Don’t you ever wonder how business travelers look so good in their suits and dresses? Shouldn’t their suits become wrinkled?
Well, they all have something in common. All frequent travelers who look fresh even after three days of business meetings have suitcases that are made for keeping suits wrinkle-free. If you get a similar suitcase, you too can look good.
In this article, we’ll:
- Compare the 10 best suitcases for suits.
- Tell you what to look out for before getting one.
- Help you figure out which type of suitcase is the best one for your needs.
Best Suitcases for Suits
 |
Best Checked Suitcase (Premium): Briggs & Riley Baseline 25-Inch | Editors rating: 4.8 |
 |
Best Checked Suitcase (Affordable): Travelpro Crew 11 25-Inch | Editors rating: 4.6 |
 |
Best Carry-On Suitcase (Premium): Briggs & Riley Baseline Domestic | Editors rating: 4.8 |
 |
Best Carry-On Suitcase (Affordable): Travelpro Crew 11 22-Inch | Editors rating: 4.6 |
 |
Best Wheeled Garment Bag (Premium): Briggs & Riley Baseline Wheeled Garment Bag | Editors rating: 4.6 |
 |
Best Wheeled Garment Bag (Affordable): Travelpro Maxlite 5 Wheeled Garment Bag | Editors rating: 4.5 |
 |
Best Foldable Garment Bag (Premium): Briggs & Riley Tri-Fold | Editors rating: 4.6 |
 |
Best Foldable Garment Bag (Affordable): AmazonBasics Tr-Fold | Editors rating: 4.2 |
 |
Best Suiter Duffle (Premium): Briggs & Riley Suiter Duffle | Editors rating: 4.6 |
 |
Best Suiter Duffle (Affordable): Modoker Garment Duffle | Editors rating: 4.1 |
Step 1: Choose the Right Type of Suitcase
Really, you got a lot of options to choose from. There are five types of different suitcases for suits. Here we’ll quickly talk about each one, so you can figure out which one is the right for you.
Checked Suitcases with Suiter Compartments
The first type is checked suitcases with built-in suiter compartments. Usually, these suitcases are 24-30 inches in length and are too large to be used as a carry-on. These are great for over-packers and people who carry a lot of stuff. For some, it makes much more sense to get a massive checked bag, so they don’t have to worry about the space.
Carry-On Suitcases with Suiter Compartments
These are great for people who travel with a carry-on and a personal item, instead of taking checked baggage. Most commonly, they’re used for international flights and short domestic flights. Inside, only a small part of the suitcase is dedicated to suits, and there’s a lot of free space left for other items.
Rolling Carry-On Garment Bags
Wheeled Carry-On Garment bags are very similar to regular carry-on suitcases but wider. They usually have longer and better suiter compartments and more pockets for organization. They’re more commonly used by frequent business travelers and flight crews, instead of regular passengers, because they’re more professional. That said, you do get slightly less space inside for other items, compared to regular carry-ons with suiter compartments.
Foldable Long/Tall Carry-On Garment Bags
The fourth type is tall garment bags, which, when folded two or three times, are within the carry-on size requirements. These will usually result in the least possible wrinkles and provide the best results. That said, there usually isn’t much space for anything else, other than one or two suits or dresses, a pair of shoes, and a few dress shirts.
Carry-On Duffles with Suiter Compartments (Suiter Duffles)
As opposed to regular duffles, on suiter duffles, you can unzip the sides, and the bag unfolds in a tall sleeve. Then, you can pack your suit in this sleeve, zip both sides back together, and it turns back into a regular duffle. And what’s even better, there’s still some room left in the middle for other smaller items, like shoes and electronics. They’re great for short overnight stays, but they will usually result in slightly more wrinkles compared to foldable garment bags. Also, if the duffles aren’t packed full, the suits will tend to slide down because of gravity and get more wrinkles.
Step 2: Figure out What Size Suitcase You Should Get
Here’s what size you should aim to get for each suitcase type:
- Checked suitcases with suiter compartments: Under 62 linear inches (width + length + height).
- Carry-on suitcases with suiter compartments, wheeled garment bags, foldable garment bags, and suiter duffles: Under 22 x 14 x 9 inches with wheels and handles included. A half-inch or an inch over the limit isn’t something to get too worried about, because most of the time the airline crewmembers will let you pass anyway. Especially for suiter duffles and folding garment bags, because they’re made from soft materials, and can be squeezed together when you need to pass the “box test” in the airports.
That said, the size limits vary a lot between different airlines. If you’re flying only with one airline 90% of the time, maybe it’s worth it to only stick to their size limits, and ignore the other ones.
