The Best Affordable Luggage—Tested and Reviewed by Our Editors

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I can't really think of a market that is, at the moment, as crowded as direct-to-consumer travel gear. Maybe it's just part of whatever travel boom we're in, but my feed is nothing but friends and influencers lugging pastel suitcases up the streets of Positano. Then back home, baggage claim at LaGuardia looks like an Instagram campaign for any number of these brands.

Here at Esquire, we'll always preach the gospel of just buying a Rimowa. Because at the end of the day, that's what you actually want. If you can't afford one (like myself), go into debt, or make a five-year plan to get your money up and buy one, you have options. For the sake of science, I did really want to see what—if anything—makes all these affordable luggage brands different. They all make polycarbonate luggage, and there's only so much you can do to make one suitcase stand out from the next.

So with a half-year full of travel booked, I got to my incredibly unscientific testing. These three brands—CALPAK, Herschel, and Away—stood out. If you are to buy any of the direct-to-consumer affordable luggage, it should be one of these three brands. CALPAK was my favorite, since it was the only one that managed to really wow be. But, I'd just as soon put my money behind either of the honorable mentions.

Hue Front Pocket Carry-On

The winner and biggest surprise of my testing was CALPAK. I'd written the brand off because its Ambeur and Trnk collections, which are bad attempts to make polycarbonate suitcases Instagramable. If you're not the real thing, nothing is worse than trying to be the real thing. But my girlfriend owns this Hue carry-on in the coveted "Linen" colorway. I used it on a Fourth of July trip down south, and I got hooked.

Being from Georgia, Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is where I learned airport etiquette. ATL is the busiest airport in the world, with the worst TSA setup in the world, and the meanest TSA agents in the world (all of which I love). I view the airport as a battle—like how Italians view the highway. I'm overtaking everything. I'm handing in my ID with my boots off, belt off, and laptop in hand. Then, I'm fighting to get past a family from North Georgia that hasn't flown since TSA's creation.

The carry-on that made this battle the easiest? Far and away this CALPAK. The laptop compartment opens up nice and big. I snag the laptop; slip in my phone, keys, wallet; and zip it back up. When I'm out, I do it in reverse, and I'm on my way to Delta Sky Club. In-and-out as fast as possible. Then when I get to the jet bridge, I unzip it again to grab my book before sitting down. Every other carry-on I tested—and the other two on this list—made that process horrible, near impossible. You can't use them without taking a personal bag, which I rarely want or need to do.

And as far as looks, I really like this version of CALPAK's luggage. The linen colorway is good. This moss colorway is wonderful. They don't scuff easily. All the moving parts feel durable. It was everything I wanted, everything I needed. So despite my snobbery regarding their other collections, CALPAK came out of this as my favorite suitcase. Maybe the universe was trying to humble me...

Heritage Carry On

For 1/2 honorable mentions, I really loved Herschel's new Heritage lineup, and I loved it for the exact opposite reason I dislike those CALPAK luxury collections. Herschel's new line looks great, but it doesn't try to look luxury. It looks like a nice polycarbonate suitcase, and it doesn't scuff. Beyond that, it was pretty barebones—perfect for a quick trip or someone who doesn't want a bunch of little pockets and things. Though, I would suggest going for the Large Carry-On as this one was a tad small.

The hardware felt a bit more flimsy than the other two options on this list, but as the cheapest, newest suitcase here, that's not surprising. That said, the shell itself is tough enough to safely transport a suitcase full of wine and olive oil, which is all it needs to do in my book.

The Carry-On Flex

And then there is the Away, the biggest name in the direct-to-consumer luggage world. This is the status luggage of all the non-status luggages.

For that reason, I was a bit let down. I just thought it would be better. Like it was going to wow me. But it was just a suitcase... Though it's a great suitcase. If you're a heavy packer or a Type A packer, I'd say this is the best suitcase for you. For the heavy packer, including an expandable zipper on a carry-on is a huge deal. You can buy a bit more recklessly on vacation, because you've got that extra space you can call on. And for the Type A packer, Away makes the most refined suitcase. It's got the underside handle for picking it off a baggage carousel. The TSA lock is up top, not on the side. The straps help compress your clothes. There's a sleeve for essentials. The dirty clothes/shoes compartment is easy to use.

Everything on this bag has been refined. They've thought of almost everything, but it just wasn't a wow experience. Did it make my traveling that much easier? Not really. That CALPAK laptop sleeve drastically improved my life, and I think the CALPAK colors look better than the Away ones. That's it.

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