9 listings · Two subgroups
Carry-On Luggage
The job: passing a frame it has never met, with the wheels on
A cabin case is the only bag on this site that has to pass a physical test in public. Everything else is judged by how it packs or how it survives; this one gets put inside a metal frame while a queue watches, and the frame has no opinion about the listing.
What the frame measures is the whole object. Wheels, feet, side handles and, if you have left it up, the telescoping handle. A trade size such as 21 in is a body length in the industry sense. It is not the length of the thing you are holding.
Of the nine listings gathered here, two state a full external size and one states a capacity. The rest describe a case by its trade size and its wheels, and leave the two numbers that matter to you.
Nobody approved your suitcase
No airline reviews luggage in advance. There is no register of approved models and no body that certifies a bag as admissible. Eight of the forty-seven listings on this site point the word at the bag or the cover anyway.
TSA does not certify luggage sizes at all. The scheme those words belong to is a lock standard, which is why the phrase means nothing printed on a fabric cover with no lock in it. One listing here does use it of an actual lock, and that one is not counted among the empty claims above.
The figure that settles it is the one your carrier publishes, for your fare, on the aircraft you are flying. We print no size limits here, because ours would be wrong for somebody on the day they read it.
A stated size is the size of the body. Wheels, feet and an extended telescoping handle are not usually counted inside it, and the frame at a gate counts all of them.
Hardside
Seven listings
A rigid shell keeps its shape, which helps inside a frame and hurts inside a full bin. Eight listings here describe a hard shell; three of them name the polymer.
- Empty weight:None of the 7 listings here states an empty weight.
- Figures like these are said once above the cards rather than stamped on every one of them, because a label that reads the same on all of them carries no information. It holds for each group on this page.
| Listing | Size | Trade size | Capacity | Expansion |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| LIGHT FLIGHT 20" Carry-On with TSA Lock | 22 x 14 x 9 in | 20 in | 35 L | 20 percent more, from 35 L to 42 L |
| Amazon Basics 21" Hardside Carry-On | Not stated | 21 in | Not stated | up to 25 percent more space |
| Wrangler 22.5" Hardside Carry-On | Not stated | 22.5 in | Not stated | Not stated |
| Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On | Not stated | Not stated | Not stated | expandable hard shell, no figure given |
| Sweetcrispy 20" Carry-On | Not stated | 20 in | Not stated | expandable, no figure given |
| Traveler’s Choice Pagosa 22" Carry-On | Not stated | 22 in | Not stated | expandable, no figure given |
| LIGHT FLIGHT 20" Expandable Carry-On | 22 x 14 x 9 in | 20 in | Not stated | expandable, no figure given |
Only one you can check on paper
LIGHT FLIGHT 20" Carry-On with TSA Lock
- SizeStated22 x 14 x 9 in
- Trade sizeStated20 in
- CapacityStated35 L
- ExpansionStated20 percent more, from 35 L to 42 L
This is the most numerate listing in the catalog: a size, a capacity, an expanded capacity and a percentage, all in one place. It is also the listing that most needs its own caveat, because it states 22 x 14 x 9 in and then offers you 42 L. A case cannot expand and stay the size it was measured at.
Why:Its listing states 22 x 14 x 9 in and 35 L. Of the nine carry-on listings here, two state a size figure and only this one states a capacity as well.
Empty claim:This listing points the words airline approved at the bag itself. Nobody issues that and nobody checks it.
Best for
A traveler who wants to compare on paper before comparing at a frame, and who will read the expansion figure as a warning rather than a feature.
What is stated
- It states an external size, a capacity and an expanded capacity, which no other listing in this category does.
- The expansion is quantified twice over: 20 percent, and 35 L to 42 L.
- The shell material is named as ABS and a Travel Sentry style lock is stated.
- Silent and 360 are stated of the wheels, which at least tells you the configuration.
What is missing
- The words airline approved appear on the listing and mean nothing about admission; your carrier publishes the figure that decides it.
- The stated 22 x 14 x 9 in is a body size, and wheels, feet and the extended handle are not usually inside it.
- At 42 L the case is no longer the object that was measured at 22 x 14 x 9 in, and the listing does not say what the expanded size is.
Largest stated expansion
Amazon Basics 21" Hardside Carry-On
- SizeNot statedThe listing gives no size.
- Trade sizeStated21 in
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
- ExpansionStatedup to 25 percent more space
A 21 inch hardside spinner whose listing is unusually willing to put a percentage on the expansion and unusually unwilling to put a number on anything else. The 21 inch figure is a trade size, not a measurement of the case you receive. What it weighs empty is not stated anywhere in the listing.
Why:Its listing states up to 25 percent more space. Two listings in this category put a percentage on expansion, and this is the larger.
Best for
A traveler who wants the expansion figure spelled out and is willing to measure the case themselves.
What is stated
- The listing puts an actual figure on the expansion: up to 25 percent more space.
- A telescoping handle is stated, which is the part most listings leave to the photograph.
