I’d been curious about Quince luggage for a while.
Over the last year or so, I’d been seeing ads absolutely everywhere, and the price point relative to what you’re actually getting has always made me want to try it.
So when the team at Quince reached out earlier this year, I said yes immediately.
This carry-on and the Italian Leather Triple Compartment Weekender are my first proper Quince experiences, and spoiler: I have thoughts.
The carry-on has been through it.
I’ve dragged through the streets of New York on multiple occasions, wrestled it onto subways, buses, trains, planes, and cars, over-packed it so much it set off the TSA machine, and checked curbside from New York to Pittsburgh….so basically, I’ve really put this bag through its paces across four trips between New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania over the last few months.
And that wine color, which reads more as a rich, deep berry in person than it does online, has held up beautifully through all of it.
Here’s my honest take.
Skip Ahead
Watch My Quince Carry-On Review on YouTube
Before we dive in, you can watch my full video review on YouTube where I take you through everything hands-on: the color in person, the interior organization, how much actually fits inside, the airline sizer tests, and my honest take after four real trips.
Seeing the wine color on camera really does it justice in a way photos don’t quite capture.
Prefer to read? Keep scrolling for the full written breakdown.
Overview of Quince
Quince was founded in 2018 by Sid Gupta, Sourabh Mahajan, and Zunu Mittal, three people with backgrounds in private equity, retail operations, and technology.
The brand’s pitch is straightforward: they work directly with the same factories that produce for high-end brands, cutting out every middleman in between and passing the savings directly to you. No wholesale markup, no distributor cut, no physical storefront overhead, and no retailer taking a cut.
Quince ships factory direct to your door, which is how they can sell a polycarbonate carry-on built with the same materials as bags that cost significantly more.
To put that in concrete terms: the Quince carry-on uses virgin Makrolon polycarbonate for the shell, which is the same material found in premium carry-ons across the market.
The hardware matches too: YKK zippers, which are the global benchmark for travel-grade zip durability, aircraft-grade aluminum telescopic handles, 360° spinner wheels, and a built-in TSA Travel Sentry approved combination lock. The lining is water-resistant 75D polyester pongee.
The honest caveat worth knowing: because Quince is a newer luggage brand, the 5-to-10 year durability picture is still being written. Away has been on the market since 2015 with travelers logging years of flights on the same bag. If you’re buying luggage to last a decade, that track record matters.
If you’re buying a bag you expect to use hard for the next few years and reassess, the price difference is genuinely compelling.
The brand also identifies its manufacturing facilities as Sedex certified, a supply chain initiative focused on improving working conditions. For a brand at this price point, that level of stated supply chain transparency is worth noting.
Things to Consider Before Buying the Quince Carry-On
Before we get into the full review, a few things worth knowing upfront.
The price point alone makes this carry-on worth serious consideration. For what you’re getting, a virgin Makrolon polycarbonate shell, YKK zippers, 360° spinner wheels, and a TSA-approved lock, you’d typically pay significantly more from a brand with a physical retail presence or a bigger marketing budget.
Quince’s direct-to-consumer model is what makes the math work, and for carry-on only travelers especially, investing in a well-built hard shell at this price is a genuinely smart move.
On the style front, the colorways are genuinely beautiful. The wine color I have reads as a rich, deep berry in person and has an elevated, luxe quality that you wouldn’t necessarily expect at this price point. It’s the kind of bag that gets noticed in a good way.
Quince also does some really special seasonal colors that are worth keeping an eye on, like the sunny yellow they released for summer and the Venetian red they just dropped for autumn. If you’re someone who likes their luggage to make a statement, Quince is worth checking back on regularly since the limited colors tend to sell out.
Airline compatibility is worth thinking through before you buy. The Quince carry-on meets standard limits for most major US and international carriers, and I can confirm it fits both the British Airways and Aer Lingus sizers comfortably after testing them myself.
That said, budget European carriers like Ryanair and EasyJet have stricter and sometimes smaller cabin bag allowances, so I’d recommend cross-referencing the dimensions against your specific airline before flying. Always worth checking rather than assuming, especially in Europe.
