My Carry-On Bags: Best for Airline Travel

You will see the best of my bags I carry onto the airplane for travel. These are my favorite travel bags: carry-on luggage, tote bags, backpacks, crossbody bags and RFID for anti-theft. #traveltips #carryononly #travelbag #travelbags

Chapters:
00:00 The best travel bags
3:56 Best carry-on suitcases
5:44 22 inch soft-sided carry on bag
6:19 Small carry-on suitcase
7:20 Under airplane seat rolling bag
8:20 Bento bag under seat bag
9:45 Backpack plum colored
10:33 Gray backpack
11:19 Black white striped backpack
12:09 Gray anti-theft backpack
13:17 Best crossbody bags
15:22 Fringe fanny pack

POP over and say hi:
Instagram: @TravelTipsByLaurie (My former channel name was LauriePOP Ideas That POP, but now I produce travel tip videos only)

Occasionally I use affiliate links, and all opinions that POP into my head are my honest ones.

[virgiliomarzan]

Here's a tip. Put all your things you need in organized piles then put them in ziploc bags, you can then start choosing your luggages, backpacks, purses, slings, waist pack, pouches, compression cubes or magical items sack. Hope this helps someone because sometimes I get scatter brained, start overpacking or forget something.

[DillyDahlia]

I always enjoy your bag reviews. From reading the comments, I’m glad to see I’m not the only one who doesn’t like bags with tons of pockets. I think there is such a thing as too many pockets….too many places to stash things and then later, like a squirrel looking for the nuts he buried, I can’t find anything!

[carolynknierim]

Just an observation. For me, I don't prefer the hardside suitcases that open like a book for spaces I know are going to be tight. With a regular softside suitcase I can set it on a luggage rack and open the top, resting it on the wall. Takes up less space to get into in tight spaces (think NYC hotel rooms, or Europeanl.

[stephanielardner]

So many bags, something for everyone. I flew to New York in June for a week with a carry on. Thanks to you I had more clothes than I wore, enough toiletries and plenty of comfort items for the plane. You helped make my trip stress free, thank you for sharing all the tips and tricks you have acquired.

[barbb]

I love my Nomad bag. I can go on 7 day trips and it holds everything.

[arizonasgotheat]

I am one of those people that find pockets confusing. I forget where I put something. I think I have figured out how to remember what is where. We will see how well that works out. I find that putting items in individual see-through bags is easier to use. I think it is just the difference in how our brains work. The thing I do (thanks to you!) is put the stuff I need fast access to in the outer pocket.

[cynthiabandy]

I love tons of pockets!!! One tip I have is that I use a carabiner on the zippers of my backpack, holding them closed to discourage theft.

[mspayitforward]

I have that last bag, the tan travelon bag and just took it to Italy for three weeks. It was excellent. There’s one interior pocket that fits a passport perfectly. Those little security clips to lock the zippers work so smoothly that you can secure them with one hand while you’re carrying something else. It was super lightweight, and durable. Didn’t stain. I highly recommend it. I was amazed how much I could fit in it and felt really secure and walking around Rome and other areas with peace of mind

[PaulaScardamalia]

I bought the 11-pocket belt bag because of your previous recommendation for both hubby and myself (mine in navy, his in black with black zippers) for our trip to Ireland and Scotland. I used mine the most to carry passports in the back pocket, watercolor kit in one of the larger pockets, and phone, money and brush in the front larger pocket, and tissues and lip balm in the small front pocket. Love it.

[donkiml]

My husband hates that we have more than one suitcase but you need them for different situations. Luckily we have a storage room. I have an older Travelon crossbody/wristlet purse that I love and use for distance travel. It has lasted a long time, wipes done easily. I recommend the patterned fabric. I also have the Travelpro walk about 3 international spinner. They are durable, have storage and practical. We got the international size at Macy’s before Covid but have not traveled internationally since then. The international size works great for seniors because it’s not as large and doesn’t get as heavy. I can easily put a weeks worth of clothes in the suitcase even though it’s smaller. The downside is fitting shoes in this size suitcase. You can easily put in smaller shoes and sandals but I struggle with being able to get hiking shoes in the suitcase and still be able to put a weeks worth of clothes in there. I have a wonderful Bagillini bag I use for my personal item that I got very reasonably priced at Marshalls years ago. This bag also is very durable, wipes up easily and has many many organization pockets. The downsize is that this particular bag does not have the outside pockets for a water bottle and umbrella. I bought a clip on ring that you can put around the top of a water bottle and I’ll just hang off your bag. The bag also did not have a luggage strap so I found a purse strap on Amazon that clips on and works perfect as a luggage strap. Sometimes you just have to get creative. Happy travels! 🧳

[Taikoviewer]

I purchased the striped backpack, but chose the solid black over the stripes. I found it more sophisticated and I don't need to worry about it getting dirty. I've used it traveling to Texas and for traveling overseas to Europe. I love how much space it has to organize everything that I need. I like how the bag opens and the structure of it over the design of a traditional backpack. I can easily search for and take stuff out of the backpack.

