When Does Luggage Go on Sale? A Month-by-Month Calendar
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Luggage goes on sale most often in November and December, when Black Friday and Cyber Monday bring the most deals and the widest color choice. January clearance can cut a little deeper on fewer colors. Summer's Prime Day and Nordstrom sales come second, spring and fall are slowest, and this October adds Amazon's members-only Prime Big Deal Days (Oct. 6-7).
We built the calendar below from dates Amazon, Nordstrom and the federal holiday schedule actually published, plus Wirecutter's November 2025 guide to luggage sale timing, built on its multi-year price tracking and interviews with specialty luggage retailers. Where a brand doesn't publish a sale pattern and no credible reviewer has tracked one, we say so instead of guessing.
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The Best Time to Buy Luggage on Sale, Month by Month
The short version: plan around late November if you care about color and model, January if you only care about price, and summer if your trip can't wait. The table starts with October and runs through the following September, with dates taken from the federal holiday schedule and the retailers' own announcements.
| When | Sale moment | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| October | Prime Big Deal Days, Oct. 6-7, 2026 | Amazon only; otherwise a quiet month |
| November | Black Friday (Nov. 27), Cyber Monday (Nov. 30) | Most deals, widest color choice |
| December | Holiday and year-end sales | Deals run on into January |
| January | Post-holiday clearance | Low prices, fewer colors |
| February | Presidents' Day (Feb. 15, 2027) | Retailer promotions; clearance winds down |
| March to May | New models, Memorial Day (May 31, 2027) | Slowest stretch; REI's anniversary sale, usually in May |
| June to July | Prime Day (usually July; June 23-26 in 2026), Fourth of July, Nordstrom Anniversary Sale (July 18 to Aug. 9 in 2026) | Second-best window; confirm the 2027 dates |
| August to September | End of summer, Labor Day (Sept. 6, 2027) | Brand by brand |
November and December: the most deals
Wirecutter's deals team tracks prices on its luggage picks, and it sees the most deals from November through December. In 2026, Black Friday falls on Nov. 27, the day after Thanksgiving on Nov. 26, and Cyber Monday on Nov. 30. This is also the one window where brands that rarely discount sometimes do: Wirecutter points to a rare Black Friday sale on Carl Friedrik's carry-on in 2024 that covered every color. If you want a specific color, this is the window to shop.
January and February: clearance on whatever is left
The lowest prices Wirecutter has recorded tend to land around the end of the year and just after New Year's, but usually on limited colors or fewer options. A Briggs & Riley sale in January 2025 is the pattern: a short window, deep enough to matter, black only. Several dealers told Wirecutter the year-end sales dry up by February. Presidents' Day (Feb. 15, 2027) still brings retailer promotions, and Yahoo Shopping's February 2026 Presidents' Day roundup included Samsonite, Calpak and Away luggage. Our guide to the cheapest places to buy a suitcase covers which stores to check once you know the month.
March to May: the slow stretch
Spring is one of the worst times to buy. New models arrive for the travel season, spring break keeps demand up, and Wirecutter's tracking shows the fewest deals on its picks in spring and fall. Two exceptions: Memorial Day weekend (May 31, 2027), which Calpak's buying guide lists among the holidays that bring luggage discounts, and REI's anniversary sale in May, which Wirecutter flags as useful if you'd rather carry a travel backpack or duffel than a suitcase.
June and July: the summer window
Summer is peak travel season, yet July has become a close second to November and December. Amazon's Prime Day has historically run in July, and Wirecutter found that the number of worthwhile luggage deals on its picks in July 2025 was four times the July 2024 count. In 2026 Amazon moved the event to June 23-26, and it hadn't announced 2027 dates when we published this guide. Fourth of July sales follow (Calpak says it always runs a July 4 promotion), and Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale ran July 18 to Aug. 9 in 2026, with early access for its loyalty tiers from July 14.
August and September: brand by brand
Brand blogs love to call late summer the best time of the year to buy, and Calpak's own guide points shoppers to September through November. Wirecutter's price data doesn't back that up for fall as a whole. Labor Day (Sept. 6, 2027) is a real sale at the brands and stores that run one, but don't count on a markdown for the bag you want.
October: quiet, with one exception
Fall is otherwise thin: Wirecutter's tracking shows few deals on its picks in the fall, and a Kansas City luggage buyer told Wirecutter that October is one of her store's two slowest months. This year's exception is Amazon's two-day Prime member event on Oct. 6-7.
Which Kinds of Bags Go on Sale When
Sale timing depends on what you're buying as much as on the calendar. These are the patterns we could source.
- Current colors and popular models: Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Wirecutter calls this your best bet if you're particular about color, and it's when models that rarely see sales sometimes do.
- Last season's colors: late December through January, when the lowest prices tend to come on limited colors.
- Discontinued collections: whenever a brand drops a line. A Kansas City retailer told Wirecutter that discontinued collections bring the best markdowns, and retailers typically sell discontinued pieces as final sale.
- Travel backpacks and duffels: REI's May anniversary sale.
- Sets: any time. Away told Wirecutter it discounts bundles of several suitcases and offers first-time customer coupons, and Wirecutter notes that many luggage brands run similar bundle deals.
