Some of our favorite hardside luggage pieces are currently on sale ahead of Prime Day! Look for deals on the Delsey Chatelet Air 2.0 21-inch Spinner (select colors only) and Samsonite Omni PC Carry-on (select colors only).

Whether you're a frequent flier or an occasional jet-setter, you'll always be glad to have sturdy, dependable luggage that safeguards your belongings. With a rigid frame, the hardside variety helps prevent things from breaking or crushing. It can also be easier to wipe clean than a softside design and has a sleek, modern appeal.

If you want the crème de la crème of hardside suitcases, you've come to the right place. But what makes a top-notch model? Besides a high-strength exterior that protects your stuff and withstands wear and tear, it's about maneuverability, capacity, standout features, and, yes, style.

The Travel + Leisure team has tested more than 450 pieces of luggage, including checked bags and carry-ons, to see which ones stack up. During our various luggage tests, we pack the suitcases with clothes, shoes, and toiletries to see how spacious they are; spin them through obstacle courses to test the wheels and handles; and give them a few good whacks with a baseball bat to check durability. We also recreated an airplane set in our lab to lift carry-on suitcases into overhead bins, place them underneath seats, and roll them down carpeted aisles to see how portable and lightweight they are. These are our favorite hardside suitcases.

The Chatelet Air 2.0 is super functional and durable, showing its worth after months of long-term testing across planes, trains, and boats.

It's not expandable, so you'll have to be a strategic packer.

The compact yet spacious design of this stylish carry-on features a zippered compartment on one side and compression straps on the other. While it doesn't expand, you can fit a decent amount of stuff inside (it has a generous 44-liter capacity) and have peace of mind knowing everything will stay in place. We like that there are multiple interior pockets, a removable pouch, and a USB port you can hook up to a portable charger. Even when packed full, the zippers open and close smoothly. Lastly, the four dual spinner wheels glided effortlessly across hard flooring, carpet, and even stone pavers.

This suitcase also passed our lab durability test with flying colors, sustaining no visible damage on the light-colored exterior after we hit it with a bat and shoved it off a table. Even better, the bag has held up great during a year of real-world testing. It's clocked thousands of airline miles during trips around the world, including stops in Costa Rica, Italy, Morocco, and Egypt.

"I brought this to Egypt and ended up checking it more than once, and it still looks beautiful and surprisingly clean," says T+L editor Taylor Fox. "We carried it on planes, trains, and boats, and it was easy to lift and maneuver throughout every situation."

The Details: Carry-on | 7.74 pounds | 22.75 x 15 x 10 inches | 44-liter capacity | Smart | 4 dual spinner wheels

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Leticia Almeida

Travel + Leisure / Leticia Almeida

Travel + Leisure / Leticia Almeida

Travel + Leisure / Leticia Almeida

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

This compact bag holds a lot thanks to its compression straps, zippers, and an expansion feature.

The flex feature adds an extra 2.25 inches of space, but it also makes the bag too large to qualify as a carry-on.

This Away bag has a surprising amount of space for a carry-on, with two large interior compartments (one on each side), compression straps, and dividers that keep your clothing from falling out when you open the bag (everything stayed in place even after we threw the bag multiple times off a table). While we were packing the bag during our lab tests, we loved how all of the interior zippers and pockets helped keep everything organized, allowing us to maximize space even without packing cubes. There is also a handy zipper expansion that adds an extra 2.25 inches of space, which is useful, but it does make the bag too large to use as a carry-on, and you’ll be forced to check it. Even when packed full, the zippers all ran smoothly, and we found it easy to maneuver the luggage over concrete tiles, carpet, and around our obstacle course full of bystanders. The wheels rotated smoothly throughout testing, and the bag will even roll on its own without getting stuck if you give it a shove. 

The Details: Carry-on | 8.15 pounds | 21.7 x 13.7 x 9 inches | 39.8-liter capacity; 46.7-liter capacity when expanded | 4 dual spinner wheels

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

The Samsonite Omni PC is just over six pounds, with an expandable capacity and a rigid exterior that won't dent or scratch.

