As a Taurus, living out of a suitcase isn’t the picture that usually comes to mind when I fantasize about taking my next vacation. Despite the thrill that overcomes me as my fingers glide on the keyboard to craft my iconic OOO bounceback emails (IYKYK), I actually detest the traveling process. For the past six months I’ve been traveling nonstop, mostly for work and weddings with a smidge of “me time” thrown in when I can spare it. During a recent trip to Milan and Paris, I accumulated a surprising number of books, art, antiques, and other miscellaneous souvenirs—I impressed myself when I managed to fit all of these items into my carry-on luggage when returning to NYC. Now that I’m approved for Global Entry and TSA Precheck, I feel like I owe it to myself to upgrade my baggage too.

Whenever I’ve felt the urge to invest in a new suitcase, all it takes to talk me off the ledge is the price tag. The cost to travel is already high enough so it doesn’t help that my eye is naturally drawn to the most expensive luggage that money can buy! (Rimowa and Louis Vuitton, I’m looking at you.) The inconvenient truth is that being a jet setter on a budget is a lot harder than it looks. I’m a light packer on most occasions so the travel edition of my starter pack only requires three essentials: a carry-on suitcase, a massively oversized tote bag, and a reusable water bottle. Let me stop myself now before I get carried away, here are the suitcases you absolutely need to be bringing on your next getaway.

When I finally felt ready to upgrade my luggage the first place I started looking was Away. I swear by their carry-on suitcases which I’ve been using since the brand launched in 2016. (They’ve never failed me, despite their critics, so I haven’t strayed far.) I’ve been on a chrome kick for the past three years so the aluminum collection just made sense; it wasn’t a matter of if but when I was going to finally submit to it. Even though I try not to overpack, I opted for the bigger carry-on size to allow for extra space because every inch counts when you’re trying to avoid checking your luggage (and the extra fee that comes with it). Not to be a snob, but this suitcase has “pretty privilege”—it looks so good that you almost don’t want to use it! I know it’s going to get scratched and scraped because that’s part of the journey, but I’ve been going out of my way to keep it in the best condition. Friends warned me that this version is noticeably heavier than the average Away suitcase, and they’re not wrong, but that caveat hasn’t prevented me from crossing state lines with it.

Dagne Dover has officially changed the game with their debut line of luggage, which features soft-shell cased suitcases made out of durable, recycled 900D poly fibers in the most delicious neutral colors—I couldn’t resist Warm Dust, a pinkish hue that shimmers like rose gold when the light hits. Over the years, I’ve mostly rotated between different hard-shell suitcases because that’s just what was advertised to me, but now that there’s something modern in the mix that feels aligned with my aesthetic I’m much more enthusiastic about making the switch. What I like most about this eco-friendly luggage is all the built-in pockets, sleeves and compartments; the founders carefully considered every single thing you would possibly need to pack for a trip and how to make it more convenient to access.

I have more than enough carry-on suitcases to go around so I decided to size up to the 25” version (which also happens to be my namesake) in the event that I ever need slightly larger luggage in the future. I’m happy to share that this suitcase survived the most wretched trip of all: commuting back to NYC on NJ Transit and then catching the subway from Penn Station. There’s nothing I dread more than heaving a suitcase up and down a flight of stairs without so much as a fake offer to help from bystanders that dare make eye contact in the midst of my struggle, but this actually wasn’t as daunting compared to some of my other experiences even though it was stuffed to the brim—I’m very tardy to the party that is packing cubes, but Roma has changed me with all of its sizes. The garment duffle bags are also a must-have for anyone who has entered the wedding season tour. The matching pet carrier gets extra bonus points;, my family’s cat Muffy loves it so much that she voluntarily takes cat naps in there—she immediately hopped in after it was unboxed, something she has never done with any other product that she’s been gifted! This is the set of all sets.

All credit to my supercool colleague Hannah Martin for putting me on to Crash Baggage, a fun brand from Venice pushing hand-dented luggage on the market—their whole philosophy is that you can handle these suitcases without care or concern while traveling. (It’s important to know that this is one of the ten commandments in the brand bible, which states that the dent is a symbol “of those who want to put themselves out there in life, those who embrace the unexpected, those who let themselves be enraptured by adventures that will, in turn, bring new memories, new people, new places to an open mind.”)

This pre-damaged goods gimmick has earned Crash Baggage the superlative of “the equivalent of ripped jeans for bags” on Reddit. I’ve been rolling around town with the medium sized Icon suitcase for the past two months and so far it’s still in one piece. Given that I have trust issues and refuse to check a bag unless it’s against my will, there’s a huge sense of relief in no longer having to feel so precious about the state of my luggage after it’s been (mis)handled by airport security. At some point, I’ll probably add the matching mini travel bag to my rotation too!

What could be better than a luggage set in the most gorgeous shade of green? (It sort of scratches the itch of the Rimowa x Aime Leon Dore collaboration that sold out before I could even entertain the idea of splurging on it.) Paravel claims that this is the world’s first carbon-neutral carry-on suitcase. The Aviator is made out of sustainably sourced materials like recycled polycarbonate, recycled aluminum, and recycled vegan leather. The matching backpack is made from post-consumer recycled polyester and recycled vegan leather, which is the equivalent of 41 recycled plastic bottles. Considering how aviation is responsible for 3.5% of climate change, according to recent studies, at least I can have some peace of mind about the luggage doing its part to offset and reduce emissions. (That’s what I like to call girl math for the delusional.)

As much as I can’t stand targeted ads on Instagram, this trickery worked the day that Floyd (no, not the modular bed frame makers) popped up on my screen. The family-owned and operated business is based in Munich, Germany and has been on a mission to give modern travel its mojo back since 2019. Aside from the retro colors for the exterior shells, what makes these suitcases stand out is the signature skateboard wheels. Floyd’s whole aesthetic is built around the zeitgeist of California skateboard culture in the ‘70s which they playfully refer to as “Venice Beach Bohemia.” No matter what aesthetic I’m into, there will always be room for the color pink so I’m eager to get my hands on a set of these sugar pink suitcases. I’m still financially recovering from the month of June so keep me away from my cart, but it’s very high up on my personal registry if anyone wants to take one for the team!