- The shell is described as scratch-resistant, which is a claim about looks rather than about structure.
- The 21 inch trade size is the smallest of the hardside group here, which matters at the second test rather than the first.
What is missing
- No external dimensions are stated, so the 21 inch figure cannot be checked against a frame.
- No empty weight is stated, which is the number the front door asks for.
- Scratch-resistant is the seller’s word, with no test method and no rating attached to it.
Only case here with no expansion claim
Wrangler 22.5" Hardside Carry-On
- SizeNot statedThe listing gives no size.
- Trade sizeStated22.5 in
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
- ExpansionNot statedThe listing gives no expansion.
Six words, one number, and that number is a trade size. This is the quietest listing in the whole catalog, which is not the same as the least honest one. It claims nothing about expansion, nothing about approval, and nothing about what the case weighs.
Why:Eight of the nine carry-on listings here say expandable. This one does not, so the case you measure at home is the case you carry to the frame.
Best for
Someone who would rather be told very little than be told something unverifiable.
What is stated
- It is the only carry-on listing here that makes no claim beyond the trade size and the wheel type.
- The word approved appears nowhere on it.
- No expansion is claimed, so there is no expanded size to worry about at a frame.
- Hardside and spinner are both stated.
What is missing
- The 22.5 inch trade size is the largest stated in this category, and it is the only figure given.
- No dimensions, no capacity and no empty weight are stated.
- With so little on the listing, everything about the case has to be judged from photographs.
Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On
- SizeNot statedThe listing gives no size.
- Trade sizeNot statedThe listing gives no trade size.
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
- ExpansionStatedexpandable hard shell, no figure given
A hardshell spinner whose listing leans on the phrase airline-approved and then declines to give a single number. No airline approves a case in advance, and there is no register of approved luggage to be on. The shell is described as expandable, without saying by how much.
Empty claim:This listing points the words airline-approved at the bag itself. Nobody issues that and nobody checks it.
Best for
A traveler who already knows the size they need and is buying on the shell and the lock rather than on the copy.
What is stated
- A Travel Sentry style lock is stated, which is the one part of this listing where the word approved means something specific.
- The shell is stated to be expandable, so the case is not fixed at one depth.
- Hardshell construction is stated plainly rather than implied by a photograph.
- The spinner configuration is stated, which is the part that decides how it behaves on a smooth floor.
What is missing
- The words airline-approved appear on the listing. They are marketing, not a certification: your carrier publishes its own figure.
- No dimensions, no capacity and no empty weight are stated, so there is nothing here to check.
- Expandable is stated without a figure, so you cannot tell what the expanded depth costs you.
Sweetcrispy 20" Carry-On
- SizeNot statedThe listing gives no size.
- Trade sizeStated20 in
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
- ExpansionStatedexpandable, no figure given
A 20 inch ABS shell with a stated lock and a stated expansion, and no figures behind either. ABS is named, which is more than most listings do, and it tells you something real about how the shell behaves when it is dropped. The 20 inch figure is a trade size and does not include the wheels.
Best for
Someone shopping the small end of the hardside range who wants the shell material named.
What is stated
- The shell material is named as ABS rather than described only as hard.
- A Travel Sentry style lock is stated.
- The 20 inch trade size is the smallest stated in this category, which is the useful direction to err at a frame.
- Expandable is stated, so the depth is not fixed.
What is missing
- No external dimensions are stated, and 20 inch on its own does not tell you the depth or the width.
- No empty weight is stated, and ABS shells vary.
- Expandable is stated with no figure, so the expanded size is unknown.
Traveler’s Choice Pagosa 22" Carry-On
- SizeNot statedThe listing gives no size.
- Trade sizeStated22 in
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
- ExpansionStatedexpandable, no figure given
A 22 inch hardshell spinner described in nine words and no numbers beyond the trade size. Twenty-two inches is the figure most often quoted around cabin bags, which is exactly why it is worth remembering that the frame at the gate measures the whole object, wheels included. The listing does not say what the whole object measures.
Best for
A traveler who prefers a listing that stays quiet to one that says approved.
What is stated
- The listing is short and makes no claim it cannot support.
- The word approved does not appear anywhere in it.
- Hardshell and expandable are both stated rather than implied.
- A spinner configuration is stated.
What is missing
- No external dimensions are stated, so the 22 inch trade size is the only figure you have.
- No capacity in liters and no empty weight are stated.
- Expandable is stated with no figure attached.
LIGHT FLIGHT 20" Expandable Carry-On
- SizeStated22 x 14 x 9 in
- Trade sizeStated20 in
- CapacityNot statedThe listing gives no capacity.
- ExpansionStatedexpandable, no figure given
One of only three listings in this catalog that states an actual set of external dimensions. It also states the words airline approved, which is a phrase and not a permission. Read the two together and the listing is telling you a size and then telling you not to bother checking it.
