Sterling Pacific · Men's Luggage
40L Aluminium Cabin Case
Full aluminium carry-on. Dents become the point, not the problem.
$1,000+
Shop the Look →The Boyfriend Luggage · /mens-travel-essentials/
The Boyfriend Luggage: buy once, roll for a decade
Luggage is one of the few categories where the expensive answer is genuinely cheaper. A bag with a lifetime repair policy costs three times as much as a supermarket case and lasts more than three times as long, and the airline damage that kills cheap luggage is covered.
There are two schools here. Aluminium, which collects scars and looks better for them. And ballistic nylon with a real warranty, which is the sensible choice if he travels for work.
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The romantic option
Full aluminium, four wheels, and dents that become the point rather than the problem.
The sensible option
Repaired for life including airline damage, which nobody else offers. Built-in garment section.
What goes in it
The three things that make a long-haul flight survivable.
Leather, carried by hand
City bags and a leather laptop bag from loryn.com. The bag you carry into a meeting rather than the one you check.
Louis Vuitton · Handbags
Takashi Murakami Monogram Canvas Trunk
A Louis Vuitton trunk, built the way the house built luggage for transatlantic liners.
Good
$22,500
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Louis Vuitton · Handbags
X Takashi Murakami Flower Hat Man Trunk Monogram Canvas
A Louis Vuitton trunk, built the way the house built luggage for transatlantic liners.
Excellent
$20,700
See It at The Luxury Closet →
Giuseppe Zanotti · Handbags
GZ Citybag
The Citybag — Zanotti's structured carry-all.
New
Price at Amazon
See It at Amazon →
Giuseppe Zanotti · Handbags
GZ Citybag, Colourway II
The Citybag in its second colour.
New
Price at Amazon
See It at Amazon →
The wallet
Slim enough for a front pocket, RFID blocked, and the upgrade he never makes himself.
Samsonite · Men's Accessories
Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On with Spinner Wheels
Meets almost every airline's sizer, which the expensive aluminium cases sometimes do not.
$100–$250
Shop Now →
Samsonite · Men's Accessories
Samsonite Classic Leather Slim Backpack
Leather, laptop-sized, and it does not read as a student rucksack.
$100–$250
Get It Here →
Travelpro · Men's Accessories
Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside Checked Spinner
Made by the company that invented the wheeled suitcase, for airline crew first.
$100–$250
See Price →
Kenneth Cole · Men's Accessories
Kenneth Cole Reaction Colombian Leather Backpack
Full leather, laptop-sized, and it does not read as a student rucksack.
$100–$250
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Bellroy · Men's Accessories
Bellroy Note Sleeve Slim Leather Bifold Wallet, RFID Blocking
Slim enough for a front pocket, RFID blocked, and it ages well. The wallet upgrade he never makes himself.
Under $100
Shop Now →
Bellroy · Men's Accessories
Bellroy Hide & Seek Slim Leather Bifold Wallet
A hidden section for the notes he forgets he has. Slim enough for a front pocket.
Under $100
Shop the Look →
BAGAIL · Men's Accessories
BAGAIL 8-Set Packing Cubes
Seventeen dollars and it ends living out of a heap. The highest-return travel purchase there is.
Under $100
Shop the Pick →
SwissGear · Men's Accessories
SwissGear 1900 ScanSmart Laptop Backpack
Lies flat for airport security. Twenty-eight thousand ratings for seventy-five dollars.
Under $100
Shop the Pick →
BAGSMART · Men's Accessories
BAGSMART Travel Toiletry Bag with Hanging Hook
Seventeen dollars and it hangs on a hotel door, which is the entire point.
Under $100
See Price →
MZOO · Men's Accessories
MZOO Contoured Light-Blocking Sleep Mask
Moulded cups so nothing presses on his eyes. A hundred thousand reviews and seventeen dollars.
Under $100
Shop Now →
YAMIU · Men's Accessories
YAMIU Waterproof Travel Shoe Bags, Set of 4
Keeps shoe soles off folded shirts. Twelve dollars for a problem he has never solved.
Under $100
See Price →
BAGSMART · Men's Accessories
BAGSMART TSA-Approved Travel Bottle Set, 18 Piece
Nine dollars, leak-proof, and it ends buying travel minis at the airport.
Under $100
Buy This for Him →
Peak · Men's Accessories
Peak Design Slide Lite Camera Strap
The strap that adjusts one-handed while the camera is round his neck.
Under $100
Shop Now →
Peak · Men's Accessories
Peak Design Capture Camera Clip V3
Clips a camera to a rucksack strap, so it stops swinging into things on a hike.
Under $100
Get It Here →
MATEIN · Men's Accessories
MATEIN Carry-On Garment Bag
Converts between a garment bag and a duffel, which is the trick that makes it get used.
Under $100
Buy This for Him →
DANISH · Men's Accessories
DANISH ENDURANCE Merino Wool Hiking Socks
Three pairs of merino, which is as many socks as a week of travel actually needs.
Under $100
Get It Here →
Luggage & Travel FAQ
What is the best luggage for men?
For work travel, Briggs & Riley — they repair their bags for life, including damage caused by airlines, which is the single most useful policy in luggage. For style, aluminium: it is heavier and dearer, and it looks better every year.
Is aluminium luggage worth it?
If he is the kind of person who likes patina, yes. If dents will annoy him, absolutely not — buy nylon. Aluminium scratches on its first trip and never stops.
What is the best travel gift for a boyfriend?
Noise cancelling headphones, if he does not already own a pair. They improve every flight and every airport, and they cost less than most luggage.