Traveling in your Golden Years should be about enjoyment, not stress. However, for the 99 percent of Baby Boomers who intend to travel each year, the choice of the right carry-on luggage can often turn into a source of unnecessary worry.
Whether you are a senior looking to see the world or someone caring for an elderly loved one, knowing how to choose the right carry-on luggage is crucial. This guide will not only teach you the art of packing light but also equip you with the knowledge to select the perfect carry-on for seniors.
Let’s simplify your travel and turn it into a delightful experience.
5 Specific Recommendations to Consider and Why
Here are my top recommendations for the best carry on for seniors or the elderly.
Briggs & Riley Baseline International Carry-On Wide Body Upright
Briggs & Riley Baseline Black Global 2-Wheel Carry-On
Size: 20 X 15 X 8 inches | Weight: 9.3 lbs
If you want to keep the weight up but still have the most size and space you can get while being a carry-on, this is the one. It’s also a great choice for international travel.
The classic exterior doesn’t really belie just how spacious the interior is, and yet this still meets the carry-on requirements of domestic US airlines. The functionality and light weight are a result of the soft shell.
Despite the soft shell, this bag holds up looking like new for many years of use, regardless of how hard you work it. The makers of this back rely on a reputation for durability, which is why they offer customers a lifetime guarantee to back up their high-caliber craftsmanship.
Samsonite Winfield 2 Fashion 20
Samsonite Winfield 2 Hardside Luggage with Spinner Wheels, Carry-On 20-Inch, Charcoal
Size: 23 X 14.5 x 9.5 inches | Weight: 6.7 lbs
Previous travel experiences might have made you a believer in hard side carry-on bags. Granted, they should be safe when in your trunk or in the bin, but speed bumps and turbulence don’t care about such things.
For that matter, in between, you’ve got everything from kids running to collisions or bumps with airport carts.
If you’re going to pack light, then you need something that will keep your few possessions in good shape from start to finish, and this is a great piece of luggage. As a matter of fact, this is the reason that it’s Amazon’s best-seller for carry-on luggage.
The spinner wheels have been totally re-engineered on the current model, making it easy to get around. Also included is a TSA lock.
Choose from 10 different colors to find the one that suits you, and strut the concourse in the confidence that comes with being backed by a 10-year warranty.
Travelpro Maxlite 5 Lightweight Carry On
Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Expandable Luggage with 4 Spinner Wheels, Lightweight Suitcase, Men...
Size: 23 X 14 x 9 inches | Weight: 5.4 lbs
If you are a senior or shopping for one, you might want the comfort and look of yesteryear. This soft-shell piece of luggage is great for anyone that still wants only two wheels.
This suitcase is a modern take on the classic version, especially with a deep main compartment with enough room for a week or so of clothes.
Solid handles and smooth-rolling wheels make this easy to travel through the airport, and the front lid features numerous zipped compartments for effective organization.
Size: 21.75 X 13.75 X 9.75 inches | Weight: 4.7 lbs
Want something truly light in weight? This bag comes in under 5 pounds, even though it’s hardsided!
The shell is 100-percent polycarbonate, and while only professional chemists might really understand that, for you it means a hardside case that’s truly resistant to breaks and cracks.
On top of its robust durability, the metallic finish is sleek and shiny. This bag looks a lot pricier than it actually is.
It’s not all looks, though. Inside this hardshell spinner are a pair of packing bags for laundry and shoes, which makes it easier to keep things clean if any parts of your travel were good, dirty fun.
That can either be time on the beach with the grandkids, or just good memories with friends that you’ll never mention back home.
Size: 21.6 X 14.9 X 10 inches | Weight: 7.4 lbs
If saving money is the name of your game, then this might be your go-to option. This cabin-size piece of luggage fits nearly all airline cabins, it’s senior-citizen-friendly, and it’s usually under $100, if even half that.
The hard shell is scratch-resistant, and the ABS is extra thick to give you something strong. Three zippered interior pockets make organizing smaller items a breeze.
Also, this piece of luggage is expandable, which gives you room for all those gifts and souvenirs you get for people back home (or yourself).
Four double-spinning wheels mean smooth mobility in all directions, so getting through the airport concourse or down the cruise ship corridor is easy to pull off.
Martha’s Story: How the Right Carry-On Luggage Changed Her Travel Experience
Meet Martha, a 70-year-old retiree who loves to travel. However, her old, cumbersome suitcase was becoming an issue – too large to carry, it was causing undue strain on her back and shoulders. On one of her solo trips to Europe, the oversized luggage made navigating the airport terminals and busy city streets an arduous task.
The situation got even worse when she had to climb a flight of stairs at a quaint, yet old-fashioned, hotel with no elevator. It was not just about physical discomfort; Martha felt like her freedom to explore was being constrained by her inconvenient luggage.
Deciding she’d had enough, Martha set about finding a carry-on luggage designed with seniors in mind. She came across our guide and used the recommendations to find a lightweight, ergonomically designed suitcase with sturdy wheels, adjustable handles, and compartments that made organization a breeze.
