How posh is your carry-on luggage?
What does your carry-on suitcase look like? If you’re trying to avoid paying for checked luggage on your summer holiday this year, “overstuffed” might be the most accurate answer. And the consequences of that (broken zips, wheels and handles) may have left you in need of something new.
If that’s the case (sorry), there’s never been a better time to buy new luggage. There’s a fierce battle playing out this summer for your overhead cabin bag, with several new travel brands launching appealing offerings, whatever your personal style and budget.
Buying luggage is no longer about picking the least offensive rectangular nylon situation; it tells a story about who you are, as effectively as your wardrobe.
“Travelling is a lifestyle and it’s evolved to being able to mirror your personal style,” says Felicity McGahan, the group CEO of Strandbags and stylish luggage label Nere, which landed in the UK in June. “We have also seen a shift in people wanting to have more fun with their luggage, whether that’s with the brightly coloured luggage tags, bag straps or accessorising to personalise.”
Over the past few years, luggage collaborations with designer brands have become as desirable as limited-edition trainers, whether it’s a Supreme x Louis Vuitton trunk (currently available for ￡55,000 on resale site StockX), or the upcoming Béis magenta pink collaboration with Greta Gerwig’s Barbie movie.
The market is saturated, though, with bags from US giant Away proliferating across departure halls, Rimowa and Carl Friedrik rolling into business class lounges, and Globe-Trotter’s old-fashioned trunks discreetly stowed somewhere in first class – not to mention all the longstanding players like Antler, Samsonite, Delsey and Tumi.
Even so, the new guard of luggage brands are making an aggressive play for your carry-on, with intelligent design features such as ultra-light shells, built-in phone chargers and self-repairing zips.
Most of all, these suitcases are injecting some welcome flair into the travel experience, so your choice will speak volumes about who you are and how you want to be perceived by the world. And in the deeply unglamorous world of summer holiday budget flights, we’ll take all the style we can get…
The ￡15.99 viral TikTok sensation
Kono bag, ￡15.99, Amazon
You’re a bargain-hunter when it comes to flights (hello, 3am departure from Luton) and you’re the same when it comes to your luggage. Your ￡15.99 Kono bag may look non-descript, but it’s light, cheap and never gets relegated to the hold by cabin crew when the overhead space is full. It even has a sleeve to slide over a suitcase handle, keeping your hands free. Just stop looking so smug about it all, OK?
The “I turn left” brag bag
Classic aluminium cabin bag, ￡1,090, Rimowa
Your bag of choice is an aluminium Rimowa, the classic silver version with squared corners and black leather handles. It’s decorated with carefully curated stickers to represent the air miles collected with it by your side. You describe yourself as a “global nomad”, but a well-paid one, who turns left on entering the aircraft – or at least you want others to think you do. You are absolutely not to be mistaken for…
The old-money traditionalist
Globe Trotter Centenary 20in cabin suitcase, ￡1,495, Matches
…who agonised for ages about whether to go for a Louis Vuitton or a Globe-Trotter. Either way, you have a full set of trunks, which looks fabulous when loaded onto a private jet or stacked on the luggage trolleys at the Ritz. They’re elegant, timeless, lightweight – not that you’ve ever had to carry them yourself – but most of all, expensive, which is the message you really want to communicate to the world when you’re on your travels. Just note that the bellboy will be expecting a big tip.
The new-gen pragmatists
Carry On Light, ￡195, July
This is the traveller who, in the past, might have packed a Samsonite or Delsey case – a trusted, quality brand that can withstand a couple of decades’ worth of tossing around by baggage handlers. In 2023, that might well be an Away case (from ￡245 for a hard cabin bag). You love that it’s robust, that it comes with a phone charger beneath the handle, and the smooth wheels.
It has some fierce competition in sleek German brand Horizn (from ￡320), the French chic of Paravel (from ￡395 for a hard carry-on), and Australian brand July, which has just launched in the UK and boasts the lightest hard cabin bag on the market. The latter is a favourite with professional make-up artists, who usually carry their kit in a wheelie bag, and will likely win fans for its chic colourways and broad range of personalisation options.
The individualists
Relm cabin suitcase, ￡119, Nere
Your suitcase is just as important as the contents within it, and you want fellow travellers to be in no doubt about your personal taste. You might be so committed to your fashion vision that you splashed out on the transparent Rimowa x Off White cabin bag (no matter that everyone can see the contents; they’re designer must-haves too). Or perhaps you enjoy the “if you know, you know” insider status that comes with a colourful Floyd case, only identifiable by its red skateboard wheels (￡395, Browns).
At the more affordable end of the spectrum, Nere offers 1,600 possible colour and accessory combinations across its ranges – the closest you’ll get to a travel pick ’n’ mix – with its luggage straps, tags and vanity cases.