From stylish carry-ons to durable checked luggage, these aluminum suitcases are worth the investment.

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Travel + Leisure

Aluminum luggage is the epitome of luxury. Picture a secret agent handing off a briefcase on the silver screen or astronauts hauling moon rocks back from outer space—that’s aluminum luggage they’re using, at least when it comes to classics like James Bond, Mission Impossible, and the Apollo 11 space mission. These iconic moments don’t feature scuffed up plastic suitcases; it’s sleek aluminum cases that are giving main character energy. This premium luggage comes at a premium price, but like fine jewelry or artwork, a high-quality suitcase is worth the investment—as long as it’s as high-quality as it seems.

We put 16 pieces of aluminum luggage to the test in our Travel + Leisure lab to see how they held up against the other 339 wheeled suitcases and a total of 771 total travel bags that we’ve tested to date. As T+L’s senior testing editor, I was in the lab for our aluminum luggage test to compare each suitcase side by side. We made sure to try pieces from all of the major players in the aluminum luggage game, including Rimowa, Tumi, Zero Halliburton, Sterling Pacific, and more, inspecting their capacity, organization, design, durability, maneuverability, and value. Overall, aluminum luggage is much heavier—and pricier—than the average polycarbonate hardside or polyester softside suitcase, but you’re getting an undeniably stylish and heavy-duty case.

What We Learned

• Aluminum suitcases are heavier than the average polycarbonate or polyester suitcase, with carry-ons averaging 11 pounds and checked luggage weighing closer to 16 pounds.
• Aluminum suitcases dent easily, but part of the allure is that it tells the story of your travels. However, that doesn’t mean they’re not protective—aluminum is hard to crack and will protect fragile items.
• They almost always have latch closures instead of zippers, adding to the timeless design. This means they are not expandable.

Our Top Picks

Best Overall: Rimowa Cabin S at Rimowa.com Jump to Review Most Durable Carry-on: Zero Halliburton Classic Aluminum 3.0 International Carry-on 33L at Amazon $1,045 Jump to Review Most Durable Checked: Samsonite Proxis ALU Large Spinner at Samsonite Jump to Review Best Design: Tumi Aluminum International Carry-on at Tumi.com Jump to Review Best Compact Carry-on: Away The Carry-on Aluminum Edition at Away Travel $625 Jump to Review Best Value: MVST Select TREVA Aluminum Suitcase at Mvstselect.com Jump to Review Best Splurge: Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case at Amazon $2,150 Jump to Review Best Trunk: Monos Aluminum Trunk at Monos.com Jump to Review Best Large Capacity: Away The Large: Aluminum Edition at Nordstrom Jump to Review Best Latches: FPM Milano Bank Spinner 55M at Fpm.it Jump to Review

Best Overall

Rimowa Cabin S

Credit: Rimowa View on Rimowa.com Why We Love It

• It’s lightweight for an aluminum bag, with smooth wheels and an organized interior for short trips.

What to Consider

• It has the smallest capacity out of all the carry-ons on this list.

Rimowa is one of the pioneers of aluminum luggage, producing cases since the 1920s. I see Rimowa bags more often than any other aluminum suitcase in airports around the world, and I was excited to see that it lives up to the hype. It has a simple yet effective design, and while all aluminum bags are heavy compared to the average polycarbonate hardside, this was the most lightweight out of all the ones we tested. It weighed just over 9 pounds, which is reasonable for aluminum luggage. In fact, when we weighed it in the lab, we almost thought we received the wrong bag because we were expecting it to feel much heavier. The wheels turned seamlessly on smooth surfaces, though they required a little effort to wheel over bumps. We also hit the wheels and latches with a metal baseball bat, and they felt durable and secure.

Although this carry-on does not have the smallest dimensions out of all the aluminum suitcases we tested, it does have the smallest capacity. You’ll have to be mindful of your packing list, but we were able to fit enough for a long weekend away, including three outfits, two pairs of shoes, a jacket, and two toiletry cases with some room to spare. The interior dividers helped press everything down, and the built-in pockets helped us organize small items. If you need a little extra space, the Rimowa Original Cabin is a larger alternative (21.7 x 15.8 x 9.1 inches; 9.5 pounds; 34.8-liter capacity).

The Details: Carry-on | 21.7 x 15.8 x 7.9 inches | 9.3 pounds | 31-liter capacity | Limited lifetime warranty

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Most Durable Carry-on

Zero Halliburton Classic Aluminum 3.0 International Carry-on 33L

Credit: Zero Halliburton $1,045 at Amazon View on Zerohalliburton.com View on Altmanluggage.com Why We Love It

• When we threw the carry-on off a table during testing, we were more worried about the floor cracking than the suitcase.