[marcellemcghee]

I purchased the Lovevook backpack in black and used it for a recent trip to Boston. It was perfect for my petite frame (some backpacks can overwhelm me) and held everything I needed, including my extra crossbody bag and my Birkenstocks. Loved the many pockets and dividers, perfect for easy travel.

[MaryDeSive]

11:28 I have the black and white striped backpack and I love it except that the bar at the top drove me nuts. I was able to remove it by breaking some stitches in an inconspicuous spot on the inside - I would be careful if you do this since you don’t want to compromise the integrity of the bag. Just a very small hole will let you slide out the bar. If you’re better at hand stitching than I am, it’s probably a good idea to stitch that spot back up. :)

[alisoneichler]

Your videos are so informative… but I rarely travel “carry on only”. I travel with my husband for his professional meetings - they include dinners, sometimes black tie functions and “organized” sight seeing (think ladies who lunch). Carry on doesn’t work for these events. Vacation travel is usually with a group - typically 12 to 15 days - and we “dress” for dinner. But I am still fascinated by carry on only travel. Thanks for opening my eyes to this.

[oLi]

I initially started using hard-shell luggage before it gained popularity in North America. However, in the past 5 years, I switched back to soft-sided luggage for a few simple reasons:

Capacity: Soft-sided luggage allows me to carry more belongings compared to the two-sided hard-shell luggage with limited space. This is particularly important for North American travelers, as checking in baggage incurs additional costs, and airline carry-on weight restrictions are not a concern.

Spacing: Soft-sided luggage provides more flexibility when it comes to opening and accessing items. This is especially useful in situations like staying at a small boutique hotel in Asia, where limited space can make it challenging to open a hard-shell suitcase comfortably.

Protection: Contrary to popular belief, I haven't noticed any significant difference in the level of protection provided by hard-shell luggage. Fragile items can still be susceptible to damage, regardless of whether they are stored in a hard-shell or soft-sided suitcase.

[dena-mo]

Such a great wealth of information for every kind of carry on bag from actual suitcases to personal item bags. Getting ready to go to Hawaii and thinking about doing the carry on thing again. Thank you for all of the links. You always inspire me, Laurie! ♥

[durhamskywriter]

The bumpers on the Level 8 suitcases can also be considered feet for when you’re opening your luggage on a hard surface.

[kimcarroll]

Thank you for a great list! Sending this to my husband since he packed heavy for our vacay this summer. It was a pain getting his big suitcase on all the trains! Meanwhile, I packed your under the seat Amazon roller bag and your black and white striped backpack for a whole month in Switzerland and Austria. Trains were so easy!!! And the backpack fit on top of my little roller bag so I didn't even have to carry it. And I still over packed! Started a list of the items I didn't use so I don't bother taking them again. Thank you so much! I must've given your channel to at least a dozen people who couldn't believe how light I was traveling. It made our trip so much more enjoyable not having to find space for a large bag on the buses, trains, and planes we took. 7 trains in 1 day! My husband got so tired of me lecturing him about your advice. LOL Meanwhile, planning my trip from Kona to Asheville/ Knoxville in Sept. Plan on taking the same bags. Thank you so much!!!

[allthemays]

Lug bags are my go to since they have so many pockets as well!!!! Thanks for your videos they have been so helpful in ALL of my travels. Your great!!!🎉🎉

[jessiejbenn]

Hi Laurie! I love my Lovevook backpack with the 17 pockets. And thats the main reason i love it. There is a pocket for everything which allows for everything to be easily accesible. Its the perfect size for a personal item bag for me. I bought the red one after watching one of your videos where you recomended it and took it on my trip to the Dominican earlier this year. I was so glad i did and am so very happy with my purchase 🙂. Thank you so much! I also like that as a backpack, it allows my to be hands free.