Lightweight luggage can be both durable and practical. Good Housekeeping put 11 bags through the drop test and tested the handles for the ability to withstand anything. Testers also wanted to find out how much the bags actually weighed. The lightest bag they found was the "eagle creek hovercraft 25"-- weighing in at under 8 and a half pounds.
"It easily held clothes for a five day trip, and our testers found it easy to maneuver and very stable," said Kathleen Huddy, Good Housekeeping Institute.
The only duffel Good Housekeeping recommends is the Victorinox E-Motion collapsible trunk.
"Its got a lot of room, but best of all, its collapsible for under-the bed storage, or storage somewhere in the closet, and it only weighs about 8 and a half pounds," said Huddy.
"The single, telescopic handle is easy to maneuver and the bag is pretty lightweight. And I also like how the duffle bag sits up by itself," said Christina Peterson, luggage tester.
And scoring a perfect ten in both water resistance and abrasion tests is the Briggs and Riley Upright.
"This is the Briggs and Riley Fabric. This fabric did extremely well in all of our durability tests," said Huddy.
Most pieces of luggage weight 8 to 13 pounds empty - so keep that into consideration when trying to stay under the 50 pound weight limit.
