Lifestyle Travel The 11 Best Travel Bags of 2022 Will Make Your Airport Days a Breeze The Bèis The Carry-On Roller combines form and function. By Linne Halpern Linne Halpern Linne Halpern is a Denver-based freelance writer. She is a regular contributor to Architectural Digest and publishing work in other outlets including Domino, Coveteur, and Teen Vogue. As a Commerce Writer for InStyle, she shares her favorite fashion brands and must-have beauty products. InStyle's editorial guidelines Updated on January 31, 2023 @ 11:14AM Pin Share Tweet Email In This Article Expand Jump to a Section Our top picks Reviews What to Keep in Mind Your Questions, Answered Why Shop With Us We independently evaluate all recommended products and services. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Learn more. InStyle / Kristin Kempa Let’s be honest, the wrong travel bag has the ability to seriously increase stress levels on any trip — a broken suitcase wheel or a leaking toiletry bag can make getting where you need to go a total pain. From checked luggage and carry-ons to cosmetic cases and crossbody bags, your travel accessories must be durable, reliable, and (of course) stylish (you never know who you’ll run into at the airport, right?). To ensure your next vacation goes as smoothly as can be, we tapped travel expert and influencer Thithi Nteta and beauty expert turned world-traveling content creator Kristina Rodulfo to break down their favorite travel bags, revealing their packing tips and must-have airport essentials along the way. From laptop cases and jewelry storage to carry-all totes and roomy duffels, we’ve got the right bag for every occasion, no matter your destination. Ultimately, the Bèis The Carry-On Roller earns our best overall pick for its under $200 price tag, fashionable aesthetic, and plethora of convenient features. Whether you’re currently gate-side waiting for your flight or about to book that long-anticipated vacay, read on for our favorite travel bags that’ll get you there with elegance and ease. Our Top Picks Best Overall: Beis The Carry-on Roller at Nordstrom Jump to Review Best Budget: ETRONIK Weekender Overnight Bag at Amazon Jump to Review Best Splurge: Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandoulière 55 at Louisvuitton.com Jump to Review Best for Jewelry: Merjuri Travel Case at Mejuri.com Jump to Review Best for Makeup: KUSSHI Signature Makeup Bag at Amazon Jump to Review Best for Toiletries: Dagne Dover Toiletry Organizer at Dagnedover.com Jump to Review Best Laptop Case: Baggu Puffy Laptop Sleeve at Baggu.com Jump to Review Best Crossbody: The Daily Edited Mini Crossbody Bag at Thedailyedited.com Jump to Review Best Tote: Madewell Zip-top Transport Carryall at Madewell.com Jump to Review Best Duffle: Patagonia Duffel Bag at Backcountry.com Jump to Review Best Overall Beis The Carry-on Roller 4.7 Nordstrom View On Nordstrom View On Beistravel.com View On Revolve What We Love: This carry-on roller boasts user-friendly features and an unbeatable price.What We Don’t Love: The hard-shell exterior is, sadly, not scratch-proof. A high-quality roller suitcase is nearly impossible to find for under $200, but the Bèis Carry-On Roller exceeds all expectations. “It’s my go-to bag for long weekend trips,” shares travel expert and content creator Thithi Nteta, who points out how much space it has to store everything, including separate pouches for laundry and shoes. With 360-degree wheels (that won’t give out on you), a cushioned handle, convenient storage compartments that separate out things like your underwear and smaller necessities, and an expandable zipper, this suitcase stands out for how versatile it is during lengthy travel. “And, I’d be lying if I didn’t mention that the beige color looks so chic with all my airport outfits,” Nteta adds. Now, that’s an aesthetic endorsement that adds serious bonus points to this ultra-functional carry-on. Price at time of publish: $198 Dimensions: 15.74 x 22.83 x 9.84 inches | Material: Polycarbonate | Colors: 6 Best Budget ETRONIK Weekender Overnight Bag Amazon View On Amazon What We Love: It has compartments for literally everything.What We Don’t Love: The charging port doesn't actually charge, which some found misleading. Any avid traveler knows the importance of a good duffel bag, especially one that can double as a carry-on (and in this case, a gym bag). But for the less frequent fliers among us, spending a fortune on a bag you won't use all too often might seem a bit daunting. We found this roomy duffel on Amazon, though, that might suit all your needs. It comes with numerous pockets, a specific compartment just for shoes on the bottom of the bag, shoulder straps, and a trolley strap, making it handier than most other bags you get for double the cost. Anyone heading to the beach might appreciate the wet storage option, too, that's encased in waterproof PVC to keep anything moist away from the rest of your belongings. This bag even comes with a USB charging port. But be aware, it doesn't actually charge your phone — it just connects your phone on the outside to your portable charger on the inside. Basically, you still need to buy a charger and cord to use this feature, which many reviewers found a bit misleading and confusing