What to Consider

• The wheels felt like they were lagging at times when the bag was fully packed.

Considering how easily most aluminum suitcases dent, Zero Halliburton suitcases are rock solid. We were impressed with how well they held up to our durability tests. I guess we shouldn’t be that surprised—after all, NASA trusted a Zero Halliburton aluminum case to transport 48 pounds of lunar rocks and soil samples from the moon back to Earth with the Apollo 11 mission in 1969. I personally tested two different sizes of Zero Halliburton carry-ons and preferred the International from the Classic Aluminum 3.0 collection over the Continental from the Pursuit Aluminum collection. While the Continental is larger, I thought the International felt higher quality, with a stronger handle that had more height options. 

The bag felt heavy when fully packed, and the wheels had a slight delay when I raced through our obstacle course with it, but it wasn’t terribly noticeable. I hit this carry-on with a metal baseball bat and threw it off a table several times, and while it did get a few scratches and a very minor dent on it, the materials feel extremely protective and hardy. It felt like a boulder when I threw it off the table—I was more worried about the floor cracking than the suitcase. I even hit the handles and latches directly with the bat, and they were so strong that I felt like the bat would be more likely to break than the suitcase. After long-term testing this bag for six months and even checking it on different airlines, it’s still in great shape, with just a few scratches along the way.

The Details: Carry-on | 22 x 14 x 9 inches | 11 pounds | 33-liter capacity | Limited 10-year warranty

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Most Durable Checked

Samsonite Proxis ALU Large Spinner

Credit: Samsonite View on Samsonite View on Macy’s View on Bloomingdales Why We Love It

• This heavy-duty suitcase will hold up well to being checked, and it’s packed with organizational features.

What to Consider

• It is the heaviest suitcase on this list, so you’ll have to pack carefully to avoid overweight baggage fees.

It’s extremely important for checked luggage to be durable since it’s inevitably going to get thrown around, and this Samsonite Proxis felt like the most heavy-duty checked suitcase we tested. The most important thing to know is that this is the heaviest suitcase on this list at 16.7 pounds, so if that’s a deal breaker for you, take a look at our favorite lightweight luggage we’ve tested instead. However, it’s that thick, protective exterior that makes this suitcase feel so robust. This extremely spacious bag is full of organizational features, including dividers with pockets, adjustable compression straps, and a removable packing panel that you can use to separate dirty clothes and shoes from the rest of your belongings. We liked that the panel was removable but wished it had snaps or zippers so we could attach it to the bag. Because of how spacious and heavy the bag is, you’ll have to be mindful of what you pack inside to avoid overweight baggage fees. When it came to maneuverability, we thought the wheels rolled easily, and the handle was solid, but we had to use a bit more effort to wheel the bag over curbs and ridges. The exterior did not show any marks after we threw it around in the lab, and we think it will hold up well when we check it during real-world testing.

The Details: Checked suitcase | 29.9 x 20.5 x 11.4 inches | 16.7 pounds | Limited 10-year warranty

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The 6 Best Luggage Scales, Tested and Reviewed

Best Design

Tumi Aluminum International Carry-on

Credit: Tumi View on Tumi.com $1,295 $1,035 at Bloomingdales $1,195 at Saks Fifth Avenue Why We Love It

• This elegant suitcase has fully zippered closures on both sides, compression straps, a hanger bracket, and leather-wrapped handles.

What to Consider

• It can feel heavy to lift into overhead bins despite being one of the smallest-capacity carry-ons we tested.

We love the thoughtful design of this elegant Tumi carry-on, with the brand’s signature textured waves on the outside and many well-placed pockets and zippers inside. Both halves of the interior have fully zippered closures with pockets and compression straps—making it possible to use the compression straps to pack the contents as tightly as possible, and then zipper it all into place. There’s also a hanger bracket inside. This is a compact bag, so it helps to use every available bit of space. If you’re debating between a Rimowa and a Tumi, T+L associate editorial director Morgan Ashley Parker owns aluminum suitcases from both brands and thinks the Tumi has better internal organization, while Rimowa has better compression.

Though the bag felt heavy for its small size when we lifted it into the overhead bins on our airplane set, the weight felt well-distributed when we rolled it in all directions. The leather-wrapped handles also make it comfortable to carry. The icing on the cake is that it’s available in some eye-catching colors that you can’t always find for aluminum luggage, including the blush pink shade we tested and a striking gunmetal color.

