Related: Best Carry On Luggage For Budget Airlines
I've thrown bags into overhead bins for a living since before "one-bag travel" was a personality type, and I've learned the hard way that the carry-on is the one piece of gear you shouldn't cheap out on.
The airlines have shrunk sizers twice in the last five years, and a bag that fit in 2022 might get gate-checked in 2026.
I've flown with a dozen carry-ons in the last year alone, including a red-eye to Seattle and a connection through Denver where my bag got gate-checked twice.
The Away The Carry-On is the best all-around pick, the Samsonite Freeform is the value king, and the Travelpro Maxlite 5 is the softside specialist.
Away The Carry-On Luggage, 22-inch Lightweight Hardside Spinner Suitcase
Lightest hardside I've tested at 7.1 lbs, fits the sizer at O'Hare, interior compression works
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Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On Luggage with Spinner Wheels - Hardshell Suitcase - TSA, Airline-Approved - Expandable Hard Shell, Smooth Rolling Wheels for Lightweight Travel - Pine Green
Expandable, dual spinners glide on tile, survives gate checks
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Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Carry-On Luggage Spinner, Black, 21-Inch
Travel light and move easily with this ultra-lightweight, durable 21-inch expandable carry-on spinner. Designed for comfort and effortless mobility, it features a 2-position adjustable PowerScope Lite
Visit on Amazon →How I tested
I don't review bags I haven't lived with. The Away went through five real flights in three months, packed full with a week of clothes, a laptop, and the kind of toiletries bag that always tests the zippers.
I ran it down the stairs at my apartment building twice, once fully loaded and once empty, to see how the shell held up.
The Samsonite I flew to Chicago for a wedding, packed with a suit and dress shoes, and expanded it on the way back when I picked up a bottle of bourbon and a gift for my sister.
It fit the sizer at O'Hare both ways, expanded and not. That's the test that matters.
Weight and the sizer problem
Every pound you add to the bag is a pound you can't put in it, and with airlines cracking down on 35-pound carry-on limits, weight matters more than ever. The Travelpro Maxlite 5 is the featherweight at 5.4 pounds empty.
The Away is 7.1. The Samsonite Freeform is 7.8. I've seen gate agents weigh bags in Denver and Miami, and the difference between 5.4 and 7.8 pounds is a pair of boots you don't get to bring home.
The sizer test is where all three pass. The Away is 21.7 x 13.7 x 9 inches, which fits the standard sizer at O'Hare and most domestic carriers. The Samsonite Freeform expands about 1.5 inches of depth when you need it, and I tested it expanded at the gate in Chicago and it still fit. That's the bag's superpower: it fits the bin when you need it to, and expands when you don't.
The shell and the zipper
The Away shell is polycarbonate with a textured finish that hides scratches better than smooth shells. I dragged it through the cargo hold on the Denver connection and it came back with scuffs that wiped off with a damp cloth.
The zipper is smooth with a beefy pull tab that works with winter gloves. The Samsonite shell is similarly tough, and the dual spinner wheels are the smoothest I've tested on airport tile.
The Travelpro is a different animal. It's softside, which means it squeezes into a sizer that's already full and flexes when you stuff it under the seat in front of you. The zippers are heavy-duty YKK, and the handle is the most stable I've tested — no wobble, even fully extended with a loaded bag.
The interior
This is where Away earns the hype. The interior has a compression panel with a buckle, a zippered divider, and a laundry bag that clips to the lid. I packed a week of clothes, a laptop, and a pair of boots. Everything fit with room to spare. The compression panel works, but it's not a compression cube — it just holds your clothes in place. That's fine. That's what you want.
The Samsonite interior is simpler: one big compartment with a mesh divider and a cross strap. It's basic but functional, and at roughly half the price of the Away, that's a fair trade. The Travelpro has the smartest pocket layout of the three — the front pocket is perfect for a laptop and a book, and the main compartment swallows a week of clothes without complaint.
What else to consider
If you're a once-a-year traveler who wants to look good at the airport, the Away is the one. If you fly a few times a year and want the best value, the Samsonite Freeform gives you 90% of the experience for half the price. If you're a frequent flyer who packs to the gills and needs every ounce of overhead space, the Travelpro Maxlite 5 is the bag the flight crews actually use.
Should you buy the Away?
If you want the best all-around carry-on that will survive the overhead bin, yes. The style is genuinely good, the interior is smart, and the shell holds up. If you're a frequent flyer who packs light, the weight matters — and the Travelpro is lighter.
If you're a once-a-year traveler who wants value, the Samsonite is the smarter buy. There's no single best carry-on for everyone, but there's a best one for how you travel, and one of these three is it.