The wheels can get caught in ruts, and it rolls a little better on two wheels than on four.

This lightweight carry-on weighed in at just 6.1 pounds and fit snugly into an overhead compartment. The dual compartments, pockets, and cross straps make it easy to pack and organize your stuff. There's also an expander if you need extra space. After whacking it with a bat, we can confirm its scratch-resistant, dent-defying durability.

This suitcase rolls smoothly and turns on a dime. And stuffing it full doesn't seem to make it any harder to maneuver. Having said that, the small wheels sometimes get stuck in grooves, and it's not as easy to push as most spinners. Still, we think the price is sharp and wouldn't hesitate to recommend it to overpackers, frequent fliers, and anyone who doesn't want to worry about premature wear and tear.

The Details: Carry-on | 6.1 pounds | 22 x 15 x 9.5 inches | Expandable | 4 wheels

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Weighing in at 5.8 pounds, this is unbelievably lightweight for a large checked bag, helping maximize space without weighing you down.

It’s a large suitcase without many pockets or organizational features, so you may need packing cubes.

Samsonite redesigned its popular Cosmolite suitcase to have a new look and new features, including making it more lightweight than ever before. Weighing under six pounds, this suitcase is so light that the outer shell feels sort of flexible, and we were worried it wouldn’t survive our baseball bat test — but it actually came through with no scuffs, scratches, or dents, even after we hit the case, the wheels, and the exposed handle multiple times. Despite the size, it didn't feel cumbersome to roll over different types of terrain, and it rolled just as easily on two and four wheels whether you’re pushing it ahead of you or rolling it behind you.

The T-shaped handle is part of Samsonite’s redesign, and we thought it was even more comfortable to hold than a traditional suitcase handle, although it might not hold personal items with trolley pass-throughs as securely as a rounded handle. This suitcase is very roomy, but it doesn’t have many pockets or zippers for organization, so we’d recommend using packing cubes to keep your belongings in place. If you’re a heavy packer, this lightweight suitcase will help keep your checked baggage weight low while still giving you plenty of space to bring ample outfit options without having to scale back.

The Details: Checked suitcase | 5.8 pounds | 29.5 x 20.1 x 12.2 inches | 4 wheels

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

This suitcase has an attractive, vintage-inspired aesthetic, plus modern features for easy packing and organization.

Though it doesn't expand, it's one of the larger carry-ons we tried.

The Paravel Aviator Carry-on Plus boasts a sophisticated, vintage-inspired aesthetic and modern features. Available in versatile neutrals and statement colorways, it has a polycarbonate shell with contrasting vegan leather accents. The exterior proved durable during our tests, showing only a few minor scuffs, which may not be as noticeable on the darker colors.

Though it doesn't expand, this is one of the larger carry-on suitcases we tried. It has excellent capacity with zippered compartments and a compression pad, allowing us to easily fit all items on our packing list. We also like that it comes with a laundry bag to keep dirty clothes separate. Not only that, but it was a piece of cake to maneuver on different types of flooring and around tight corners.

The Details: Carry-on | 8.5 pounds | 23 x 15 x 9.5 inches | 46.6-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

This 107-liter trunk is extremely spacious, with a slimmer top lid and a deeper main compartment. 

Make sure you pack the bag evenly on each side, otherwise it can feel lopsided.

A trunk is a stylish alternative to your typical clamshell suitcase — instead of splitting evenly down the middle, it has a 30/70 design with a thinner top half and a deeper main compartment. This is useful if you have any large or bulky items, making it easier to fit everything inside the spacious checked bag. We put the trunk to the test, gliding it through our obstacle course full of people and found that it maneuvers much smoother than a regular checked bag because of the taller rectangle shape. The trunk is surprisingly lightweight for its large size, but we did notice that it felt a little heavier on one side because of the way we packed it, so we recommend distributing your items evenly on each side so that it doesn’t feel lopsided. This was also the most durable piece of Away luggage we tested, surviving our table drops and baseball bat beating with nearly a scuff or scratch. Bonus points for the included sponge that you can use to wipe off any scuffs.