The Details: Carry-on | 22 x 14 x 9 inches | 11 pounds | 31-liter capacity | 5-year warranty

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Best Compact Carry-on

Away The Carry-on Aluminum Edition

Credit: Away $625 at Away Travel Why We Love It

• If you want something as compact as possible for overhead bins, this carry-on has the smallest dimensions on this list, plus an effective built-in compression panel.

What to Consider

• It got scratched just from laying it on the floor.

If you’re worried about strict overhead bin size requirements, this Away carry-on has the smallest dimensions out of all the aluminum suitcases we tested. It should comply with many international flights on major airlines (though every airline has different rules for domestic and international flights, so always do your due diligence, and check before flying). The carry-on size restrictions most commonly found is 22 x 14 x 9 inches, and this carry-on fits the bill at 21.5 x 13.5 x 9 inches. You have to be a meticulous packer with aluminum suitcases since they don’t offer expandable features, but Away’s built-in compression panels help maximize packing space. I personally tested this suitcase in the lab and found that the dividers did a great job of smushing all the clothing down, especially when I buckled them in and pulled the straps tight.

Like other Away suitcases, I thought it was effortlessly smooth to roll over different types of flooring in our obstacle course, and the slow-release grab handles are spacious and sturdy. The suitcase did get very easily scratched when I laid it down on the floor, so just be aware that it’s going to get marked up when you travel with it. This suitcase is one of the lowest prices on this list as well. If you need more space, we’ve also tested and loved the larger Away The Bigger Carry-On: Aluminum Edition, but I’ve noticed it’s often sold out in silver and black.

The Details: Carry-on | 21.5 x 13.5 x 9 inches | 10.1 pounds | 35-liter capacity | Limited lifetime warranty

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Best Value

MVST Select TREVA Aluminum Suitcase

Credit: MVST View on Mvstselect.com Why We Love It

• This is by far the most affordable option on this list, and it comes with extras like a luggage cover and a leather luggage tag.

What to Consider

• The interior materials seemed less durable than the pricier brands.

You may have noticed by now that aluminum luggage can be pricier than the average suitcase, so if you’re looking for something more accessible, MVST offers—by far—the lowest price point on this list. The average price of the aluminum suitcases we tested comes out to $1,100, and you can get this one for less than half that. It comes with a clear luggage cover, a dust bag, and a leather luggage tag, making it a great value, and we also loved the unique color options. We were impressed with the smoothness of the wheels, finding it very easy to roll the fully packed bag around the lab and over different textures. The three-height handle was easy to adjust, and the slow-release side handles gently returned to their position when we let go. We thought the latches felt secure, and the exterior of the bag felt durable, but we were underwhelmed by the interior of the bag; it felt less polished than the more expensive suitcases, with visible glue on the seams and fewer pockets. If you’re really hankering for an aluminum suitcase but want to save hundreds of dollars, this is your best bet.

The Details: Carry-on | 21.7 x 14.8 x 8.7 inches | 9.6 pounds | 34-liter capacity | Limited lifetime warranty

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The 12 Best Affordable Luggage Pieces, Tested and Reviewed

Best Splurge

Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case

Credit: Sterling Pacific $2,150 at Amazon View on Sterlingpacific.com View on Bloomingdales Why We Love It

• This premium pick has no expenses spared, with leather-wrapped handles, stainless steel rivets, and a suede interior.

What to Consider

• This suitcase doesn’t come cheap, and it may exceed size restrictions with some airlines.

Sometimes you want a value buy, and sometimes you want to splurge on a premium pick with all the bells and whistles. I own this Sterling Pacific beauty, and the hefty price tag is reflected in the high-quality craftsmanship and details, like the stainless steel rivets and the leather-wrapped handles featuring leather that comes from an independent tannery in the Veneto region of Italy. I usually have trouble fitting all of my belongings into a carry-on, so I specifically chose this one for its size. With a 40-liter capacity, it’s one of the largest of all the carry-ons on this list and a nice option for overpackers who still want to travel with a carry-on. Just be aware that it may be too large for some airlines. 

Even the interior, lined with soft, brown suede, feels high-end. One side fully zips shut and has a pocket on the divider, while the other side has straps that you can buckle over the clothing diagonally, keeping them securely in place. The suitcase rolled beautifully both in the lab and over a mile of concrete as I walked it back home with me, with reinforced wheels that displayed no wear and tear from all the bumps I put it through. I also loved the sturdy, multiheight handle that didn’t wiggle around. It comes with a small toiletry case packed with leather wax, a cleaning cloth, and an aluminum pen. 

