American Tourister Cascade Hardside Luggage with Spinner Wheels, 2PC SET 20/24, State Blue

Why it's worth it

The American Tourister Cascade pairs a 20-inch carry-on with a 24-inch checked bag in an ABS shell with a tonal gradient finish. Its RightHeight handle adjusts through multiple stops rather than the usual two.

The 20-and-24 pairing is the practical one. A 20-inch carry-on handles a one-to-three-day trip, and the 24-inch checked bag is the workhorse size for a week away. Neither piece is the oversized 28-inch bag that's too heavy to lift once it's full. If you take short trips and the occasional longer one, this covers both without a piece that lives in your closet.

The handle is the standout feature. The RightHeight system has multiple stops instead of the two you get on most luggage, so you can set it where your arm actually falls. A handle that's an inch too short makes you hunch, and one that's too tall makes you swing the bag into your heels. Over a long terminal walk that difference is the difference between arriving annoyed and arriving fine.

From our review of 6 luggage sets

What we like

• +The 20-and-24 pairing is the practical one
• +The handle is the standout feature
• +The dual spinner wheels are the design Consumer Reports found reduces tipping, and American Tourister says they're wear-and-tear…
• +It looks better than a budget bag usually does

What to know

• –The shell is ABS, not polycarbonate
• –The set weighs 17 pounds for two pieces, which is heavy for a pair this size
• –There's no expansion on these shells, so what you see is what you pack