This version doesn’t expand, which is worth knowing upfront if you tend to pack heavy or like the option of extra room on the way home. Quince does make an expandable version if that’s a priority, and I’m hoping to test that one on my upcoming South of France trip, so stay tuned for that review.
Like all polycarbonate hard shell luggage, this bag will pick up scuffs and surface marks over time.
That’s not a Quince-specific issue, it’s simply the nature of the material. After four trips including one curbside gate check, mine has held up remarkably well with only a tiny bit of surface dirt overall.
The wine color is particularly forgiving in this regard, hiding marks far better than lighter colorways would. Quince includes an anti-scuff sponge in the box for easy maintenance, and recommends storing the bag upright in a cool dry place between trips.
Quince Carry-On Luggage & Unboxing
What’s in the box:
- Quince polycarbonate carry-on
- Dust bag
- Anti-scuff sponge
The Quince carry-on arrives well packaged, tucked inside a box and then its own dust bag, which for a bag at this price point is a genuinely nice touch and signals that Quince takes the unboxing experience seriously.
My first impression when I pulled it out was how substantial it felt, solid and well-constructed without being heavy. The one thing that surprised me slightly was the shell finish. I’d expected something ultra-smooth and glossy, but the exterior has more of a textured matte quality to it.
Once I’d had it for five minutes I realized this was actually a good thing: a textured finish hides surface marks and minor scuffs far better than a high-gloss shell would, and it gives the bag a slightly more understated, sophisticated look in person.
The wine color especially benefits from this finish, it gives it a depth and richness that a glossier surface wouldn’t have captured in the same way.
Chic, beautifully organized inside, and the price will genuinely stop you in your tracks.
Hardware and Design Features
Quince Carry-On Color and Style
The Quince carry-on has a clean, streamlined hard-shell design with horizontal ridges that add visual structure and do a great job of disguising minor scuffs over time. Black zippers, handles, and wheels run throughout, creating a consistent, polished look that feels intentional rather than generic.
The color range is one of the things I love most about Quince luggage. Beyond the classics like black and navy, they do seasonal colorways that are genuinely worth watching for.
The wine color I have is a perfect example: it’s rich, deep, and sophisticated in person, and paired with black accents and a black personal item bag it really pops in the best way.
It’s the kind of color combination that photographs beautifully and looks elevated in the airport without trying too hard.
Quince Carry-On Luggage Dimensions
| Dimensions | Measurements |
|---|---|
| External dimensions (with wheels) | 23.1″ H x 15.2″ W x 9.53″ D |
| Internal dimensions | 21″ H x 14″ W |
| Capacity | 48L |
| Weight | 6.7 lbs |
| Shell | Virgin Makrolon polycarbonate |
| Zippers | YKK |
| Wheels | Wheels: 360° spinner wheels (previously listed as Hinomoto by Quince; designation quietly removed from polycarbonate line)” |
| Lock | Built-in TSA Travel Sentry approved |
| Lining | Water-resistant 75D polyester pongee |
| Return window | 365 days |
At 48 liters the standard carry-on sits in the sweet spot for carry-on only travel, enough for a week or more if you pack efficiently, without pushing the limits of most airline overhead bins.
At 6.7 lbs empty it’s impressively lightweight for a hard shell carry-on, which matters when you’re working within airline weight limits.
The 23.1″ x 15.2″ x 9.53″ exterior dimensions meet every major US domestic airline’s overhead carry-on allowance including United, American, Delta, JetBlue, Alaska, and Southwest.
For international travel, particularly on stricter budget European carriers, I’d recommend checking your specific airline’s dimensions before flying.
I personally tested it in the British Airways and Aer Lingus sizers and it fit both comfortably, but know from past experiences that Ryanair and EasyJet operate differently.
Hardshell
The polycarbonate shell on the Quince carry-on strikes a good balance between rigidity and flexibility, which is exactly what you want in a hardshell.
It feels solid and substantial without being brittle, with just enough give when pressure is applied to absorb impact rather than crack, which is exactly what you want from a hard shell bag that’s going into overhead bins and being handled by airport staff.
