When it comes to choosing a suitcase, why not make a conscious decision to use eco friendly luggage?
We’ve rounded up a few of our eco friendly luggage picks, plus what makes luggage eco friendly/what to look for in eco friendly luggage and which brands are doing their best to provide sustainable travel products.
You might not be saving the world by choosing to use eco friendly luggage, but they say it’s making little changes at a time that makes a big difference.
Contents
- What makes a suitcase eco friendly?
- List of eco friendly suitcases
- Bonus: vegan luggage
- More eco friendly travel brands
What makes a suitcase eco friendly?
Based on our finds, brands label their luggage as ‘eco friendly’ if the majority of the materials they’ve used to make it is either recycled, or easily recyclable.
One of the materials that comes up often is PET plastic, which according to PETRA (the PET Resin Association), is the most recycled plastic in America. Short for polyethylene terephthalate, it is a highly sustainable material and can be used again and again for products like food and beverage containers, construction materials, carpet and even luggage.
Additionally, a common trend for eco friendly luggage is that the company is bluesign® approved. Bluesign is a holistic system that provides solutions in sustainable processing and manufacturing to industries and brands.
They set the standards for a company’s products and work to ensure the product has the highest degree of safety for the consumer, is manufactured with the lowest possible impact on people and the environment and displays a responsible use of resources. When you come across luggage that is bluesign® approved, you know the product is sustainable and eco friendly.
Some links found in this post are affiliate links, meaning I may receive a commission if you decide to make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
8 Eco Friendly Luggage
Patagonia Black Hole® Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L
Black Hole® Bags is a line of recycled bags from outdoor gear and clothing company, Patagonia. This collection used millions of recycled plastic bottles to create their line of durable luggage. From tote bags to backpacks and wheeled duffels ranging from carry on to check in sizes, each are made of 100% recycled polyester fabric, 100% recycled polyester lining and 100% recycled nylon webbing. The Patagonia Black Hole® Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L is the line’s carry-on approved luggage and features bluesign® approved body fabric.
Get the Patagonia Black Hole® Wheeled Duffel Bag 40L here
Brandless Carry On Luggage
Brandless is known for their environmentally conscious health and wellness products, beauty products, tableware and other home goods. And now travel products like eco friendly luggage and travel accessories, including the Brandless Carry On Luggage. This luggage features durability and detail with a focus on its sustainability – an interior lining made of recycled PET plastic, which according to Brandless is equivalent to keeping around 20 bottles out of landfills and oceans.
Get the Brandless Carry On Luggage here
Eagle Creek Gear Warrior™ 4-Wheel Carry On
Eagle Creek is huge on sustainability and they are achieving this by using recycled PVB for their products (they harvest laminated windshields from landfills and use it to make a coating to make their bags water resistant), bluesign® standard fabrics and are working towards 100% of their products to be PVC free. The Eagle Creek Gear Warrior™ 4-Wheel Carry On features these sustainable materials in a carry on bag with treaded spinner wheels, an expandable main compartment, tablet sleeve and multiple grab handles.
Get the Eagle Creek Gear Warrior™ 4-Wheel Carry On here
McBrine Luggage Eco Friendly Hardside Luggage Set
This eco friendly luggage set comes in every size that you may need – one carry on and two check in bags at 27″, 23″ and 19″, each with TSA approved locks and double spinner wheels. It’s part of McBrine’s Green Plus line, an initiative to reduce the carbon footprint in its luggage products. Their hard sided luggage, including this set is made from 50% recycled ABS, a plastic known to be easily recyclable.
Get the McBrine Luggage Eco Friendly 3 Piece Luggage Set on eBags or Amazon
Dakine Split Roller 110L Bag
Dakine is constantly working on reducing the impact each of their products have on the environment. They focus on durability (so you can use the product longer) and with environmentally friendly materials, including PET materials from recycled plastic water bottles and bluesign® approved materials. Their line of Split Roller bags are a fan favorite and the Dakine Split Roller 110L Bag is a large eco friendly check in luggage that allows for easy organization. Read our in-depth review of the Dakine Split Roller here.
