Packing for a long journey can be a frustrating experience. If you are like me, you probably possess an endless number of items that need to be packed but which you just can’t fit in that trusty carry-on. Whether you are preparing for a week-long tour or moving for an extended period, a checked luggage bag is what you need to ensure you can carry everything safely.
Checked luggage normally includes 28-30 inch bags. They are crafted in either of two forms: hardside or softside. Hardside bags make the best luggage for durability and protection, whereas softside bags are more appropriate for heavy storage needs. When you are purchasing checked luggage, it is best to evaluate each bag according to your personal requirements. The best luggage bags are loaded with compartments and smart functionalities to simplify the packing process. Also look for convenience modules, like ergonomic handles or dual-track wheels, that will make it easier and less exhausting to pull a large bag for hours.
To lend you a hand, we have identified some of the best luggage variants in the market that suit every traveler’s needs. If you are looking for a well-rounded, capable bag, you won’t regret investing in any of our top 3 picks!
Best Checked Luggage for any Traveler (Comparison)
| Product | Specifications | Price |
|---|---|---|
| American Tourister Moonlight – ( Editor’s Choice) | Hardside, 28″ | Check Price |
| SwissGear Sion 6283 | Softside, 29″ | Check Price |
| Travelpro Maxlite 5 | Softside, 29″ | Check Price |
American Tourister Moonlight Hardside Expandable
American Tourister makes some of the most appealing and versatile luggage that you can find in today’s industry. Moonlight is the company’s hottest checked bag, fitted not only with advanced storage functions, but also a graceful hardside exterior that will turn heads wherever you go.
American Tourister Moonlight is a 28-inch checked bag with 4 spinner wheels for mobility. Its compact body meets most international and domestic checked bag size requirements. The bag’s hardside frame is built from a blended ABS/PC compound, a strong yet lightweight material, which is why users regularly admire its endurance profile. You can get Moonlight in a range of eccentric color patterns that no competing luggage offers, including marble, floral, and metallic designs. If you are tired of boring, monotone bags that even the best luggage brands produce, American Tourister’s Moonlight is the ideal bag for you. Its stylish and pristine body emits a powerful aura that makes a statement.
In terms of storage, Moonlight is well-equipped, to say the least. Most people steer away from hardside luggage due to its unyielding space limits, but that’s not the case with Moonlight. Despite being a hardside bag, it exhibits 1.5” expanding capacity through the zippers. There are diagonal compression straps built into the bag. They serve to optimize the storage and keep your clothes intact. You will also find a full-length mesh sleeve sewn across the top cover. It is useful for keeping small devices, documents, or amenities separate from your main compartment in case you need to access them quickly.
Moving the American Tourister luggage is a fun and stress-free process. It rolls smoothly and quietly on 4 oversized spinners. We found the bag’s wheels to be incredibly stable on all sorts of grounds, beating even the best luggage in ease of mobility. The handles are wide enough to enable a steady grip as you tug the bag behind you. There is a convenient button embedded into the grip which you can push to adjust the handle’s height.
American Tourister offers a 10-year warranty with the bag. Not only does it highlight the manufacturer’s confidence in Moonlight’s build quality, but it also siphons off the worries of baggage mishandling.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 10-year warranty | Lack of dedicated compartments for laptop/laundry |
| 4 ultra-smooth 360-degree spinner wheels | Shinier color variants tend to scratch easily |
| Available in various designs | |
| Expandable hardside body | |
| Diagonal compression straps for optimal storage |
Conclusion
Everything about the American Tourister Moonlight bag radiates a sense of superior craftsmanship. Its beautiful hardside body brings you expansion capability and a well-rounded, convenient frame that adapts to any traveler’s needs. Carrying a 10-year warranty, Moonlight is undeniably one of the best checked luggage bags of the current market.
SwissGear Sion 6283 Softside Luggage
Swissgear’s luggage sets make up the forefront of premium luggage in the market. The Sion softside luggage showcases Swissgear’s attention to detail, convenience, and the overall user experience.
The Swissgear 6283 bag possesses a 29” frame capable of carrying more than a week’s worth of luggage without exceeding check in luggage size. It has been stitched from high-grade polyester fabric and processed with scruff resistance properties. We found the bag’s construction to be among the best luggage bags in terms of sheer durability. It breezed through careless handling procedures without showing a single sign of wear, beating even the best travel luggage. The bag’s clever placement of zippers allows it to expand generously. If you tend to overpack even a large suitcase, you will love Swissgear 6283.
