The Travel Gear Index
Every product we have compiled, in one place, with the inputs that produced its score. This is the raw material behind every ranking on the site — published, so the conclusions can be checked rather than trusted.
- Products compiled
- 39
- With a published price
- 24
- Scored on at least one axis
- 39
- Airline policies compiled
- 14
Specifications compiled 3 September 2026; airline limits checked 3 September 2026. Every product links to the manufacturer page its figures came from. The scoring method.
How to read this page
This is the ledger, not a recommendation. Every product on the site appears here regardless of how it scored, including the ones we tell you to skip. The Fits column is the count of US carriers whose published limit each product’s published dimensions satisfy on all three sides — and it is the column most likely to surprise you.
For the argument rather than the data, the rankings are the place to go: Best Carry-On Luggage Under $100, The Best Carry-On Luggage, Lightweight Carry-On Luggage, The Most Durable Carry-On Luggage, and 36 pages in total.
Carry-on luggage
Wheeled cabin cases. Ranked here on cost per covered warranty year, which is the figure that reframes a category where prices span 4.3×.
| # | Product | Cost per covered year | Fits | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Travelpro Maxlite 5 Carry-On Spinner (21 in)Southwest, Frontier and Sun Country flyers who want a lifetime warranty | $8/yr | 3 of 11WN F9 SY | 6.6 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 2 | American Tourister Stratum 2.0 Carry-On SpinnerThe under-$100 buyer who still wants a decade of coverage | $9.00/yr | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 5.9 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 3 | American Tourister Moonlight Spinner (21 in)Buyers who prefer single spinner wheels to doubles | $9.10/yr | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 5.9 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 4 | Samsonite Omni PC Carry-On Spinner (20 in)A hard shell that survives being sat on by the bag above it | $12.75/yr | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 5.4 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 5 | Samsonite Freeform Carry-On Spinner (21 in)Southwest and Sun Country flyers who want a hard shell | $13.00/yr | 3 of 11WN F9 SY | 5.1 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 6 | Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On Spinner (21 in)Frequent flyers who check a carry-on at the gate often | $19.50/yr | 3 of 11WN F9 SY | 4.8 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 7 | LEVEL8 Road Runner Carry-On (20 in)Anyone who wants a front laptop pocket on a hard shell | $9.50/yr | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 4.7 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 8 | American Tourister Airconic Carry-On SpinnerHawaiian's 25 lb carry-on cap, and anyone lifting a bag overhead unaided | Not published | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 3.8 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 9 | Amazon Basics Hardside Spinner (21 in)One or two trips a year on Southwest, Frontier or Allegiant | Not published | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 3.4 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 10 | Samsonite Winfield 3 DLX Spinner (20 in)Buyers who want polycarbonate and the smallest published overage | Not published | 3 of 11WN F9 SY | 3.3 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 11 | Delsey Paris Helium Aero Carry-On Spinner (21 in)Nothing in this ledger — see the alternatives above it | Not published | 3 of 11WN F9 SY | 3.3 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 12 | Rockland Melbourne Hardside Spinner (20 in)Flying carriers that actually measure, and packing light on purpose | Not published | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 3.1 | Check price#ad How we earn |
Travel backpacks
One-bag packs. Ranked on weight per liter, because in this category everything you pack you also carry.
| # | Product | Weight per liter | Fits | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Osprey Fairview 40 Travel PackShorter torsos, and anyone the Farpoint's shoulder straps do not suit | 0.09 lb/L | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 8.6 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 2 | Osprey Farpoint 40 Travel PackOne-bag travel on any carrier that measures | 0.08 lb/L | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 7.2 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 3 | Peak Design Travel Backpack 45LFlying carriers with different limits on the outbound and the return | 0.10 lb/L | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 5.9 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 4 | Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel PackClamshell packing when every ounce is being counted | 0.08 lb/L | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 4.7 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 5 | Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40LReaders who want the tightest published depth in a 40 L bag | 0.11 lb/L | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 4.1 | Not sold on Amazon#ad How we earn |
Personal-item bags
Bags sized to fit under the seat. Checked against personal-item limits rather than carry-on limits, which are much tighter and vary far more.