Baggage Size Restrictions for the Most Popular Airlines
- American Airlines. Carry-On: 22 x 14 x 9 inches; Checked Baggage: 62 linear inches (height + length + width) / 50 lbs.
- Southwest Airlines. Carry-On: 24 x 16 x 10 inches; Checked Baggage: 62 linear inches (height + length + width) / 50 lbs.
- Delta Airlines. Carry-On: 22 x 14 x 9 inches; Checked Baggage: 62 linear inches (height + length + width) / 50 lbs.
- United Airlines. Carry-On: 22 x 14 x 9 inches; Checked Baggage: 62 linear inches (height + length + width) / 50 lbs.
- JetBlue. Carry-On: 22 x 14 x 9 inches; Checked Baggage: 62 linear inches (height + length + width) / 50 lbs.
Read Next: 8 Best 62-Inch Checked Suitcases in 2022
Step 3: Other Things to Look out for Before Buying a Suitcase for Suits
- How much does the suitcase weigh? Essentially, you want your suitcase to be as light as possible, especially if you’re choosing a carry-on. On average, carry-on suitcases weigh 7.9 lbs, and medium checked suitcases 11.9 lbs, so try to find something that isn’t too much heavier than that.
- What material is the bag made out of? Here are the most common fabric materials ranked from best to worst: Ballistic nylon, Cordura nylon, regular nylon, polyester. The more Deniers (800D-1680D) the fabric has, the better. Ballistic nylon will usually be heavier than polyester, but it’s many times more durable, so it’s usually worth it to get ballistic nylon.
- If it comes with wheels, do the wheels look durable? If you’re getting a bag with spinner wheels, you want ones that look massive and durable. Although spinner wheels are better for moving the bag around, usually two rolling skate wheels will be more durable and will result in a more spacious main compartment.
- How long is the suiter compartment? Try to find a bag with a long suiter compartment when unfolded (at least over 50 inches.) If it’s too short, your suits and pants will become wrinkled at the ends.
- Is the suiter compartment fully unzippable, or do you have to stuff your suit inside? On some garment bags, the dedicated pocket for suits doesn’t open fully. This is bad, because you have to stuff your suits in from the top, and they get wrinkled. Try to find one where the zipper unzips all the way around.
- Aside from the suiter compartment, does the suitcase come with enough pockets for organization? Usually, a bag with a lot of pockets and compartments for organizing all of the smaller items will be easier to pack and unpack.
- Does it come with a solid warranty? If getting a garment bag, try to find one with a solid warranty. Although Briggs & Riley’s bags are really expensive, they come with a lifetime “no-matter-what” warranty, where they cover all defects, even accidents and airline damage. So it’s sometimes a smarter choice to invest 300$-600$ in Briggs & Riley because they’ll last for decades of frequent use.
- Is the manufacturer well-known/dependable? In our list, we featured Briggs & Riley and Travelpro a lot. That’s because both brands specialize in garment bags, and have gained an insanely good reputation among flight crews and business travelers. They’re well-made, dependable, and come with solid warranties. If you get a cheaper, less-known brand instead, you’ll probably have to replace your suitcase every two or three years.
Top-Rated Luggage for Suits
1. Best Checked Suitcase (Premium): Briggs & Riley Baseline Upright 25-Inch
| Key Features: |
|---|
| – 25 x 18 x 10.5 inches |
| – 10.2 lbs (4.6 kg) |
| – 1680D ballistic nylon |
| – Editors rating: 4.8 |
| SHOP NOW |
If you’re looking for the best possible checked suitcase with a suiter compartment, then you should get the Briggs & Riley Baseline Upright. Although we’re talking only about the 25-inch version here, it’s also available in 28 inches. It’s basically the same model, just larger.
The best feature that this bag comes with is its lifetime warranty. It covers all defects that make the suitcase unusable, like broken wheels, handles, zippers, or tears in the fabric, regardless of how the problem was made. You don’t even need a receipt for the warranty to work, and it’s transferrable to new owners if you ever decide to sell.
Both of the checked options come with a built-in suiter compartment that holds at least two suits inside. The suiter compartment opens up fully and then folds two times. To minimize wrinkles in the fold spots, they’ve added two foam bars. It’s a solid suiter system, and a lot of people said that the suits come out almost wrinkle-free.
Other than that, this suitcase is also expandable for an additional 34% packing space, and the main compartment is quite roomy. For keeping all of your other clothes wrinkle-free, the main compartment also has a tie-down panel. Another useful feature is that the retractable handle is attached outside, which means that the main compartment is completely rectangular and should result in fewer wrinkles. Also, you’ll find several dedicated pockets for organization on the exterior – two in the front and one in the back.
