The Best Soft Side Carry On Luggage For 2024

Sarah Combs By, Sarah Combs
Updated
Best Soft Side Carry On Luggage
Best Soft Side Carry On Luggage

Our Top Picks

1. Best Overall: SwissGear Luggage Carry-On

Travel in style and with ease with the SwissGear Luggage Carry-On. This ergonomically designed carry-on luggage has features that will make your travel experience convenient and hassle-free. Read Review

2. Best For The Price: Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Luggage

Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Luggage is the perfect carry-on luggage that meets all domestic airline size restrictions. With its ultra-lightweight design and convenient features, this carry-on luggage makes your travel experience more comfortable and enjoyable. Read Review

3. Best Design: Solo New York Bag

Get organized and stay stylish with the Solo New York Bag. This rolling laptop bag is the perfect solution for your daily commute or business travel needs. With ample space for essentials, this bag combines style and functionality to keep you moving in fashion. Read Review

4. Best Versatile: Travelpro Platinum Elite Luggage

Looking for durable and stylish carry-on luggage that meets FAA regulations and makes your travel experience more comfortable and convenient? Look no further than the Travelpro Platinum Elite Luggage, with its PrecisionGlide System and expandable design. Read Review

5. Best Durable: Kenneth Cole Women's Chelsea Luggage

This stylish luggage is lightweight and offers ample storage space for all your travel essentials. With its tear-resistant interior and 360-degree spinners, you can travel with ease and peace of mind. Read Review

Traveling can be a stressful experience, especially when it comes to packing. You want to ensure you have everything you need for your trip but don't want to be weighed down by a heavy bag. That's why the best soft side carry-on luggage is a must-have item for any traveler.

Soft side carry-on luggage is lightweight, durable, and provides plenty of storage for your necessities. It's also easy to maneuver and fits easily in overhead compartments, making it the perfect travel companion. With so many great options on the market, knowing which one is right for you can be difficult. That's why we've compiled a list of the best soft-side carry-on luggage available. We've looked at size, weight, durability, and storage capacity to ensure you find the perfect bag for your next trip. Whether you need something lightweight and compact or spacious and stylish, we have the ideal option. So, if you're looking for the best soft-side carry-on luggage, look no further.

We think the best soft side carry on luggage available now is SwissGear Luggage Carry-On. With its 360-degree multi-directional spinner wheels, you can easily maneuver through crowded airports and narrow airplane aisles. You can check the Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Luggage as an alternative if you want another option. You may relax knowing that its quality is also good per what we researched.

Our Top Picks

TOP Choice #1 SwissGear Luggage Carry-On
Our Score:
9.8
SwissGear

The SwissGear Luggage Carry-On is a stylish, durable, and secure travel bag that makes your journey more comfortable and convenient. With its 360-degree multi-directional spinner wheels, you can easily maneuver through crowded airports and narrow airplane aisles. The locking retractable push/pull handle adds extra convenience for easy transportation. This luggage has multiple front panel pockets with a built-in ID tag for effortless organization.

The expandable travel case is made from a scuff-resistant polyester fabric with fully lined interiors, ensuring the product's durability. It features adjustable tie-down straps for securing garments in place, which prevents any damage to your belongings. This luggage bag maximizes packing efficiency with a removable zippered wet bag, large mesh lid pocket, and packing pocket for holding small items and accessories. With reinforced padded top handles with an integrated side and bottom grip, this roller suitcase makes lifting and carrying your luggage easy.

The only downside is that it does not have backpack straps. However, with its excellent features and sleek design, this minor inconvenience can easily be overlooked.

TOP Choice #2 Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Luggage
Our Score:
9.7
Travelpro

The Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Luggage is an ultra-lightweight, sturdy, and convenient travel bag that makes your journey more comfortable and hassle-free. It is a half-pound lighter than Maxlite 4 and meets all carry-on size restrictions for most domestic airlines. The H20 Guard protects the interior lining from moisture, ensuring your belongings stay dry and safe.

This carry-on luggage has four-wheel spinners that rotate 360 degrees for a smooth roll, making it easy to maneuver through crowded airports and narrow airplane isles. The lightweight, sturdy PowerScope handle stops at 38 and 42.5 inches and features a patented contour grip with rubberized touch points for easy maneuvering. The unique bottom tray design increases the durability of this soft-sided luggage, ensuring your belongings are safe and secure.

Moreover, it can expand up to 2 inches, maximizing packing capacity. The only drawback is that it can have a smell the first time, but it will disappear after some use, so you don't have to worry about it.