If you’ve ever tested the Away carry-on, it feels very comparable to Away in this regard, which is a meaningful benchmark given Away’s reputation for build quality.
One thing I genuinely love about the Quince shell that I didn’t expect to notice as much as I did: there’s no logo on the front. Away, like most major brands, has their branding prominently displayed, and while it’s subtle, it’s there.
The Quince is completely clean. For anyone who prefers their luggage to look understated and expensive rather than branded, that’s a quiet but meaningful design choice that elevates the whole look of the bag.
The horizontal ridges running across the shell add visual structure and do a genuinely good job of disguising surface marks and minor scuffs, which after four trips including a curbside gate check is a real practical advantage.
The materials overall feel on par with Away, which given the significant price difference is really the whole story of this bag in one sentence.
Spinner Wheels
The Quince carry-on features 360° spinner wheels. Worth noting: Quince previously specified Hinomoto wheels on their polycarbonate carry-on product pages but has quietly removed that designation, now listing them generically as ‘360° spinner wheels.’ Their aluminum carry-on line still explicitly credits Japanese-crafted Hinomoto wheels.
Whether the polycarbonate version still uses Hinomoto components or has switched to an unbranded alternative is currently unclear. In my testing the wheels perform well on smooth surfaces like airport floors and hotel lobbies, though they catch slightly on uneven city surfaces.
On smooth surfaces like airport floors and hotel lobbies they perform beautifully, gliding effortlessly in any direction without any resistance.
Where it gets slightly more nuanced is on real city surfaces. On New York City sidewalks the wheels catch on raised pavement sections and doorways more than I’d like, and getting in and out of elevators required a bit more maneuvering than felt ideal.
To be fair, most luggage has this issue to some degree, but having recently tested the Carl Friedrik Core Carry-On, from what I recall it felt noticeably smoother rolling through Paris and New York City streets, though that may come down to the more refined wheel housing rather than the wheels themselves.
For the vast majority of travelers who are primarily rolling through airports and hotels rather than New York City sidewalks, this won’t be a meaningful issue. But if you do a lot of city rolling, it’s worth knowing.
TSA-Approved Lock
Like most modern carry-ons, the Quince carry-on has a built-in TSA Travel Sentry approved combination lock, meaning TSA agents can open and inspect your bag with a universal master key without damaging the lock, while keeping it secured against everyone else.
It was really easy to set, and has worked well so far. I can’t say I’ve had any complaints.
Organization and Storage
Quince interior organization follows the same familiar clamshell layout you’ll find on most premium hard shell carry-ons: two sides that open flat,
That large mesh pocket is worth talking about specifically.
My one honest wish is that it were divided into two smaller pockets rather than one giant one, since a single large pocket can become a bit of a catch-all without much natural organization.
That said, the size of it is genuinely useful for work travel, fitting a surprising amount of paperwork, folders, and flat documents that would get lost or crumpled in a smaller compartment.
It’s a trade-off that will suit some travelers more than others depending on how you pack.
There’s also a removable laundry bag included, which I haven’t put through its paces yet but is a genuinely useful addition for longer trips.
In terms of capacity, this bag fits the same amount as my Away Bigger Carry-On, which is saying something. At 48 liters it packs easily and efficiently, and in my experience a week’s worth of clothes fits comfortably when packed well.
For a carry-on only traveler this is exactly the sweet spot you want.
Trolley Handle
The telescopic trolley handle on the Quince carry-on has held up to everything I’ve thrown at it.
Over the last few months of travel, I’ve leaned on it, dragged it over curbs, hauled it up steps quickly, and loaded other bags on top of it via trolley sleeves on multiple trips. No wobble (besides what’s normal), no sticking, no complaints.
It extends and retracts smoothly across three height settings, all of which work well for my 5’8″ frame.
The grip has a slightly velvety, soft-touch feel that makes longer airport walks genuinely comfortable, which is one of those small details you don’t think about until you’ve spent forty-five minutes dragging a bag through a terminal with a handle that’s cutting into your palm.