The Details: Checked suitcase | 12.1 pounds | 31.3 x 17 x 13.7 inches | 107-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

This suitcase has an extremely resilient shell, water-repellent zippers, and a customizable colorblock design.

It's somewhat small for checked luggage.

When it comes to durability, the Roam Check-in is tough to beat. The rigid polycarbonate shell looks and feels sturdy, and it sustained exactly zero nicks, scuffs, or dents during our tests. For even more peace of mind, the exterior zippers are water-repellent — perfect if you're packing for a trip to London or any potentially rainy location. It's on the smaller side for checked luggage, but the expander gives you an extra couple of inches. While we were able to fit all the essentials for a four-day vacation, we would have appreciated a bit more space.

This midsize suitcase was easy to move around — even on gravel — and the handles come in handy when lifting it. The color block design is cool but not over the top and makes for a great way to spot your luggage at baggage claim. You can customize it if you're not a fan of the pre-curated colors or just want something entirely unique. It's definitely one of the more expensive options, but Roam backs it with a lifetime warranty.

The Details: Checked suitcase | 9.3 pounds | 26 x 17.5 x 10 inches | 60-liter capacity | Expandable | 4 wheels

Travel & Leisure / Vicky Wasik

Travel + Leisure / Vicky Wasik

Travel + Leisure / Vicky Wasik

Travel + Leisure / Vicky Wasik

This affordable carry-on is lightweight yet sturdy, with a scratch-resistant exterior and an unexpectedly spacious capacity.

There are limited color options, and it doesn't have any smart features or a TSA lock.

For something a little easier on your wallet, look no further than Amazon. The Amazon Basics Hardside Spinner has an extra-thick thermoplastic shell that promises to protect your belongings and resist scratches. We're pleased to report it showed no signs of damage from our bat hits and drop tests. It's easy to maneuver, even on carpeted flooring and over bumps.

We could fit every last item on our packing list, including shoes, clothes, jackets, and toiletries. There's also an expander that increases the capacity by 15 percent. This wasn't necessary for our test, but we appreciate that there's room to spare. Although this affordable carry-on suitcase doesn't have smart features or a TSA lock, it really exceeded our expectations. We'd love a few more color options but like the pared-down appearance.

The Details: Carry-on | 6.3 pounds | 22 x 15 x 10 inches | Expandable | 4 wheels

Travel + Leisure / Tamara Staples

Travel + Leisure / Vicky Wasik

Travel + Leisure / Vicky Wasik

Travel + Leisure / Vicky Wasik

Backed by a lifetime guarantee, this futuristic suitcase is impressively spacious, with a durable aluminum exterior and smooth-rolling wheels.

It's not expandable, and the metallic exterior is prone to scuffs.

When it comes to aluminum luggage, the Rimowa Original Cabin is a worthwhile investment if you can swing the steep price. Though it doesn't expand, this suitcase meets carry-on size limits for most airlines while still offering an impressive amount of interior space. We packed it for a four-day trip and easily fit several outfits, outerwear, and multiple pairs of shoes inside. Not only that, but the dividers help ensure everything stays securely in place.

Thanks to the smooth-gliding spinner wheels, we had no issue rolling this bag over hard floors, carpet, pavement, and even cobblestone. We can't say it's the lightest carry-on, but it's not super heavy, either. We could hoist it into an overhead compartment and lift it into a car when packed full. Our favorite thing about this suitcase might be the slick, futuristic design and high-end appearance. It's remarkably durable, too, sustaining zero damage during our in-cabin travel test. The brand backs the suitcase with a lifetime guarantee, but make sure to register your luggage as soon as you pull it out of the packaging.

The Details: Carry-on | 9.5 pounds | 21.7 x 15.8 x 9.1 inches | 34.8-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels

This bag comes with an ejectable battery with a USB-C charger, and the telescopic handle features 20 different heights.

