© Impact
Summer means travel season, and every trip has one thing in common: you need luggage to carry your favourite outfits and accessories along. Whether it’s a beach holiday, a city break or a hiking trip, there’s a bag suited to every journey and every need. We present our favourite suitcases of 2024.
By Laura Finkeldei
Why does sustainable luggage matter?
Sustainability isn’t just about eco-friendly, toxin-free materials. It’s also about fair production and a durable, timeless product that brings years of use and genuine functionality.
Sustainable luggage may cost more upfront than seemingly comparable pieces on the market. But factor in its durability, and it’s an investment that pays for itself.
Paravel – Aviator Carry-On Plus
The Aviator carry-on was voted the best piece of luggage of 2023, and for good reason: it’s the world’s first carbon-neutral suitcase made from sustainably sourced materials. Crafted from recycled polycarbonate, aluminium and vegan leather, it’s the perfect sustainable companion for a weekend away. Paravel backs the Aviator Carry-On with a ten-year guarantee.
Paravel was the first company in the industry to offset all the CO2 emissions generated by its manufacturing and shipping, and it uses 100 percent recycled materials across its products. The brand stands for a better future for the world and the planet — it wants to celebrate travel while serving the environment better, and to inspire everyone to see the world and make it better together.
The Aviator Carry-On Plus is available through the online shop.
Price: €605
Horizn Studios – H7 Air 88L
The H7 Air is a check-in case made from premium polycarbonate that wins over with its lightness and roominess. With an 88-litre capacity, it’s built for long trips and comes in three colourways.
Horizn Studios offers a 100-day trial period on its products, followed by a lifetime guarantee. The company develops and tests its innovations and sustainable products in Germany, relies on recycled materials in manufacturing, and produces with 99 percent zero waste. It also runs a Stop, Drop and Roll recycling programme: bring your old luggage to any store and receive a €30 credit toward a new Horizn product.
The H7 Air is available through the online shop.
Price, H7 Air 88L: €360
Buckle & Seam – Collin Leather Weekender
The Collin Weekender is a compact yet elegant travel bag from Buckle & Seam. Handcrafted from LWG-certified cowhide leather at the brand’s own fair-trade production sites, the bag wins over as much for its sustainability as for its design. Buckle & Seam backs its products with a two-year guarantee.
What sets this social-impact brand apart is its social mission — every product sold contributes to personal and professional development and the fundamental right to education. Buying a Weekender, for instance, funds two weeks of schooling for a girl in Pakistan, part of Buckle & Seam’s “One Bag. One Child.” initiative.
The bag is available through Buckle & Seam’s online shop.
Price, Collin Leather Weekender: €349
WAYKS – The Travel Backpack Original
The Travel Backpack Original from WAYKS is a modular 3-in-1 backpack made from recycled materials. It can be reconfigured on the fly, transforming from a full travel pack into a smaller daypack with a separate cube — handy for protecting camera gear or carrying food.
The backpack itself is made from a weatherproof fabric spun from recycled PET bottles. Its suitcase-style opening makes it easy to access your belongings, and its capacity can be expanded or reduced at will thanks to a roll-top closure and removable cube.
WAYKS is committed to taking meaningful action to continuously reduce the social and environmental impact of everything it makes, relying exclusively on high-quality materials and working with well-regarded manufacturers to guarantee quality.
The backpack is available through WAYKS’ online shop.
Price: €289
Samsonite – NEOPOD Trolley 55 cm
Samsonite’s new NEOPOD cabin case suits business and leisure travel alike, with a modern, boxy design. The trolley carries a five-year worldwide guarantee and comes in a 55 x 40 x 23 cm size.
Samsonite doesn’t just want to become more sustainable as a brand — it has set its sights on becoming “the most sustainable company for lifestyle bags and travel luggage in the world.” In keeping with that goal, the trolley is made from recycled material equivalent to 35 plastic bottles. Available through the online shop.
Price, Samsonite NEOPOD Trolley 55 cm: €279
GOT BAG – RE:SHELL CHECKED
The RE:SHELL CHECKED suitcase from Got Bag, with its 77-litre capacity, is built for longer trips. Its hard shell is made from recycled polycarbonate reclaimed from decommissioned water coolers and post-industrial rPC. The wheels are easily replaceable, and a TSA combination lock adds extra security. The case comes with a five-year guarantee and a repair service.
GOT BAG’s mission is protecting the environment, which is why it makes backpacks and suitcases from recycled materials — delivering high-quality, long-lasting products while cleaning and protecting the oceans along the way. Through its efforts, Got Bag helps reduce plastic waste and encourage more conscious consumption.
