Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On Luggage with Spinner Wheels - Hardshell Suitcase - TSA, Airline-Approved - Expandable Hard Shell, Smooth Rolling Wheels for Lightweight Travel - Navy

Why it's worth it

The Freeform pairs a scratch-resistant polycarbonate shell with four oversized spinner wheels and a built-in TSA lock, at 6.5 pounds empty. It's the lightest carry-on here by a real margin, which means more of your airline weight allowance goes toward what you actually packed.

Weight is the spec that quietly changes your trip, and this one wins it. At 6.5 pounds, the Freeform gives you a pound and a half to nearly two pounds more packing headroom than most of the other carry-ons here before you hit a weight limit. If you fly international carriers that weigh cabin bags, that's a shirt, a pair of shoes, or the difference between walking through and repacking at the counter.

The shell is polycarbonate rather than ABS, and that matters more than the marketing suggests. Samsonite's own materials documentation puts polycarbonate at roughly 20 to 30 percent lighter than an equivalent ABS shell, and it flexes on impact instead of cracking. Good Housekeeping's lab work found polycarbonate cases scored 15 to 20 percent better on drop-impact tests than same-price ABS bags. The textured finish also hides the scuffs that gloss finishes broadcast.

From our review of 7 hardside spinner suitcases, by Genevieve Dubois, Home & Living Expert

What we like

• +Weight is the spec that quietly changes your trip, and this one wins it
• +The shell is polycarbonate rather than ABS, and that matters more than the marketing suggests
• +Owners who've had this bag through multiple trips consistently describe the same two things: it rolls smoothly, and it holds…
• +One caveat you should know before you order

What to know

• –It's over the published 22 by 14 by 9 carry-on standard
• –The wheels are competent, not exceptional