Luggage for Business Travel: The Best and Worst Types

What you use to pack your bags is just as important as what goes inside. 

But what’s the best bag for your business trip?

There’s a lot of luggage options for the business traveler, but we want to make sure you have the bag that’s best for you. Some trips get you home within the day, but others keep you away for more than a few days. Depending on the duration of your trip, you’ll have to choose between a smaller carry-on or a larger checked bag. 

This guide can help you choose the best luggage for business travel based on how long your trip will be and what you need to pack. 

We’ve also included a few packing hacks to make sure you fill your bag the best way possible! 

Carry-On Luggage

If your business trip is less than two days, you’re likely on a tight schedule. 

So, instead of big, bulky bags, choose a smaller carry-on bag. 

This can help you maximize time (no more waiting at the baggage carousel) and avoid worrying about checked bags getting lost along the way. Another benefit of carry-on luggage is that you don’t have to worry about lost luggage. 

We’ve come up with a list of carry-ons that match the goals of your business trip. Whichever carry-on works for you, check out the packing hacks we’ve included to make the most of the limited space you have in your bag.

#1. Rollaboard Bags

If you prefer rolling through the airport with ease, rollaboard bags are for you. 

These are great for business trips that take you away from home for longer than one night. Long haul flights require more supplies so a rollaboard might be your best bet for cross-country or international trips.

 

Carry-on rollaboard bags are big enough that you can pack more than a few days worth of business packing essentials with Trusted brands for rollaboards include Tumi and Travelpro, which offer frequent travelers compartments for storing and organizing everything you might need. 

Top pick: Travelpro Maxlite 5 19-Inch Luggage
Runner up: Tumi Latitude International Carry-on

Bonus: Some rollaboard bags are small enough to fit beneath the seat in front of you in case there is no overhead bin space. 

This is incredibly helpful if you’re on a full flight and the airline is asking passengers to check their bags. Instead of giving yours up to the mercy of the airline, store it at your feet for a quick getaway when you land. 

Top pick: Tumi V3 Compact Carry-on Spinner
Runner up: Travelpro Magna 2 Spinner Tote

Hacks for Packing Rollaboard Bags

Rollaboard bags have plenty of space, but staying organized in that space is the key. Try using packing cubes to store more clothing in your bag without stuffing it so much the zipper barely closes. 

Fill the cubes with clothing and stack them neatly into the large compartment of your rollaboard bag. You’ll be surprised just how easy and stress-free these cubes can make packing. And when you open your bag, it’ll be much easier to find what you need.  

Another hack for packing a rollaboard bag is to roll up smaller items like underwear and socks and slide them into the shoes you’ll be bringing. This can save room for other things like a small toiletries bag and keep your suitcase organized by moving these smaller items out of the way.

Top pick: Shacke Pak -Travel Organizers 
Runner up: Bagail 6 Set Packing Cubes

#2. Tote or Duffle Bags 

Sometimes a business trip is fast and you’re home before the end of the day. A small tote, overnight, or duffle bag might be the best option if your trip is less than 24 hours long.

These bags take up little overhead bin space and fit beneath the seat in front of you. If you’re always digging through your carry-on for things like headphones, chargers, and snacks, find a bag that has plenty of zippered compartments for quick access. 

A small bag that goes over your shoulder is also helpful when it comes time to get off the plane. Throw it over your shoulder and deboard quickly to get to work faster. 

Top Pick: Shacke Travel Duffel Express Weekender Bag
Runner up: Tumi Voyageur Colina Duffel Bag

Hacks for Packing a Tote or Duffle Bag

Totes and duffle bags fill up quickly and become disorganized fast. Take advantage of your bags pockets and zippered compartments. Designate each pocket for different items like one for electronics and another for travel documents.

A great method for storing business attire is to use smart envelopes when you pack. These packing envelopes allow you to neatly fold your clothes and protect them from wrinkles.  

If you don’t decide to use the envelope, try rolling your clothing for more space. Rolling your clothes can also help prevent wrinkles.  

Top pick: Dot&Dot Packing Folder Backpack
Runner up: Eagle Creek Pack-It Garment Folder

#3. Laptop Bags

Your laptop is your life so you’ll want to take good care of it on your trip. An over the shoulder or briefcase-style bag can help you keep track of your laptop and give you extra storage for things like chargers and work documents. It’ll also be a great way to keep it from getting damaged because as you know items might shift during flight!

With many designers now selling laptop bags, you can find one that fits your style for a fashion-forward way to make sure your work is protected inflight. 