TOP Choice #3 Solo New York Bag
Our Score:
9.5
Solo New York

The Solo New York Bag is a stylish, functional rolling laptop bag perfect for modern business travelers. It features a fully padded 17.3" laptop compartment and a full-size front zip-down organizer section to keep your business essentials organized and easily accessible. The divided file compartment helps keep your documents organized and at your fingertips.

Additionally, the bag's push-button telescoping handle system and hidden padded carry handles provide easy mobility. Its sustainable design and commitment to craftsmanship make it an ideal choice for the eco-conscious traveler. On the other hand, the handle may be a bit flimsy. But this is a minor issue that does not detract from the overall quality and functionality of the bag. Overall, the Solo New York Bag is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to stay organized and stylish while on the go. 

4 Travelpro Platinum Elite Luggage
Our Score:
9.3
Travelpro

The Travelpro Platinum Elite Luggage is a durable and stylish carry-on spinner suitcase that meets FAA regulations for carry-on and checked baggage. Its external USB port and dedicated power bank pocket make it easy to stay connected and powered up on the go. At the same time, the PrecisionGlide System delivers precise control and effortless roll on eight MagnaTrac self-aligning spinner wheels led by a height-adjustable PowerScope handle with a comfortable Contour Grip.

Besides, the interior tie-down system includes built-in accessory pockets and a TSA-compliant, removable quart-sized wet pocket for toiletries. The high-density nylon fabric with DuraGuard coating resists stains and abrasions, ensuring your luggage looks great after the trip. Nevertheless, it would be best if the zippers could be a bit sturdier. Overall, the Travelpro Platinum Elite Luggage is an excellent choice for anyone who wants to make their travel experience more comfortable and convenient.

5 Kenneth Cole Women's Chelsea Luggage
Our Score:
9.2
Kenneth Cole

This luggage is made of high-quality polyester-twill chevron material, making it durable and resistant to wear and tear. The fully lined interior is tear-resistant, ensuring your belongings are safe and secure during transit. The luggage expands an additional 2.0 inches, giving you plenty of room to pack all your travel essentials.

Furthermore, the main compartment interior features a hanging side zipper pocket and garment restraints to hold your belongings in place. The under-the-lid section includes a mesh zipper pocket and a transparent, clear PEVA gusseted pocket for toiletries. The front exterior also features a small zipper pocket for easily accessible items and a large gusseted zipper pocket for additional storage organization. While this product is an excellent option for travelers, the wheels could be better. Overall, the Kenneth Cole Women's Chelsea Luggage is perfect for anyone looking for a stylish and functional luggage option. 

6 American Tourister Belle Voyage Luggage
Our Score:
9.1
AMERICAN TOURISTER

The Belle Voyage luggage perfectly combines fashion, function, and affordability. This luggage comes with gold accents on the logo, zipper pulls, and a push-button locking handle, adding an extra touch of elegance to the luggage. The integrated top, side, and bottom carry handles make lifting and carrying luggage easy, while the spinner wheels provide smooth and effortless movement.

This luggage is expandable, an excellent feature for those who love shopping and need extra space for their purchases. The large front panel interior pocket and deep main compartment with mesh modesty pocket help keep items organized during transit. Plus, the compression straps keep clothing neatly packed, preventing wrinkles and keeping everything in place. The only issue is that rolling with one hand can be a little tricky, especially if the luggage is fully packed, but it is not a big deal.

7 Samsonite Solyte DLX Luggage
Our Score:
9.0
Samsonite

The Samsonite Solyte DLX Luggage is an excellent choice for those who want a durable and lightweight luggage collection that can withstand the rigors of travel. This luggage is made of a 100% rugged polyester weave, which can withstand bumps, scratches, and other damage during transit. Nonetheless, it may be a bit small for some.

This product has a built-in USB port, allowing you to charge your devices on the go. The smart fix buckles keep tie-down straps out of the way when packing, ensuring ample space for all your travel essentials. The built-in organization, including the WetPak and zippered mesh pockets, helps keep items organized and in place during transit.

Moreover, the four multi-directional double spinner wheels allow 360-degree upright rolling, providing effortless movement and eliminating any weight on your arm or shoulder. The push-button locking handles also provide easy maneuverability when extended from the suitcase and store neatly inside when unused.

More To Consider

8 American Tourister Zoom Turbo Luggage
Our Score:
8.8
AMERICAN TOURISTER
9 Kenneth Cole Rugged Roamer Luggage
Our Score:
8.4
Kenneth Cole

What to Look For in a best soft side carry on luggage?

You may know that shopping is one of the essential activities in a human being’s life. Selecting the best product will affect your daily life. However, which factors can make this purchase effective? If you are looking for best soft side carry on luggage for your demands, you will waste your time with incorrect data. But it would be best if you weren’t so nervous about that. We have a group of experts to research best soft side carry on luggage, and they’ve given reliable information.

