I was never a colorful carry-on luggage gal; I’ve spent most of my life fairly satisfied with black, until recently when I was forced to check a bag–then watched at the carousel as about six people picked up my bag and put it back down before it got to me. Eep. Clearly a cool luggage tag or tying a ribbon around the handle won’t always cut it, so here are a few great options for chic, colorful carry-on luggage that gives you plenty of inspiration to pack light.
I discovered the Hideo Wakamatsuta Jellybean Carry-On several years ago through a sale at Fab.com and absolutely love it. It’s just enough space to pack for a light weekend, or for my girls, I can put each of their clothes on either side (one side closes with a mesh zippered flap) and they’re good to go. It’s a little squishy on the outside which makes it fun, but it’s a very structured bag. Plus, the colors are terrific, whether you get the aqua like we have, or go for this fun neon orange. (Also for a limited time, ground shipping is free on the website with code FREESHIP03 at checkout; it’s also available through our affiliate Amazon.
I wasn’t familiar with French luggage company Lipault Paris until recently, and I instantly fell in love with their Vinyle luggage collection. After trying out the 26″ wheelie bag, I realize it’s way sturdier and more durable than you might think, despite a squishy, shiny exterior. It’s got a sturdy, fairly structured interior and a single zip pouch on the outside, making it smart for a weekend trip. The 180-degree rotating wheels aren’t aren’t as 100% fluid as a super high end bag like Tumi, but it’s a minor issue. Overall, this is a reliable, extremely chic bag that makes you feel swanky as you pull it through the airport. Hopefully toward somewhere warm.
If you like hard side luggage, I’m really intrigued by the F1 Cargo Carry-On Luggage from one of my favorite travel shops, Flight 001. (Also shown at very top.)They’re designed to stack up together, which is a great idea for fitting everything in the car trunk or the valet cart if you have a kid (or two or three) old enough for their own luggage on vacation. It’s fairly lightweight at just under 8 pounds, and the candy-colored polypropylene shell is designed to take a bit of a beating.
Another colorful option from the company is the Lipault Paris 22″ Plume Wheeled Carry-On which you can find at Zappos. The aqua blue (more like a peacock) is a nice gender neutral option, though I am eyeing the purple and fuschia too. What looks like satin is really a water-resistant nylon twill fabric, which makes this bag really lightweight and practical. The reviews on this bag are pure raves.
Kipling has been a trusted brand for ages, and they’re keeping things fresh with colorful carry-on bags like this Kipling New York Lite Carry-On Spinner at Zappos, in a totally not-shy-at-all purple. Yeah, try mistaking that one for yours, Mr. Pick Up Every Single Black Bag Guy.
For more cool travel gear, check our archives.
Thanks to Lipault for providing a bag for review and introducing us to their very cool brand.
