Stiff handles, hard-to-manoeuvre cases or too-small checked baggage can mean the difference between carefree travel and a frustrating trip, so it’s important to choose wisely and pick a case that’s up to the job. 

If your suitcase is on its last legs, you’re probably dreading having to spend money on a replacement rather than on margaritas by the beach. 

And with prices ranging from as low as $39 up to many hundreds of dollars, how do you know if you can get away with buying one at the cheaper end of the spectrum?

“You could buy the $39 Kmart carry-on plus return flights from Sydney to Melbourne, and still spend less than the most expensive suitcases in our test,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog luggage tester Matthew Tung. 

Our experts reviewed more than 30 carry-on and check-in suitcases from brands such as Antler, Samsonite, American Tourister and Kmart, assessing them on everything from how easy they are to roll and move, how easily they’re damaged, and how they fare in the rain. 

Which means they’re perfectly positioned to answer the essential traveller question: does paying more really get you a better suitcase?

If you want to find out which are the best carry-on suitcases on a budget, join ÌÇÐÄVlog to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews.

If you’re already a member and you just want to see the best products, you can jump straight to the results now.

Want a big-name brand? Check the sales

Before we get into the differences between cheap and expensive suitcases, our testers have a tip that’s important to know upfront.

While some suitcases may have a recommended retail price that’s higher than your actual flight, the RRP is not a good indicator of how much you should expect to spend on luggage.

“Expensive suitcases are almost always on sale, so there’s rarely any reason to pay full price,” says ÌÇÐÄVlog expert Kim Gilmour.

“While hard-shell suitcases from the big brands still aren’t cheap even with a hefty discount, if you shop around you should be able to find a price that’s well below the RRP.” 

Keep an eye out for good deals coming up in the Black Friday sales, or Boxing Day or end-of-financial-year sales. 

What are the differences between cheap and expensive suitcases?

Weight

When you’re trying to squeeze in under the weight limit for your budget Jetstar flight, every gram counts. This is especially important if you’re travelling just with carry-on – you don’t want most of your allowance taken up before you’ve even started packing.

You also want your bags to be as light and manageable as possible if you’ll be lugging them on and off trains and buses, or dragging them across multiple airports and transfers.

You’d imagine that expensive suitcases might have the edge over cheaper ones in terms of weight due to the more expensive materials used, or special designs that can reduce weight. 

Indeed, the two lightest carry-on suitcases we tested were from Samsonite:

• The Samsonite C-Lite 55cm hard case weighs 1.93kg and has an RRP of $749
• The Samsonite 73 hours H Spinner 55cm soft case weighs 1.91kg and has an RRP of $399

But the $39 Kmart carry on case weighs only 2.2kg and is a similar size as these two Samsonite suitcases, so the extra money doesn’t necessarily buy you a significantly lighter case.

Style and features

There’s no denying you’ll likely get a more sophisticated design and more options for colours, styles and sizes with more expensive luggage. And a brightly-coloured or distinctive case is easier to spot in a sea of luggage at the baggage terminal. 

More expensive suitcases usually come with features such as luxe linings, extra pockets, good-quality zippers, locking mechanisms and handy compartments that you might not find in cheaper products. 

Pricier suitcases also often come with a TSA lock that allows you to lock your luggage while permitting security authorities to inspect it without damage. The carry-on suitcases we tested that cost under $100 from Kmart and Big W did not include this feature. 

Two pricey Samsonite cases we tested even came with in-built USB-A ports you could connect your devices to for on-the-go charging, and some have linings made from recycled materials. 

But it depends what’s more important to you: a swish suitcase, or more money to spend on your holiday?

Durability

Suitcases can take quite a beating when they’re being tossed around by luggage handlers between flights or dragged on and off trains, so it’s a good idea to choose a case that’s durable.

To test how each suitcase stacks up in this regard, our experts use a range of specialised equipment and tests to drop them, drag them and generally knock them about to see how they perform. 

In our ‘lift and drop’ test we load suitcases with clothes, then drop them wheels-first from a height of 90cm onto a concrete floor 300 times. 