to use. Price at time of publish: $34 Dimensions: 18.5 x 14.2 x 8.7 inches | Material: Nylon | Colors: 13 Best Splurge Louis Vuitton Keepall Bandoulière 55 Louis Vuitton View On Louisvuitton.com What We Love: World-class luxury at its finest, this bag offers a timeless shape first introduced by the brand in 1930.What We Don’t Love: Louis Vuitton monogrammed luggage instantly transports us to a yacht on the French Riviera. Picture it: a full-skirted sundress, cat-eye sunnies, an oversized straw hat, and this bag on your arm. Pretty perfect, huh? But in all seriousness, Louis Vuitton makes fantastic luggage. They nearly invented the category of luxury travel bags with the launch of their steamer trunks in 1901. This particular model was introduced in 1930 and has been a mainstay in the brand’s collections ever since. The soft yet structured shape allows for a generous amount of room — depending on your packing prowess, it can fit up to a week’s worth of looks. An adjustable crossbody strap, a secure padlock, and a resistant coated canvas exterior make this a dependable carry-on with major style points. Price at time of publish: $2,570 Dimensions: 21.7 x 12.2 x 9.4 inches | Material: Coated Canvas | Colors: 7 Best for Jewelry Merjuri Travel Case Mejuri View On Mejuri.com What We Love: This compact jewelry organizer will keep all your baubles tangle-free en route to your destination.What We Don’t Love: This travel jewelry case is on the small side, and will only work for daintier accessories. Surprisingly, many travel jewelry cases and pouches don’t actually hold your pieces in place — you’ll carefully place your jewels in each compartment only to find that they’ve rattled around during transit, resulting in the dreaded necklace tangle that’s impossible to undo. That’s why we love this Mejuri option. It offers just the right features to keep your beloved baubles stationary no matter how dramatic the turbulence. There are perforated holes to attach your earrings, a cushioned section for ring storage, suede hooks to hang your necklaces, and an extra pouch for miscellaneous needs. Note that at 4 sq. inches, this case only holds so many pieces and works best for delicate jewels. Price at time of publish: $78 Dimensions: 4 x 4 x 1.4 inches | Material: Leather | Colors: 2 Best for Makeup KUSSHI Signature Makeup Bag Amazon View On Amazon View On Nordstrom View On Kusshi.com What We Love: These makeup bags are easily washable and can be outfitted with additional organizational compartments.What We Don’t Love: If you want to purchase additional organizational features, like bottle protectors or brush holders, they’re an added cost. Makeup bags are the workhorses of travel bags. We often overstuff them and expect them not to leak when our product bottles inevitably explode at cruising elevation. The Kusshi Signature Makeup Bag is reliable, multi-tasking, and comes in an array of fun colors. “I am obsessed with everything Kusshi creates,” says travel content creator Kristina Rodulfo. “I have several of these bags and love their design. They’re washable, have plenty of pockets, and can be outfitted with other accessories like bottle protectors, brush organizers, and more,” she says. (But those accessories do come at an additional cost.) They’re even roomy enough to fit full-sized hair products — a quality that’s tricky to find. Plus, Rodulfo notes, they open up wide enough to stand on a counter so you can easily navigate the contents. You can choose between sturdy leather or a flexible satin and nylon material. Both come in a plethora of colors, though, so you just need to decide which will work best for your needs. Price at time of publish: $69 Dimensions: 6 x 11.5 x 5 inches | Material: Leather or satin and nylon | Colors: 15 Best for Toiletries Dagne Dover Mila Toiletry Organizer Dagne Dover View On Dagnedover.com View On Saks Fifth Avenue What We Love: It’s a toiletry organizer and travel case that’ll keep your hero products upright, even protecting those pesky (but luxurious) glass skincare bottles.What We Don’t Love: The large size isn’t that much bigger than the small. More and more these days, I’m falling in love with skincare products that come in glass bottles. Sure, it’s better for the environment, but it can make traveling with them quite risky until I found the Dagne Dover Toiletry Organizer. This vertically-designed travel pouch will keep your precious products upright and make packing a breeze. It’s roomy enough to carry your entire regimen and has convenient organizational compartments like adjustable inserts, elastic loops, and a mesh zipper pocket. It comes in two useful sizes and is made from eco-friendly polyester that is the recycled contents of four water bottles! An extra perk? Its sleek and space-saving design can even be used as at-home storage if your bathroom cabinetry is lacking. You can choose between small or large, but be aware, the difference isn’t too great — the large size only adds about two inches more to its height for $20 extra. Price at time of publish: $70 Dimensions: 5.5 x 5.5 x 7.5 inches | Material: Recycled Polyester | Colors: 2 Best Laptop Case Baggu Puffy Laptop Sleeve Baggu View On Baggu.com View On Urban Outfitters What We Love: Keep your laptop secure in a fun