Savvy travel made simple: Why the Briggs & Riley Essential Carry-On is my new favorite suitcase

Content is created by CNN Underscored’s team of editors who work independently from the CNN newsroom. When you buy through links on our site, CNN and its syndication partners may earn a commission. Learn more

Briggs & Riley, the company known for quality, craftsmanship and durability in their travel gear, has set the standard for soft-sided carry-on bags with the Briggs & Riley Essential 22-Inch Two-Wheel Expandable Carry-On.

Crafted for the jet-setter of today, this carry-on seamlessly merges practicality with panache, offering a tantalizing option for travelers craving both dependability and sophistication in their luggage choices.

After traveling over 200,000 miles last year, I’ve developed a list of frequent flyer travel essentials, and this carry-on is one of the travel products I can’t imagine traveling without.

The suitcase boasts innovative features such as an expandable compression system and trifold garment keeper, providing ample packing space while maintaining a sleek profile. Its CX one-touch system allows for effortless expansion and compression for easy storage in most US overhead bins. The exterior-mounted Outsider handle offers added convenience, making it a top choice for sophisticated travelers seeking reliability, despite its premium price.

Here’s why the Briggs & Riley Essential 22-Inch Two-Wheel Expandable Carry-On is my new favorite carry-on bag.

Briggs & Riley Essential 22-Inch 2-Wheel Expandable Carry-On

This carry-on from Briggs & Riley has a suite of premium features, including a trifold garment keeper and an expandable compression system. Plus, it has enough space for week-long trips if you pack relatively light. This bag is ideal for travelers who are looking for two-wheel luggage.

$659 at Briggs & Riley
$659 at Amazon

Briggs & Riley Essential 22-Inch Carry-On Expandable Spinner

This is the same as the two-wheel variant, but with four wheels for those who want a little more maneuverability and don’t mind a slightly higher price.

$699 at Briggs & Riley
$699 at Amazon

What we liked about it

From top to bottom, this Briggs & Riley carry-on has been ingeniously engineered.

After traveling with the bag to Hawaii and Europe, the bag’s key features continued to impress me. In addition to getting the essentials right — like a smooth ride, sturdy handle and YKK self-repairing zippers — the bag has several unique highlights.

An exterior-mounted handle

Most suitcases have interior-mounted handles making the floor bed inside the suitcase tough to pack.

The patented Outsider handle of the Briggs & Riley carry-on ensures a nearly flat interior, optimizing space and reducing the risk of wrinkling.

A CX one-touch compression system

There’s no understating just how cool this feature is. Located on either side of the bag are vibrant orange CX compression tabs. A single press of these buttons swiftly expands the bag, providing room for extra items.

Once packed, placing the bag on a flat surface and applying pressure to the top and bottom causes it to seamlessly compress its contents, transforming into a compact version of itself.

Then the bag will be ready for the overhead bin.

A trifold garment folder with a foam roll bar

Here’s a simple one, but again, it’s ingenious.

The built-in trifold garment folder, complete with a foam roll bar and place for a hanger, provides a tidy solution for storing proper attire. Briggs & Riley advertises that it can hold one to two suits while minimizing wrinkles.

A smartlink strap towing cable

Included in the price of the suitcase is the Smartlink Strap. This comes in the box along with a TSA-approved bag lock.

You can secure a smaller under-seat carry-on or briefcase to the front of your upright luggage, which can make for a better experience navigating through airports.

In this instance, I used it to secure my laptop bag and placed my duffel bag on top of the bag. Of course, US airlines require you to consolidate down to one carry-on and one personal item that meet the airlines’ policies before boarding.

I couldn’t believe just how much I could carry with my Briggs & Riley carry-on.

Perhaps the best warranty in the business

There’s no denying that Briggs & Riley’s unconditional lifetime guarantee is second to none.

“If your bag is ever broken or damaged, we will repair it free of charge, no proof of purchase needed, no questions asked.”

You can either bring your bag to a certified repair center, request a do-it-yourself kit or mail it in. Briggs & Riley will completely cover the damage, and if you go the repair center route, they’ll pay your certified repair center directly. If you don’t have a certified repair center near you, you’ll need to pay to ship your bag to their New York repair center, but as a courtesy, they’ll cover the return shipping to you.

It’s important to note that the warranty doesn’t cover general wear and tear unless your bag becomes damaged.

What we didn’t like about it

I’m a convert to Briggs & Riley, but the carry-on has a few shortcomings. Beyond the obvious — price — here are a few considerations.

Limited colors

I prefer understated luggage, but if you’re looking for lots of color options, Briggs & Riley isn’t for you.

The bag only comes in Black, Navy, Olive and its limited-edition color, Plum.

In contrast, brands like Away and July provide a broader spectrum of color options, catering to various preferences and seasonal aesthetics. If having an extensive range of colors to match your style preferences is important to you, the limited color selection from Briggs & Riley might not meet your expectations.

Showing early wear and tear

Although the Outsider handle is a selling point for me, it didn’t take the stairs of the Paris metro well.

While the handle still works perfectly well, be ready for this part of the bag to quickly get scuffed.

How it compares

Here’s how the Briggs & Riley Essential 22-Inch Two-Wheel Expandable Carry-On stacks up to popular competitors from Travelpro, Yeti and Away.

Bottom line

Briggs & Riley’s Essential 22-Inch Two-Wheel Expandable Carry-On sets a high standard for soft-sided luggage, blending functionality with craftmanship. Innovative features like the expandable compression system and trifold garment keeper offer ample packing space keeping the modern traveler in mind.

The patented CX one-touch system facilitates easy expansion and compression for overhead storage. Despite limited color options and showing some wear and tear, its quality and ingenuity make it a top choice for premium travelers.

Looking for a travel credit card? Find out which cards CNN Underscored Money chose as the best travel credit cards currently available.

Note: The prices above reflect the retailers' listed price at the time of publication.

For more CNN news and newsletters create an account at CNN.com