Best Products Style Fashion I'm a Travel Writer, and This Rolling Carry-on Duffel Is the Best Soft-sided Suitcase I've Ever Used It fit everything I needed for my 15-day honeymoon trip. By Hannah Freedman Hannah Freedman Instagram Hannah Freedman is a content strategy manager and award-winning writer and editor on the eCommerce team with nearly a decade of print and digital editorial experience in the travel, lifestyle, and eCommerce space. She is an on-air travel and product expert with appearances on Cheddar and local TV stations. A travel and product junkie, she has tested out and written about everything from her favorite hotels to the best concealers to the comfiest lounge sets. Hannah holds a BA in English & Creative Writing with a Spanish minor from The George Washington University and an MS in Publishing & Digital Media from New York University. She has also been a two-time recipient of the North American Travel Journalists Association Travel Media Awards in 2018. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on May 18, 2022 Share Tweet Pin Email Photo: Courtesy of Nordstrom As a travel writer and editor who's been lucky enough to visit nearly 50 countries, I have my standard packing routine down pat. And that routine always included a hard-sided carry-on. I hate waiting around at baggage claim, so I never check a bag, and I've always preferred the sturdiness and forced inability to overpack that comes with a hard-sided suitcase. But when I recently went on safari for my honeymoon, that all changed. Getting to your safari lodge usually requires taking a tiny plane that's often crammed to the brim with not just luggage, but also supplies for the hotel and neighboring outposts. Because of this, most lodges require you to pack a soft-sided bag, and my lodge even specifically noted that duffels were best. Knowing that I was headed on a 15-day trip that included not just a safari but also city and country stays in Johannesburg, Cape Town, and South Africa's Winelands, and would need numerous outfits to match these various activities, the thought of packing it all into a duffel left me reeling. Duffel bags have always been my least favorite luggage option for two reasons: they're impossible to keep organized and carrying one always hurts my shoulder, no matter how padded the strap. Related: I'm a Travel Writer — and This Is the One Last-minute Packing Hack I Swear By So when I stumbled on Briggs & Riley's Rolling Carry-on Duffle, I was excited to put it to the test. It easily solved my shoulder strap issue by offering wheels and an adjustable handle. And unlike traditional duffel bags that open down the middle into one large abyss, this bag unzips all the way around and folds open completely like a traditional soft-sided carry-on. Plus, it features numerous pockets for organizing and buckled straps to keep folded clothes neatly in place. Courtesy of Nordstrom To buy: nordstrom.com, amazon.com, and briggs-riley.com, $429 Despite its smart design, I was still extremely worried about whether everything I needed would actually fit in the 21-inch bag. To my shock and delight, the deep interior offered me plenty of space. While I am an admittedly light packer, I was impressively able to fit four safari outfits, running shoes, flip flops, numerous dresses, linen pants, several tops, two hiking sets, two bathing suits, a cover-up, and two lightweight sweaters in this bag. I even managed to get my mini travel straightener in the top mesh pocket. In the end, this carry-on and my Madewell tote were all I brought on my entire two-week trip. The rolling duffel ended up being the perfect bag. Its ballistic nylon exterior made it incredibly durable; it wheeled seamlessly on every surface, including dirt landing strips; and it effortlessly fit on every plane we took, from the overhead bins on our trans-atlantic flights to the back of a tiny four-seater plane. Plus, it even had a handy top pocket to keep my passport and wallet secure and accessible and a phone pocket on the back that made going through security a breeze. It's safe to say I'm officially a duffel bag convert. At $429, the Rolling Carry-on Duffle is a worthy splurge that will last you years to come. While I haven't found anything of the same size and durability that packs quite like the Briggs & Riley version, if you're seeking a less expensive piece of luggage, you can find a few alternative wheeled duffel bag options on Amazon. Shop more rolling duffel bag options here: Osprey Rolling Transporter, $280 Solo New York Leroy Carry-On Wheeled Duffle Bag, $120 (originally $142) ebags Mother Lode 21 Inches Carry-On Rolling Duffel, $130 (originally $170) Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week. Was this page helpful? Thanks for your feedback! Tell us why! Other Submit