Because this bag is built from 1680D Ballistic nylon (the most durable suitcase fabric out there), it’s pretty heavy. But it’s also really durable, and should last for decades. We think that this is the best checked suitcase by far – it has a neat suiter compartment, extremely good warranty and durability, and quite a few other useful features. It’s really expensive, but we believe that it’s well worth the investment.
Read Next: Best 28x22x14 Luggage for Amtrak in 2022
2. Best Checked Suitcase (Affordable): Travelpro Crew 11 25-inch
| Key Features: |
|---|
| – 27.5 x 18 x 11.5 inches |
| – 8.8 lbs (4.0 kg) |
| – Ballistic nylon |
| – Editors rating: 4.6 |
| SHOP NOW |
If you can’t afford the Briggs & Riley 25-inch, then the Travelpro Crew 11 25-inch is the next best choice. The Crew 11 is also available in 29 inches if you need something bigger.
Basically, the Crew 11 is a cheaper and dumbed-down version of the Briggs & Riley Baseline. Still, it’s built from premium materials (ballistic nylon with Duraguard water-repellant coating) and is durable enough to be a solid choice for flight crews and frequent travelers. Yet, it costs one-third of the cost.
The Crew 11 25-inch also comes with a built-in suiter compartment. It also unfolds in a long sleeve, where you can hang up to two suits. The long sleeve then folds two times, but only one foam bar is used in the fold spots, which is why this system results in slightly more wrinkles compared to the Briggs & Riley Baseline suiter.
Because this bag is so affordable, the warranty isn’t as good as on Briggs & Riley. That said, Travelpro still offers a really solid warranty, where for the first three years they’ll cover airline damages, and after that manufacturing defects for a lifetime.
Features-wise, this suitcase is also expandable and comes with quite a few pockets for organization. The main compartment is quite roomy, has two tie-down straps for keeping all of your clothes from moving, and has two smaller pockets for organization. From the outside, this bag is equipped with four double spinner wheels, which will provide a smoother roll compared to two rolling skate wheels, and has two exterior pockets for all the smaller items, like chargers, toiletries, and electronics.
It’s named “Crew 11” because originally it was intended for flight crews. We’ve heard a lot of good things from flight crew members about this collection, which is why we think that this bag is a really solid investment.
3. Best Carry-On Suitcase (Premium): Briggs & Riley Baseline Domestic Carry-On
| Key Features: |
|---|
| – 22 x 14 x 9 inches |
| – 8.9 lbs (4.0 kg) |
| – 1680D ballistic nylon |
| – Editors rating: 4.8 |
| SHOP NOW |
For the best carry-on with a suiter compartment, we’ve chosen the Briggs & Riley Baseline Upright Domestic Carry-On.
Essentially, it’s the same suitcase as the 25-inch checked version, just slightly smaller. It also has a built-in suiter compartment with two foam rolls that minimize the wrinkles in the fold spots. People said that you could easily fit two suits in the suiter compartment, even in the carry-on version.
What we like the most is that the Baseline Domestic carry-on is in the perfect size dimensions – 22 x 14 x 9 inches. It’s the most common airline restriction, which means that it’s in a perfect size. And because it has only two wheels and it’s rectangularly shaped, it’s even roomier inside.
We believe that the Briggs & Riley Baseline collection offers the best possible fabric suitcases on the market. They’re expensive, but incredibly well-made, backed up by the best lifetime warranty out there, and recommended by most frequent travelers. The domestic carry-on is definitely worth the high price tag if you can afford it.
4. Best Carry-On Suitcase (Affordable): Travelpro Crew 11 22-Inch
| Key Features: |
|---|
| – 23.5 x 14.5 x 9.5 inches |
| – 7.1 lbs (3.2 kg) |
| – Ballistic nylon |
| – Editors rating: 4.6 |
| SHOP NOW |
We believe that the best possible choice for an affordable carry-on with a suitcase compartment is the Travelpro Crew 11 22-inch carry-on. That said, we do believe that the two-wheeled version is better than the version with spinner wheels.
Although in dimensions it’s slightly above the 22 x 14 x 9-inch restriction, 90% of the times nobody will bat an eye. In the reviews, we found that a person even managed to squeeze it inside the carry-on measuring box, and only a few minor plastic parts were sticking out.
Similar to the 25-inch version, the Crew 11 carry-on comes with the same suiter compartment, just smaller. It will result in slightly more wrinkles compared to Briggs & Riley, but not too many, and the suiter compartment will easily fit in two suits. The rest of the interior isn’t as roomy as on the 25-inch version but is large enough. It also comes with two pockets for organization, tie-down straps for keeping your clothes in place, and the main compartment is expandable.