It doesn’t have an expander, and we wish there were more internal pockets for additional storage.

This carry-on is appropriately sized to fit in the overhead bin on standard airlines without feeling overly bulky or cumbersome. Though it doesn’t have an expander, it felt like it had a larger capacity than similarly sized carry-ons that we’ve tried. Our favorite thing about this smart suitcase is that it comes with a removable battery so you don’t have to live in fear of your phone dying when you can’t find an open outlet in the airport. While many smart bags have a charger, they don’t always include the battery as well. 

The polycarbonate shell feels very durable, with reinforced bumpers that felt like they added an extra layer of protection against our drop tests, in which we threw the fully packed bag off a tall counter from different angles. The wheels rolled smoothly over both concrete and carpet, and the interior Y-strap compression system helped keep all of our belongings in place. We also loved that we could raise the handle to 20 different heights, making it comfortable to walk with no matter how tall or short you are.

The Details: Carry-on | 7.4 pounds | 21.5 x 15 x 8.5 inches | 42-liter capacity | Smart | 4 dual spinner wheels

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

This checked suitcase has an enormous capacity, and zippered compartments, pockets, and even removable pouches for easy packing.

It's durable, but the exterior is prone to scuffing.

This checked suitcase is one of the biggest we tested. There was easily enough room for double the amount of stuff on our packing list — and that's without the expander, which adds another three inches to the depth. Beyond the enormous 112-liter capacity, the internal pockets and removable pouches helped us keep things organized, while the zippered compartment and compression straps ensured everything stayed in place. It also comes with a laundry bag for keeping your dirty clothes separated while you're away and a retractable strap to make carrying another piece of luggage easier. We did notice, over three months of testing, that the downside to the large size and helpful organizational features is that it's easy to overpack, leading to overweight luggage fees.

Considering how big this suitcase is, the smooth spinner wheels and padded handle make it super comfortable to maneuver. While this bag passed our durability tests without any dents or scratches, it scuffs pretty easily. However, the darker colors should conceal marks better, and you can wipe down the exterior to remove any scuffs as needed.

The Details: Checked suitcase | 11.5 pounds | 31.3 x 19.6 x 12.6 inches | 112-liter capacity | Expandable | 4 spinner wheels

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

This stylish aluminum bag is gorgeous, with Tumi’s signature contours on the outside and high-quality details inside.

This carry-on is heavy, weighing just over 11 pounds when empty.

Aluminum suitcases are supreme for their sleek look and durability. Though the Tumi 19 Degree Aluminum International Carry-on is one of the priciest options on this list, we think it’s worth the investment for its elegant appearance and luxurious details, like the contours in the frame and the leather-wrapped handles. Like most aluminum bags, this is heavy for a carry-on, but we thought the wheels rolled so smoothly that it was still easy to travel with. The bag held up pretty well when we hit it with a baseball bat, faring a little dent in one corner, but we’d recommend you avoid checking this bag whenever possible because aluminum tends to dent more easily than other materials.

If you’re trying to decide between this and a Rimowa carry-on, T+L associate editorial director Morgan Ashley Parker feels that the Tumi has better internal organization (including a hanger hook and two interior dividers that you can fully zip shut), while the Rimowa is a little more spacious and has better compression.

The Details: 11.2 pounds | 22 x 14 x 9 inches | 31-liter capacity | 4 dual spinner wheels

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

We've tested more than 450 pieces of luggage in our New York City lab and on our airplane set to assess durability, capacity, maneuverability, design, and overall value. In line with the size of each bag, we packed them with enough essentials for a multi-day trip, including pants, shirts, underwear, socks, shoes, jackets, and toiletries, paying special attention to organizational features. We threw the bags off tables and hit the with baseball bats to test durability, ran them over different surfaces and through obstacle courses to test maneuverability, and lifted them into overhead bins to see how lightweight they felt. Following our lab assessments, we continue testing the bags in our real-life travels over a six-month period (and beyond!) to see how they perform long-term. Every few months, we test even more suitcases, and we will continue updating this article as we discover new luggage we love.

