Samsonite Freeform Hardside Expandable 2-Piece Set (Carry-On and Large)

The Samsonite Freeform 2-Piece Set pairs the top pick on our checked luggage list, the Freeform Large Spinner, with the matching Freeform carry-on. It suits a couple or a small family who pool their clothes in one checked bag and keep one carry-on for the flight, and who would rather buy both sizes once than hunt for two bags that match. CNN Underscored named it the best budget luggage set of 2026 after putting nine popular sets through trips and abuse tests, and the Good Housekeeping Institute's Textiles Lab included it in its April 2026 list of the best luggage sets.

It is not a complete kit for a family of four. There is no medium bag, and if every traveler needs a checked suitcase you will still be buying more luggage. Frequent flyers who want a shell that stays presentable should also look elsewhere.

Weight comes first. On the set's page Samsonite lists the carry-on at 6.5 lb and the large bag at 9.6 lb, about 16 lb of empty luggage for the pair; OutdoorGearLab weighed the two pieces in separate tests at 6.6 and 9.4 lb. CNN Underscored noted that both undercut Rimowa's Essential cabin and check-in bags on weight. Capacity keeps pace: OutdoorGearLab measured 41.2 L in the carry-on and 112.5 L in the large, and each piece won its Best Buy award. Good Housekeeping's standard load of clothes and shoes fit without the expansion.

The shell is polypropylene, which flexes rather than cracks. CNN Underscored stood on each empty case and hit the corners and edges with a hammer without leaving a dent or crack, and the set came through a checked flight and the baggage belt without damage. Good Housekeeping's drop tester released the bags repeatedly from 3 feet at different angles, and they resisted major damage.

Both pieces roll on four double spinner wheels. Good Housekeeping's testers called them smooth through the lab's twists and turns, CNN Underscored found the set well balanced and easy to push up inclines, and OutdoorGearLab found the large bag tracks well on airport floors, though not on grass or gravel. Each piece has a recessed three-dial TSA combination lock, and CNN Underscored singled out the long zipper pulls as easy to seat in it. Samsonite adds 1 inch of expansion on the carry-on and 1.5 inches on the large, a divider and cross-ribbon straps inside, a built-in ID tag and a 10-year limited global warranty.

The finish is the first compromise. CNN Underscored dragged the cases along a textured concrete wall and got real cuts in the shell, not only scuffs, and OutdoorGearLab found both pieces scratch easily, the large one heavily marked after its drop and tumble tests. There are no bumper rails. Plan on a set that looks used after a few trips.

Water is the second. The zippers are not sealed: about a third of the interior got wet in each of OutdoorGearLab's simulated rain tests, and CNN Underscored found no water resistance in its downpour test. Keep electronics and paperwork in a dry bag.

The grab handles are the common complaint. Good Housekeeping's testers found them tight, which makes lifting a full bag onto a belt or into a trunk harder, and OutdoorGearLab called the large bag's grab handles thin and the carry-on's trolley handle a bit too thin. The telescoping handles fared better: Good Housekeeping's testers rated them sturdy and comfortable, and CNN Underscored found them thick enough to grip without tiring.

Then size. Samsonite lists the carry-on at 23 x 15 x 10 inches overall, one inch over the 22 x 14 x 9-inch box Good Housekeeping uses to check carry-ons on every side, and a hard shell cannot be squeezed to fit. The large bag measures 65.8 linear inches by Samsonite's own figure, past the 62 inches Delta allows for a standard checked bag. Gate agents and check-in desks rarely measure a standard spinner, but it happens.

The Freeform Large 28 and the Freeform carry-on are the same two bags sold separately. The set makes sense when you want both sizes in matching colors in one order; if you need only the checked bag, buy the large on its own.

The Travelpro Platinum Elite 29 shows what the set does not give you: eight self-aligning wheels, a suiter, zippers that kept water out in OutdoorGearLab's test and a lifetime warranty on wheels, zippers and handles, in the premium price class and about 2 lb heavier than the Freeform large on its own. The SwissGear Sion 29 is the budget softside with front pockets and the only bag on our list inside 62 linear inches, but it holds far less than the Freeform large.

The Samsonite Freeform 2-Piece Set is the simplest way to get our top checked bag and a matching carry-on in one purchase: light polypropylene shells that came through CNN Underscored's hammer test and Good Housekeeping's drop tests, double wheels, TSA locks, expansion and a 10-year warranty on both. The shells scratch, the zippers let rain in, the grab handles are tight and the carry-on is an inch over the usual limit. For couples and small families who fly a few times a year, those are acceptable trades.