puffy case that’ll bring a smile every time you glimpse it in your bag.What We Don’t Love: This case doesn’t offer any additional pockets or features. Ah, Baggu… one of our go-to bag brands that’s been upping our reusable tote game since 2007. Their most recent expansions into other product categories have only increased our beloved devotion. We mostly love their Puffy Laptop Sleeves for no other reason than for how fun the prints are. They’ll bring an instant smile to your face every time you catch a glimpse of it inside your work bag or atop your desk. They typically offer an array of five to eight prints each season — but, if you’re not obsessed with the current offering, just wait a month or so, and they’ll surely release new options to suit every fancy. It’s a pretty minimal sleeve without any extra bells and whistles, but the recycled puffy fabric will keep your most prized possession safe and secure from your daily commute to your international travels. Price at time of publish: $32 Dimensions: 13 x 10.25 x .75 inches | Material: Recycled Nylon, Recycled PET Polyfill | Colors: 6 Best Crossbody The Daily Edited Mini Crossbody Bag The Daily Edited View On Thedailyedited.com What We Love: This fashion-forward crossbody bag doubles as a hands-free travel accessory and a going-out bag upon your arrival.What We Don’t Love: You have to be a light packer to make a small crossbody work for airport days. “I got The Daily Edited Mini Crossbody Bag as a gift in 2018 and I haven't traveled without it since,” says Rodulfo. It’s the perfect compact size for just your airport necessities, then easily transitions for an evening out on the town. “Even though it’s tiny, it fits all of your essentials like a wallet, cellphone, lip balm, hand sanitizer, etc. Plus, it’s far easier than having to dig inside a giant bag,” she adds. But if you happen to be more of a maximalist traveler, this bag can also nest inside a larger tote to give you a covert extra “personal item.” The sophisticated leather cleans easily with a damp cloth, while the adjustable crossbody strap and internal card slots allow you to conveniently roam around the European city of your choice from dawn to dusk. Price at time of publish: $159 Dimensions: 4.72 x 7.48 x 2.75 inches | Material: Saffiano Leather | Colors: 2 Best Tote Madewell The Zip-top Transport Carryall Madewell View On Madewell.com What We Love: This tote epitomizes minimalist chic, while keeping you organized for life on-the-go.What We Don’t Love: The brand won’t be remaking this beloved style. Once items sell out, it’s gone. In our opinion, a zipper is an absolute must-have feature for travel days. For security purposes and for those shifty overboard bins, it just makes sense to have your belongings safely zipped up. And shockingly, most tote bags don’t have zippers — it confuses us, too. Not only do we love this Madewell tote for that reason, but made of durable leather (that can even be monogrammed), it can withstand the beatings that travel bags tend to get when being shuffled around for days on end. The semi-vegetable-tanned leather is responsibly sourced, expertly crafted, and super durable, while the softly structured shape gives off minimalist, put-together vibes. As an added bonus, purchase a bag strap to give you more carrying options. (We have our eye on the leopard calf hair version.) Price at time of publish: $198 Dimensions: 11.75 x 11.5 x 5.5 inches | Material: Leather | Colors: 3 Best Duffle Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag 70L Patagonia View On Backcountry.com View On Patagonia.com View On REI What We Love: Because of how roomy it is, I’ve fit two weeks' worth of clothes in here.What We Don’t Love: This duffel doesn’t have wheels, so it’s more of a road trip companion than an airport essential. I’ve carried this duffle everywhere from road trips across the western United States to 50 miles down the Green River in Colorado on a paddleboard (not kidding). This bag is constantly reliable and far roomier than you’d think. Whether you’re throwing it in the car for a weekend getaway or stuffing it to the gills with 10 days worth of Instagram-worthy outfits (or, if you’re like me, and decide that schlepping your Barefoot Dreams blanket everywhere is necessary), this duffel won’t let you down. It’s made from weather-resistant recycled materials and comes with removable straps that convert the whole thing into an oversized backpack for when you need to get moving in a pinch. Because it doesn't have wheels, I don't recommend taking this to the airport, but it works wonders for a car trip. Price at time of publish: $169 Dimensions: 26.7 x 15.7 x 11.8 inches | Material: Recycled Polyester Ripstop | Colors: 15 Best Hard-Side Carry-On Paravel Aviator Carry-On Paravel View On Tourparavel.com What We Love: Paravel makes a seriously sustainable product, from their responsible sourcing to their recycled materials and commitment to offsetting carbon emissions.What We Don’t Love: Some online reviewers note that the color depictions on the brand’s site are slightly off from the real product. We’re big fans of Paravel for their sustainable initiatives (they’re certified Climate Neutral!) and sophisticated design aesthetic. “When shopping for a carry-on bag, the