KLUTZY  TRAVELER

The Best Carry On Luggage (IMO):

​

Jump straight to my carryon comparison table

​

I spent a lot of time researching the perfect carryon bag for a traveler who doesn’t like to check bags.  While I still feel that most carryon’s are lacking - either they're too heavy, or the straps are too flimsy, or the bag is too big for all airlines (keep in mind that European airlines have different size restrictions than North American airlines do).  In the meantime, I have found my favorite bag! 

​

The main qualities I look for in a carryon bag are weight, size, bag layout, durability, and comfort. 

 

The number one attribute I look for in a carryon is WEIGHT.  While half a pound or so might not seem like a huge deal, it can become a big issue when you’re trying to cram everything you need for your trip into a backpack while keeping the weight under am extremely restrictive weight limit (I’ve seen limits on carryon bags as low as 6 kg/12 pounds on some of the budget airlines), so my bag needed to be as lightweight as possible.  I won't even consider a bag that weighs more than about 2.5 pounds, but I have included a few in my comparison as some of the heavier bags do come with more of the creature comfort features.  

 

The next trait I look for is SIZE: will the bag conform to all airlines restrictions?  Some airlines now charge for a “large” carryon bag too so if you can get away with staying in their “small” category you can avoid paying unnecessary baggage fees. 

​

• Here is a listing courtesy of worldtraveler.com of the maximum dimensions and weight limits allowed on some of the major airlines (always check your airlines restrictions before traveling though as weight and size limits may change from time to time): http://www.worldtraveler.com/international-carry-on-size

• And another for some of the major European airlines courtesy of skyscanner.net:  https://www.skyscanner.net/news/cabin-luggage-guide-hand-baggage-sizes-and-weight-restrictions

• This list is fairly comprehensive but dates back to 2009 so not sure how accurate the information is:  http://flyingwithfish.boardingarea.com/2009/06/28/carry-on-weight-baggage-limit-chart-for-65-world-airlines/

 

When it comes to LAYOUT, I personally prefer the convenience of a backpack for those situations where you need your hands free, but one that opens up suitcase or duffle bag style: a bag that has a full zip that opens up the whole length and sides of the bag. I don’t like the top-opening backpacks, then you have to go digging through everything you packed to get to items that are hiding in the bottom.  I used to swear by the wheeled roller bags, but after years of travelling and managing to get my packing list so light that I can generally get by with just a carryon bag, the added weight of the wheels is too high a price to pay for the convenience of the wheels (plus, wheels can break and when you're rushing to catch a plane down the cobblestone streets of London and one of your wheels snaps, well let's just say that was not a fun morning, but I did make my flight ;-).   

​

As for DURABILITY, I need something that is well made and isn't going to fall apart after a couple of uses.  My bags get a lot of wear and tear, so it has to be strong, and preferably have some kind of water repellent aspect to it.     

​

COMFORT is the last thing I look for because the other 4 are just more important to me.  However, I have had some lower back issues from hauling around too much weight, so finding something that distributes the weight more evenly across your shoulders and hips is important.  Also, I recommend finding a bag that's breathable on your back and won't cause you to get soaked in sweat if you're going to be carrying it around for hours on a hot day. 

​

So after reading hundreds of reviews on multiple bags from various providers, the backpacks that sounded the most promising included (and this by no means an exhaustive list, these were just some of my favorites in my research):

 

​

(If you're interested in any of the bags and they are available on Amazon I have provided affiliate links below the table, if not available there then I have provided non-affiliate links below that)

​