The Details: Carry-on | 22.5 x 14 x 9 inches | 12 pounds | 40-liter capacity | Limited lifetime warranty

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Best Trunk

Monos Aluminum Trunk

Credit: Monos View on Monos.com Why We Love It

• The tall shape, deep compartment, and many pockets offer lots of packing space for long trips.

What to Consider

• Expect it to get dented when you check it.

Popular luggage brand Monos launched its first aluminum luggage collection this past March, and we love this trunk for long trips. Travel trunks are different from typical checked suitcases because of their slim, tall silhouettes and deep compartments that can hold bulky items or stacked packing cubes. This Monos trunk has a 70/30-ratio opening and many pockets that gave us ample packing space. We also thought the quilted lining, built-in luggage tag attachment, and bottom grab handle were all nice touches. It weighs slightly less than the other checked suitcases on this list, though not by much, but it didn’t feel particularly heavy when we packed it full and hoisted it onto a table. It acquired some dent marks when we hit it lightly with a baseball bat but felt sturdy overall. The metal bumpers that should absorb some of the impact if it falls and lands on the corners. 

The Details: Checked suitcase | 29.8 x 15.9 x 13.9 inches | 15.5 pounds | 79.3-liter capacity | Limited lifetime warranty

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Best Large Capacity

Away The Large: Aluminum Edition

Credit: Away View on Nordstrom $745 at Away Travel Why We Love It

• This 95-liter bag is both spacious and easy to wheel.

What to Consider

• Because of the size, it’s difficult to lift when packed full.

This spacious suitcase is the largest on this list and the biggest suitcase Away offers, making it the best option for long-haul trips or multiple people packing together. The interior compression system and clip-in, pocketed panel both helped with organization. Even though it’s heavy, we still found it easy to roll the fully packed bag on different surfaces, from tiled flooring to carpet, but the wheels didn’t handle sharp turns as smoothly as the smaller carry-on from Away (also on this list). It was a struggle for one person to carry it up and down stairs when we tested it long-term, so keep in mind you may need a helping hand if you’re traveling somewhere with stairs. Nonetheless, the weight felt evenly distributed when we rolled it around, and the handle seemed to support the weight of the bag well, even after we hit it with a baseball bat several times. Our bat hits gave it a few noticeable dents, but the bag stayed in good condition when we checked it several times over the course of six months, retaining its shape and durability through TSA, sand, rain, and falling on concrete.

The Details: Checked suitcase | 29 x 20.5 x 12.5 inches | 16 pounds | 95.1-liter capacity | Limited lifetime warranty

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The 10 Best Luggage Straps to Solve Common Travel Woes

Best Latches

FPM Milano Bank Spinner 55M

Credit: FPM Milano View on Fpm.it View on Luggagepros.com View on Luggageonline.com Why We Love It

• The butterfly clasp has a unique locking mechanism that won’t pop open in transit.

What to Consider

• Some of the accents felt lower quality than others, like the plastic side handle.

All of the aluminum luggage on this list have latches in place of zippers to open and close the bags, but FPM Milano suitcases have the most unique closures we’ve seen. The Bank Spinner has two butterfly latches, an elegant detail that you can twist into place to keep the carry-on securely closed. They never felt like they would accidentally pop open in any way, and there’s also an additional TSA-compatible lock on the side between the two latches. The interior of this Italian-made suitcase is equally stylish, with leather belts and no zippers other than the one on the included packing cube. Considering the high price, we felt that some of the bag’s accents weren’t as high-quality as others; for example, the top handle is made from leather, while the side handle feels more like a plastic material. Considering the price point is nearly $2,000, we wish they were both made from leather. It’s the heaviest carry-on on this list, and it felt rather bulky when we hoisted it into the overhead bin during testing. It also got a scratch when we simply placed it in the overhead bin. The style is unique and will stand out in a sea of Rimowas if you want something different. 

The Details: Carry-on | 21.5 x 16 x 9.5 inches | 12.1 pounds | 37.5-liter capacity | Limited lifetime warranty

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Best Smart

Arlo Skye The Frame Carry-on Max: Aluminum Edition

Credit: Arlo Skye View on Arloskye.com View on Altmanluggage.com Why We Love It

• It comes with a removable USB-C and USB-A charger that will speed-charge your phone on the go.

What to Consider

• It doesn’t roll as smooth as other brands we tested, and may be too large for some overhead bins.

