The 9 Best Trunk Suitcases for Summer Travel

As a travel writer and chronic overpacker, I was beyond relieved when I first discovered that retro-inspired trunk suitcases were coming back in style. What exactly are trunk suitcases? Before modern suitcases were a thing, travel trunks were the sturdily-constructed luggage carriers that could handle the long-haul train trips that preceded today’s speedy air travel. Trunks tend to be the large-and-in-charge improvement on the smaller suitcases that I had been struggling with for years, typically offering a bigger storage capacity with their taller and narrower constructions — which I experienced firsthand on a recent cruise. 

When my sister and I signed up for an 11-day Grand European Viking Cruise from Budapest to Amsterdam, we were excited about all of the unique experiences we’d have during the trip. We had also booked a few additional nights before and after the trip to do our own thing, meaning that we had to pack for 15 days of cruising, hiking, biking, exploring cities by foot, and also attending classical music performances in Vienna. Clearly, we needed a wide variety of gear for our diverse activities and itinerary. We also didn’t want to have to wind up paying the sky-high laundry prices cruises are known for, so we had to bring large luggage. On the packing list? A big trunk that could accommodate shoes, sandals, books, a C-Pap machine, and two weeks’ worth of clean clothes organized in packing cubes.

Regardless of your budget or travel style, there’s a trunk suitcase for you. Below, you’ll find nine of the best travel trunks on the market, including top-rated picks from Away, Delsey Paris, and more popular brands. 

Away The Trunk 

Let’s start with my trunk suitcase of choice: The Trunk by Away. With 107 liters of packing space, this trunk is not playing around. You can fit 18 to 21 outfits in here, which is why it was perfect for the Viking River Cruise I took in Europe. Initially, I got this suitcase because my seven-year-old niece performs with a folkloric Mexican dance group and we needed something that could haul her expensive costumes to performances across the country without them getting damaged. While the suitcase works perfectly for her performances, it also comes in handy for general travel, especially when I’m transporting large and awkward items like snowshoes and bulky camping gear to and from my apartment in New York to my mom’s house in Wisconsin.

Away luggage fans will be delighted to know that The Trunk offers a complete redesign from its standard suitcases, which are basically different sizes of the same layout. The new 70-30 split on this means that you can stash really large items in the main compartment, and it rolls like a dream thanks to its 360-degree spinner wheels. What’s more, the included laundry bag prevents your dirty clothes from funking up everything else and the TSA-approved combination lock keeps your belongings safe in transit.

July Checked Trunk

Handsome heritage design? Check. Silent wheels and a soft handle for smooth and comfy rolling? Check and check. Delicious glazed finish, eye-popping colors, and stunning style? Check. Check. Check. Add in ultra-sturdy polycarbonate materials, a strong aluminum frame, and rugged twin latches that will outperform flimsy zippers any day of the week, and you have yourself one serious contender for the best trunk suitcase.

Plus, July’s Checked Trunk compression system makes it easier to pack away 95 liters of gear while the laundry bag neatly separates clean from dirty. An 80-20 split allows you to pack large items into the deeper compartment, which you’ll happily glide through the airport thanks to 360-degree spinner wheels. According to one July shopper, it “passed with flying colors” on their four-week solo trip through Italy and Germany. 

Delsey Paris Peugeot Voyages 26-inch Large Trunk

Travel + Leisure‘s testing team was most impressed with how durable this Delsey Paris trunk is, especially considering that it’s on the lower-mid end of the price range. One tester noted that it “protects your belongings like a tank,” which may not be a surprise considering that the suitcase is a collaboration between Delsey and French automobile-maker, Peugeot. It’s not every day that you get automotive industry-level technology in luggage, is it?

The trunk’s two main compartments have compression straps and are deep enough that you can stack packing cubes or transport bulkier gear. The testing team also found that the trunk’s wheels were very easy to spin and maneuver. It’s worth noting, however, that at nearly 12 pounds when empty, the sheer weight of the trunk could make it heavy to lift when fully loaded (also keep an eye on the total weight to avoid being charged overweight fees).

Briggs & Riley Extra-large Trunk Spinner

For those truly monumental packs, you’re going to need an enormous trunk that can fit the biggest, bulkiest, and most awkward-sized items that you can find. Enter: the Extra Large Trunk Spinner by Briggs & Riley, which can accommodate a whopping 123 liters in its colossal two compartments. The 80-20 lid and cinch-down garment panels ensure easy packing and crisp clothing, even when dealing with delicate items.

In addition to now-standard features like built-in TSA locks and smooth-spinning wheels, this premium trunk ups the ante by adding self-repairing zippers and a complimentary monogram. The three-layer Makrolon polycarbonate material is also super lightweight and scratch-resistant. Taking to the review section, a traveler said that the suitcase recently endured a 21-day trip to Europe, including six flights, five trains, and a bus. She added that “it fit a mad amount of clothes, shoes, boots, toiletries, and souvenirs; and due to it being about 3 pounds lighter than other luggage this size, it still came in underweight with the various airlines.” 

