Best kids’ luggage 2024: Suitcases, rucksacks and carry-on cabin bags for every adventure

Tripp’s holiday range is its best-selling collection, and there’s a lot to love about these hard-shell suitcases. Made from tough polypropylene, they’re incredibly durable but equally lightweight. The cabin-sized case is ideal for kids and measures 55cm x 40cm x 20cm, and there are medium and large versions for teens or parents.

Each case has a zippered pocket and packing straps inside, plus a pull-out trolley handle and carry handle on the outside. There’s a TSA lock – set a memorable password before your kids inevitably forget theirs – and the wheels are smooth and hardwearing. We like the fact these won’t date, your child won’t outgrow the design, and the colourful options stand out brilliantly in a sea of black on the luggage carousel. Buy a different colour for each member of the family and save on any luggage mix-ups.

This tough little case went down a treat with our tester, who has never been so keen to wheel her own luggage. It measures a dinky 42cm x 30cm x 22cm and nips around nicely on two wheels using the pull-out trolley handle, plus there’s a carry handle at the top.

Boppi has lots more cute, childlike designs ranging from a dog to a robot, and little touches like colourful rubber zipper tags give this case a nice finish. There are two small sections inside, and the rounded shape does limit how much you can fit in, so this would work well for an overnight stay or just to carry some essential toys and snacks to keep a young child entertained on a flight. Just be sure to check your airline’s size guide for cabin luggage as the depth might tip you over.

Trunki’s clever ride-on cases are a brilliant solution for travelling toddlers, and Dudley the Dinosaur is the newest design to hit the shelves alongside a huge variety of animals, vehicles, and bespoke design-your-own styles.

The beauty of this hard-shell case is that it comes with a carry handle as well as a tow strap, so you can pull your little one along when you need to. We found this works well on the smooth airport floor, but less so on a bumpy pavement. It’s so robust it doubles up as a place to perch, and at 46cm x 20.5cm x 31cm with an 18l  capacity it’s designed to work as hand luggage for most airlines, although it may be too big for some budget operators, so do check.

With extra features like lockable catches – the key’s built into the carry handle – and an internal pocket and teddy seatbelt, it’s no wonder Trunkis have become synonymous with toddler travel. Our dinosaur-loving tester was thrilled with the lime green and zingy yellow design of Dudley the Dinosaur. And while these are ideal for younger kids, we’ve found they age well, too. Our ten-year-old tester still uses his years-old Trunki for overnight stays, and it looks as good as new.

If you’re looking for a proper backpack for older children, Osprey’s Ace 50 will last them well into their teenage years. At 70cm x 38cm x 30cm the Ace 50 is designed to be smaller than an adult backpack, but with no less functionality. We also found it to be a good fit for a petite female, and there’s a 38l version if you’re after a smaller capacity.

Designed to grow with your child, the bag’s torso length can be adjusted by up to five inches, and the hip belt – which comes complete with handy zipped pockets – is extendable. A tensioned mesh panel keeps the weight off your back while you’re carrying it and allows air to circulate. Plus, there are plenty of pockets and a rain cover to keep the contents of your pack dry.

Once we’d spent some time adjusting all the various straps to find the right fit – and this does take a little bit of time to get right – our tester was pleasantly surprised at how comfortable it was to carry, even loaded up with a Scouts’s camp worth of stuff. While it’s not a budget option, the ace 50 does come with the benefit of an impressive guarantee – Osprey will repair any damage or, failing that, replace the backpack for free.

This sweet luggage solution looks like any other hard-shell suitcase on wheels until you realise there’s a little scooter deck built into the back of the case. Once we’d figured out how to pull it down – via a cord loop that you have to pull up quite firmly to release the mechanism – we watched our tester scoot off into the distance and realised we may never have to cart their hand luggage around again.

The scooter handlebars have three height settings that raise them from 50cm to 69cm, making this suitable for those aged two up to about six. When the scooter’s folded back into the suitcase the handlebars double as a pull-out trolley handle, and there’s a little kickstand that means the case stays upright even when the scooter’s tucked away.

Size-wise it has a 13l capacity and measures 37cm x 26cm x 20cm. That means this one ticks the box for hand luggage on some airlines, although do check the size requirements carefully. Light-up LED wheels and a case that’s rugged enough to stand up to some serious scooting meant this was a huge hit with our preschool tester.

Another clever kids’ case from Micro Scooters, the easy ride-on suitcase has a built-in trike, so your little one can take a seat while you pull them – and their case – through the airport. It’s designed for kids aged 18 months, up to a weight of 20kg or around five years. The storage capacity is bigger than the suitcase scooter – 22l – and another big difference is that the suitcase section is detachable.

That means you can use the lightweight trike to wheel your little one around on holiday without having to take the case. It’s not going to replace a buggy for an 18-month-old, but for older children who no longer need to sleep in a buggy but can’t quite manage walking everywhere without one, this is a bit of a lifesaver.

If you don’t want to run the risk of mixing up your little one’s luggage on the carousel, a personalised case is a great idea – and a nice gift option. Koko Blossom stock a range of personalised cases for adults and children, and this palm design is from its new summer 2022 kids’ range.

We tested the 52l cabin size, which measures 58cm x 34cm x 23cm, and there’s a smaller 29l kids’ size available. We particularly like the subtle design, which is printed on canvas then encased in a clear plastic cover so it can’t get dirty or scuffed. That also means you can replace the canvas insert further down the line without having to replace the whole bag. It comes with a TSA lock, so be sure to set the code to something you – and they – will remember, before your little one gets their hands on it and locks the contents away forever.

This stylish duffle bag from children’s lifestyle brand Liewood has a chic leopard print and pared-back navy and blush colour palette. A huge opening at the top – pretty much the size of the bag itself – makes it easy to see what’s inside and get to what you need without having to rummage about blindly.

At 44.5cm x 26cm x 26cm the bag has a nice and roomy internal compartment, although a small zipped pocket would have been handy for smaller items. Still, with a choice of carry handles at the top and sides plus an adjustable shoulder strap it’s ideal for a weekend trip, or for toting around sports kit in style. As declared by our pre-teen tester, no smelly trainers allowed.