Melody Teh
Travel Tips

The bargain Kmart carry-on suitcase flyers swear by

A cheap suitcase might be just as good as high-end brands that set you back thousands of dollars, according to a Choice review of 27 different brands of carry-on luggage.

Testing carry-on luggage for water resistance, durability, stability and more, Choice found the American Tourister Curio, which costs $239, to be the best carry-on luggage, with a score of 87 per cent.

However, there were some bargain suitcases that rated highly including a Big W Jetstream that will set you back just $70, with a score of 86 per cent. Kmart’s $49 carry-on bag also came highly recommended, scoring 86 per cent overall, although it only scored 65 per cent on the rain test.

The Kmart Active & Co costs just $49 and scored 86% in Choice's review. 

“I recently bought the $49 Kmart carry-on case and it’s fantastic,” Sydney’s Tim Melwood, who travels globally for 40 per cent of the year, told Escape.

“It’s lightweight, versatile and a bargain price – it’s honestly the best bag I’ve ever had.”

Another Kmart hard case suitcase (which costs only $38) scored 86 per cent – the same score as the Samsonite 72 Hours DLX, a bag that comes with a $329 price tag.

The Kmart Hard Case costs only $38 and rated 86% in Choice's review. 

Here’s the full Choice list:

  1. American Tourister Curio — 87 per cent score. RRP $239
  2. Flylite Pro-Lite 54cm — 86 per cent score. RRP $200
  3. Samsonite 72 Hours DLX — 86 per cent score. RRP $329
  4. Kmart Active & Co — 86 per cent score. RRP $49
  5. Big W Jetstream — 86 per cent score. RRP $70
  6. Kmart Hard Case — 86 per cent score. RRP $38
  7. Skylite 56cm Spinner Carry On — 86 per cent score. RRP $40
  8. Delsey Chatelet 55cm — 85 per cent score. RRP $499
  9. Delsey Montmartre Air — 85 per cent score. RRP $289
  10. Antler Oxygen — 85 per cent score. RRP $289
  11. Crumpler Vis-a-Vis, Cabin — 84 per cent score. RRP $289
  12. Samsonite Cosmolite 3.0 — 84 per cent score. RRP $579
  13. Samsonite Octolite — 84 per cent score. RRP $299
  14. American Tourister Applite 3.0 S — 84 per cent score. $219
  15. Australian Luggage Co So Lite 2.0 AIR3033/18″ — 82 per cent score. RRP $160
  16. Flylite Quartz 20″ case — 49 per cent score. RRP $199

Tags:
Travel, Travel tips, Suitcase, Choice