Compare Checked Luggage

14 ranked products · Two to 4 at a time · Updated 17 Sept 2026

Pick any two to four of the 14 ranked checked luggage and read them side by side. This page opens on the board's top 3, Travelpro Platinum Elite 25" Expandable Spinner, Briggs & Riley Baseline Large Expandable Spinner and Travelpro Maxlite 5 25" Expandable Spinner.

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Checked Luggage compared side by side. Each column is one product, each row is one measure taken from the same research that built the board.
Measure	Travelpro Travelpro Platinum Elite 25" Expandable Spinner	Briggs & Riley Briggs & Riley Baseline Large Expandable Spinner	Travelpro Travelpro Maxlite 5 25" Expandable Spinner	Samsonite Samsonite Omni PC 28" Spinner	July July Checked Plus	Samsonite Samsonite Winfield 3 DLX 28" Spinner	Monos Monos Large Check-In	Thule Thule Subterra 2 Check-In	American Tourister American Tourister Stratum XLT 28" Expandable Spinner	Level8 Level8 Gibraltar 28" Checked Luggage	Away Away The Large	Rimowa Rimowa Essential Check-In L	Delsey Paris Delsey Paris Chatelet Air 2.0 28"	Tumi Tumi 19 Degree Extended Trip Checked Spinner
Tier	S	S	A	B	B	C	C	D	D	F	F	F	F	F
Rank on this board	1 of 14	2 of 14	3 of 14	4 of 14	5 of 14	6 of 14	7 of 14	8 of 14	9 of 14	10 of 14	11 of 14	12 of 14	13 of 14	14 of 14
Ladder points	1238 LP	921 LP	815 LP	516 LP	514 LP	494 LP	479 LP	310 LP	290 LP	167 LP	161 LP	140 LP	66 LP	2 LP
Our verdict	Ranked second: Wirecutter's top checked pick with ten years at the top of the guides, offering nearly Baseline construction with proven wheels, handles and support behind it.	Ranked first: the only bag whose guarantee covers even airline-inflicted damage, on a softside platform with a decades-long service record - the best ownership story in the category.	Ranked third: lighter and one of the more affordable here, with the same maker's support network. Slightly less robust hardware than the Platinum Elite keeps it behind it.	Ranked fourth: backed by Good Housekeeping's best-overall-brand testing and a lifetime warranty, with support available everywhere - the safest budget polycarbonate buy.	Ranked last: another hype-driven DTC shell with no independent long-term record behind this specific model, and current expert attention has moved to its newer designs. Buy the Travelpro Maxlite 5 instead.	Ranked fifth: the same brand case as the Omni PC with a dressier shell, ranked just below it because the added trim adds failure points without adding longevity.	Ranked thirteenth: a social-video favorite whose ownership reputation sours on Reddit, and even Wirecutter's checked-guide praise goes to a different Monos model. Buy the Samsonite Omni PC instead.	Ranked eighth: a well-built softside that sidesteps the hardside crack problem, held below the Travelpro and Briggs & Riley picks because Thule's luggage-specific support and parts network is less proven.	Trades on the Samsonite family name while the brand-level testing rewards Samsonite proper. The Samsonite Omni PC 28" is the same-money buy the evidence supports.	Ranked ninth: the aluminum frame targets the two most common checked-bag failures, but the brand's short track record is the unknown that keeps it out of the top half.	Ranked twelfth: the most overhyped bag in the category, with a wide gap between YouTube praise and long-term owner sentiment. Buy the Travelpro Platinum Elite instead.	Ranked seventh: reference-grade hardware that lasts a decade or more, but premium money still buys a crackable polycarbonate shell and a less generous guarantee than the top two give.	Ranked tenth, the weakest pick: a real maker with repair heritage, but the heaviest and most ornamented pick here, with more things to break than any pick above it.	Ranked eleventh: the luxury-marketing pick buyers cross-shop against Rimowa and Briggs & Riley, but through the ownership lens it is outclassed at its price. Buy the Baseline instead.
What reviewers rate	Wirecutter's best checked suitcase for most travelers after researching 31 models Almost as well constructed as Briggs & Riley for meaningfully less money A decade at the top of the major luggage guides OutdoorGearLab calls it the best piece of checked baggage for many years running	Lifetime guarantee covers damage even inflicted by airlines Known for durability and reliability Step up in quality and design from the Travelpro alternatives OutdoorGearLab's suggested step up in quality and design	Known for durability and lightweight construction Spacious interior Shares a maker and support infrastructure with the category's most trusted brand Occupies the budget slot in Wirecutter's 31-model checked-luggage research	Durable and lightweight polycarbonate construction Backed by Good Housekeeping's best-overall-luggage-brand testing Long warranty with widely available support From the brand Good Housekeeping ranks best overall for performance, durability, and value	A competent modern hardside Actively head-to-head tested by Wirecutter against the incumbents Polycarbonate shell that keeps the brand in expert lineups Lifetime warranty	Backed by Samsonite's lifetime warranty and trusted reputation From one of the longest-running hardside families Brand consistently delivers the best combination of performance and durability in testing From the brand Good Housekeeping's testing named best overall	Directly recommended in Wirecutter's checked-luggage guide Premium durability cues and hardware No luxury-tier brand tax Checked line survives Wirecutter-grade testing	Engineered for years of abuse Softside construction avoids the crack-and-dent failure mode that kills hardside bags Overbuilt fabrics and beefy zippers built to shrug off a decade of handling Gear-hauling