first thing I look for is something hard-sided that meets airline sizing specs, has four wheels, and is reviewed to be a smooth-rolling carry-on,” says Nteta. The Aviator Carry-On features supremely smooth 360 wheels, an extra sturdy (recycled!) polycarbonate casing, and smart interior pockets and features (including a separate bag for dirty laundry and compression boards for when you’re trying to stretch a few extra days of packing). We love that the textured exterior hides scuffs, comes in an array of design-forward colors, and includes vegan leather details. “I am not embarrassed to state that I am about aesthetics, so my carry-on needs to look stylish, as I will be rolling the thing around with me in the airport,” says Nteta. We’re pleased to report that this bag hits all the marks. Price at time of publish: $395 Dimensions: 13.7 x 21.7 x 9 inches | Material: Recycled Polycarbonate | Colors: 5 What to Keep in Mind Size It’s actually up to individual airlines to determine carry-on and checked luggage size requirements, as opposed to TSA. This means that different restrictions may apply from flight to flight. Although, industry-wide, the most common carry-on size is 22 x 14 x 9 inches. If you don’t mind checking a bag, then no need to worry, but if you, like us, dread the baggage claim carousel, be mindful of dimensions when selecting your next bag (the Paravel Aviator Carry-On should do just the trick, no matter your travel plans). Features Travel bags come equipped with many different features like dirty-laundry dividers, specific pockets for tech devices, weight indicators, and more. “I do believe that form follows function,” says Nteta. “When it comes to functionality, I always look for my carry-on to be expandable and have organizational features so that I can separate things out properly and easily access must-haves like my laptop and wallet.” This is why we’re also big fans of small pouches like the Clare V. Wallet Clutch or the Tracey Tanner Zip Pouch (these make excellent gifts, by the way). Decipher what features are most important to you and use that as a compass when searching for your next travel bag. Ease When shopping for luggage, really try to imagine yourself carrying this bag throughout various lifestyle scenarios. Can you schlepp the thing through an airport, onto a train, then onto a subway, and then up the four flights of stairs to your Airbnb? If it’s lightweight like the Bèis Carry-On Roller, you should be just fine! Meanwhile, a non-wheeled duffel like the Patagonia Black Hole Duffel Bag 55L might be better suited for car travel like road trips or packing for that pet-sitting gig you have several towns over. Your Questions, Answered What type of bag is good for international travel? If you’re making the trek outside of the country, you’re likely staying for more than a weekend, requiring a larger checked bag. For international travel, we recommend looking for a suitcase with TSA-approved locking capabilities, weight indicators (weight restrictions for checked luggage can vary from airline to airline — research ahead of time), and smooth 360 wheels (international airports require a lottt of walking). A bag that expands isn’t a bad idea either, just in case you come home with souvenirs. How do you pack a carry-on sized bag for a multi-night trip? Most carry-on sized bags can accommodate three to four days worth of clothes… if you know how to stretch your base layers, shoes, and accessories. “I do my best to keep to one suitcase by packing versatile clothing pieces that I can pair and style differently,” explains Nteta. Though she notes it does take a bit of planning, it creates for a more stress-free travel experience overall. “For example, I select a pair of trousers and work out all the different tops and looks I can create with that one pair of trousers,” she says. “The key is to consider how you can layer foundational items and then elevate with accessories.” How do you safely transport makeup and other liquid toiletries? “When I travel, I don't compromise on my skincare routine, so I need a lot of pockets to organize things like cotton pads, Q-Tips, tweezers, and more,” says Rodulfo. She prioritizes cosmetic bags that open wide and have the ability to fit full-sized products, like the Kusshi Signature Makeup Bag or Dagne Dover Mila Toiletry Organizer. And, the ultimate must-have? A zipper! “When you have liquid makeup like foundation, you want to ensure none of your clothes or other valuables get messy,” she advises. As an additional suggestion, she recommends the Ries Essential Travel Bottles for their airless pump and ability to securely stash 3.4 ounces of all your favorite products. “I have my Ries bottles filled and always ready to go for my next trip,” she adds. Why Shop With Us Linne Halpern is a freelance fashion, beauty, and lifestyle writer. She is a member of InStyle’s evergreen commerce team where she extensively tests and reviews countless products. For this story, she interviewed travel expert and influencer Thithi Nteta and world-traveling beauty expert turned content creator Kristina Rodulfo. Their invaluable insights (plus, some personal travel experience and tons of research) inform our favorite picks. The 9 Best Weekender Bags For Your Next Getaway