| # | Product | Published size | Fits | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Osprey Daylite Plus 20L BackpackA personal item that is also the daypack for the whole trip | 19 × 11 × 9.5 in | 0 carriers | 6.8 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 2 | Narwey Foldable Personal Item Bag (18 × 14 × 8 in)Frontier and Allegiant flyers refusing to pay for an overhead bag | 18 × 14 × 8 in | 3 of 11AA F9 G4 | 2.1 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 3 | MATEIN Professional Travel Laptop BackpackWorking travelers whose personal item has to be the laptop bag | 18 × 14 × 8 in | 3 of 11AA F9 G4 | 2.1 | Check price#ad How we earn |
Duffels
The best capacity-per-pound figures anywhere on this site, at the cost of having no fixed shape.
| # | Product | Weight per liter | Fits | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Osprey Daylite Duffel 45Maximum published volume that still clears a 22 × 14 × 9 in sizer | 0.03 lb/L | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 9.8 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 2 | Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler Duffel 40LA duffel that will actually pass a gate sizer | 0.05 lb/L | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 8.9 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 3 | Patagonia Black Hole Duffel 40LA carry-on that becomes a backpack when the terminal is long | 0.05 lb/L | 1 of 11SY | 6.5 | Check price#ad How we earn |
Packing systems
Cubes and compression. Ranked on added weight, because a cube is the only thing you pack whose job is holding other things you pack.
| # | Product | Published capacity | Fits | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Peak Design Packing Cube (Medium)A single cube doing the whole job in a 40 L bag | 18 L | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 9.4 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 2 | Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate Compression Cube SetBuyers who want compression under a lifetime warranty | Not published | Not published | 9.3 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 3 | Peak Design Packing Cube (Small)Personal-item bags and 20 L daypacks | 9 L | Not published | 8.9 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 4 | Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal Packing Cube Set (XS/S/M)Anyone who wants cubes once and never again | 11 L | Not published | 8.3 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 5 | Gonex Compression Packing Cubes (4-piece set)First-time cube buyers testing whether cubes suit them at all | Not published | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 5.6 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 6 | Veken Packing Cubes (6-piece set)Two people sharing one case and needing their halves separate | Not published | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 5.6 | Check price#ad How we earn |
Accessories
Toiletry bags, adapters and flight kit. The category where published specifications are thinnest and 'Not published' appears most.
| # | Product | Published size | Fits | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ceptics World Travel Adapter Kit (11-piece)High-draw devices and anyone who wants a grounded connection | 2 × 1.75 × 1.75 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 8.2 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 2 | Peak Design Wash Pouch (2.5L)A toiletry bag bought once | 10.2 × 6 × 4.4 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 6.5 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 3 | Bellroy Travel FolioKeeping the passport and the boarding pass in the same hand | 6.8 × 4.5 × 0.8 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 6.2 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 4 | Peak Design Small Wash Pouch (1L)Carry-on-only travel with a minimal routine | 10.2 × 5.1 × 3.9 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 5.9 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 5 | EPICKA TA-105C Universal Travel AdapterPhone, tablet and headphone charging across plug standards | 2.8 × 2.05 × 1.97 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 5.8 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 6 | BAGSMART Blast 4.5L Hanging Toiletry BagCarry-on-only travel inside the TSA 3-1-1 limit | 10.24 × 5.9 × 4.72 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 5.7 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 7 | BAGSMART Space Saver Pro Toiletry Bag (Large)Travelers who want their liquids bag to lift out at the checkpoint | 12.2 × 9 × 4 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 5.6 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 8 | Trtl Pillow PlusHeads that fall sideways rather than forward | 8.7 × 8.7 × 3.6 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 5.6 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 9 | BCOZZY Travel Neck PillowForward head-drop, at the lowest published weight here | 11.02 × 9.84 × 4.72 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 5.6 | Check price#ad How we earn |
| 10 | Cabeau Evolution S3 Travel PillowOvernight flights in economy | 10 × 9.5 × 5.5 in | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 3.3 | Check price#ad How we earn |
No live price is currently verified, so every button here reads Check price rather than a number we cannot stand behind. See how we handle prices.
What is not in this ledger
Plenty. This index contains only products whose manufacturer publishes enough for us to rank them honestly — dimensions at minimum, and ideally weight, capacity, price and warranty terms. Whole categories are missing for that reason: travel wallets, compression socks, cord organizers, packable laundry bags.
A few well-known bags are also absent because they are not sold through any program we belong to and their makers publish specifications we have not compiled. When we compile them properly they will appear here, with their sources, whether or not we earn anything on them. How that works.
If a product you rate is missing, tell us and point at its spec page. That is how this list grows.