Choosing the perfect piece of hand baggage can be tricky, especially when you're looking for a piece flexible enough to accompany you on business trips as well as holidays. The luggage you can carry with you into the cabin is subject to strict rules regarding size and shape. What's more, depending on which airline you fly with, you could be restricted to only one item - this means that you need to be able to make the most of your hand baggage. From flexible bags that can be squashed into an overhead locker to rigid luggage designed to keep your essentials and paperwork protected, there are many different styles of cabin baggage to choose from.
When considering buying new luggage, it's wise to have a think about the types of trips you normally take. It's true that any time you're travelling you're going to be hoping to be able to minimise the luggage you take with you - many airlines have a strict weight limit and charge you extra when you go over it - but when you're taking a long haul flight the chances are that you'll be expecting to place your larger pieces of luggage in the hold, meaning you'll only need a small bag with essentials on the plane with you.
The same is true if you're going on a long holiday, it's unlikely you'll be able to pack two weeks' worth of clothes into cabin baggage, so you're far more likely to put the bulk of your luggage into the hold. This means you can consider choosing hand luggage more for preference than practicality, as you're more likely to only be using it for things such as your passport and entertainment for during the flight.
On the other hand, if you're the kind of person who likes to take a lot of short city breaks, you could find that you prefer the ability to take all of your luggage with you in the cabin. This limits the amount you can pack, but can save you a lot of time when it comes to checking in for your flight or disembarking at your destinations.
If this is the case, you might be well advised to look for a more traditional piece of hand luggage, a stiff case that conforms to airline regulations but has been made to be packed as space efficiently as possible. This tends to be the option best loved by busy corporate fliers too, and when you consider factors such as 360 wheels, handles for carrying and multiple pockets for storage, you can see why.
Whether you're planning on packing your whole wardrobe or on only taking the bare necessities, you're sure to find the luggage to suit with a little bit of browsing.
