You may have also noticed that luggage isn't cheap, and the last thing you want to do is waste your hard-earned money on a piece of crap.

As a guy who's traveled a lot and now tested and reviewed a lot of carry-on luggage, today I want to share with you 10 luggage features that will drive you absolutely crazy while traveling.

I'll show you things that you want to avoid wasting your money on, and also some positive features that, in my opinion, you will not regret investing in.

Let's get into it.

One thing that can make your luggage feel completely worthless is a set of wheels that don't work.

Don't you just love getting that cart at the grocery store with the one wheel that has something wrong with it?

No, nobody does.

And you don't want luggage that's going to have wheels like that either.

If you're going with 360-degree spinning luggage, I highly each mechanism having two wheels.

If there's just four wheels and one goes out, it's going to be like having that cart at the grocery store.

You should opt for wheels that are quiet and smooth.

Some of the smoothest wheels that I've ever felt are on level 8 cases, Monos, and any bag that features Hinomoto wheels.

I recently reviewed the Air carry-on, and although that bag totally has some issues in my opinion, its wheels were some of the smoothest I've ever a break mechanism.

So if you're on a moving train or even on an incline, your bag is not going anywhere.

This is one feature that I really hope we begin to see on more bags.

Another luggage feature that will drive you absolutely nuts is a bad telescoping handle.

This is one of the first things that I always test on a piece of carry-on luggage.

There's a lot of ways this can go wrong.

Some issues are comfort and ergonomics oriented.

Others are related to the bag's functionality in general.

What you don't want is a flimsy, rickety handle with a lot of side-to-side shake.

You want a stable, sturdy telescoping handle that feels very connected to the bag.

You also want your telescoping handle to have enough stops for height adjustments.

Cheaper luggage often only has one or two stops, which is inconvenient if you're shorter than 6 foot 2 and taller than 4 foot 8.

For anyone using the metric system, that means really tall or really short.

Ideally, find handles with three or four stops.

You don't want the grip on the telescoping handle to be an uncomfortable shape.

If you're pushing or pulling this bag over a great distance, on cobblestones, etc., you want it to be comfortable.

Also, I'd avoid handles that are too wide, especially if you plan on traveling with a personal item backpack that has a trolley sleeve.

If the handle is too wide, like wider than 6 inches, not all personal item bags are going to fit.

In my opinion, Monos really shines in the telescoping handle department.

The design is unique.

The tubing of the poles is set at opposing 45-degree angles, which makes them sturdy, and it minimizes side-to-side shake.

The grip is comfy, and personally, I like that the button is on the underside, which makes it more ergonomic.

Avoid bags that give you zero options for organization or compartmentalization.

For hard-sided clamshell bags, look for dividers for both sides that give you a way to keep the contents of each side secure.

Compression straps and small pockets are common in brands like Monos, July, and Away.

Hidden pockets are a nice touch as well.

For instance, in the airbag that I mentioned a second ago, it had a hidden pocket for an Apple AirTag.

But there can be too much of a good thing.

Way too much.

I would avoid bags that eat up too much precious space with extra pockets and compartments that you don't plan on using.

Example, built-in shoe pouches.

Example, built-in toiletry pouches.

Some of these things could be removable, but you want to know that they are before you pull the trigger.

You know what's never fun?

Having to dig through your suitcase in the middle of the airport, or even worse, in the middle of your flight, just for something simple like a set of headphones.

For this reason, it's nice to have a bag with a front pocket or a quick access pocket.

Now, if you're a one-bag traveler, your main bag better have a quick access pocket.

If you're more of a two-bag traveler, aka a carry-on and a personal item, you can kind of get away without this feature because you've got that personal item bag.

Most soft-sided bags come with a front pocket and they have an upper small pocket for these quick access items.

This is where hardshell bags typically fall flat unless you are specifically seeking out models with that feature.

A couple bags with the front pocket are the Monos Carry-On Pro or the Level 8 Roadrunner.

