Packing properly

Packing properly is less about what you bring and more about what you bring it in: a case that rolls straight, a shell that survives a baggage handler having a bad day, dimensions that match what the airline actually meant by "cabin size" rather than what you hoped it meant.

Start small, literally. The Samsonite two-wheel upright underseater is built for the gap under the seat in front of you, which sounds like a minor concession until you remember what gate fees for oversized hand luggage look like. Compare more suitcases & bags.

At the other end of the scale sits the Samsonite Intuo spinner 75/28, a 115 litre case with an expansion zip for the moment you decide, mid-trip, that you need to bring more home than you brought out. The best suitcases.

Back to cabin-friendly territory, the Samsonite Upscape underseat case is sized to EasyJet's own cabin rules, in a soft sage that at least won't vanish into every other black case on the carousel. Compare more suitcases.

For checked luggage that needs to survive repeated loading, the Samsonite S'Cure spinner L holds 102 litres and comes in a red loud enough to spot without squinting at tags. The best suitcases & bags.

Soft-sided fans have the Eastpak Tranverz L, which folds flatter than a hard shell when it's empty and still manages 79 by 40 by 33 centimetres of packing room when it isn't. Compare more suitcases.

And for carry-on with wheels and a bit of give, the Samsonite Upscape Easy Access spinner 55/23 expands when needed and weighs 2.6 kilos empty, which matters more than people think once the case itself starts eating into the weight limit. The best suitcases.