I have been searching for a new carry-on bag for a while. Unfortunately, I have not had much luck finding a good replacement for my Rimowa.

Last week I finally purchased “The Carry-on” from Carl Friedrik. I didn’t care that it had been featured on Succession and White Lotus, I liked the interior with a single compression panel on one side and the option to purchase another compression panel on the other side, the handle with infinite stops (so you can pull it up exactly as high as you want it), and really nice wheels.

When the suitcase showed up, I knew I had to return it. The size in comparison with my Rimowa is obvious. Now, I probably wouldn’t get hassled on a US airline, but I could easily see an international carrier giving me a hard time if I tried to carry this on (ignore the dust, I haven’t used the Rimowa in over a year because it’s broken).

So, the Carl Friedrik was returned. But what do I do now? There is very little hard-sided luggage out there that has compression panels on both sides. Almost all of it has at least one zippered compartment on one side and a lot of the options have those zippered compartments on both sides.

The luggage market seems to have three options these days: Suitcases that are super cheap but show well on social media, completely marketed to people who only use packing cubes, and the expensive stuff that doesn’t necessarily have the features but carries cachet.

One carry-on that has caught my eye is the Bellroy Transit Carry-on. It’s not perfect, it has the zippered compartment on one side and a set of packing cubes on the other (they can be left empty) but it might be the best middle ground. I just can’t figure out if it’s actually good or if it is being pushed hard by influencers.

I’ve asked this before, but any recommendations for a good carry-on?