Importantly, the luggage was compact enough to navigate busy airports and city streets, yet roomy enough to fit essentials thanks to the efficient packing techniques she learned from our article.
With her new carry-on luggage, Martha’s travel experiences have been transformed. The physical strain is gone; she now maneuvers her suitcase with ease and feels much more independent. The smartly designed compartments allow her to access her belongings easily, and the compact size makes navigating through busy areas or stairs a less daunting task.
Martha has regained her confidence to travel solo and is now planning her next adventure to Southeast Asia, feeling liberated and empowered by her travel gear.
The Advantages of Packing Light
Developing the art of packing light rewards you with several advantages:
Save on Excess Baggage Fees
First of all, you should avoid excess baggage fees when you fly. If you can actually pack light enough to only need a carry-on, then you can also avoid checked baggage fees. That frees up a few bucks for a round of drinks to celebrate hitting one of the Holy Grails of travel.
Save on Cart Fees or Porter Tips
Speaking of saving a few bucks, there won’t be any more airport cart fees to shell out for. You can even skip the ‘guilt’ tips you’re used to giving hotel porters struggling to get your bags to your room.
That’s either another round of drinks or just a few postcards to the grandkids back home. If they’re with you, maybe you can splurge on a fun excursion.
Save Wear and Tear on the Old Body
One final benefit that can really help seniors is just that moving less weight around significantly reduces your odds of bodily injury.
To be honest, there might be one extra benefit, if you’re the smug type. Putting your bag up on airport scales with ease and confidence isn’t something most senior travelers ever get to do.
Features to Look for in Carry-On Luggage for Seniors
Now that you know the advantages of packing light or helping your older relative do so, you can just get the lightest bag out there, can’t you? Not so fast. Any piece of serious carry-on luggage for the elderly needs to meet a few criteria:
Durability
This is the most crucial aspect. Whether it’s called durable, robust, strong, or sturdy, make sure that whatever carry on you buy can stand up to the travel and abuse.
More than One Handle
Bells and whistles don’t always mean something is elder-friendly, but in this case, it does. Multiple handles make carry-ons easier to pull, carry, lift, swing, put down, and so forth.
Consider the Size and Weight
The smaller the bag, the less it weighs, and the less you have to lug around. However, it’s got to have enough room to carry your essentials, plus possibly have room left over for souvenirs. That campy snowglobe really was waiting for you, right?
Properly-Spaced Wheels
Wheels are essential, but if they’re too close to one another, the luggage will tip. That’s actually dangerous for seniors who really don’t want to risk a fall. Not that anyone of any age wants that.
Contrasting Colors
For older folks with vision issues, contrasting colors in the handles and zippers can help them find what they need faster. Plus your bag will stand out from all the others in the storage compartment.
Compartment Accessibility
Older individuals don’t need to have full-blown arthritis to have trouble opening and closing things. Easy access to priority possessions, medicines, or medical devices helps everyone.
Easily Operated Features
It’s not enough to see features clearly, but they also need to be easy to use as well for the same reasons.
Will Your Carry On Fit?
Different airlines have different definitions of carry-on luggage. While these five pieces should match most airlines, it never hurts to review the carrier you’re going to fly with. Amazon has a useful page where you can do just that:
Quick Tips About How You Can Pack Lighter
Packing light means being smart and packing bright. Use the following tips to get started:
- Maximize Your Space: A tablet or e-reader eats up far less space than a handful of paper books. Also, pull out anything you want ‘just in case’ and maybe even some essential toiletries you can just buy when you get there.
- Pack Outfits You Can Mix And Match: Anything that can work with more than one outfit or ensemble helps you minimize the total number of garments you squeeze in.
- Max Out A Personal Item: Not all airlines do this, but most do, in that they let you bring a personal item in addition to your carry-on luggage. This might be a laptop bag or a purse, usually whatever you can stuff under your seat. Fill it out as much as you can.
- Packing Organization: There are cubes, folders, and envelopes you can use to partition your items inside your limited space, and they can minimize wasted airspace inside your carry on.
- Wear Your Heaviest Item: Whether it’s a sweater, jeans, or some senior-friendly shoes, if it’s on your person, it’s not eating up room in your bag.
- Mail It: If you have something you want on the trip but don’t need on the flight or first night, ship it to your hotel in advance. FedEx and UPS Ground rates are far cheaper than checked baggage fees.
Final Recommendations
If you can’t get it all done with one carry on, remember that several lighter bags are better than one hefty one. At the very least, it’s less to lift up or down.
When you do lift, always keep your luggage close to your body, bend at your knees, and never twist yourself while lifting. Also, never fear asking for help.
Segment your bag’s trip from the floor of the plane to the overhead bin. First, lift it up onto the seat top. Then use your hands on either side in order to get it up into the bin. Put the wheels in first before sliding the rest into the compartment.
When rolling, alternate arms frequently to spare your shoulders and muscles.
What tips do you have to make traveling with carry-ons easier for seniors and the elderly? Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments below!