Price: €249
Patagonia – Duffel Bag and Backpack
Patagonia offers travel duffels in various sizes, including a waterproof option. The Black Hole Duffel 100L was designed specifically for trips with heavy luggage and is made entirely from recycled material. Its distinctive ripstop fabric resists weather and abrasion alike.
For outdoor enthusiasts and backpackers, the Ascensionist Pack offers a solid, sustainable travel-and-hiking solution. Its outer shell is 100 percent recycled nylon, and the lining is 100 percent recycled polyester. The 35L version comes in two colours, and the 55L version in three.
Patagonia has spent years winning admirers with its sustainable practices and its commitment to a better world. The company is a pioneer in climate and environmental protection, working to make its production greener through a shift to renewable energy. Patagonia encourages repairing broken products rather than replacing them, backing that philosophy with an uncompromising guarantee and a repair service on all its products. The duffel bags and travel backpacks are available through Patagonia’s online shop, though the featured colours won’t be available until autumn.
Price, Black Hole Duffel 100L: €220
Price, Ascensionist Pack 35L: €190
Price, Ascensionist Pack 55L: €220
Longchamp – Le Pliage Green Travel Bag M
The Le Pliage travel bag in peacock blue is a lightweight, foldable piece that has become a cult object the world over thanks to its distinctive design. Now available in the eco-friendly GREEN edition, it’s made from recycled polyamide canvas, giving old materials a second life.
Since 2019, the iconic Longchamp brand has committed to expanding its collections made from recycled materials, taking part in numerous initiatives to reduce its environmental impact. In 2021, Longchamp introduced a new recycled version of its iconic Le Pliage Original.
The travel bag is available through Longchamp’s online shop.
Price: €170
MANBEFAIR – Catania Travel Bag
The Catania travel bag, made from premium cotton canvas and eco-friendly full-grain leather, is the ideal companion for any traveller. Handmade under fair conditions, Catania wins over with its rugged, water-repellent canvas. Inside, two open compartments and a zippered pocket provide plenty of room for a weekend’s worth of belongings.
MANBEFAIR focuses on distinctive, trend-setting bags for women and men built to last. The company relies on high-quality natural materials and production that’s as gentle on the environment as possible. Its bags are handcrafted by artisans with real passion and care, and fair wages and safe working conditions are simply a given at MANBEFAIR.
The Catania bag is available through the online shop.
Price: €139
Impackt – IP1 Suitcase S
[metaslider id=“8886”]
Impackt’s carry-on offers a sustainable, practical solution for any trip — its size clears the requirements of every major airline. The case also features USB and USB-C ports for charging your electronics. As a nice personal touch, the wheels come in six colours and can be swapped out to suit your taste, which also makes replacing broken or worn wheels refreshingly simple.
The case’s outer shell is made from 46 percent recycled post-consumer plastic, and the lining from a full 100 percent. Impackt draws on years of experience from the travelite brand and keeps its focus squarely on sustainable travel, aiming to bring together environmental awareness, fair pricing and excellent quality with real design ambition. Impackt backs its products with a six-year guarantee.
Price, IP1 Suitcase S: €129.95
Price, IP1 wheel set: €19.95
Lo & Sons – Catalina Deluxe Tote in Eco-Friendly Canvas
The Catalina Deluxe tote and travel bag pairs sustainability with a beautiful, well-considered design. Alongside the main compartment, it features a separate shoe compartment that unzips from the main body — or, for extra room, zips away entirely to make space for larger items. The bag can be carried by hand or over the shoulder with its detachable strap, and it also features a small inner pocket and a sleeve on the back that slips neatly over an extended suitcase handle.
The canvas material is high-quality and sustainable, kinder to the environment as a result. The bag holds 24.1 litres and comes in seven colours in the canvas version. Lo & Sons backs its products with a one-year guarantee. Available through the online shop.
Price, Catalina Deluxe Tote Canvas: $123, roughly €114
Travel-Dude – Compression Packing Cube Set in Forest Green
Chaos can take over a suitcase, and a travel bag in particular, faster than you’d think. Travel-Dude offers a clever solution to keep your clothes organised.
Sustainability is front of mind here too: the packing cube set, made up of seven cubes in various sizes, is crafted from recycled plastic bottles.
The set includes two cubes each in sizes S, M and L, with one of the L cubes waterproof — ideal for keeping wet items separate from dry ones. A laundry bag is included as a bonus. Each cube also features a compression zipper that squeezes clothing down, creating extra space and order in your suitcase or travel bag. Available through Travel-Dude’s online shop.
Price, Compression Packing Cube Set in Forest Green: €49.99