From the inside, the bag is furnished with a range of storage accessories. There is an edge-to-edge flat pocket sewn into the lid, just like a suitcase. It is ideal for storing wrinkle-sensitive items, like pressed clothes, documents, etc. The pocket is zippered for extra safety. But that’s not all. Swissgear has layered atop the pocket a handy mesh sleeve as you would see in a small suitcase. This feature goes hand in hand with the detachable wet pocket of Swissgear 6283, granting you quick access to amenities like a toothbrush, socks, soap, etc. Of course, being a softside bag, Swissgear 6283 possesses two external compartments as well. Such an extensive palette of storage options is how Swissgear 6283 outshines the best check luggage models.
Swissgear 6283 relies on 4 spinner wheels to facilitate unhindered movement. The handle works beautifully with the wheels with its convenient push-button design. It is quick and painless to turn and swivel the bag when you are in a crowd. Swissgear 6283 also comes equipped with the best luggage strap system you will find. There are ergonomic lift handles built into the sides and top. Each is reinforced with metallic frames and smartly placed to give the convenience of the best travel suitcase.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| Reinforced lift handles | Heavier than conventional checked luggage |
| Dual-layered flat sleeve for extra storage | Boring, monotone design |
| Includes a detachable wet pocket | |
| Horizontal tie-down straps for compression | |
| Durable softside body |
Conclusion
Swissgear’s Sion 6283 bag is a fantastic yet affordable piece of luggage for the whole family. Its powerful construction and numerous storage facilities, like buckled compression straps, wet pocket, and flat sleeve, serve every storage need, making Sion the best luggage whether it be a family vacation or a business trip.
Travelpro Maxlite 5
Travelpro is dutifully revered among the best luggage brands for their Maxlite luggage series. The Maxlite 5 checked bag is handsome, resilient, and thoroughly equipped with an arsenal of features to transform your travel experience. Regardless of your destination, this large luggage promises a smooth and worry-free journey.
Travelpro Maxlite 5 is a spacious 29” suitcase with softside construction. Travelpro has pulled off almost the largest checked luggage size while minimizing body weight. Maxlite 5 weighs barely 8.5lbs, which is closer to bags carry on manufacturers make rather than most check away suitcases. Not only does this lightweight profile allow you to pack more before reaching the weight limit, but it also lends superior agility to your travels. There are 4, fully rotating spinners built into the base that provide some of the best luggage maneuverability. Maxlite’s handle is constructed using PowerScope technology for swift height adjustment. It is also very pleasant to hold, owing to the rubberized, contoured handle shape that is often found in kids luggage. If you need to lift the bag, its cushioned side handles make the job even less taxing, rivaling some of the best luggage for carry on. Most modern checked bags are bulky beasts that strain the back after a single flight, which is why Maxlite 5’s exceptionally light and fluid body ranks so highly among our best luggage picks.
With a wide, expandable interior, Maxlite readily accommodates all your belongings. The seams can stretch by up to 2” for ambitious packers. Moreover, the bag’s feature-laden interior makes it astoundingly simple to pack. There is a zippered side pocket in the main compartment wall for extended capacity. You can arrange your clothes into a tight, space-saving bundle through the adjustable compression straps. There is also a separate, lid-integrated compartment that opens 180-degrees, unlike typical flat sleeves you find in most checked bags. Geared with 2 full-length external pockets as well, Travelpro Maxlite 5 certainly carries the best luggage frame for neat and tidy packing.
To top it all off, Maxlite 5 boasts a lifetime warranty to see you through any travel complication.
| Pros | Cons |
|---|---|
| 2” Expandable body | Can be wobbly/unbalanced if not carefully packed |
| Convenient Powerscope handle | |
| Lifetime warranty | |
| Lightweight | |
| Equipped with 180-degree flat sleeve |
Conclusion
From comprehensive storage support to heightened maneuverability, the Travelpro Maxlite 5 bag has it all. It provides innovative compartments, both inside and out, for optimal spatial management, while its compact body beats the best luggage sets in terms of weight. If you want an uncompromised check-in experience, Maxlite 5 is the bag to watch out for on the next luggage sale.
FINAL VERDICT – EDITOR’S CHOICE
Our three best luggage picks faced off in intense competition in terms of capacity, durability, and convenience. Although the difference in quality is very slight, American Tourister Moonlight wins the number 1 spot in the race. Moonlight eclipses competing bags with its glowingly exotic design. The bag’s colorful, shiny appearance is a fresh change to the dull black-and-grey theme that dominates the entire luggage market.
In terms of storage, Moonlight is a step ahead of the best luggage models due to its efficient diagonal straps and mesh divided interior. And most importantly, Moonlight ranks higher in terms of endurance. When it comes to checked baggage, the greatest concern, even surrounding the best luggage brands, is always about content safety. Checked baggage is regularly mishandled by airlines, which is why the best type of luggage for check-in is a hardside bag like American Tourister Moonlight. Powerful, resilient, and backed by a warranty, American Tourister Moonlight is undoubtedly the best luggage for check-in.