There are lots of essential things you should keep in mind. On the other, just some of them are most focused. Here are the critical factors related to buying best soft side carry on luggage you may want:

Handles

Practicality is enhanced by suitcases that have handles at the top and sides. This extra handle along with the towing handle makes it much simpler to lift your suitcase onto and off luggage racks, check-in scales, and baggage carousels.
Top handles can extend into several positions to provide maximum comfort. When not in use, they can be retracted for easy pushing down.

Wheels

Four-wheelers are the most common type of suitcase. Sometimes called spinners. This means that you don’t need to tip your bag before you tow it. It can also be wheeled along with you. Two-wheeled suitcases tend to be slightly larger and are easier to lift over kerbs. However, spinners offer more versatility.

Expandability

A lot of suitcases have an expandable panel that can be removed to give you at least 10% more packing space. If you're looking for last-minute souvenirs and gifts, some of our top-scoring full-size and cabin suitcases can be expanded.

Size

Cases up to full-size: How easy will your suitcase fit into the car's boot if you plan to drive to the airport? It will it be possible to carry the bag around in crowds? There's also the baggage rack at the airport bus. You could hoist it onto the top. You might consider a lighter option if your travels are less than two weeks. A piece of luggage should be durable enough to endure rough transit conditions, yet not cause you pain.
Hand luggage is allowed on most airlines. Some allow for a second hand bag, such as a backpack, or sling bag. A suitcase that is "cabin-size" does not necessarily mean that it can fit into a cabin. Although there are restrictions on size, many airlines will accept suitcases up to 56x45x25 cm.

Security

Traveling with your padlock is important. However, it is recommended that you have one with Transport Security Administration (TSA).
The locks are branded with the TSA red logo and include a universal masterkey.
The TSA is the only one that has this copy. This key allows American airlines security personnel to access your luggage and inspect its contents, without risk.
They can open the lock if they are unable to do so.

Weight

Checked luggage: Full-size bags are allowed, but the weight limits vary by airline (see below). Excess baggage fees can be very high so make sure your bag isn't too heavy. Regular flyers might find it useful to purchase luggage scales. Keep in mind, however that you will need to pack more outfits if your suitcase is empty. We found that the best suitcases were as light as 2.3kg empty. Bulkier options weighed in at around 6.2kg.
Hand luggage: Some airlines may have restrictions on the weight of cabin cases. You don't have to give up books, souvenirs and gifts if you choose a lighter cabin bag or fly with an airline that is more flexible.

Storage

There are many internal pockets that you can find in both hard-shell and soft-sided luggages. These include small pockets with integrated zippers and large pouched pockets that will hold a laptop. You can also have removable laundry bags or garment sections to keep your suit jackets from tearing. Soft-sided suitcases are often equipped with external pockets that can be used to store easy-access items.

FAQs

What should I look for when buying a soft side carry-on bag?

Look for a bag that is lightweight, has multiple compartments, and is made of durable material. It should also have a retractable handle and smooth rolling wheels.

Are there any restrictions on the type of items I can bring in my soft side carry-on bag?

Yes. Most airlines have restrictions on the types of items that can be brought in soft side carry-on bags. Generally, you cannot bring any sharp objects, liquids, aerosols, or gels in your bag.

How do I know if my soft side carry-on bag meets the size requirements for my airline?

Most airlines have specific size requirements for soft side carry-on bags, so it is important to make sure your bag meets those requirements. You can check with your airline’s website for their specific size requirements.

Are there any additional fees for bringing a soft side carry-on bag?

Most airlines do not charge any additional fees for bringing a soft side carry-on bag, however, each airline may have different fees, so it is important to check with your airline before traveling.

Overall, the statistics we described here are not all of them. Instead, we always freshen it up continually as the data is updated and available. It would be best to remember things we mentioned above, including brand’s value, product’s value, product’s highlights, important specs, customer ratings & reviews. 

Our readers, you guys, are always respected and treated with top priority so that you are supposed to receive the most up-to-date information on our site. You should feel free to contact us for support with the product’s problems. Thanks for reading, and we wish you a happy shopping.


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About Sarah Combs

Sarah Combs
Sarah Combs is a visual editor who loves to travel and hike. She enjoys taking photographs of her journeys, which help her to remember the beautiful places she's been to. Sarah is grateful for the opportunities that she has had to see the world and looks forward to continuing to explore new places in the future. Sarah is the editor of CampfireHQ since 2021 and has written on a variety of topics, from camping, and hiking to other outdoor guides.

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