With a durable yet lightweight ABS shell, the Kenneth Cole Reaction Out of Bounds 28-inch spinner makes the most of your hold luggage weight allowance. It’s also easy on your wallet, coming in cheaper than many carry-ons on this list. It has molded corner guards for increased impact resistance, which we proved with extensive drop and bat tests (from which it emerged with only a few superficial scuffs). The fully lined interior looks compact from the outside but is amazingly roomy. As befits its large size, the suitcase is also strong, with a 100 percent polycarbonate shell that flexes on impact—and survived our tests without a single dent. Travelpro’s patented PrecisionGlide System takes the strain off your arm and shoulder, using eight self-aligning spinner wheels and a sturdy four-stop handle to deliver flawless maneuverability. We were incredibly impressed with how well it handled, rolling like a dream over bumps, smoothly over carpet, and even handling gravel. A few months into testing and our testers call this suitcase lightweight, roomy, durable, and waterproof. “This will probably be the last carry-on I ever need,” a tester said. After a few months of testing, our only qualm with the suitcase is the rollers aren't the best at rolling true and we found them spinning off from side to side at times. But it's still an overall solid suitcase with all the features we were looking for in a hardside carry-on.

A few months into testing and the only noticeable issue we've seen is the outer surface is easily scuffed and has some worn spots. But everything else is fine and our testers report it still rolls and maneuvers very well. We continue to love the capacity of this suitcase but have had issues with the middle level of the telescoping handle staying in place. We found the suitcase roomy and liked how it maintained its size and shape even when stuffed to capacity. The compression feature was another bonus: keeping clothes neatly in place—as was the full-zip interior divider, which allowed us to keep clean and dirty items. If you need extra space, there’s a handy expansion feature. Finally, we found that the multi-directional wheels allowed for smooth maneuverability over a range of terrains. We could easily pull the suitcase behind us or push it in front.