Checked suitcases worth buying for a long-haul trip
By Kate Morrison Published 10 November 2026
A long trip means a big suitcase, and that's where the airline's limits start to matter. Your checked allowance is a weight, and the empty case takes a share of it. Size counts too: a label like "large" or "28 inch" won't tell you whether the case fits an airline's limit, so check its height, width and depth before you buy.
Best overall
American Tourister Airconic Spinner 77cm
- A hard shell at 3.2 kg empty
- Adds up to 157 cm, and it can't expand
No expander for the trip home
Best lightweight
American Tourister Applite 5 Spinner 72cm
- Only 2.6 kg empty, the lightest here
- Stays under 158 cm even when expanded
Less room inside than the other two
Best for a long stay
Samsonite B-Lite 5 Spinner 78cm
- 108 litres, the roomiest here
- Built-in combination lock and elastic straps inside
Goes 1 cm over 158 cm when expanded
How they compare
| Feature | Best overallAmerican Tourister Airconic Spinner 77cm | Best lightweightAmerican Tourister Applite 5 Spinner 72cm | Best for a long staySamsonite B-Lite 5 Spinner 78cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weight | 3.2 kg | 2.6 kg | 3.3 kg |
| Size, wheels included | 77 × 49 × 31 cm | 72 × 47 × 31 cm | 78 × 49 × 30 cm |
| Size added up | 157 cm | 150 cm, or 153 cm expanded | 157 cm, or 159 cm expanded |
| Room inside | 101 litres | 78 litres, or 82 expanded | 108 litres, or 114 expanded |
| Shell | Hard polypropylene | Soft recycled fabric | Soft polyester |
| Price | Check price | Check price | Check price |
Which one is for you
What decides it
A big case is a big spend, so these are worth weighing up first.
The size, added up
Many airlines limit a checked bag’s height, width and depth added up. Qantas allows 158 cm on international flights and 140 cm on domestic ones, and Emirates 150 to 203 cm by route.
Empty weight
The case counts towards your allowance. On 30 kg, a 3 kg case leaves you 27 kg. Qantas, Singapore Airlines and Emirates cap any bag at 32 kg.
Hard or soft
A hard shell keeps its shape on the baggage belt, but it won’t squash into a full car boot. A soft case gives a little, and it often has outside pockets.
The expander
An expander is a zip that makes the case a few centimetres deeper. The extra depth counts towards the size total, so opening it can take a case over the limit.
The picks
Why we chose each one, and who it suits best.
Best overallAmerican Tourister Airconic Spinner 77cm
If you only buy one big case, make it this one. It’s a hard polypropylene shell that weighs 3.2 kg empty and holds 101 litres. On a 30 kg allowance, that leaves you 26.8 kg to fill it with.
With its wheels it measures 77 × 49 × 31 cm, which adds up to 157 cm, a centimetre under the 158 cm that Qantas and Singapore Airlines allow. There’s no expander, so it stays at 157 cm however much you buy on the trip.
Inside, it’s fully lined, with two straps to hold your clothes down and a zipped divider between the two halves. The zips have a water-repellent coating, and the four double wheels let you push it beside you through the terminal. With no expander, it can’t hold more than its 101 litres. If you know you’ll bring home more than you take, the B-Lite holds 108 litres even with its expander shut. If you want to save weight, the Applite is lighter.
What we like
- A hard shell at 3.2 kg empty
- Adds up to 157 cm, and it can't expand
Worth knowing
- No expander for the trip home
Best lightweightAmerican Tourister Applite 5 Spinner 72cm
Nothing here weighs less: 2.6 kg empty, which on a 30 kg allowance leaves you 27.4 kg for your things. It’s the one to look at if you’re travelling with a tight allowance or you’d just rather not haul a heavy case off the carousel.
It measures 72 × 47 × 31 cm, wheels included, which adds up to 150 cm. The expander takes it to 34 cm deep and 153 cm in total, so it stays under a 158 cm limit even when it’s open. The front pocket unzips from top to bottom, which makes it easy to reach your documents or a jumper while the case is standing up. The fabric is made from recycled plastic bottles, and it rolls on four double wheels.
The downside is space. It holds 78 litres, or 82 with the expander open, well behind the other two. For a long trip where you’re packing for different weather, the Airconic or the B-Lite gives you more space.
What we like
- Only 2.6 kg empty, the lightest here
- Stays under 158 cm even when expanded
Worth knowing
- Less room inside than the other two
Best for a long staySamsonite B-Lite 5 Spinner 78cm
If you’re away for weeks, this is the one with the most room: 108 litres, or 114 with the expander open. It’s a soft case that weighs 3.3 kg empty, only a little more than the Airconic, which leaves you 26.7 kg on a 30 kg allowance.
Measured with its wheels, it’s 78 × 49 × 30 cm, a total of 157 cm. Open the expander and it grows to 32 cm deep, which takes it to 159 cm, a centimetre over a 158 cm limit like Qantas’s. On airlines that use that figure, keep the expander zipped shut.
Inside, elastic straps cross over your clothes to hold them in place, and there are several pockets for the small things. The lock is built in, with a three-digit combination, so there’s no padlock to keep track of. The polyester fabric is made to resist water and dry quickly, and the handle has two bars, so it sits steady while you wheel it. It’s also the priciest here, and for a trip of a week or two, the Airconic holds plenty for less.
What we like
- 108 litres, the roomiest here
- Built-in combination lock and elastic straps inside
Worth knowing
- Goes 1 cm over 158 cm when expanded
Final thoughts
Add up a case's height, width and depth before you buy it, and compare the total with your airline's checked-bag limit for each flight. Then take its empty weight off your allowance, because that's what you've really got for clothes, shoes and presents. Weigh the packed case at home before you leave, so you're not repacking on the terminal floor.
The Airconic suits most people on a long trip: it's not heavy for a hard shell, and its size never changes. The Applite is the one to get if you'd rather save weight and can live with less room. The B-Lite holds the most, so it's the pick for a long stay, as long as you leave the expander shut on airlines with a 158 cm limit.
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