Travelers Say These Collapsible Travel Bags Are Their Best-kept Secret for Saving Tons of Space—From $16

Travel bags take up a ton of storage space in your home when not in use. A typical full-size suitcase is 27 inches tall, 24 inches wide, and 14 inches deep, which can be hard to find a place to store, let alone the other travel bags you have, such as carry-ons, weekenders, toiletry bags, and more. To save precious space, one genius workaround is investing in collapsible travel bags that fold up to almost nothing, which means you can fit more in less space. 

If saving space is what you’re after, we found the 11 most convenient space-saving, foldable travel bags at Amazon, including spinners, weekenders, and even genius luggage organizers to free up even more suitcase real estate. Prices start at only $16, but some of these deals are worth their square footage in gold.

The Foldie Foldable Weekender Bag

The Foldie is “the original foldable travel bag” that collapses down into an 11-inch-by-7-inch flat pouch so you can store it easily at home or pack it in your carry-on to use when you reach your destination. It unfurls into an 18-inch-by-12-inch duffel that can hold about 30 liters and slide under most plane seats. Use the bottom expansion feature to add a couple of inches and boost its capacity by a whopping 25 percent. The Foldie Weekender Bag has about 2,000 five-star ratings on Amazon, where reviewers say they can fit up to a full week’s worth inside it, shoes included.

Bagsmart Hanging Toiletry Bag

If you’re someone who travels with your whole bathroom countertop in tow, this Bagsmart hanging toiletry bag will keep all your potions contained and organized. The carrier unzips and splays out into hanging storage for your beauty items. It has four compartments that also feature multiple pockets, plus slots on the outside of the bag. This top-selling toiletry bag at Amazon—and one of Travel + Leisure’s favorite hanging organizers—has racked up more than 51,000 five-star ratings, including rave reviews from flight attendants.

Hanke Expandable Collapsible Luggage With Wheels

Storing large wheeled luggage is such a struggle, especially if you have a mismatched set that doesn’t nest together. To help, this Hanke collapsible spinner takes up nearly no closet space at all. When expanded, it takes the place of a 100-liter, 27-inch checked bag. You can also use it at half size as a compact cabin bag. Packed all the way down, when you’re ready to store it at home, it’s just 19 inches by 13 inches by 5 inches (which is hardly bigger than a large pizza box).

“This luggage is amazing. I was extremely skeptical before I purchased it and wanted to be sure wheels were [made of a] sturdy, strong material,” one reviewer said. “It’s all of the above, and I truly recommend. Fits three weeks of getaway clothing and some more extras.”

CleverMade Collapsible Insulated Cooler Bag

Have you ever considered taking a cooler on a flight? This insulated option packs down to fit inside your suitcase—or to hide in the corner of a closet all winter, waiting for warm weather. The brand, CleverMade, is known for its collapsible totes. Its coolers are underrated on Amazon, but if you head over to the CleverMade website, shoppers say they’re wonderful for travel, able to keep items cold for up to 24 hours. They’re designed with a special strap that keeps them flat when not in use, so even travelers in small apartments can easily store them.

Zomake Lightweight Packable 30L Backpack 

Perfect for when you need to fit a daypack inside a larger bag, this 30-liter collapsible backpack packs down into itself, at just 10 inches by 8 inches by 3 inches, and weighs an ultralight half pound. Like normal hiking backpacks, it has adjustable shoulder straps, a chest strap, side straps to keep the bag compressed and compact, and mesh bottle pouches on both sides.

Vokelater Collapsible Travel Organizer

For an item you can use in your closet and in your suitcase, this hanging organizer doubles as a portable shelving unit and packing cubes. It has four large compartments, two of which have mesh windows to easily see what’s inside. Four more mesh pockets run along the side of the organizer, giving you even more places to put toiletries, socks, and so forth. You can put the whole thing, fully stuffed, into your suitcase.

Eddie Bauer Stowaway Packable 45L Duffel Bag

Reviewers in the comment section of this Amazon listing have it all figured out. They pack this Eddie Bauer duffel into their carry-on, fill it with souvenirs, then either check the duffel or take it back home as an extra carry-on. “Thanks to this bag, I was able to trek two weeks in Japan with just a roller carry-on, a backpack, and also bring back plenty of souvenirs without feeling limited by huge luggage the whole time I was there,” one person wrote. The Eddie Bauer Stowaway packs down into an attached pocket that measures just under 10 inches long and wide. It’s normally $55, but you can snag it for as little as $38 right now.

ToKismet Packable Mesh Beach Bag

BYOBB—bringing your own beach bag—because nobody wants to pack their swim accessories into a backpack or the tote they used as a personal item on the plane. This $16 mesh shoulder bag is chic and beachy for coastal vacations or hotel pool sessions. It packs up into a small matching pouch that comes with it, which you can use to carry your phone, cards, and other small essentials inside the bag when it’s unfolded. Genius!

Biaggi’s Zipsak is a Shark Tank star. The brand is one of the best at making luggage foldable, and its “boosted” version of the Zipsak bag offers three sizes and ways of carrying. The smallest is a simple 15-by-9-inch packing cube-like pouch with a handle. Expand it to the 16-inch-tall underseater with spinning wheels or turn it into the largest version, a full-sized 21-inch carry-on. The two bigger sizes can be rolled or carried by the shoulder strap or handles. Reviewers say it can hold at least four days’ worth of clothing.

Gapzer Collapsible Pet Carrier

Traveling with a pet? This medium-sized carrier for cats and small dogs up to 20 pounds collapses into itself, reducing its 18-inch length to just under 3 inches. The side walls and the top flap zip open, and the mesh walls have tiny curtains that roll up or Velcro closed to give your pet some peace and quiet. It comes with a safety leash, a wool mat for cool temperatures, and a cool mat for summer. It has a small pocket with a hole to keep waste bags in, too.

Dojuns Large Collapsible Travel Bag

This weekender is both collapsible and expandable, so its versatility will be a huge help for any type of traveler. It compresses down into a small 7-inch-by-11-inch pouch for easy storage, and then unfolds into a 16.5-inch-by-11-inch weekender bag. The bottom also expands an additional 4 inches, giving you plenty of room for extra items you pick up on your trip. One reviewer said it’s “perfect to tuck into your suitcase or carry-on” and use it to carry souvenirs on the way back. Another wrote that the full-size weekender can fit a week of outfits and two pairs of sneakers.

Aokjoy Foldable Car Trunk Organizers

If you don’t use a car trunk organizer for road trips, you might be missing out on amazing organization. This foldable box takes up two feet of trunk space and can help you keep track of things that often get lost, such as snacks, chargers, kids’ items, and emergency essentials. It folds down to a flat 18 inches by 12 inches when not in use, secured by buckle straps.

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