For a bag at this price point, the handle quality is a genuine highlight. It feels and performs closer to what you’d expect from a significantly more expensive bag.
Product Warranty
Quince backs the carry-on with a Limited Lifetime Warranty covering manufacturer defects in materials and craftsmanship, including the wheels, handles, zippers, and shell, for the reasonable lifetime of the bag under routine use.
If something goes wrong due to a manufacturing issue, Quince will repair or replace the bag, or issue a refund at their discretion.
Worth knowing upfront: the warranty doesn’t cover cosmetic damage from normal wear and tear, accidental damage, misuse, or loss. So the scuffs your bag picks up from regular travel won’t be covered, which is standard across the industry.
On top of the warranty, Quince offers a generous 365-day return window, significantly longer than most luggage brands, as long as the bag is unused and in original condition.
That’s a meaningful commitment for a brand at this price point and signals genuine confidence in the product.
| Warranty | Limited Lifetime |
| Covers | Manufacturing defects in materials and craftsmanship |
| Excludes | Normal wear and tear, accidental damage, misuse, loss |
| Returns | 365 days, unused and in original condition |
| Claims | Contact care@onequince.com |
Chic, beautifully organized inside, and the price will genuinely stop you in your tracks.
Performance
Four trips in, and this carry-on has genuinely impressed me so far! Between flights on JetBlue, Allegiant, and Delta across New York, Florida, and Pennsylvania, it has held up beautifully.
Plus, the color has been fantastic at hiding dirt and the shell has taken the streets of New York City in stride. It still looks and feels as solid as the day it arrived, which for a bag at this price point is exactly what you always hope to hear after some use.
The overhead bin situation was smooth across the board. It fit easily into JetBlue and Allegiant bins without any drama. Check out my YouTube channel to see me test it in all the popular airline sizers.
And, just for good measure, this bag was also curbside checked at Delta when I was last to board. Speaking of, this thing maneuvers through the airport wonderfully when you have to run to catch a flight at last boarding call. I may have tested this on 2/4 trips because I’m a very type-B traveler.
Fair warning though: I over-packed this bag so aggressively on one trip that it set off the TSA scanner alarm (part of the reason why i had to run to my flight). The agent swore it was the weight throwing the machine off rather than anything actually wrong with the bag, and he was right since it passed fine once opened.
Lesson learned on my end, though I appreciate that the bag itself held up to my enthusiastic packing without complaint.
The curbside gate check at Delta came back down the baggage claim belt completely fine, just a bit of surface dirt and a small lotion mark that absolutely was from me at some point and happens with every bag I’ve ever owned. Nothing the anti-scuff sponge shouldn’t handle.
I was really impressed that the exterior has genuinely held up better than I expected for a bag that’s been dragged through city streets, wrestled onto subways, and handled by airport staff.
Overall this bag has earned its place in my regular rotation. The quality relative to the price point, especially when compared to my pricier Away Bigger Carry-On which has been my ride or die for years, is genuinely remarkable.
It’s easily become my go-to recommendation for anyone who wants a chic, well-built carry-on that will hold up and look great without breaking the bank.
Chic, beautifully organized inside, and the price will genuinely stop you in your tracks.
Quince Carry-On Luggage Alternatives
Quince Expandable Carry-On
If you love the standard carry-on but tend to overpack or want the option of extra room on the way home, Quince makes an expandable version that adds roughly an inch of depth and increases capacity from 48L to approximately 57L.
Same materials, same hardware, same price point, just a little more flexibility. I’m hoping to test this one on my upcoming South of France trip so stay tuned for a full comparison.
Away Bigger Carry-On
The most direct comparison and my personal ride-or-die for years. Away offers more color options, a slightly more refined shell texture, and a longer track record since they’ve been on the market since 2015.
The interior organization is nearly identical to the Quince.
The price difference is significant though, and after testing both extensively I genuinely struggle to justify the premium for most travelers.
If brand recognition and the Away community matter to you, it’s worth it. If you just want a great hard shell carry-on that performs, the Quince is the smarter buy.