Top pick: Tumi Joanne Laptop Carrier
Runner up: Ted Baker London Document Bag 

Hacks for Packing Laptop Bags 

Laptops come with a lot of accessories so use your laptop bag to organize all things electronic. Don’t let wires cross and tangle. Be sure to carefully wrap your chargers into neat coils before you stuff them into your bag. 

A good investment is to use a charger organizer to stow your headphones, chargers, and cables in one place. If not, designate different compartments in your bag for work papers, headphones, chargers, and portable chargers.   

Top pick: Mark & Graham Leather Charger Roll Up 
Runner up: Bellroy Tech Kit

Checked Luggage

Sometimes your business trip requires a long haul flight and a long stay in another city or country. 

This type of business travel usually requires a suitcase that's larger than the 22-inch carry-on size limit. 

When you already have to look out for getting enough sleep on your flight and the effects of jet lag, you don’t want to worry if your suitcase will hold up on the trip too. 

Checked luggage goes through a lot on a long trip so choosing a durable bag is just as important as finding one that will fit everything that you need. 

Even though you might feel like you need to pack everything but the kitchen sink, stick to medium-sized bag at about 25 inches so you can still easily get your luggage to and from the airport. 

Making a smart decision on checked luggage will help you protect your valuable items and make sure you have everything you need for a long stay away from home. 

#1. Hard Case Bags

You might be bringing important, fragile equipment with you on your long business trip so you want to take extra care in making sure your checked bag can protect these items. 

A hard case bag is a good choice to ensure your bag will keep everything inside of it safe and sound. 

Your bag goes through a lot of wear and tear during a trip as it's thrown from one conveyor belt to the next. These bumps along the way are usually minor, but if you’re planning on packing items that are more fragile than the typical traveler might bring, investing in a hard case bag can give you peace of mind that your items will arrive safely. 

Top pick: Samsonite Winfield Hardside Spinner Suitcase
Runner up: Delsey Luggage Helium Aero 25 Inch Expandable Spinner

Hacks for Packing Hard Case Bags

Hard case bags offer extra protection so feel free to fill it with the items you want to keep safe. 

You can safely pack anything from professional cameras to other electronic devices. Just be sure it doesn’t have a lithium battery because those are not allowed in the cargo space below the plane. 

For even more protection use clothing and other soft objects to pack around these fragile items.  

These large bags also offer plenty of space for your items, but staying organized can be the tough part. Make the most of that big space with packing cubes that allow you to store multiple items in each cube. 

Packing cubes are a great gift for you or your traveling companion so you know where everything is in your large checked bag. 

#2. Soft Case Bags

If you need lots of space plus lots of zippered compartments, a soft case bag is for you. You’ll have the bag’s large compartment to fill with clothing and shoes along with the outer zippered compartments for accessories and extra charging cords. 

Soft case bags are great if you’re a traveler who needs to pack as much as possible, but a good thing to remember is that when you check this bag, anything you place in the outer compartments could get banged around.

Most soft case bags come in different styles to match your own personal style and you can even find some that are multi-purpose that act as duffle bags.

Top pick: Travelpro Maxlite 4 Expandable Rollaboard 
Runner up: Eagle Creek Gear Warrior Wheeled Duffel 

Hacks for Packing a Soft Case Bag

Just like with a hard case bag, packing cubes are a great investment for packing a soft case bag. They make that large compartment easier to fill and they make it easier to find things when it comes time to unpack. 

You can also use packing envelopes that keep your dress shirts neatly folded. These envelopes also easily slide into the zippered compartments on the outside of the luggage for quick storage. Better Bags Make for Better Business Trips 

Taking the time to pick the best luggage with your business travel needs in mind can help you feel more prepared for your business trip. 

Whether the trip is long or short, you’ll be able to bring what you need in a bag that’s the perfect fit for everything you need to bring. 

You’ll save time at the baggage claim and ensure everything gets there in one piece when you choose the right luggage for you. 

What luggage do you like to bring for your business trip? Do you have any tips when it comes to choosing the right bag? Do you think we missed anything? Let us know in the comments below.  

Check this out: https://www.flightfud.com/blogs/travel/best-gifts-for-travelers

Better Bags Make for Better Business Trips 

Taking the time to pick the best luggage with your business travel needs in mind can help you feel more prepared for your business trip. 

Whether the trip is long or short, you’ll be able to bring what you need in a bag that’s the perfect fit for everything you need to bring. 

You’ll save time at the baggage claim and ensure everything gets there in one piece when you choose the right luggage for you. 

What luggage do you like to bring for your business trip? Do you have any tips when it comes to choosing the right bag? Do you think we missed anything? Let us know in the comments below. 

Also read: https://www.flightfud.com/blogs/travel/business-travel-tips