Empty claim:This listing points the words airline approved at the bag itself. Nobody issues that and nobody checks it.
Best for
A traveler who wants a size figure on the page and is prepared to measure across the wheels themselves.
What is stated
- It states a full external size, 22 x 14 x 9 in, which is rare enough here to be worth saying twice.
- A 20 inch trade size and a 22 inch first dimension are both given, which lets you see the gap between the two conventions.
- The shell is stated to be expandable.
- Spinner wheels are stated.
What is missing
- The words airline approved appear on the listing. No airline approves a case in advance; the figure that decides the matter is the one your carrier publishes.
- The stated 22 x 14 x 9 in is a body size. Wheels, feet and an extended handle are not usually counted in a figure like that.
- Expandable is stated with no figure, and an expanded case is very likely to stop fitting the size it was sold against.
Softside
Two listings
A soft case gives at the corners. That is worth something in an overhead bin next to somebody else, and worth nothing inside a rigid sizer, which does not care how compressible you are.
- Size:None of the 2 listings here states a full external size.
- Capacity:None of the 2 listings here states a capacity in liters.
- Empty weight:None of the 2 listings here states an empty weight.
| Listing | Trade size | Expansion |
|---|---|---|
| Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside 21" Carry-On | 21 in | expandable, no figure given |
| OLIXIS 20" Carry-On | 20 in | expandable capacity, no figure given |
Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside 21" Carry-On
- Trade sizeStated21 in
- ExpansionStatedexpandable, no figure given
A softside 21 inch spinner, and softside is the interesting word here. A soft bag gives at the corners, which is a help in an overhead bin and no help at all inside a rigid frame. The listing names neither an external size nor a weight.
Best for
Someone choosing a bag for the overhead bin rather than for the frame in front of it.
What is stated
- Softside construction is stated, which tells you how the bag will behave against a neighbor in a bin.
- Four wheels are stated explicitly rather than left to the photograph.
- The word approved appears nowhere on the listing.
- The 21 inch trade size is at the smaller end of the softside pair here.
What is missing
- No external dimensions are stated, and a soft bag packed full measures more than a soft bag packed loosely.
- No empty weight is stated, which is the one number a softside case is usually bought for.
- Expandable is stated with no figure.
OLIXIS 20" Carry-On
- Trade sizeStated20 in
- ExpansionStatedexpandable capacity, no figure given
This one arrived filed with the softside cases and its listing describes an ABS hard shell, which is the sort of contradiction worth pointing at rather than tidying away. Its lock is described as TSA approved, and on a lock that phrase does refer to something real. On anything else it does not.
Real, but narrow:This listing points the words TSA approved lock at a lock. The scheme those words name is a service-key standard and it does exist, which is why this listing is not counted among the empty approval claims elsewhere on this site.
Best for
Someone who wants a lock with a service keyway and does not need the listing to tell them the size.
What is stated
- The shell material is named as ABS.
- The lock is the one place in this catalog where the word approved has a concrete referent: a Travel Sentry style keyway.
- The 20 inch trade size is at the small end of the category.
- Expandable capacity is stated.
What is missing
- The listing describes a hard shell while the item was supplied to us grouped with softside cases, and we have kept it where it was sent rather than quietly recategorizing it.
- Neither an external size, nor a capacity, nor an empty weight appears anywhere on it.
- TSA approved describes the lock only. It says nothing about size, and a lock a service key opens is not a theft deterrent.
Worth being careful about
- No airline approves a case in advance. There is no register of approved luggage and no listing can put you on one. The figure that decides the matter is the one your carrier publishes, for your fare, on the aircraft you are flying.
- TSA does not certify luggage sizes at all. The approval scheme those words point at is a lock standard.
- Where a listing states a size such as 22 x 14 x 9 in, treat it as the size of the body. Wheels, feet and an extended handle are not usually inside a figure like that, and the frame at the gate measures all of them.
- A case sold as expandable stops being the case it was measured as the moment you use the expansion.
Questions people actually ask
Does airline approved mean the case will fit?
No. It is a phrase a seller can print without asking anyone. No airline reviews cases in advance and none of them maintains a list of approved models. The only figure that settles it is the one your carrier publishes for your fare and your aircraft, and it is worth reading it again shortly before you fly.
Why does the site not print cabin size limits?
Because they differ between carriers, between fares on the same carrier, and between aircraft, and because they change. Any number we printed would be wrong for somebody on the day they read it. Your carrier publishes its own figure and that is the one the frame is set to.
Is a trade size the same as a measurement?
No. A case sold as 21 in is a 21 in case by convention. The object you receive is taller than that once the wheels are on it, and longer again once the handle is up. If you want a number you can compare against a published limit, measure the case yourself across its outermost points.
Should I use the expansion on a cabin case?
Only once you are past the frame, and only if you are ready to be asked again on the way home. An expanded case is deeper than the case the size figure describes, and depth is the dimension a sizer is least forgiving about.
Where to read next
The tests this category faces
The numbers behind it