From the outside, this bag is fitted with two front pockets, which are the perfect size for stacking all of your documents, toiletries, and other quick-grab items. The exterior of the suitcase is made out of ballistic nylon and coated with Duraguard water-repellant coating, which means that your suit won’t get immediately wet in light rain.
If you can’t afford the Briggs & Riley Baseline Domestic, then the Travelpro Crew 11 will be the next best option.
5. Best Wheeled Garment Bag (Premium): Briggs & Riley Baseline Wheeled Garment Carry-On
| Key Features: |
|---|
| – 21 x 15 x 9 inches |
| – 9.9 lbs (4.5 kg) |
| – 1680D ballistic nylon |
| – Editors rating: 4.6 |
| SHOP NOW |
The Briggs & Riley Baseline wheeled garment carry-on is probably a slightly better choice than the domestic carry-on if you’re looking for something more organized.
The main compartment opens up in a long sleeve. You can easily fit in around two suits there, as well as a few other items. On the inside, you’ll find padded pockets for shoes, two triangular packing-cube-like organizers for toiletries and all the smaller items, as well as a few other pockets for organization. That said, the suiter part isn’t as good as the suiter compartment on the baseline domestic carry-on, because it results in slightly more wrinkles.
Outside, the wheeled garment bag is fitted with two exterior pockets – one for passports, keys, and documents, and the other for larger items, like folders, folded sweaters, e.t.c.
The bag is fairly expensive, but it’s made from 1680D ballistic nylon and backed up by their no-matter-what lifetime warranty, so really you won’t find anything more durable or anything with a better warranty than this. On Amazon, it hasn’t gotten as good reviews as some of their other products, but we think that it’s just bad luck.
Although the Baseline wheeled garment bag is 15 inches in width, people reported that it easily passed the airport box tests, and fits in the overhead compartments really nicely.
That said, although it’s better organized compared to the Briggs & Riley Domestic carry-on, people said that you could fit fewer items in there, so keep that in mind. This bag is great only for 2-4 day trips, while the domestic carry-on can hold up to 6-7 days worth of clothes.
6. Best Wheeled Garment Bag (Affordable): Travelpro Maxlite 5 Wheeled Garment Carry-On
| Key Features: |
|---|
| – 22 x 16 x 8.5 inches |
| – 8.3 lbs (3.8 kg) |
| – Polyester |
| – Editors rating: 4.5 |
| SHOP NOW |
The Travelpro wheeled garment carry-on is very similar to the Briggs & Riley wheeled garment bag, only at half the price. If you’re looking for an affordable wheeled garment bag, this one is the best choice.
The bag opens up in a similar way – the main compartment folds out into a long sleeve, and there’s an additional fabric sheet with pockets on one side. In the suiter compartment, you can easily fit in two suits, or one suit and several dress shirts. Wrinkle-wise, the Travelpro Maxlite 5 performs just as well as Briggs & Riley. You’ll find several pockets for organization inside, as well as two triangular packing cubes.
From the outside, this bag is fitted with only one front pocket for all the smaller items, and the retractable handle fixes only in one position. It’s slightly too tall for a carry-on, but, honestly, 90% of the times nobody will ask you to measure it anyway.
The Maxlite 5 costs around half of what the Briggs & Riley does, and we believe the Maxlite 5 to be a slightly better deal. Yes, the Briggs & Riley’s option is made from 1680D ballistic nylon instead of polyester and offers a better warranty, but aside from that, the Maxlite 5 is almost identical. So if you don’t have the budget to spend on Briggs & Riley, the Maxlite 5 rolling garment bag will work just as well.
7. Best Foldable Garment Bag (Premium): Briggs & Riley Baseline Tri-Fold Garment Bag
| Key Features: |
|---|
| – 22 x 14 x 8.5 inches |
| – 6.6 lbs (3.0 kg) |
| – 1680D ballistic nylon |
| – Editors rating: 4.6 |
| SHOP NOW |
Some people prefer to use a foldable garment bag instead of a wheeled version because they weigh less, offer slightly more space, and result in fewer wrinkles. If you’re one of those people, we believe it’s worth investing in the Briggs & Riley Tri-Fold garment bag.
Essentially, foldable garment bags don’t even closely resemble suitcases. When you open the bag up, it’s just a long/tall garment sleeve with quite a few pockets and compartments for organization, and padded features to minimalize wrinkles. The bag is easy to pack into – you just open it up, and hang it on a door by a hanger. You then proceed to pack everything inside the compartments, fold it up, and you’re good to go.