Level 8 Large Trunk Suitcase

Though most trunk suitcases are on the more expensive side, Level 8 proves that a more affordable travel trunk is still possible. The Amazon-favorite luggage brand’s Large Trunk Suitcase has all of the key features, like 360-degree spinner wheels, a four-level adjustable handle, built-in TSA locks, and a roomy interior (that can accommodate 99 liters), as its pricier counterparts. The bag also comes in five colors, including a pretty frosty pink, which makes it stand out among the mostly black, blue, and beige options that will make up the majority of the bags on the carousel. 

“It’s easily the best piece of luggage I have owned,” an Amazon shopper raved, noting that it fits up to two weeks’ worth of items and “has at least four to five different sleeves you can utilize, a few separators, and multiple straps to keep larger items like shirt, pants, and shoes in place.” They even added that the outer shell “is very solid, so it could easily handle some rough handling by the airport staff or just general travel wear and tear.” 

Traveler’s Choice Maxporter II 30-inch Hardside Spinner Trunk

Another affordable option for a super spacious trunk is the Maxporter II by Traveler’s Choice. This 106-liter trunk features a 70-30 split, so you can fit large and bulky items in the main compartment, but it also has two removable dividers in case you want to add a bit more organizational structure in there. The spinner wheels let you easily glide around, while the protective corner guards prevent the suitcase from getting too banged up on the conveyor belt.

The suitcase’s tall and narrow design was much appreciated by one Amazon shopper, who shared that it could stand up straight in his small hotel room in Japan to take up less floor space. He went on to say that the model’s large packing capacity allowed him to “easily fit a full set of clothing, plus winter items (a packable shell jacket, insulated hiking-style boots, and dress clothes) in the upper zipper portion,” and quipped that he could “easily blow past airline weight limits with this thing.”

Herschel Supply Co. Heritage Hardshell Large Luggage

Herschel Supply Co. may not call this a trunk suitcase, but its large, tall and narrow build definitely fits the bill. Able to accommodate 95 liters, this beautiful bag is ready for the runway — oops, we mean jetway. TSA locks, 360-degree spinner wheels, and convenient side-carrying handles check all of the basic boxes, plus the Heritage also comes with nice features like reinforced corners, interior mesh storage sleeves, and garment straps. If a white checked bag isn’t your first choice, it also comes in a punchy (and almost sold out) camo print that will add flare to your travel gear. 

One Nordstrom purchaser summed up the suitcase as “sleek, stylish, and wonderful to use,” adding that “as an overpacker, this is the perfect size to feel like I have enough, but since the luggage is so lightweight, it’s easy to travel with.”

Delsey Paris Cruise 3.0 Hardside Expandable Luggage Trunk

Don’t let the price tag fool you, as this affordable suitcase is one of the best trunks that T+L editors have tested for both value and durability. Its polycarbonate shell and spinner wheels showed no signs of wear and tear and it was super easy to maneuver along various surfaces. Even when fully packed (which tends to make heavy trunks even more unwieldy), this suitcase could quickly change directions with no drag, which the testing team found impressive. With a 90-liter capacity and handy features like double-spinner wheels, and three TSA combination dial locks, this bag is easy to love. What’s more, its 70-30 split allows for flexible packing, and the removable mesh divider and lining (which are machine washable) are just the icing on the cake for making everything fit and look tidy. 

Its best feature, however, is Delsey’s patented Overweight Indicator, which lets you know when your luggage weighs over 48.5 pounds. Considering that airline checked baggage fees continue to climb, this handy feature could easily save you $30 to $50 per trip. In fact, when comparing it to an older version, an Amazon shopper was happy to report that “it’s noticeably lighter than the other one, and even when fully packed, it was not overweight…Before, we could only pack our checked bag half-full because it would be overweight, but with this bag, it won’t be such an issue.” 

Delsey Paris Chatelet Air 2.0 26-inch Spinner Trunk

This splendid suitcase offers 91 liters of real estate in a modern, attractive design that holds true to the values of the original trunk — sturdy and reliable. T+L testers reviewed this trunk over the course of three months, packing in bulky and oddly shaped equipment like ski boots and helmets. Though this beautiful beast can accommodate large sports equipment, the testing editors also loved that the zippered pockets on the two-divider flaps could be used for smaller items. Additionally, they found it to be a very packing cube-friendly trunk that could easily allow the cubes to be stacked on top of each other inside the deeper compartment.

As the true test of durability is in how well a suitcase holds up during and after long trips, T+L testers were pleased to find that the tough polycarbonate construction and the trunk’s four double-spinner wheels held up remarkably well despite numerous hits and drops. This was even the case for the dreamy cream Angora color, so you don’t have to worry about it getting damaged on the baggage carousel. 

Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we’ll send you our favorite travel products each week.