Best Deals on Carry-Ons, Weekenders, Backpacks, and More

Herschel makes one of our favorite weekenders, and the carry-on did very well in our tests as well. And the 21-inch Ash Rose bag is at stellar discount right now that probably won’t last long. The Heritage bag is a great choice if you’re looking for a hard-shell carry-on on the less expensive side that will stand out on the airport carousel. With the Herschel tag on the outside, it’ll be easier to recognize than other plain luggage. It also got a perfect score for construction quality and safety. It fared well in the impact resistance test as well. But it did get middling scores for ergonomics and carrying and pulling.

At 5.7 pounds, the American Tourister Wavebreaker 20" Spinner is the lightest hard-shell carry-on in our ratings. Yet it’s a sturdy traveler. We found it to have top-quality construction, and it performed admirably in our evaluations of impact resistance, ergonomics and design, and safety. But with just two interior pockets, no built-in lock, and no expanding middle, it’s only so-so for usability. Its telescoping handle has only two positions, which contributes to a middling score for carrying and pulling. The manufacturer’s listed dimensions of 23x18x11 inches—with its telescopic handle stowed—are a bit bigger than the carry-on dimension requirements of most domestic airlines.

This expandable hard-shell carry-on from Delsey is easy to use and performed well in most of our tests—though it suffered in some of our impact tests. Its 10-year limited warranty is not as generous as some other brands’ lifetime warranties, but it’s not as stingy as some others. It comes in pink, navy, black, and graphite.

This lower-priced Herschel weekender is water-resistant, light and easy to carry, and simple—no confusing bells and whistles here. A separate compartment for shoes keeps your clothes clean, but other than that, this is a straightforward bag to get you from point A to point B.

The sale price is only available for two limited edition styles: Brindle Quilted and Rubber.

Veken Packing Cubes provide great bang for your buck, especially with this coupon. This set has the largest capacity among the cubes we tried, and you get eight different ones to stay organized: small, medium, large, and extra-large cubes; a laundry bag; a shoe bag; a toiletries bag; and an accessories bag. The laundry bag, in particular, is on the larger side, which can be a real asset when you’re on a longer trip.

This is the best price we’ve ever seen for these packing cubes, but it’s not available for every color.

The Bagail 8Set Packing Cubes won over CR’s evaluator with the sheer number and variety of cubes it offers. In addition to three packing cubes (medium, large, and extra-large) that have mesh on the top panels to help you identify the contents inside quickly, it also comes with two zipper bags, a cosmetics bag, a shoe bag, and a drawstring bag that you can use to separate your dirty laundry. The extra organizational features were ultimately what gained Bagail the edge over the other packing cubes CR tried.

Different colors may be available for different prices.

The Nishel Travel Toiletry Bag is a hanging organizer, meaning you can hang it on the bathroom door with every compartment laid out in full view. This bag is an antidote to disorganization. It has several compartments, two of which have different-sized mesh pockets. Our evaluator also noted that it has a large capacity but still zips up easily even when full. The low price is reflected in the quality of the material, however, so if you don’t mind the fabric looking a little on the cheaper side (the reviewer noted theirs attracted a lot of dust) this could be a great choice.

We call the Thule Crossover 32L Backpack an “organizational titan” in our tests, with sleeves, slots, cubbies, and smart design, as well as external pockets constructed with elastic to hug your water bottles tight. Plus, there’s a central pouch on the back of the Thule that’s just large enough for a lightweight windbreaker. Inside the bag, you’ll find slots for pens and business cards, as well as a big main hold where we’ve fit slippers, as well as a dopp kit, camera, and adapter caddy. Though the bag doesn’t have a waist strap (we wish it did), the back panel is padded, so the Thule rides comfortably anyway.

In fact, the leather wallet’s elaborate box makes it an easy choice as a gift. It’s a very nice-feeling accessory with a suedelike feel. After only a few days of use, however, the material got pretty scuffed up just from inserting and removing cards from an outside slot. The money clip holds cash tight but adds thickness in the fold.

You can save a few bucks on each of the colors, but the Ruby Red version has the lowest overall price.