On the Briggs & Riley Tri-Fold garment bag, the main compartment has five zippered pockets for all the smaller items and underwear, two triangle-shaped packing cubes for any odd-shaped objects, and padded shoe pockets for dress shoes. All the sides are padded up nicely, and the exterior fabric is made out of 1680D ballistic nylon – the most durable fabric out there. When you fold the bag up, you can also fit additional items in the two exterior pockets – one for documents, and the second one for spare pieces of clothing and other items.
This bag is also backed up by Briggs & Riley’s lifetime warranty, which covers any tears in the fabric, broken zippers, and handles for a lifetime. If you have the budget, we’d recommend investing in this bag.
8. Best Foldable Garment Bag (Affordable): AmazonBasics Premium Tri-Fold Garment Bag
| Key Features: |
|---|
| – 21.8 x 16 x 8 inches |
| – 5.6 lbs (2.6 kg) |
| – Polyester |
| – Editors rating: 4.2 |
| SHOP NOW |
If you’re looking for a short-term, affordable garment bag, then your best choice is the AmazonBasics folding garment bag. Although in the affordable range there are a lot of other similar options, AmazonBasics is the best one.
The main compartment is quite simple – you get a 52-inch long sleeve with padded sides and foam roll bars for hanging your suits. People said that this bag would easily fill even three suits if no shoes are packed inside. Although there aren’t any pockets in the main compartment, there are two shoe pockets on the backside, as well as two larger pockets from the exterior, where you can pack all of the smaller items.
Even though this bag is really affordable, it’s built out of 1680D polyester, which is a pretty durable fabric. Not as durable as ballistic nylon, but good enough. Also, it’s backed up by a 1-year warranty, which isn’t much, but better than nothing.
Although the AmazonBasics foldable garment bag seems to be too tall to be used as a carry-on, it’s made from a soft fabric, so when you need to perform the box test in the airport, you can squeeze the bag slightly and pass the test. If you have the money, it’s definitely worth investing in the Briggs & Riley option. However, the AmazonBasics foldable garment bag will work as a great short-term alternative.
9. Best Suiter Duffle (Premium): Briggs & Riley Baseline Suiter Duffle
| Key Features: |
|---|
| – 22 x 12.5 x 9 inches |
| – 3.2 lbs (1.5 kg) |
| – 1680D ballistic nylon |
| – Editors rating: 4.6 |
| SHOP NOW |
If you’d rather get a suiter duffle instead of a folding duffle bag, then the Briggs & Riley Baseline suiter duffle is currently the best choice on the market.
The concept of suiter duffles is phenomenal. Essentially, you unzip both sides, and the duffle turns into a long garment sleeve. Then you proceed to pack your suits inside, zip the two sides back together, and your bag turns back into a duffle, where there’s still some space left in the middle for shoes and other items.
This duffle holds up to two suits in the suiter compartment. They’ll get slightly more wrinkled than in a folding garment bag, but the end result is still much better than not having a suiter compartment. The main compartment is fitted with two additional pockets for organization, as well as one larger pocket on the exterior. If you don’t fancy carrying the duffle by the handles, it also has a shoulder strap.
Of course, because this bag is manufactured by Briggs & Riley, it’s really expensive, but backed up by a no-matter-what lifetime warranty and built from the best possible materials. So if you’re looking for something that will last decades, the Briggs & Riley suiter duffle is currently the best option on the market.
10. Best Suiter Duffle (Affordable): Modoker Garment Duffle
| Key Features: |
|---|
| – 22.8 x 11.8 x 11 inches |
| – 2.5 lbs (1.1 kg) |
| – Polyester |
| – Editors rating: 4.1 |
| SHOP NOW |
If you don’t have the budget for Briggs & Riley, the Modoker suiter duffle will be a great short-term alternative.
The principle on the Modoker duffle is identical to Briggs & Riley – you can unzip both sides, and the bag turns into a long garment sleeve. Inside you can fit up to two suits, which won’t get as many wrinkles as you would in a regular carry-on. On one side there’s a dedicated shoe pocket that’s large enough to fit a pair of dress shoes or casual sneakers, and there’s still some space left in the middle. There are also quite a few other additional pockets for organizing all the smaller items.
Of course, because this duffle is so affordable, it’s built from regular polyester, instead of ballistic nylon. You also don’t get a solid warranty, and handles/zippers are built from less durable materials. The durability will be good enough if you don’t use this duffle every week, but won’t last long if you’re frequently traveling.
(5 votes, average: 4.80 out of 5)
Loading…