The Best Luggage For Your Money

But before you even start packing, picking a suitcase is the crucial first decision.

We turned to the experts at FindTheBest to help us determine the best, most affordable luggage in three popular categories: hard-side, soft-side and carry-on.

Travel product managers at FindTheBest picked the luggage based on price, size, warranty and durability.

The site provided descriptions of what made each bag a top choice in its category.

Carry-on Bags

Pacific Gear 20-Inch Carry-On Friendly Rolling Duffel: "Has a nice, compact duffel-bag feel, but the built-in wheels and retractable handle make transportation a breeze." [$40]

Delsey Helium Quantum Tote: "A business-like carry-on ideal for transporting laptops, tablets, books, and paperwork." [$60]

Samsonite Aspire Sport Upright 21 Expandable Bag: "A particularly large carry-on that will just squeeze by the TSA. Good for heavy packers." [$77]

Hardside Luggage

Delsey Helium Shadow 2.0 25 Trolley: "Great combination of light weight and durability." [$135]

Ricardo Beverly Hills Pasadena 2.0 24 Expandable Spinner Upright: "A simple looking piece of luggage with features that sneak up on you. Try the expandable compartments inside." [$138]

Travelpro Crew 9 25 Expandable Hardside Spinner: "Customers praise its reliable, flexible roller wheels, which provide fluid motion but also withstand years of use." [$170]

Softside Luggage

Samsonite Aspire Sport 29 Upright: "A little-bit-of-everything piece of luggage-lots of internal space, great extra compartments, expandable. Hard to find all these features at this price." [$90]

High Sierra Evolution 25 Upright: "Surprisingly light for its size and space." [$99]

Delsey Helium Quantum 29 Expandable Trolley: "Luggage tends to get a lot more expensive at this size, but the Delsey Helium Quantum 29 has a price tag you'd expect on a piece half the size." [$102]