The vast majority of suitcases we tested, including the $39 Kmart carry-on case, scored a perfect 100% in this test, which means they came out unscathed. But a few received a borderline score due to sustaining major cracks or even broken wheels.

The advantage of investing in a more expensive suitcase is that it’ll usually come with a warranty of up to 10 years, which means you can get a repair or replacement if the suitcase is faulty. Note though that this doesn’t cover normal wear and tear or damage inflicted by an airline, for example, so check the terms and conditions.

And premium luggage may last you longer than cheaper brands, as the manufacturers are likely to invest more in technology and design and use higher quality materials.

The cheapest and best carry-on suitcases under $200

We independently test and review dozens of new products each year in our onsite labs, and our experts know exactly what to look for to help you find the best product.

Our detailed luggage testing data is available exclusively for ÌÇÐÄVlog members.

If you’re not yet a member, join ÌÇÐÄVlog to get instant access to all of our expert, independent reviews, from fridges and freezers, toasters and TVs, kettles and cots, and more. 

Or log in to unlock this article and find out which suitcases impressed our experts the most.

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On this page:

• Our expert testers
• How we choose what we test
• How we test luggage
• Test criteria explained

Our expert testers

We’ve got decades of experience testing suitcases. Despite high-tech materials and increasingly lightweight styles coming onto the market, little has changed: in 1966 our suitcase report included a user trial along with a range of lab-based performance tests, just as it does today.

Our experts use specialised equipment to conduct durability tests on suitcases from popular luggage brands like Samsonite, Antler and American Tourister. We invest member funds into new, useful equipment to help determine which suitcases will go the distance.

How we choose what we test

Our market researchers survey major manufacturers and scour the market to see what’s out there. We include both ‘luxury’ brands as well as cheap suitcases from national chain stores like Kmart and Big W to see if it’s really worth paying more.

Once we’ve done our market research, we put together a final list that goes to our buyers. They then head out to the retailers and purchase each product, just as a regular consumer would. We do this so we can be sure the suitcases are the same as any consumer would find them and not ‘tweaked’ in any way for better performance.

How we test luggage

Our suitcases go through many comprehensive assessments in order for us to determine the best performers.

Performance tests

• Lift-and-drop test: We load our carry-on suitcases with 4kg of clothes, while check-in suitcases are loaded with 15kg. Using a custom test rig, we drop the suitcases wheels-first onto a concrete floor 300 times from a height of 90cm and assess the damage. Models that survive unscathed receive 100%, whereas ones with missing wheels or severe holes score 0%.
• Puncture test: A heavy pointed cylinder is dropped onto the suitcase surface to see whether any damage occurs.
• Rain test: In this unforgiving test, we stuff suitcases with newspaper and put them under our custom-made shower rig which simulates a 10-minute downpour. We then assess the cases to see how wet the newspaper becomes.
• Stability test: We load the suitcases (carry-on is loaded with 4kg and check-in is loaded with 15kg) and tilt them to see whether they’ll tip at a certain angle. Anything that tips at 6° or less is considered unstable and rated ‘poor’; 6° to 15° is considered reasonably stable and ‘fair’. Anything above this is considered stable (‘good’).

Ease of use tests

Three triallists, including our expert tester, take the suitcases for a walk around the ÌÇÐÄVlog building, as well as through our local streets and parks. When rating ease of use, they look at moving the suitcase out of a lift, moving it down the stairs, and taking it along carpet, asphalt and cement pathways. They also assess comfort (including handle grip) and how stable it feels when walking with it.

Test criteria explained

The ÌÇÐÄVlog Expert Rating is our overall score, for suitcases. It includes the performance score (60% of the rating) and ease of use score (40%).

The performance score is based on the technical tests we conduct in our labs. The score is weighted differently depending on whether the suitcase is a carry-on or check-in suitcase.

We place more emphasis on the lift-and-drop score if it’s a check-in suitcase that could get bumped around more frequently.

For check-in suitcases consists of the lift and drop test (60% of the performance score), stability test (20%), puncture test (10%) and rain test (10%).

For carry-on suitcases the performance score consists of lift and drop test (30%), rain test (30%), stability test (20%) and puncture test (20%).

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