway backpack straps. With this I have both options, roll or backpack. This is my first ever bag with wheels.

I am 5 feet tall, in my 70s, and a spinner works for me. I do carry a light backpack for my personal item also. They are the perfect combination for me, but everyone is different. I also limit my spinner to 17 pounds which has made zooming here and there much easier. Good travels!

I'm 5'2" and I use an older variation of this: https://www.eaglecreek.com/products/cargo-hauler-xt-wheeled-21-5-international-carry-on-duffel

It is convertible to a backpack (but I haven't used it that way).

You could opt for both. I have an Osprey Fairview rolling backpack that's carry-on size. I love that Osprey has backpacks that are made to fit women. I used it on a 17 day trip to England, and it's gone with me to London a couple times. I tend to mostly use the rolling option, but I like using it as a back pack when it's raining or I need to go up a few flights of stairs. For me, it provides the best of both worlds.

I'm in the spinner camp. It does fine on most surfaces. I can pull it on 2 wheels if necessary. I keep it relatively light, under 17 pounds even with a second pair of shoes, so I have no problem carrying it up a flight of stairs or on and off trains. My personal items is also kept light and has a trolley sleeve. I'm 5'2".

I am TreeMoss' size, and I use a 42L two-wheel roller bag because I have a bad back and can't carry a backpack. My last two trips, I checked it because I didn't want to have to lift it into the overhead bin. It's not about your size. It's about what you can handle. At 5'1", your clothes and shoes should take up a whole lot less space than mine do, so you should not need 42L. I agree with the advice to go to REI and try on bags and ask for help with fit. If you don't live close to one, you can follow the website's advice on how to measure your torso to help determine what pack is likely to fit you. Shop around. Sierra.com has good prices and a reasonable return policy. If you're looking at rolling bags, weight to volume ratio is the key. Look for "international carry-on" sized bags, but double check the dimensions to make sure they will work on your preferred carrier. A couple of brands that are known for lightweight bags are Osprey (especially the Ozone line, which is getting a revamp this year, so look for the "old" model to go on sale), IT (I see a lot of these on Sierra, but be wary of the measurements they give), sometimes Eagle Creek. Folks on the Forum like the TravelPro MaxLite line. As small as you are and especially if you are traveling in warm/hot time of year, I wouldn't rule out an underseat bag combined with a person item tote/bacpack (but beware that these are often inexplicably heavy).
Weigh your clothes, use packing cubes and take as little as you can get by with.

I'm 5'0" and I use a carry-on spinner (I have this one by London Fog).

I've taken it on 15-day trips in colder weather, meaning heavier clothes and shoes, and I've never had trouble hauling it around, including on uneven surfaces. I'm able to get it on and off buses and trains, and haul it up stairs (including a 4-floor walkup in Scotland, although I did have to stop to catch my breath on that one!) The spinners come in handy on planes and trains when trying to get down the narrow aisle, as I can turn it sideways and push it in front of me. I use this small backpack with a trolley sleeve as my personal item, so I can slide it over the suitcase handle and not have to carry it.

As others have said, it's all about what's comfortable for you, but this is what works for me :)

Until I got my current carry-on Briggs&Riley 2-wheeler (relatively heavy, but it’s indestructible, and has a lifetime warranty if something actually happened), I used one good Eagle Creek roller after another. Those were too tall to qualify as international carry-on, but had zip-away straps if one chose to hoist it on your back, but I never considered it a “backpack.” My husband used it on our trip to Morocco after I’d gotten my B&R roller, and he put it on his back while we wound through the old market on foot on our way from our lodging to get a taxi after checking out. Unless walking a long way or over very rough pavement, either of us just rolled it or lifted it by the handle. The shoulder straps were only for exceptional situations. And that Eagle Creek had a front flap that zipped completely open, so it loaded and unloaded like a suitcase, rather than a backpack. Backpacks are essentially a tube that you stuff and unpack from the top end. Some backpacks also have a lower access zipper, intended for pulling out your camping sleeping bag, which gets packed at the bottom of the “tube.”

One backpack to take a close look at is the Osprey Fairview 40. This is a woman-specific backpack with an adjustable harness. It says it fits down to a 15" torso, which is short-to-average for a woman your height. The adjustable harness means you can move the shoulder straps and secure them in the lower position to better fit your frame. It also has load-lifter straps and other adjustments to customize the fit. It is one of few travel backpacks with "torso fit" adjustment, which you probably need. I just bought the men's version for my 19yoa son who I think isn't done growing yet, and I chose it for the torso adjustment.
As I mentioned in my other comment, 40L is more capacity than you probably need, but you don't have to fill it, and it cinches down. All the straps tuck away in case you want to check it or just carry it by the side handle.
Here it is at REI:
https://www.rei.com/product/207736/osprey-fairview-40-travel-pack-womens
They also sell this bag as a 55L with a removable daypack, but that's a whole lot of bag for a petite lady.

Everyone's advice is great. Really depends on what kind of trip it'll be. Start with a good brand, you don't want anything breaking and this will hopefully reduce that risk. Everyone seems to use spinners and yet, I swear, 75% pull them like a 2 wheeler. Caribbean cobblestones destroyed a spinner I had. I use my spinner only airport to airport, hop into a taxi. Just LOOK at some 2 wheeler wheels - they're sturdy! I have lovely 2 wheelers: small Osprey, a classic Travelpro, an Ebags, etc. I'm wrapping up a 3 month solo European trip and here's my update as a small female: START with the lightest bag you can. 3lbs is noticeable. Decide how and where you're using it the most. I did a side trip to Budapest with a small backpack, because I'd be using a lot of trains, and LOVED it! It was my personal item on the plane. I stored my carry-on 2 wheeler and have been whining ever since about having both. Boohoo. You've probably seen the ones that are backpacks AND wheelers. Some are VERY wimpy in the backpack dept, however if you'll seldom use it that way it's ok, maybe. I swear go as small and light as possible. I carry a Chico nylon sling bag, that can fit in my pocket, and it works for shopping, a jacket, whatever, overflow as needed. Then there's the price. I don't want to be wedded to it if I see a really great bag while I'm traveling. I've come close on this trip. Feel free to PM me. I've been small and solo traveling for 52 yrs:)

Looking at his link, I’ll grant that G3rryCee’s suggestion is more useable for travel than a camping-type backpack. Osprey (a Colorado company, by the way) actually calls it a “travel backpack,” and it has a zip-open panel like any good suitcase, not a camping backpack top-loading design.