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim

These bags did not make our list of recommendations yet still stood out from the pack. They all had positive attributes, but a few things held them back.

Zero Halliburton Classic Aluminum 3.0 International Carry-on: This is one of the most durable suitcases we’ve ever tested, though it’s pretty similar in size and style to our Tumi pick for best aluminum bag. We ultimately included the Tumi instead because it’s ever-so-slightly larger and can hold more.

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Kenneth Cole Reaction Out Of Bounds 28-inch Lightweight Durable Hardshell: This is a stylish, spacious suitcase at a fantastic price. The only thing that kept it from the winners list here is that it did not roll as well on gravel as some others.

Béis The Carry-on Roller: We love the organizational features and sophisticated look of this bag. If it rolled just a tiny bit better it would be up on our winners list.

Delsey Paris Chatelet Air 2.0 International Carry-on: This suitcase is conveniently compact, lightweight, and easy to maneuver. However, we found it to be too small for most trips, and the zippers are hard to close when it's packed full.

Bric’s Positano 27-inch Spinner: Inspired by the colors of the Italian coast, the Positano Spinner comes in three different shades of blue and green. We tested the 27-inch style, which is a great option for a midsize checked bag, though we wish it had more organizational features inside.

Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson

Hardside luggage is about more than a sleek, modern appearance — though this is a welcome bonus. Suitcases with rigid shells are typically made of polycarbonate, a high-strength thermoplastic. This helps protect your belongings from impact, whether your belongings include a formal suit, a robust makeup collection, wine bottles, or camera equipment.

In addition to preventing things from crushing or breaking, hardside luggage is also easy to wipe clean. Having said that, lighter colors and matte finishes are sometimes prone to scuffing.

When browsing options, don't overlook the interior. A suitcase should ideally have a spacious capacity, even if it's a relatively compact carry-on. Organizational features can make packing and accessing everything much easier, too, in addition to using packing cubes. This might include dual main compartments, dividers, zippered sections, a compression panel, various pockets, a shoe separator, a laptop sleeve, a garment sleeve, or a removable laundry bag.

We also recommend looking for lightweight luggage, especially when carrying on. Note the empty weight before buying a hardside suitcase, as heavier models can make it harder to lift and roll when packed full. In terms of maneuverability, four spinner wheels are ideal. A locking telescoping handle will make pushing and pulling a jam-packed suitcase more comfortable. And grab handles will make it easier to lift into an overhead bin.

Hardside suitcases are the gold standard for many travelers. Besides the contemporary appearance, lots of folks appreciate how they protect what's inside. However, after testing more than 250 total pieces of luggage, we can tell you that a rigid shell doesn't always point to superior durability. Softside models are often just as resilient, and they tend to be more flexible if you need to stuff more items inside. While textile exteriors can be difficult to keep clean, they typically don't scuff as easily.

As noted, rigid suitcases can scuff, especially lighter colors and matte finishes. But they're generally very easy to clean. You can gently polish a suitcase with mild soap and water or a luggage-specific cleaning spray. If you're on the go or short on time, you can wipe it down with a pre-moistened disinfectant wipe or even a window-cleaning towelette.

Suitcase linings are sometimes removable and machine-washable. If not, you can likely wipe it down just as you would the outside, then leave it open so it can air-dry thoroughly. When in doubt, check the brand's care instructions.

Most hardside suitcases are made from sturdy plastic of polycarbonate that may scuff but shouldn't crack. Some hardside luggage — especially those made from less expensive materials — can crack over time, but durable bags should stand up to your travels. Many luggage brands now offer limited or lifetime warranties on their bags, so be sure to read their policies before buying if you're worried about potential damage.

T+L contributor Theresa Holland is a commerce writer specializing in travel essentials, apparel, recreation, and trip planning. For this story, she compiled our extensive in-house testing insights for more than 250 suitcases, then combed through product manuals to craft a comprehensive roundup of today's best hardside luggage. T+L editors will continue to update the article as we test more suitcases.

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