I really enjoy traveling and visiting new places—that should come as no surprise if you read CCCH—and a couple of years ago, I finally jumped on the hardshell suitcase bandwagon and purchased the carry-on suitcase offered by Quince after years of traveling with only soft-sided suitcases.

Using the right luggage is one way to reduce stress during a long travel day (because that’s one less thing to worry about!). Your flight may be delayed, but with the right luggage in hand, you can sprint through your connecting airport with no problem! 😉

I was intrigued by Quince’s luggage offerings and excited to try something new after so many years. Below, I shared my honest review of Quince luggage (specifically my carry-on suitcase) and whether or not I think they’re worth spending your hard-earned money on.

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Quince Luggage Review

Quince is relatively young brand in the world of fashion and lifestyle brands, but it’s quickly growing in popularity. They’re similar to other brands that offer the direct-to-consumer pipeline that cuts out the middleman and is able to offer products for low, almost unbelievable prices.

In the past couple of years, Quince’s number of product offerings has exploded. I would definitely consider them a fast fashion brand with the number of new items they are producing and launching (everything from wellness to outdoor furniture) in a short amount of time.

Still, I’ve been impressed with how well most of my Quince items have been holding up, and I ordered the carry-on hardshell suitcase because it was an inexpensive way to try out a hardshell suitcase and see if I liked it. They offer luggage in four sizes (two carry-on bag sizes, two checked bag sizes), and I reviewed their regular carry-on suitcase.

FYI: This post is not sponsored but does contain affiliate links. I always disclose sponsored content!

Inside the Quince Carry-On Suitcase | Cotton Cashmere Cat Hair

Quince Carry-On Suitcase 21”

Features: Four 360° spinner wheels, interior compression system (with 18" x 12.5" pocket), removable laundry bag, YKK zippers, TSA-approved combination lock, aluminum telescopic trolley handle with soft rubber handle
Materials: Polycarbonate hard shell (outside), water resistant polyester pongee (inside)
Weight: 6.7 lbs
Exterior Dimensions (with wheels): 22.8" high x 15.6" wide x 9.8" deep
Interior Dimensions: 20.9” high x 14.6" wide
Shop: 21” Carry-On Suitcase ($130), 20” Small Carry-On Suitcase ($120)

I purchased my carry-on suitcase in March 2023, back when it was called the Carry-On Hard Shell Suitcase - 21”. Now, Quince has dropped the size from the titles of their suitcases and you have to dig through the dimensions to find them. If you’re curious, the small carry-on is 20”, the carry-on is 21”, the medium check-in is 24”, and the large check-in is 27”.

My Quince carry-on suitcase is the first hard-sided suitcase I’ve owned. I’ve flown internationally with my other soft-sided carry-on suitcase, and it’s been great, but after using my Quince suitcase, I’m not really sure how I managed to fit everything in my old suitcase! It feels like the interior space is maximized in my hardshell carry-on even though it can’t expand.

The Quince carry-on features the typical clamshell opening where both sides are the same size. One side has a giant zippered pocket, and the other is an open space with two straps. A pocket is included over the open space, but I didn’t like it so I removed mine (it slides off of the straps). I felt like the compression didn’t work as well with the stiff pocket on it.

I typically pack my toiletry bag, undergarments, socks, electric toothbrush, eyeglasses, other accessories (hats, gloves, etc.) in the zipped pocket on the left. My clothes and shoes go in the open space on the right. There is a removable laundry bag in the pocket at the bottom of the open space on the right side. I’ve not used it! I honestly forget it’s there.

I’ve been able to squeeze way more into this bag than I thought I’d be able to! Its first big test was our two-week trip to Germany and Austria. I packed over 20 items (clothes and shoes in addition to toiletries, etc.) in this bag PLUS I was able to stuff the dirndl I purchased in Germany in my bag for the flight home and avoid checking it.

The downside of stuffing the bag too full, as is the case with pretty much any bag, is that the handle becomes extremely difficult to move up and down as everything is pressing against it. (It helps to turn the bag on its side and relieve some of the effects of gravity.) That’s been my biggest issue with this bag; sometimes I just cannot get the handle to go up!

This is the first suitcase I’ve owned with the spinner wheels, and they really are a game changer. I love being able to keep it next to me (with a backpack or duffle bag on top) on smooth surfaces or tip it onto two wheels for rough or uneven surfaces. I am NOT gentle with my bag, and the wheels are still working great.

In addition to the wheels, all of my zippers and buckles are still working. There are no major flaws on the exterior; I didn’t clean it before taking these photos and just see a couple of small scuffs on the shell. This carry-on suitcase became my go-to as soon as it arrived on my doorstep!

There is a TSA-approved lock at the top of the suitcase, but I am not entirely sure how it works and therefore have never used it. It seems like more of a thing for checked luggage? I could be wrong!

Quince is known for making products inspired by other brands, and their luggage has been compared to Away’s luggage. I have personally not owned or tried any Away luggage so I can’t do a direct comparison, but they do look really similar when I see Away luggage in the airport. I always do a double take to see if it’s an Away bag or Quince bag.

In the future, I’d love for Quince to make a suitcase that looks similar to the Hanke top-opening carry-on suitcase. I want this bag so bad! It looks so nice for saving floor or bench space in small hotel rooms.

Quince checked to see if their small carry-on and carry-on suitcases fit in the overhead bins of a variety of airlines at SFO; you can see the breakdown on the website under details > airline compatibility.

However, Quince didn’t say anything about the type of aircraft they put their bags in. That’s more important than the brand on the side of the plane.

Here are the airlines they checked:

Air France/KLM
Alaska Airlines
American
British Airways
Delta
Frontier
JetBlue
Southwest
United

According to Quince, the small (20”) carry-on suitcase fit in the overhead bins of all of these airlines. The carry-on suitcase that I have (21”) fit in the overhead bins of all airlines except for Alaska Airlines.

I have flown Alaska Airlines with my Quince carry-on suitcase multiple times, and I can confirm that it fits easily in the overhead bins on their Boeing 737s and Embraer 175s. My bag has to go sideways in the overhead bins on the E175s, so if you are flying on one of those aircraft, make sure you board on the earlier side to make sure there’s room in the bins. (For what it’s worth, Korri’s TravelPro carry-on suitcase also has to be sideways.)

In addition to some of the airlines on the list (Alaska, American, Delta, Southwest, United), I’ve also flown with it on Singapore Airlines (fit in the overhead bin on the Boeing 777 and Airbus A350), Air Canada (checked it; don’t think it would have fit in the overhead on the Dash-8 propellor plane), and Hawaiian Airlines (fit in the overhead on the Airbus A330).

Are Quince Suitcases Good?

Overall, I would have to say that Quince suitcases are great for the price. I’ve been very impressed with how well my Quince carry-on suitcase has held up in the 2+ years I’ve owned and used it. I do NOT baby this thing when I travel (except I try not to lift it by the handle, especially when it’s extended, but I do that no matter the suitcase), and it’s still going strong!

I don’t check my carry-on bag unless needed; I did have to check it on our Air Canada flight from Vancouver to Sandspit and back for our trip to Haida Gwaii because the overhead bins on the Dash-8 propellor planes were too small, and it survived the trip both ways (no broken wheels!).

If you’re in the market for a new suitcase but don’t need (or want) to spend hundreds of dollars on a fancy suitcase, I recommend checking out Quince! It feels like you get a lot of value and durability out of a Quince suitcase, especially for the budget-friendly prices.