I'd like to get something with wheels, but whenever I've hefted that kind of luggage, it's seemed awfully heavy (I'm an oldster). Also, much of the space seems to be taken by the "equipment." Are there some carry-ons that are of a nice light weight, have decent packing room, and are easy to haul around?

Thank you.

I purchased a laptop computer bag with wheels. Smaller and lighter than carryon size luggage.

There are TONS of good options. I travel all the time - 90% of the time do carry-on only. My current favorite (I have a few different options depending on mood - and if I think I'm going to buy a bunch of stuff) is a very, very lightweight Samsonite that is an obnoxious blue (I have an obnoxious lime green one, too). Easy to see, extremely light and good if you need to stuff a little extra in. I'm old, so I "oldster" doesn't matter... . What does matter is weight, and I honestly cannot imagine having any suitcase without wheels. With gates are far away as they are, it would kill your shoulders to carry everything (oh, and yeah, I have a bad back).

I have TravelPro Platinum series and I love it. My carry on has logged ~300K miles with me in the last few years and it's still in great shape. Little wear and tear but nothing serious.

My big roller has logged about $100K miles in the belly of the planes and after all the use and abuse it's holding up great.

TravelPro has an unconditional warranty on the Platinum series. Any structural damage due to mishandling by the airline personnel or the owner will be repaired for free, no questions asked.

Before that I had Atlantic luggage, which is made by the same company. It did the job but it's not TravelPro quality. It's also about 1/2 of the cost.

ebags.com is my favorite for luggage shopping.

I've found some great luggage bargains at Marshalls, Ross and TJ Maxx stores.

We recently purchased two 22" Liz Claiborn carryons with the 4 spinner wheels. They are lightweight and were very inexpensive.

If you have any of the above stores nearby, go there and see what they have. Lift them, roll them around and see how they feel.

I would never buy any carryon suitcase without wheels and I would never buy one that weighed more than 8 lbs empty. The lighter, the better.

You should definitely buy a carry-on that weighs less than 8lbs, and preferably less than 7 lbs.

I don't have any suggestions right now, though I will be shopping for one soon myself. My goal is:

21" or less in length (including handles and wheels)
4-wheel spinner if possible
Less than 7 lbs

I really like our 21' rolling bag by Rick Steves. It weighs 7 pounds, and is durable and easy to maneuver. We have 2 of these bags and my DH uses one nearly weekly for business travel. Sort of like Timex, they can take a licking We paid around $115-$120 per bag.

I've gone through Tumi and other carry ons but I like my Rick Steves 21' rollaboard as well.

The DH likes his 49.99 Costco carry on with wheels, and I have to say it outlasted my Tumi.

I very much appreciate the replies and suggestions. Will definitely check a Marshall's kind of place. Only concern with that is that sometimes something can look nice and have a nice "feel"-- but I'm not sure I'd really know good quality from mediocre. I'll read reviews, etc of some of those others: Travelpro, Rick Steves, etc.
Thanks!

ebags doesn't seem to have Rick Steves products??

Also: I read some reviews of the RS 21" roll-on which said that the bag was larger than that-- in fact, did not qualify as carry-on. There seems to be more than one RS 21" roll-carry-on? Some weigh well over 8lbs, some just over 7? I'm confused!

For years I have been very happy with my Eagle Creek duffel-type wheeled carryon. The newer 20" model is 6 pounds 13 ounces. With the wheels it actually measures an inch more than 20". A bit more pricey than others.

Poss, I think you will be able to tell. Many of the cheaper brands look and feel cheap.

Look at the wheels. Do they appear to be sturdy?

Check the zippers. Do they work smoothly? Check the zipper pulls. Are they strong or flimsy?

Does it have a handle on top and on the side or on both ends? Are the handles padded? Is the telescoping handle sturdy or does it wiggle loosely from side to side? What about the height of the handle? Is it long enough? Is it adjustable? Can the handle be pulled out and locked in place easily with one hand?

Is the bag expandable? Does it have enough storage pockets on the inside and/or outside?

Anyway, you get the point.

Thanks Betty-- very helpful.
Louise-- EC too expensive (but looks great). Wonder if they ever appear at the discount stores.

Unfortunately I have never seen EC bags discounted anywhere. Sometimes you can get a fairly decent price at www.sierratrading.com.

Are you trying to pack carry-on only? Or this is in addition to a checked suitcase?

I use a medium canvas tote from Lands End (zippered top) for my carry-on. And a 24" roller checked thru. The tote can ride on the roller.

I bought and tried a wheeled 17" carry-on one trip, but it was too heavy and (as you mentioned) I felt like I was "paying" too much in weight and room for the handle/wheel mechanism.

In addition to checked bag.
I've always just used a soft bag (like Lands End type) slung over shoulder for carry on. But sometimes when I've got distances to go the slung bag becomes too weighty and awkward. I'm thinking I'd like to have a roller type carry on. (Seems almost everyone uses that type-- must be preferable?)

My wife and I have shoulder bags that can ride on our (checked) rollers.

Overhead space is becoming harder and harder to find, and our shoulder bags fit under the seat in front of us, so we don't have to participate in the bin wars.

Also, since we keep our valuables, pills, and entertainment in the shoulder bags, I like having them where they are easily accessable, and where I can keep an eye (or foot) on them. In the overhead bins, it would be too easy for someone to go through your bag, or even steal it and escape in the deplaning crowd.

Our only problem to date is that the airlines seem to be installing more equipment under the seats, so the fit is sometimes tighter than it used to be, but to date we have always been able to make it work.

Thanks for reply.
What I keep hoping to find is a roll-bag (so I don't have to have all the weight on my shoulder as I'm running from one gate to another)-- but a roll-bag that hopefully would fit under the seat. (But not be too heavy in case I sometimes do have to heft it in the overhead.)
As I get up in years, the weight consideration is becoming ever more important. Various aches and pains simply don't allow me to sling things around with the abandon that I once enjoyed.

I have an ebags Mother Lode mini-duffle which is the best carry-on I've ever had. I was suspicious of getting a brand I wasn't familiar with, but it's very light, I can pack a lot into it, and it always fits.

http://www.ebags.com/ebags/mother_lo...?modelid=68256

Very few, if any roll on bags are guaranteed to fit under the seat in front of you. I wouldn't count on anything bigger than a briefcase to fit there. Some airplanes have in-seat power outlets or other contraptions they place under the seats, further limiting the already limited space.