This Durable Carry-On Is One Of The Best Bags You Can Buy For Worry-Free Travels

If it's time to replace your carry-on luggage or pick up a new bag for an upcoming trip, there are a lot of factors to take into consideration. How sturdy are the wheels? How much does it weigh before you load it up with your stuff? Can you lock the zippers? It's enough to make you want to skip it altogether and just fork over a whole lot of money to check a bag. However, there is a fantastic carry-on that might make you rethink that, and it's got a feature that makes it invaluable to savvy travelers. This bag converts into a backpack. The Gear Warrior XE 2-Wheel 21.75" Convertible Carry-On from Eagle Creek is made for people who want flexibility in their bag. 

This bag is perfect for people who may be moving from city to city and hotel to hotel during their trip. Your hotel room isn't ready? You can convert the rolling bag into a backpack and carry it. Did too much shopping and your shoulders are tired? You can switch back to a rolling bag. Plus, it's got features galore. The company also has a "No Matter What Warranty," which covers the bag for its lifetime against defects in the product. That includes things like fabric tears, broken zippers, and issues with wheels, handles, frames, and buckles. It made Gear Lab's list of the Best Carry-On Luggage of 2025 for the first time because of its expandable body, exterior pockets, ease of maneuverability, and organization. It also made New York Magazine's list of best carry-ons for cobblestones, which can be hell on rolling bag wheels in Europe. It's a bit pricey at $429, but the features make it worth the cost. 

The Eagle Creek Warrior XE bag is 22 x 14 x 10 inches, or 22 x 14 x 12 inches if you use the extender zipper. It weighs eight pounds, which is a pound heavier than travel pro Rick Steves suggests for luggage, but it's pretty close. He's an advocate for only packing a carry-on, and this bag can carry a lot. Add in interior and exterior compression straps, and you can fit quite a bit.

The rubber wheels are strong, which is great for European cobblestones, as NYMag mentioned. That's a big deal to anyone who has had a wheel crack on them and been unable to roll it anymore. The bag itself is water-resistant, and it's got a wet/dry pocket on the side. If you're using it at the beach in backpack form, you can stow your wet swimsuit in there. It's got a laptop sleeve, a quick-access pocket for your passport and boarding pass (which you should always print), and a zip-away cargo net for things like helmets, jackets, and all those extra things you didn't really mean to buy. There are numerous handles along the bag for easy lifting, at it has a kickplate and hypalon-reinforced corners. It's even got numerous lash points so you can strap it down. 

It's a great rolling bag, but it really shines in the backpack department. If you're carrying all your stuff around the city, weight can be an issue. The backpack has load adjusters on the straps, as well as the hip and sternum straps, so you can adjust it for whatever you're carrying. It also has locking zippers and a central lock point so you can use a TSA-approved lock while you're walking around to help combat pickpockets.