This lightweight, durable carry-on offers spacious packing, a hard-shell exterior, and smooth spinner wheels—perfect for frequent travelers.
Carl Friedrik The Core Carry-On
For those willing to invest significantly more for a premium city rolling experience and a more refined overall feel, the Carl Friedrik Core is the bag I reach for when I want something truly elevated.
The wheel housing is noticeably superior for city rolling on uneven surfaces like New York City or Paris streets, and the overall build quality reflects the higher price point.
If budget isn’t a concern and you do a lot of city travel on foot, this is worth the investment. For everyone else, the Quince is the more sensible choice.
Discover the perfect balance of elegance and durability with the Carl Friedrik Core Carry-On, your stylish and reliable travel companion. It's quickly becoming my favorite carry-on!
The Verdict
What I Like
- The wine color is genuinely stunning in person, rich, deep, and far more elevated looking than the price tag suggests
- No logo anywhere on the bag, clean and understated in a way that reads as intentionally chic
- Held up beautifully across four trips including being gate checked
- Seasonal colorways that are worth keeping an eye on
What I Don’t Like
- Non-expandable so what you see is what you get in terms of capacity
- Top-mounted lock could theoretically be more exposed to rain than a side lock
- Single large mesh pocket rather than two smaller ones for more organized packing
- Wheel housing not as refined as some premium competitors for city rolling on uneven surfaces
The Quick Answer
After four trips and everything this bag has been through, the Quince polycarbonate carry-on has genuinely earned its place in my regular rotation alongside bags that cost significantly more.
The quality relative to the price point, especially when compared to my Away Bigger Carry-On which has been my ride or die for years, is remarkable. It looks and performs like a bag that has no business being this affordable.
This is my go-to recommendation for the chic traveler who wants a well-built, stylish carry-on that will hold up and turn heads without breaking the bank. If you’ve been eyeing it, stop deliberating. It’s worth it.
Chic, beautifully organized inside, and the price will genuinely stop you in your tracks.
FAQs
Is Quince carry-on luggage good quality?
After four trips including a curbside gate check, I can confidently say yes.
The build quality genuinely surprised me for the price point. It uses the same component baseline as premium carry-ons at much higher price points: virgin Makrolon polycarbonate, 360 degree wheels, YKK zippers, and an aircraft-grade aluminum handle.
The only caveat is that Quince is newer to luggage so the long-term durability picture is still being written, but everything about the build suggests it’ll hold up well.
Does the Quince carry-on fit in most airline overhead bins?
Yes, and I’ve tested it myself. JetBlue, Allegiant, and Delta overhead bins were all fine, and it passed both the British Airways and Aer Lingus sizers comfortably.
If you’re flying a strict budget European carrier like Ryanair, double check the dimensions against your specific airline first.
Is the Quince carry-on TSA approved?
Yes. There’s a built-in Travel Sentry approved combination lock at the top of the bag.
You set your own combination, TSA can open it with a master key if needed, and your belongings stay secured against everyone else. Easy to set, easy to use.
How does Quince carry-on luggage compare with Samsonite?
Depends what you’re looking for. Samsonite’s premium lines have decades of proven durability behind them, which matters if you need a bag to last a decade of frequent flying.
Quince wins on price, style, and value for most everyday travelers. For the majority of people, Quince is the smarter buy.
What do Reddit users say about the Quince carry-on?
They’re largely positive, and the consistent theme is that it performs comparably to Away at roughly half the price, with praise for the interior organization and value for money.
The most common criticism mirrors my own: the wheel housing doesn’t roll quite as smoothly on uneven city surfaces as some premium competitors.
What are the main pros and cons of the Quince carry-on?
Pros: Premium materials at an accessible price, gorgeous seasonal colorways, no visible branding, Away-level interior organization, fits all major US airline bins, 360 degree wheels, YKK zippers, Limited Lifetime Warranty.
Cons: Wheel housing not as refined for city rolling, non-expandable, single large mesh pocket, long-term durability track record still being established.
Chic, beautifully organized inside, and the price will genuinely stop you in your tracks.