Best light carry-on suitcases for flying with cabin bags only
By Kate Morrison Published 10 November 2026
Flying with only a cabin bag means no wait at the carousel, but the case itself counts towards your weight allowance before you've packed a single sock. On an airline with a 7 kg limit, a heavy case can eat a big slice of it on its own. And a case sold as "55 cm" only tells you its height, so it can still be too wide or too deep for the overhead locker. The two numbers worth checking are what the bag weighs empty and how big it is with the wheels on.
Best overall
American Tourister Applite 5 Upright 50cm
- 2 kg empty, with a zipped divider inside
- Holds 37 litres in the smallest case here
Two wheels, so you tilt it and pull it behind you
Best lightweight
LIGHTGO 20-inch Carry On Softside Luggage
- The lightest of the three at 1.79 kg
- Four wheels that spin all the way round
Holds a little less than the Applite
Best premium
Travelpro Maxlite 5 Compact Carry-On Spinner
- Holds 38 litres, the most of the three
- Uses every centimetre of the usual cabin size limit
The heaviest here at 2.31 kg, and it costs the most by far
How they compare
| Feature | Best overallAmerican Tourister Applite 5 Upright 50cm | Best lightweightLIGHTGO 20-inch Carry On Softside Luggage | Best premiumTravelpro Maxlite 5 Compact Carry-On Spinner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Empty weight | 2 kg | 1.79 kg | 2.31 kg |
| Size | 50 × 33 × 22 cm, height includes wheels | 53 × 35.5 × 21.5 cm | 55.9 × 35.6 × 22.9 cm, wheels and handles included |
| Wheels | 2 | 4 spinner wheels | 4 spinner wheels |
| Price | Check price | Check price | Check price |
Which one is for you
- You want the roomiest case here, with a divider insideAmerican Tourister Applite 5 Upright 50cm
- You want the lightest case here, with four wheels to push it upright beside youLIGHTGO 20-inch Carry On Softside Luggage
- You want the most room the cabin size limit allows, on four wheelsTravelpro Maxlite 5 Compact Carry-On Spinner
What decides it: size, weight and wheels
Four things to check before you buy a carry-on, whichever airline you fly.
Size, wheels included
Airlines such as Qantas measure cabin bags with the wheels and handles on, and a “55 cm” case only tells you its height. Qantas and Virgin Australia allow 56 × 36 × 23 cm.
Empty weight
The case counts towards your cabin weight limit. Under a 7 kg limit, a case that weighs 2 kg empty leaves you 5 kg. Our carry-on limits guide has each airline’s limit.
Two wheels or four
Four spinner wheels let you push the case upright beside you, which is handy in a narrow plane aisle. Two wheels mean you tilt it and pull it behind you.
Before you book
Limits can differ between airlines, between domestic and international flights, and even between planes. Check the carry-on page for each flight on your trip, and pack to the smallest limit.
The picks
Why we chose each one, and who it suits best.
Best overallAmerican Tourister Applite 5 Upright 50cm
This is the one we’d pack for most short trips. It weighs 2 kg empty, so under a 7 kg limit you’ve got 5 kg left for everything else. It measures 50 × 33 × 22 cm, with the wheels counted in the height. At that size it’s under the airline limits on every side, but only by a centimetre on depth, so measure the depth across the wheels when it arrives.
It’s the shortest and narrowest case here, but it still holds 37 litres, only a litre less than the Travelpro. A zipped divider splits the inside into two sections, so you can keep the clean clothes on one side and the shoes and toiletries on the other.
There’s a zip that expands it to 25 cm deep and 39 litres. That’s deeper than the 23 cm the airlines allow, so keep it zipped shut when you’re flying with cabin bags only. The other catch is the two wheels: you tilt it and pull it behind you rather than pushing it alongside. If that bothers you, the LIGHTGO and the Travelpro both have four wheels.
What we like
- 2 kg empty, with a zipped divider inside
- Holds 37 litres in the smallest case here
Worth knowing
- Two wheels, so you tilt it and pull it behind you
Best lightweightLIGHTGO 20-inch Carry On Softside Luggage
At 1.79 kg empty, this is the lightest of the three. Under a 7 kg limit it leaves you a bit over 5 kg to pack, and its 36 litres is close to what the Applite holds. If you’re the sort of person who weighs the toothpaste, this is your case.
Its four spinner wheels turn all the way round, so you can roll it upright next to you down the aisle or through the terminal. The fabric is a water-resistant polyester, which helps when you’re walking across the tarmac to a regional flight in the rain. The handle sets at three heights. The lock is built into the case.
It measures 53 × 35.5 × 21.5 cm. Airlines measure with the wheels on, so run a tape measure over it when it arrives, wheels and all. For most people we’d still take the Applite, because it holds a little more and costs less.
What we like
- The lightest of the three at 1.79 kg
- Four wheels that spin all the way round
Worth knowing
- Holds a little less than the Applite
Best premiumTravelpro Maxlite 5 Compact Carry-On Spinner
This one is built right up to the usual cabin limit. With the wheels and handles counted, it measures 55.9 × 35.6 × 22.9 cm, so it’s under 56 × 36 × 23 cm by a millimetre or two on every side. That gives you 38 litres, the most of the three, and on airlines that measure the whole bag it fits without a centimetre wasted.
It rolls on four spinner wheels, and the handle locks at two heights. There are two pockets on the front, a full-length zipped pocket inside the lid and a small pocket on the side, plus straps to hold your clothes down. The polyester outside has a coating that helps it shrug off rain and stains.
There are three catches. At 2.31 kg empty it’s the heaviest here, so under a 7 kg limit you’ve got about 4.7 kg to pack. It also costs more than twice as much as the Applite. And a zip expands it by about 5 cm, which takes it well past the 23 cm depth limit, so keep it closed when you fly. If you mostly fly with a 7 kg limit, the Applite or the LIGHTGO leaves you more to pack.
What we like
- Holds 38 litres, the most of the three
- Uses every centimetre of the usual cabin size limit
Worth knowing
- The heaviest here at 2.31 kg, and it costs the most by far
Final thoughts
Before you buy any carry-on, check two things: what it weighs empty, and its size with the wheels on against your airline's limit. Then put it on the bathroom scales once it's packed, the night before you fly, so you know it's under the limit before you get to the airport.
The Applite suits most people: it's light, it holds 37 litres in a small case, and a divider splits your packing in two. Go for the LIGHTGO if you want four wheels and the lowest empty weight here. And if you fly often and want every bit of room the cabin limit allows, the Travelpro is worth the extra money.
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