The best luggage sets for men

Two things make this the default recommendation. The first is that the sizes are published honestly and both are usable: a cabin case at 22.25 x 14.5 x 9.5 in overall - which is a quarter inch over the US convention and worth knowing before a strict-sizer flight - and a 25-inch medium at 55.65 linear inches, comfortably inside 62 and able to reach 50 lb at about the point it is full.

The second is the service network. Samsonite's 10-year limited warranty is narrower than Briggs & Riley's guarantee on paper, but it sits on a parts and repair operation no other brand matches, which turns the common failure - a wheel - into a part order rather than a replacement purchase. The gloss shell does scuff; the textured Omni 2 below is the answer if that bothers you. Full range and warranty terms in our Samsonite roundup, and the single-bag write-up is here.

Empty weight is the only part of a 50 lb allowance you can buy back, and softside is where you buy it. Every pound the case does not weigh is a pound of belongings that stays under the limit, which is why this set ranks second on a page about packing heavy rather than last. Two pieces, both expandable, both light.

Do the registration. The limited lifetime warranty applies regardless, but the Trusted Companion Promise - the half that covers damage caused by an airline, which is how most bags actually break - only starts if you register inside 120 days of buying it. Terms in our warranties guide; the softside field in full in best softside luggage sets.

Texture is an underrated specification. A micro-diamond shell does not resist damage any better than a gloss one, but it does not advertise it either - and since nothing you can buy prevents a baggage system from scuffing a case, hiding the marks is the only available win. Samsonite publishes 9.0 lb empty and 55.25 linear inches for the Omni 2 24-inch medium, which is the piece in this set you will use most.

Three pieces is the right call when more than one person travels with the set, or when you want a medium and a large for genuinely different trip lengths. For one traveler it is usually one case too many - our three-piece set page works through when the third piece earns its place, and best 24-inch luggage makes the case for the medium over the large in detail.

The spec worth knowing is the one that is easy to get wrong: this shell is textured ABS, per American Tourister's own published specifications, not polycarbonate. ABS is lighter on cost and holds its color well; it is also less willing to flex under impact and more inclined to crack where polycarbonate springs back. On a bag you check a handful of times a year that is a reasonable trade. On one you check monthly it is not.

The 54.6 linear inches on the medium is the number to pay attention to - that is seven inches of headroom under the 62-inch ceiling, which is where you want to be. The full American Tourister range, including the carry-ons that publish over 22 x 14 x 9 in, is in our American Tourister roundup.

Polypropylene is the under-discussed third hardside material. It is lighter than polycarbonate and more flexible than ABS; what it gives up is stiffness, so the shell deflects more under a point load. For a bag you want light and do not plan to sit on, it is a sound choice, and it is the reason this set weighs what it does. Our polypropylene vs polycarbonate guide has the comparison properly.

The configuration caveat is the same as everywhere on this page: this is a carry-on plus a large case, and large cases are the ones that run out of allowance before they run out of space. If you only ever check one bag, look at the two-piece sets with a 24 or 25-inch medium instead. The single-bag review is here.

We have kept this set on the page rather than dropping it, because it is genuinely good-looking and widely bought, and because it makes the 28-inch point better than any amount of prose. Twenty-eight inches is the size men reach for and the size that punishes them: the 50 lb limit arrives first, the 62-linear-inch limit is close behind, and the result is a half-empty case that still costs an overweight fee.

If you want the aesthetic and not the problem, LEVEL8's zipperless aluminum-frame cabin bags are the stronger expression of the same design language - our LEVEL8 Grace review and zipperless luggage guide cover them. For the right large-case choice if you really do need one, see best 28-inch luggage.