Travel Hack: Colorful Luggage to Stand Out at Baggage Claim and Beyond

“If you find single colors too boring, opt for luggage with a design or pattern,” Dengler says. “Your luggage will still be easier to find in the baggage claim area, and it will hide scratches and scuff marks better than light-colored luggage.” 

Herschel’s 21-inch Heritage bag earns top-notch scores for construction quality and safety. It fared well in our impact resistance test, which measures a piece of luggage’s ability to resist damage from being dropped, pulled, or having other items dropped onto it. This carry-on bag’s ergonomics and design fall slightly short of others in our ratings, but it’s still an overall solid buy.

Available in four sizes and 10 vibrant colors, such as Shadow Pixel Lime Punch and True Blue.

Tumi has been a high-end name in luggage for decades, well known for its rugged ballistic nylon soft-shell. With this model, the brand carries on its built-tough legacy. The spinner offers solid performance with advanced features like a USB-C charging port, an integrated TSA lock, and the ability to track your bag anywhere in the world through the brand’s Tumi Tracer program.

Performance-wise, it sailed through our impact tests, including assaults from a heavy pointed hammer, and it received a top-notch score for construction quality. It earned respectable scores in all other categories, but some testers found it less easy than other options to carry and pull. The bag is expandable, and its handle telescopes to different heights. Beyond that, it has compression straps and zippered pockets and comes with a five-year warranty.

Available in 10 colorways, including Lagoon and navy.

This Monos carry-on luggage aced our durability test, which measures the piece’s ability to resist damage from being dropped, pulled, or having other items dropped onto it. It features a polycarbonate shell and an ultra-sturdy telescopic handle with four height settings, spinner wheels, and a lock. 

It’s available in eight colors and three additional limited-edition tones. If you prefer a neutral option, go for the Desert Taupe or Ocean Blue.

This basic, hard-shell carry-on by Away impressed in our tests for impact resistance and construction quality. Away is also a top brand for carry-on luggage based on our CR member survey. The bag’s special features include a compartment divider, a leather luggage tag, and a laundry bag. It has an unusually generous limited lifetime warranty and a 100-day trial period so that you can see how you like it on the road.

Available in 11 colorways, including navy and Cloud Gray.

The Samsonite Outline Pro Carry-On Spinner is the only hard-shell carry-on luggage model in our ratings to earn a top mark for usability, which is measured by how easy it is to open, close, and load luggage, with a focus on zippers and internal straps. This durable model is expandable, and its handle can be raised to six positions, a boon to travelers of varying heights. Special features include a compartment divider, lock, and built-in USB port for connecting power sources (that you provide) to your electronics. 

Available in a variety of colors, including black and white for those who prefer a neutral option.

With its relatively low price and admirable test performance, this expandable Amazon Basics carry-on is a worthwhile pick. This spinner aced our durability tests, and it impressed in our tests of usability, carrying and pulling, construction quality, ergonomics, design, and safety. Given its lower price, there are some caveats: Testers found the telescopic handle to be somewhat wobbly or unstable. This model also lacks a lock, but it has three internal pockets to help organize smaller items. 

Available in five colors, including black and rose gold.

When it comes to usability, construction quality, and ease of pull and carry, this Calpak carry-on rated well in our tests. Where it may lack a bit is impact resistance, which measures the luggage’s ability to resist damage from being dropped, pulled, or having other items dropped onto it. Despite its shortcomings, it’s a solid buy at a lower price than its competition. 

Save more: Best Deals on Carry-Ons, Weekenders, Backpacks, and More

If soft shell luggage is more your speed, look no further: This version from Briggs & Riley is among the top performers in our overall ratings for the best carry-ons. It excelled in our usability and impact resistance tests, and earned solid scores for construction quality and ergonomics. Our testers found that it was easy to pull and carry this model, thanks to its four spinner wheels and telescopic handle that can lock into five different positions.

Available in a variety of sizes and five colorways, including navy and steel gray.

Dagne Dover’s weekender bag was a favorite in a recent evaluation of the best weekender bags. It features six large mesh pockets, a smaller zippered pocket, and two removable sleeves. Made from neoprene (a material commonly used to manufacture wetsuits), this water-resistant bag is a choice option for travel during rain or shine.

Available in nine colorways—like Storm and Heather Gray—and four sizes.

This Instagram-famous weekender impressed our editors with its clever design. It features a dedicated shoe compartment at the base of the piece, as well as a zippered pass-through, allowing you to slide the bag onto your rolling suitcase handle. The rolled, faux-leather handles are long and can fit over the shoulders if desired, and it has a lightweight, highly adjustable, removable crossbody strap. Its structured frame provides easy accessibility when packing, while thoughtfully placed pockets throughout are prime for staying organized. 

Available in seven vibrant colors, including beige and black for those who prefer to take a neutral approach. 

According to our editors, this Everlane bag is a decent option for those looking for a basic, budget-friendly weekender. It’s made from water-resistant recycled polyester and has an adjustable padded crossbody strap and handles that are long enough to be worn over most shoulders. It has two external pockets: a zippered back pocket large enough for a tablet or paperback and an unzipped front pocket in a similar size.

Available in four colorways, including Warm Quartz and black for those who prefer a neutral option.

Lightweight, relatively budget-friendly, and available in an array of bold colorways, the Herschel Novel duffle is a great option for kids, teens, and adults. It features faux-leather handles and a padded crossbody strap, and it’s made of thin polyester fabric that’s water-resistant. 

Available in 16 colorways, including Ash Rose and a vibrant Terrain Camo.

For more options: Best Weekender Bags

Topo Design’s versatile backpack has a capacity of up to 14 liters, and its dual exterior pockets with neon-yellow lining and mesh sleeves are surprisingly roomy. The main sleeve can hold several articles of clothing and accessories—it also features a laptop sleeve that can fit a 15-inch computer. According to our evaluator, the backpack’s construction seems solid enough, and the oversized compartment zippers are very stout, plus the extra-long zipper pulls are exceptionally easy to grab.

Also available in Sea Pine and Pond Blue/Spice.

This Patagonia backpack was a standout in our evaluations of the best travel backpacks because it combines organization, comfort, versatility, and sturdiness. What set it apart from the rest was its mesh pockets, which allow you to easily see what’s inside, and lots of slots and cubbies for prime organization. Our evaluator also found the backpack to be an especially comfy carry with wide, strong backpack straps and a chest clasp that will adjust to many different torso lengths, making it versatile across different shapes and sizes.

Bonus: It has a slot-through for sliding onto the telescoping handle of your roll-aboard carry-on bag, so you can roll two bags at once through an airport.

Available in two sizes and four colors, such as Vessel Blue and Glaze Green.

With a 27-liter capacity, this Yeti travel backpack can seamlessly transition from the plane to the hiking trails. It features a water-resistant exterior, sealed zippers, and a main cargo load inside with compartments and cuffs to hold water bottles. The Yeti may cost more than many similar bags, but double-reinforced (with bar-tacked stitching) grab handles and an extra protective layer at the base could make it last longer than some of the others, says evaluator and frequent flyer Michael Frank. 

Available in three sizes and six colors, including dark taupe and black.