pedigree	Rides the Samsonite family name One of the cheapest checked bags that testing outlets still take seriously As pure function per dollar it is very hard to beat Backed by Samsonite's budget-line pedigree	Aluminum frame and corner protection address the two most common checked-bag failures: handle and shell-edge breakage Positions its check-in line as the full-size complement to carry-on-focused brands A realistic cross-shop against Away at a lower commitment Flagship-style polycarbonate construction without the flagship marketing budget	A genuinely decent, well-made bag Tested among the brands in Reviewed's best checked luggage evaluation Direct-to-consumer hardside with heavy YouTube visibility Forbes Vetted chose Away's checked suitcase as its overall favorite	Wheels, telescoping handles and shell fit are the reference point the industry copies Bags routinely stay in service for a decade or more Flagship-brand polycarbonate shell German polycarbonate shell and hardware quality the premium outlets point to	Established French maker with real parts and repair heritage Shell and zippers hold up reasonably over years of use Backed by reports of Delsey hardsides lasting 15 years of travel From a brand regarded as making good, affordable luggage for occasional travelers	Genuinely good build quality Design-object styling from a luxury brand Included in CN Traveler's premium road-test field Excellent build quality and materials
Where it falls short	External pockets and USB hardware add moving parts that are potential failure points	Costs more than the Travelpro Platinum Elite, whose construction it nearly matches Costs more than the consensus top pick without a matching durability edge Costs flagship money for its build quality Costs more than most rivals in the category	Slightly less robust hardware than the Platinum Elite Lighter fabric will show wear sooner than the Platinum Elite Gives up the Platinum Elite's suiter and some premium trim Gives up durability margin versus the Platinum Elite	The shell dings, though it rarely fails Shell scuffs and can crack at stress points over long service Thin polycarbonate shell is the known weak point Shell develops cosmetic stress cracks under repeated rough handling	No independent long-term record behind this specific model Current expert attention is on the brand's newer designs instead Carries a DTC premium over Monos and Level8 Younger brand, so the multi-year track record is thinner than Travelpro or Samsonite	Dressier shell with added trim that adds failure points without adding longevity Thin shell with a cracking record that became the category's cautionary tale Coasts entirely on the Samsonite brand name Community durability complaints about hard shells that dent and crack easily attach most famously to this shell	Long-term owner reports turn negative Hype described as just marketing Wirecutter's checked-guide praise goes to a different Monos model YouTube hype is louder than the brand's track record	Luggage-specific support network and parts availability less established than Travelpro's or Samsonite's Wins no single category decisively Warranty is solid but not lifetime-plus-airline-damage coverage Long-term owner reports are thinner than for Travelpro or Briggs & Riley	Consistently placed below the Travelpro Maxlite 5 and Samsonite Omni PC in the same price neighborhood Brand-level testing rewards Samsonite proper, not its budget sibling Gives up some shell refinement and hardware polish Thinner shell stock	Brand's long-term support track record is short compared with Travelpro, Samsonite and Briggs & Riley Young brand with an unproven long-term support and parts record Independent specialist coverage is thinner than for the bags above it Frame adds weight that costs in airline fees every trip	Ownership reports sour over the long term despite heavy YouTube praise Widely described as overhyped Lacks a documented decade-long track record Carries a brand tax for spec that Monos and Level8 match for less	Flagship money for a polycarbonate shell that can still crack Guarantee less generous than Briggs & Riley's Polycarbonate shell dents and cracks just like budget polycarbonate once airlines handle it Costs flagship money for material that performs like budget shells at checked size	Heavier than rivals More decorative trim that can break Support reputation does not match the top three Heavier than the plainer Delsey hardsides	Warranty shorter than the lifetime coverage from Briggs & Riley and Travelpro Heavy for its capacity Large premium paid largely for the logo Luxury brand tax stacked on the largest, most abuse-prone size in the lineup
Evidence behind it	5 sources across 5 outlets	3 sources across 3 outlets	17 sources across 16 outlets	18 sources across 16 outlets	3 sources across 2 outlets	4 sources across 4 outlets	12 sources across 11 outlets	3 sources across 3 outlets	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	4 sources across 4 outlets	15 sources across 14 outlets	1 source across 1 outlet Thin sourcing, read it as provisional	8 sources across 7 outlets	10 sources across 8 outlets
Flagged as one to avoid	Not flagged	1 of 12 research runs	Not flagged	1 of 12 research runs	2 of 12 research runs	1 of 5 research runs	3 of 12 research runs	Not flagged	3 of 8 research runs	2 of 12 research runs	9 of 12 research runs	7 of 12 research runs	4 of 12 research runs	9 of 12 research runs
Announced	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded	Not recorded
Where to buy	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it	Check it

Every column is the same research that built the board. Nothing here is a specification sheet copied from a maker. Read how we rank for what a tier and a ladder point mean.