The next super annoying feature is not having a side handle.

Earlier this year, I reviewed several of the lightest carry-ons on the market, and while many great bags were featured in that video, I realized one of the ways that these manufacturers shed weight was by omitting side handles.

By the way, if you like videos like that, subscribe to this channel because there are many more coming.

Now, personally, I really like having a side handle.

It's useful when you're getting your bag from the overhead bin, you're climbing stairs, etc.

And what you want to look for is a sturdy side handle that's easy to slide your hand under.

There's a lot of good options out there.

One really cool option is the Soul Guard carry-on, where the side handle has a slow close feature.

Let's talk about zippers.

Flimsy, unreliable zippers and zippers that snag are a huge pain.

Look for bags with YKK zippers, which are known for their reliability.

And if you're looking at bags that aren't recessed, I like ones that have edge-to-edge seaming that creates a much more flush and watertight seal.

Another option is using bags with no zippers at all, opting instead for latches, which can be more theft deterrent.

For example, Soul Guard uses latches instead, some of the Monos models use latches instead.

Avoid bags that aren't well-balanced.

A poorly balanced bag topples easily when fully packed, and I see this issue commonly with four-wheeled, soft-sided bags.

The weight distribution is kind of like a dude with a beer gut.

In the same vein, some bags have awkward handle placements, which causes them to lean heavily when you pick them up.

This makes them a hassle to carry, and it can be quite annoying when you're rushing through the airport.

A well-balanced bag is going to stand upright and remain steady even when it's fully packed.

Hey, that's a nice looking suitcase you got there.

Sure would be a shame if you spent $900 on it because you like the way it looks, and then it shows wear and tear after one trip, looking practically like it's 20 years old after a single use.

Yeah, sure would be a shame.

This happens all the time, unfortunately.

For example, aluminum bags are very nice, and the idea of aluminum bags is great because they're durable, right?

They are very durable.

But if you're specifically buying this bag because you think it looks pretty, pick something else, because after one or two trips, it's going to look very beat up.

Soft-sided bags tend to hide wear and tear the best.

And personally, I find that while in general hard-sided luggage is more aesthetic, it's also more prone to showing scratches and scuffs.

If you're focused on a hard-sided bag, go with polycarbonate or polypropylene, but I'd avoid bags made out of ABS because they are prone to cracking.

Buying luggage that's too big and too heavy is another commonly overlooked issue.

And you might think, Nick, duh.

But listen, many companies, when they market these bags, are sharing the internal dimensions or the dimensions without the wheels and handles on bags that they name something like the carry-on, when it's definitely bigger than carry-on size.

What you want to look for is the external dimensions, including wheels and handles, to ensure that your bag meets carry-on requirements.

In Europe, Asia, and Australia, weight is a major factor for carry-ons, and you don't want most of the weight taken up by your empty suitcase.

Something I see commonly is people wasting their money on cheap luggage that doesn't have a warranty, and then having to turn around a year or two later to buy another bag because that one broke.

To an extent, you pay for what you get with luggage.

Good carry-on luggage isn't cheap, and in my opinion, the sweet spot really seems to be in that $150 to $300 range.

Most of the time, if you're spending more than that, you're really just paying for the brand name.

But in that $150 to $300 range, you can get a great warranty covering functional damage to the shell, the wheels, the zippers, and the handles.

And just a note that warranty is way different from that 100-day return policy you might see some companies marketing.

That 100-day return policy often applies only if you haven't actually used the bag.

So make sure you read the fine print so you know exactly what is covered.

If you want to know some of my top recommended bags, I've linked several options below.

If you're in the market for a hard-sided bag and you want a deep dive on several different models, check out this video.

And if you're looking for something similar for soft-sided bags, check out this one.

Finally, if you want in-depth luggage reviews and no BS buyer's guides, be sure to subscribe to this channel because we've got a lot of good stuff coming out.

Thanks for watching.

Happy Travels.