Get the Dakine Split Roller 110L Bag here
Merax Three Piece Luggage Set
Merax is a brand founded in Los Angeles known for making home and office furniture, exercise equipment and a selection of suitcases available on Amazon. Their Merax Eco Friendly Suitcase Set is made of eco friendly PET material and comes in several stylish colors and TSA approved locks. This set includes one 20 inch carry on and two check in sized suitcases, 24 and 28 inches.
Get the Merax Eco Friendly Suitcase Set here
Samonsite Eco-Nu 19″ Expandable Spinner
Samsonite’s Eco-Nu collection ranges from an underseater small carry on to suitcases from 19 to 29 inches. The Eco-Nu 19″ Expandable Spinner comes in two colors and is made of fabric created from recycled post-consumer PET plastic bottles, which are melted and woven into a durable fabric. Their set of eco friendly luggage are expandable with a discreet zipper, Saguaro™ Wheel System, and Smart Top Storage to allow for easy access for small items and liquids during security checks at the airport.
Get the Eco-Nu 19″ Expandable Spinner here
Heys EcoCase 21″ Carry On
This carry on sized suitcase, Heys EcoCase 21″ is another suitcase made of PET plastic and was made from 56 recycled water bottles. It’s equipped with a TSA approved lock, compression straps and zippered divider inside with the ability to expand with its zipper expansion system and 360° dual spinner wheels.
Read our in-depth review of a Heys suitcase here
Bonus: Vegan Luggage
For those looking for luggage with a leather finish, these are three brands that offer a line of vegan leather carry on bags.
MATT & NAT COAST Carry On
MATT & NAT is a PETA-Approved Vegan company. They are a fully vegan brand and do not use any animal products in any of their bag collections. The COAST carry on is super sleek in all black vegan leather with double zippers and features a deep interior with a removable snap pouch.
Get the MATT & NAT COAST Carry On here
Unitravel Vintage Carry On and Handbag Set
This Unitravel Vintage Carry On and Handbag Set includes a cute and unique vintage looking carry on with a matching 12 inch handbag. Both are made with a scratch resistant PU synthetic leather. The carry on interior is fully lined with compartments for organization, 360° roller wheels and TSA approved lock. Meanwhile the handbag comes with two straps to be used as a shoulder bag or for attaching to the carry on bag.
Get the Unitravel Vintage Carry On and Handbag Set here
AmazonBasics Vienna Carry On Luggage
A suitcase by Amazon, this affordable AmazonBasics Vienna Carry On’s exterior is scratch resistant with a faux leather trim which gives it a fashionable look. It also features 360-degree spinner wheels, but you’ll need to get your own luggage lock as there isn’t a built in one.
Get the AmazonBasics Vienna Carry On Luggage here
More Eco Friendly Luggage Brands
As mentioned previously, Bluesign checks if a company has made an effort to use sustainable processes to produce their products based on a strict criteria. Bluesign has a list of brands that have been bluesign® approved.
Here are the brands that you can purchase a variety of travel gear from, including a range of luggage and or bags for travel or every day use.
- Arc’teryx (backpacks of varying sizes, rolling duffles, toiletry bags, waistpacks and totes)
- Camelbak (daypacks and hydration packs for men, women and kids)
- Columbia (duffle bags, roller hardsided and soft carry on and check in bags)
- Eddie Bauer (carry on and check in size roller duffle bag suitcases)
- Everlane (commuter backpacks, weekender bags, totes)
- Helly Hanson (roller carry on and check in bag)
- L. L. Bean (toiletry bags, duffle and roller duffle bags, totes, backpacks, roller bags)
- Lands’ End (personalizable totes and duffle bags, toiletry, canvas, laptop bags, pouches and kids backpacks)
- Lululemon (duffles, totes, belt bags, pouches, backpacks and yoga mat bags))
- Mountain Hardware (roller duffle bags, daypacks, backpacking backpacks, mountaineering and climbing backpacks)
- Peak Design (backpacks, dufflepacks, and duffels)
- REI (bluesign specific category for clothing and gear)
- The North Face (backpacks of various sizes)
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