The best kids luggage to buy in 2024

Best minimal children’s luggage

Pros: Stylish design, matches regular-sized suitcases
Cons: Expensive in comparison to some of the others here
Size: 43 x 23 x 42cm
Weight: 3kg

You may have noticed, if you’ve read any of our other best luggage guides, we’re big BÉIS fans in the Traveller office. The minimalist design, muted pastel colours, storage solutions and seriously smooth functioning makes this a brand we revisit time and again, so we weren’t surprised to discover that the BÉIS kids line ticked all the boxes. It’s clear that this company gets that children don’t deserve less (and parents making the purchase want good value for money), demonstrated by the strong polycarbonate shell with a lifetime warranty, super-smooth Hinomoto wheels and chic style sensibilities that mirror the classic selection of cases we’ve come to know and love. Our tiny testers found this suitcase comfortable to pull around partly thanks to the soft-grip handle, and the inclusion of an exterior pocket makes the perfect spot to keep kids’ books and iPads handy while on the plane. A separate pouch keeps dirty clothes away from fresh ones when you’ve reached your destination.

Best value kids’ luggage

Pros: Great price, long warranty
Cons: Not suitable for longer trips
Size: 45 x 34 x 20cm
Weight: 1.95kg

Kids watch out – parents might be stealing this one for flights where they don’t want to fork out extra for baggage allowance because, despite being a wheeled suitcase, this one is dinky enough to meet EasyJet’s under-seat cabin bag requirements. This is great news overall, actually, as we have found that a number of kids cases are smaller than regular cabin bags but not small enough to meet these tight measurements – meaning you end up paying more for less packing space. No-one wants that. However, you will have to bear in mind that this does mean it’s a small case, better suited for in-flight entertainment and snacks than everything you need for a holiday, unless you’re just having a weekend away. Nonetheless, for the purse-friendly price of just £35 (and that includes a 10-year warranty), IT Luggage offers a kids' luggage range that's decent quality and very appealing to children, with their bright colour choices and fun characters pictured on the front – we love Daxie the Dachshund! They’ve got a ride-on option too, and 2-piece sets if you’re needing a little more packing space.

Best ride-on suitcase for little ones

Pros: Range of designs, doubles as a ride, easy to clean
Cons: Slightly awkward to carry or pull when in a rush
Size: 46X20X31cm
Weight: 1.7kg

Everyone is probably familiar with the famous Trunki ride-on-luggage – it’s been around for decades and has remained a firm favourite over all that time. As the name rightly suggests, this suitcase has been specifically designed for kids to ride on with its robust wheels, saddle seat, horn grips and tow strap – a welcome feature as children almost always hop onto a wheely suitcase and try to ride it even when you’re begging them not to. There’s a storage capacity of 18L available to pack all you need in-flight and beyond and the shell itself is very lightweight, making it easier to ride and pull along.

Editor's review: “We travelled with this suitcase as my two-year-old son's carry-on bag when we flew to the Maldives. He absolutely loved being pulled around the airport while riding it, which helped speed up the journey from check-in to the gate. The shape of the bag means it won't fit all large hard cover books, so stick to small or soft cover books, and I recommend storing any toys in packing cubes inside, otherwise they can fall out everywhere when the case is opened,” Lauren Burvill, commerce editor.

Best ride on luggage for older kids

Pros: Kids will be very happy to carry their own luggage!
Cons: Small capacity, best suited to toys rather than clothes and shoes 
Weight: 3.3kg

Admittedly this is much more scooter than suitcase, which is a bit of a negative given the £100 plus price tag. You really won’t fit all that much in the 13 litre capacity, so it’s definitely one that will only be used for pens, books, a cuddly toy and maybe a change of clothes. But on the flip side, most children love this one above all others, simply because it's great fun. The wheels light up as kids whizz through the airport, and they’ll even have something to play on when you reach your destination. With the scooter attached it doesn’t fit under seat, but it does slot in nicely into the overhead locker bins.

Editor's review: “My three year old has grown too big for his Trunki so we upgraded to this one for our recent trip to Greece. It was an even bigger hit than the Trunki as he was really able to ride it, like a real scooter, which meant we didn't need to use the pram at all and I could easily zip him through the airport quickly. The wheels light up, which is a lovely touch and we had so many people stop and tell us what a cool scooter he had. The storage compartment isn't huge, and a slightly awkward shape as it has the scooter pole through the middle, but it was perfect for storying any toys, books and snacks he was going to need on the flight.” Lauren Burvill, commerce editor.

