Top Luggage Suitcases for Travel

To some, luggage is a necessity. To others, it's a fashion statement-an important component of a cultivated personal travel brand. To all, a travel bag must be functional-sturdy enough to withstand the rigors of travel, convenient enough to move without being a burden, and spacious enough to tote all your stuff. Here are some of our favorites.

Away is in many ways the modern polycarbonate suitcase company and they keep rolling out new products. There's a lot to love about the original bag, but new this year is the expandable version in a durable water-resistant nylon. It's got all the softside bag features-expandability, exterior pocket, flexible interior space, with a style consistent with Away's existing line.

Henry Ford famously offered customers a Model T in any color of their choice, as long as it was black. Sometimes it feels like modern luggage is the same way. ROAM creates custom colored bags from the hard shell panels to the handles and zipper pull, so each bag is distinctive. You'll never mistake another bag for yours again.

ROAM offers bags in four sizes from carryon to full-size suitcase. Travelers can design their own color combinations, choosing from 11 custom colors on up to nine bag components. Customers can also select from popular curated color combinations.

Another popular fashion option comes in the form of Arlo Skye, a baggage company formed from fashion and luggage industry veterans. The original carryon size with gorgeous buttery anodized aluminum was a hit, with zipperless clamshell closure and integral battery charger. More durable polycarbonate bags in check-in and carry on sizes followed soon after.

A clamshell clasp closure limits overpacking, so for over-packers, Arlo Sky has debuted a new Zipper Collection. The bags are polycarbonate, with a zipper closure which gives more flexibility in interior space. For travelers who like having the exterior pocket for easy access during travel, that's an option. The bag is also lighter than the original, now rebranded the Frame.

For that vintage look, Steamline Luggage comes out with several new designs each season. The Entrepreneur comes in a very festive red, just in time for the holidays, and animal welfare activists need not despair-they're made from vegan leather. Featuring a clasp open and a luxury lining, it's hard not to harken back to days of yore with these stylish bags.

Steamline is also the brand behind the Botanist collection. In a soft pink that echoes the middle decades of the last century, several pieces in this collection are further accented with playful-you guessed it-botanical prints. Whether traveling to begin the beguine at the Cocoanut Grove or rock out to the latest electronica artists in Iceland, these bags make stylish companions.

TravelPro recently revealed their 21" Expandable Spinner is their best-selling bag on Amazon. While hardshell bags have been the style recently, a sizable contingent still appreciates the supple flexibility of study soft-sided bags. TravelPro is a leader in the luggage space with bags designed from three decades ago by airline crews.

For travelers seeking an eco-friendly way to enjoy the comforts of their closet during their travels, Solgaard has portable closets in both check-in and carry on sizes. They're also good for the environment, as they're made out of plastics that have been recovered from the world's oceans.

A newcomer to the carryon bag scene is Swiss company Jey & Em, who set out to deal with a pain point faced by many travelers: the hassle of having to remove a laptop or other electronics from a carryon bag if asked to check it at the gate. Jey & Em has made it easy by designing a detachable laptop sleeve or case to their bag exterior.

The bags are also angled for easier rolling and to offset the weight of the exterior computer case. The design is finished with flourishes like removable device chargers and personalized nameplates. Security is also a top feature, with locking zip closure for both the bag and lockable release for computer cases.

Floh is a new bag available in black or silver with an integral scooter built in for easy transit along with the bag. The bag also has locking zipper closure and compartments for small items, electronics or laptop computers. The bag is also the approved carryon size for most airlines.

While designed as a handbag, Floh can also be used as a scooter, traditional rollaboard bag, or worn as a backpack for maximum flexibility when traveling with other bags or on types of transport where a convertible bag is more convenient. Floh bags are available online at the company website.