4 Cute Carry-On Bags for Lightweight Spring Break Travel

You’re finishing up your last midterm, which can only mean one thing: Spring Break! Whether you’re traveling somewhere warm or going home for some well-deserved relaxation, a carry-on bag is essential for your traveling needs. 

Carry-ons have to be a very specific size — typically for air travel, they have to be able to fit in the overhead bin, with dimensions no bigger than 22x14x9 inches (you should always double-check the rules for whichever airline you fly) — which makes finding one even more of a challenge. Luckily, I’ve rounded up a few really well-reviewed, lightweight carry-on bags that are perfect for all of your travel needs. Most of the bags are freestanding duffels, but there is a wheeled option if you prefer something like that for maneuvering through an airport.

The Aloha Collection Keep It Light Weekender Duffel is the perfect lightweight weekender duffel that works for plane, car, or even train travel. This duffel is water-resistant, easy to clean and has padded handles for comfortable carrying. It features a small front pocket with a zipper closure, small interior pocket with a zipper, and a trolley sleeve at the back that lets you secure the duffle to your luggage. 

You can buy this duffel on the Aloha Website for $78 (currently on sale for $46.80) in patterns in the colors Malt, Navy, Iced Coffee on Black, Sandstone on Toffee, Creme on Dune, or in a monochrome black. 

The Calpak Weekender Duffel has all the interior and exterior compartments you could need in a bag. Not to mention, the dedicated shoe compartment (designed to keep your clothes clean and your shoes from getting crushed), a luggage trolley sleeve, and an adjustable or removable shoulder strap.

At $225, this duffel is a little pricey on a college budget, but the reviews are so good (a 4.9-star average from 61 reviews at the time of publishing) and you can even purchase a 1-year warranty at checkout. It comes in several cute colors, too: Black, Oatmeal, and Hazelnut, and for a limited time, Bluebell and Orchid. 

The Baboon to the Moon Go-Bags come in two carry-on sizes: Mini and Small. “The bags are basically big backpacks with thick, cushioned shoulder straps, handles around the sides of the bag for easy carrying, and hard, rubberized waterproof shells,” writes Apartment Therapy lifestyle editor Lizzy Francis in her review. In the Mini, the Baboon To The Moon website says that you can generally carry one to three days’ worth of clothing; for the Small three to five days’ worth, and the Big and Go-Big five-plus days’ worth.

In her review, Francis notes that her Mini and Small Go-Bag are somewhat limited on compartments, if that’s important to you in a bag, with some  “mini-pockets, two internal pockets, and a big zipper mesh compartment on the lid of the bag,” but she loves how much the bags can fit overall. 

The Mini and Small Go-Bags each currently come in two limited run colorways, Circuit (a yellowish green) and Mint Chip (a chocolate brown with bright green accents); one core color, Black; and one sale color, Amber (a bright yellow). You can buy the Mini Go-Bag on the Baboon to the Moon website for $169 and the Small for $199.

Quince’s Small Carry-On Suitcase is a compact hardshell that glides smoothly along the airport floor thanks to 360-degree spinner wheels and its lightweight frame. It also sports a TSA-approved lock and comes with a removable laundry bag so you can easily separate your dirty clothing while traveling. Not to mention, it has a 4.9-star average from nearly 740 reviews on the Quince site. 

The Small Carry-On suitcase sells for $120, and comes in seven colors: tan, dark green, olive, navy, wine, blue, and black.