Best versatile children’s luggage

Pros: Multipurpose piece of luggage, sleek design
Cons: On the heavier side, relatively expensive
Size: 20 x 36 x 46cm
Weight: 3kg

Getting a child to sleep on a long-haul flight is essential for everyone’s sanity, but unless you’re in business (or at least premium economy), it’s not easy. There are all sorts of blow up and fold out seat attachments you can lug around with you in your hand luggage, but nothing compares in comfort or convenience to the Stokke BedBox. Already favoured by mums and dads around the world for the revolutionary TrippTrapp high chair, this brand obviously know what parents want and kids need. The BedBox has a larger capacity than many other kids' luggage options, at 20 litres. It’s a ride-on like the Trunki but, in addition to all this, it can transform into a comfortable in-flight bed. You simply extend a platform that flips out to make a leg rest and cover the top with the provided, padded mattress. Stokke also has a selection of stickers that little ones can use to decorate their case to personalise it – what fun! See our full Stokke Bedbox review for more.

Editor's review: “At the airport, this was a really handy piece of kit. My daughter carried (read: dragged) this suitcase the entire time, and it was certainly useful having all of her bits and pieces in one bag. If you’re travelling for a family holiday, this is great, and something that children will really enjoy. I’ll certainly be using this for family holidays in the future. For in-flight sleeping, this would be hit-and-miss, but always good to have the option where possible. For solo-parent travels, I wouldn’t recommend it as you couldn’t carry your child, plus this case (plus pram and your own luggage) all at once.” Charlotte Davey, fashion editor.

Best luxury children’s luggage

Pros: Telescopic handle, TSA locks, matches regular-sized suitcases
Cons: This is a two wheel suitcase, so must be pulled behind you
Size: 40 x 30 x 25cm
Weight: 3kg

In terms of aesthetics, this has got to be top of the list. Quite frankly, this vintage style suitcase looks absolutely adorable when being trundled along by a child (very Paddington Bear), and extremely chic too – especially when paired with the matching adult range. This kid’s offering from elite brand Steamline is a perfect mini version of the Entrepreneur carry-on. It’s hard-sided, so highly durable and protective; it has spinner wheels, TSA approved locks and a telescopic handle too. With its stylish ivory straps, gold buckles and fun bright colours, it’ll work equally well as a storage trunk for toys and games when not in use, too.

Best kids’ luggage for Disney fans

Pros: Disney design is suitable for younger kids and older children alike, available with Amazon Prime, and expandable
Cons: May be too large for very young children to wheel themselves
Size: 40 x 20cm expanding to 23 x 55cm
Weight: 2.7kg

American Tourister is a very affordable brand with a range of budget-friendly suitcases that are superior to others with the same or similar price-tag. As such, their bags are our go-to for quality, inexpensive, reliable luggage, and the brand’s children’s offerings are no exception. Disney fans will squeal with delight when presented with one of these wheely carry on suitcases, emblazoned with brightly coloured pictures from their favourite films – from Mickey mouse and Frozen, to all the Disney princesses. Our top pick is this cheery Mickey Mouse spinner suitcase. It's a little bigger than the other bags in this round-up, and it’s expandable, making it a solid choice for longer getaways and older children. A TSA lock adds extra security should it need to be checked, and the inner lining is made out of recycled bottles, for sustainable bonus points.

Best children’s luggage for animal lovers

Pros: Very lightweight, ride-on functionality, fun animal design
Cons: No TSA lock
Size: 50 x 39 x 21cm
Weight: 1.8kg

Yet another ride-on option! Trunki really has some stiff competition these days. Samsonite cases are known for their sturdy and reliable construction, which some might argue is even more important for kids' suitcases, which might be likely to get bashed around more than other bags. Despite having durable shell, made from at least 70% post-consumer polypropylene, it’s very lightweight weighing in at only 2kg. It has a generous 30 litre capacity, integrated wheels and a two-point fixed lock (but not TSA approved). Disney, Marvel and animal patterns and pictures make these even more of a hit with children, if the ride-on feature wasn’t enough, and there’s a 5 year warranty included too.

Best underseat cabin bag for kids

Pros: Very lightweight, matching backpacks available
Cons: On the smaller side for carry-on luggage
Size: 22 x 30 x 42cm
Weight: 1.5kg

With a 100 per cent polycarbonate shell, 360 smooth-glide spinner wheels, two handle height options and TSA approved locks, this one is good enough to be used by adults too, if your kids are willing to share. Other than the vibrant colours, which are only available in the kids' luggage range, this is an exact mini replica of the carry-on and hold suitcases from Away that we love so much. Everything about this case is great, apart from the fact that it’s too big to use as an under-seat bag, yet considerably smaller than the maximum paid-for carry-on luggage allowance on EasyJet, so you will inevitably lose packing space that you could have. However maybe that’s just the price you pay for having a high-quality suitcase that’s the perfect size for little ones. They’ll love pulling this along themselves, and you can get matching packing cubes too, to make the most of the space that is available (26 litres).

Best kids’ packing cubes

If you choose to let your kids have their own child-friendly suitcase, you’re doing so in the knowledge that these will always have less packing space than your average carry-on luggage. With this in mind, packing cubes are more important than ever to make the most of every inch, so we thought we’d lend a helping hand and include some of these on the list too. We love that these vibrant cubes are labelled with the days of the week to make packing (and unpacking) a cinch. They can also double up as washbags, nappy bags and tech organisers when out and about, too.