Which cabin bag brands to buy in 2021

Buying luggage can be expensive, so you want to make sure that yours makes the best use of its space and is good value for money. 

We’ve surveyed more than 1,000 people to find out the best cabin bag brands for taking on your next flight. 

Our survey results show a noticeable difference between the best and worst cabin bag brands. Cabin bags from the lowest-scoring brands have trouble fitting into overhead lockers on planes while the best brands won’t cause you any trouble.

Our survey looks at how customers feel about the most well-known brands from IT Luggage to John Lewis and Samsonite, measuring them on everything from how easy they are to wheel around on different surfaces to whether customers feel they got good value for money. 

The results show which cabin bags are the best for aeroplane travel, so if you’re a frequent flier, you can choose the perfect cabin bag for your trips.

Best vs worst cabin bag brands

There is a big gap between the highest and lowest-scoring brands, with the top-scoring brand getting 87% and the lowest getting 73%. 

We’ve tested cabin bags from different brands in this survey, putting them through their paces in drop tests and water resistance tests. By consulting our expert cabin bag reviews, you can find a model that does brilliantly in our tests and receives a good score for customer satisfaction.

Read our cabin bag reviews to find the best model for you.

The best cabin bag brands

The table below summarises the results for this year’s customer satisfaction survey.

Brands are ranked by customer score, which is measured by how satisfied customers are and whether they would recommend the brand. The higher the score, the more likely customers are to recommend the brand.

Table notes: The above data is based on a survey of 1,064 Which? members in May 2019.

Verdicts: Cabin bag brands rated

Find out more about each of the brands rated in our survey

Only logged in Which? members can view the full results hidden below. If you're not yet a member, join Which? to get instant access.

The brands we cover are listed here in alphabetical order:

• Aerolite cabin bags verdict
• American Tourister cabin bags verdict
• Antler cabin bags verdict
• Eastpak cabin bags
• IT Luggage cabin bags verdict
• John Lewis cabin bags verdict
• Marks and Spencer cabin bags verdict
• Revelation cabin bags verdict
• Samsonite cabin bags verdict 
• Tripp cabin bags verdict

Head to our cabin bag reviews

Know which cabin bag you want? Head straight to our cabin bag reviews and find your ideal model.

Or if you’re looking for the perfect suitcase instead, head to our suitcase reviews to find the most durable and easy to use1