If you're heading out for a long trip, no other type of luggage beats a rolling duffel bag for capacity and convenience. There's plenty of room for your belongings, your partner's, and all the stuff you find along the way and can't resist taking home. Look for ones with a wide opening for easy access into the bag and separate compartments to stow shoes and dirty laundry.
I like my rolling duffels the way I like my men: Big, strong, and able to stand up to whatever circumstances throw at them. If quality, durability, and style are equally important you to -- and you aren't willing to sacrifice any of those qualities, then Tumi's T-Tech Grand rolling duffel ought to be your first choice. Close to a yard tall and 16.5" x 15" in other dimensions, the Tumi rolling duffel is the prestige brand's largest model. This big boy offers a multitude of pockets, easy access from the top, and Tumi's valuable tracer protection and warranty.
This large, tall rolling duffel bag (35" x 15" x 15") is, at is 4 lbs. , 9 oz. lightweight for its size. That's important, since airlines limit the weight of baggage you can bring and will charge to haul overweight luggage. And it's easy to grab, thanks to handles across the top and center (you'd be surprised how many duffels don't offer these important features). I also like that it has a utility cranny -- a good place to stash wet bathing suits or laundry. And this rolling duffel will stand upright, rather than topple over, when full.
Two bags in one, a duffel and a daypack, this model won Outside Magazine's Gear of the Year award. If you hate carrying things but don't mind rolling them, it's a smart choice. Together the duffel bag and the backpack weigh under 11 pounds. And if you separate the two and use the daypack as your carryon, you should be able to bring both onboard.
This large-capacity (32" x 16" x 16") duffel bag can hold up to two weeks' belongings on a trip. The unusually wide U-shaped opening makes packing -- and grabbing stuff out of the roomy interior -- easier. Available in black and red with a leather trim. Made well, it has quiet ball-bearing wheels and uses screws rather than rivets at stress points. This company also makes smaller 20" and 25" rolling duffel bags.
Is bigger better? If you're planning on packing a lot of stuff into a single bag, the 29" x 17.25" x 15.5" Mother Lode can accommodate everything from apparel to sporting gear. While there are certainly cheaper rolling duffel bags to be found, few of them come with a lifetime against defects in material or workmanship such as the one this bag offers. And it is very flexible; you can pack it as a one, two, or three compartment duffel and move shelves in the bottom compartment around.
When I shop for a rolling duffel, I like to read the product reviews. At this writing, this High Sierra AT3 Sierra-Lite 32" Drop-Bottom Wheeled Duffel had 30 out of 30 buyers who would purchase it again. It measures 32" x 15.5" x 15.75" and comes in a very cool color combination of triple blues. As an aid to packing, this highly rated rolling duffel has separate compartments.
Zipping from end to end for easy access, Eagle Creek's 30" x 17" x 12" Centerline Load Warrior is sleek and solidly built, yet you can collapse it when empty to fit under a bed or in tight quarters. Exterior compression straps keep the load inside this rolling duffel secured.
Want to stand out in a crowd? Choose a two-tone Ricardo Beverly Hills rolling duffle bag; it won't get mistaken for anyone else's. This big boy measures 30" x 15" x 14", is water-resistant, and has ball-bearing wheels. I also like that its nylon coil zippers are "self repairing." There's nothing like having to go shopping for a big suitcase far from home, when you don't have extra money to spend.
Strong yet light and notably durable, this large rolling duffel is made of ballistic nylon and has the capacity to carry a heavy load without groaning. Leather trim adds a touch of class to the 32" x 16" x 16" silhouette.
Frankly feminine and scaled down for smaller travelers, this Vera Bradley rolling duffel uses a pretty quilted cotton print (in Java Blue or Mesa Red), then covers it in Dupont Teflon to keep it from getting dirty. Measuring 26" x 14" x 12", the duffel weighs 9 pounds. Its roomy interior contains three pockets and a hanging zippered pocket to hold smaller things.