If charging capabilities are important to you, this Arlo Skye carry-on comes with a removable 10,050 mAh external battery with USB-C and USB-A ports, allowing you to charge a variety of devices, including phones, tablets, and smartwatches. It’s the most spacious carry-on on this list with a 45-liter capacity (in fact, it’s one of the most spacious carry-ons we’ve ever tested), so keep in mind that it may be too large for smaller airlines. I tested this bag in the lab and noticed that the wheels didn’t roll as smoothly in all directions as some of the other brands on this list when swerving it through the obstacle course, but I felt that it held up better than most bags during our durability tests after hitting the back and the handle area with a metal baseball bat. If you ever have to check this bag, make sure to remove the battery first so it doesn’t get lost—the battery compartment is located near the top handle, and it flung open when we were grasping for the handle while getting out of a cab during long-term testing. 

The Details: Carry-on | 23 x 15 x 9.6 inches | 10.5 pounds | 45-liter capacity | 5-year limited warranty

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Our Testing Process

We’ve tested over 770 travel bags at T+L, including over 300 wheeled suitcases and a total of 16 aluminum suitcases. We pack each suitcase for either a three-day trip for a carry-on or a week-long trip for checked baggage to compare the capacities, taking notes on organizational features like pockets or compression panels. Then, we wheeled the suitcases through obstacle courses featuring different types of flooring and stanchions placed to replicate an airport check-in line to see how smooth the wheels roll and how comfortable the handles feel to hold.

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We built a replica airplane set in our lab to test the carry-ons out in an overhead bin, noting how light or heavy they felt to lift and how well-placed the handles were. For durability testing, we hit the larger sized suitcases with baseball bats to see how easily they scratched or dented. We also hit the unlocked latches on the suitcases to see how secure they felt. 

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As senior testing editor, I personally looked at every aluminum suitcase we tested, comparing and contrasting all of the suitcases side by side. We then sent out each suitcase for long-term testing, and we’ll travel with them over the course of six months to see how they hold up in real airports, trains, and other modes of transportation. We will update this article with our findings.

Tips for Buying

Pay attention to size and weight

Think about whether you prefer to travel light with a carry-on only or if you need as much packing space as possible with a checked suitcase. Some airlines are more strict about carry-on sizes than others, so if you’re worried about being forced to gate-check your bag at the last minute, choose one of the smaller sizes, like the Away The Carry-On: Aluminum Edition. Don’t forget that aluminum luggage tends to be pretty heavy as well, so make sure to look at the weight before you purchase to avoid any surprises when you need to lift your bag into the overhead bin or onto a train. We’ve listed the dimensions, weight, and capacity for each suitcase on our list. 

Look at the organizational features

Every suitcase has a different interior set-up: some are more open and spacious, which doesn’t offer much for organization but gives you creative freedom to place your clothing wherever you’d like or fill it with bulkier items like boots, while others have compression panels, buckles, or zippered dividers to hold your belongings into place. Unlike softside suitcases, which almost always have one or two exterior pockets, aluminum suitcases rarely have any exterior pockets, so you may want something with pockets inside for smaller items or documents. Some aluminum suitcases even have hanger brackets or removable packing cubes.

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Read the warranty and return policy

Since aluminum luggage can be a big purchase, you should familiarize yourself with the warranty and return policy before it’s too late to use it. Even a lifetime warranty has rules and regulations, and it doesn’t mean you can return your suitcase just because it dents or gets scratched. Plus, every luggage company is different. Some lifetime warranties will cover manufacturing defects or damage that prevents your suitcase from being functional, like a crack in the shell that prevents it from opening, a broken zipper, or a wheel that breaks off. Warranties rarely cover cosmetic damage that can occur over time, such as dents, scratches, scuffs, or discoloration. This is important because aluminum luggage can dent and scratch easily, and you likely won’t be able to return it for that kind of wear and tear after you travel with it, even if you think it was the airline or airport workers’ fault. However, keep in mind that denting is part of the aluminum luggage experience, so wear it like a badge of honor. 

We recommend lightly testing out your luggage at home before traveling with it (for example, see how the wheels roll, make sure the handle heights work, and check all of the zippers) to make sure everything is up to your standards. If there is anything you dislike, return it right away to avoid missing the return window if there is one. Always keep your receipt, and register your luggage on the luggage brand’s website if you can.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why Trust Travel + Leisure

Jackie Cucco is a senior testing editor at T+L and attends every luggage test. She was in the lab for all aluminum luggage testing and examined each piece of luggage to compare the sizes, weights, and design. She tested aluminum carry-ons from Zero Halliburton, Away, and Sterling Pacific in the lab, and owns the Sterling Pacific 40L Cabin Travel Case.

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