- Mass-market bags sold on Amazon: late November first, then Amazon's member events. When Wirecutter checked sale timing for Amazon's most popular suitcases from brands like American Tourister and Samsonite, November and December came out best and July, Prime Day's usual month, came a close second. Amazon hasn't said which luggage will be discounted on Oct. 6-7, so check the bag you want on the day rather than counting on it.
Brand Sale Patterns We Could Verify
Most luggage brands don't publish a sale calendar, and we'd rather tell you that than invent one. Here's what's on the record, and what isn't.
- Away: Wirecutter's deals team typically sees the most notable Away sales in July and November. Away tends to announce new releases in June or August and again in the fall.
- Calpak: Calpak says it always runs Fourth of July promotions, and it lists friends and family sales in spring or late summer. That's the brand's own marketing, so treat it as a claim.
- Briggs & Riley and Carl Friedrik: occasional short sales with no set season. Wirecutter recorded a January 2025 Briggs & Riley sale in black only and a rare Carl Friedrik Black Friday sale.
- Samsonite, American Tourister, Travelpro and TUMI: varies. None publishes a sale schedule we could find, and no reviewer we read has tracked one brand by brand. For TUMI, our TUMI luggage sale guide covers where discounts show up and how to spot inflated list prices.
If you're still choosing a brand, start with our ranking of the best luggage brands, then set alerts on the one bag you want. For premium lines, email and text alerts from the brand are the practical route, since those rare sales sell through quickly.
How to Tell Whether a Luggage Sale Is Real
A sale badge tells you what the seller wants you to think. These checks tell you whether the price is actually low.
- Read the price history. Amazon says the Price History link on a product page shows up to 365 days of pricing. If the "sale" price matches last month's normal price, it isn't a deal.
- Set an alert before the event. Amazon's deal and price alerts let you name a target price and get notified when the bag hits it, which beats refreshing a deals page for two days.
- Compare the exact size and color. Discounts often apply to one color only, like the January 2025 Briggs & Riley sale that covered black only, so check that the deal covers the version you want.
- Check who sells and ships it. Every bag we list below was sold by Amazon.com when we checked. On third-party listings, confirm the seller and the return window before you buy.
- Read the return terms on clearance. Discontinued luggage is often final sale, so a deep discount can come with no way out if the bag doesn't fit your airline's sizer.
- Don't hold out forever. Retailers told Wirecutter that tariffs have pushed luggage prices up across their brands, and Wirecutter's own conclusion was that buying sooner may beat waiting. If your trip is next month, buy the right bag now.
The Bags Worth Watching During Sale Season
These five cover a softside carry-on, two hardside carry-ons, a checked bag and a premium upgrade. Each was sold by Amazon.com when we checked, and each is a bag we'd pay full price for, which is the real test of a good sale buy. Specs come from the manufacturers' product pages and, for the Amazon Basics bag, Amazon's listing.
Check the size before you check the price. All four carry-ons here list overall dimensions, wheels and handles included, a little larger than the 22 x 14 x 9 inch box that American, JetBlue and United publish: 23 x 14.5 x 9 inches for the Maxlite 5, 23 x 15 x 10 for the Freeform, 22 x 15 x 9.5 for the Stratum 3.0 and 23.5 x 14.5 x 9 for the Platinum Elite. Compare your bag with your own airline in our luggage size chart for 68 airlines before a sale price talks you into the wrong one.
1. Travelpro Maxlite 5 Carry-On
Travelpro Maxlite 5 Carry-On
A light, expandable softside carry-on with a lifetime warranty that makes any discount worth more.
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The Maxlite 5 is the carry-on we'd watch first. Travelpro lists it at just over 5 lbs, and it expands when you need the room. The warranty is the reason it's a smart sale buy: Travelpro's limited lifetime warranty covers defects in the wheels, zippers and handles, and its Trusted Companion promise adds repair of damage caused by an airline. It's also the overall pick in our best carry-on luggage guide.
2. Samsonite Freeform Carry-On
Samsonite Freeform Carry-On
The Freeform is the hardside to watch. Samsonite lists it at 6.5 lbs with a recessed TSA combination lock and a limited 10-year global warranty. We'd watch it because a discount on a mid-priced hardside with a 10-year warranty buys more bag than the same cut on a budget shell.
3. American Tourister Stratum 3.0 Carry-On
American Tourister Stratum 3.0
American Tourister is Samsonite's budget line (our American Tourister vs Samsonite comparison explains how the two split), and the Stratum 3.0 is its expandable hardside carry-on. American Tourister lists it at 7.3 lbs, expanding 1.5 inches, with the same limited 10-year global warranty as the Samsonite. It's the pick if you want a name brand and warranty without waiting on a premium sale.
4. Amazon Basics 30-Inch Hardside Checked
Amazon Basics 30-Inch Checked
A checked bag is where a sale saves the most for the least risk, since you'll use it a few times a year and it takes a beating either way. This is Amazon's own 30 inch hardside with four multi-directional wheels, sold by Amazon.com, and it turned up in Yahoo Shopping's Presidents' Day travel deals roundup in February 2026. Weigh it before a trip: a 30 inch bag packed full can pass an airline's checked weight limit quickly.
5. Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On
Travelpro Platinum Elite Carry-On
This is the bag that makes the most sense on sale. Travelpro lists the Platinum Elite carry-on at 7.8 lbs, with eight self-aligning spinner wheels, built-in USB A and C ports, a dedicated power bank pocket, and Travelpro's Built for a Lifetime limited warranty. At full price it's a frequent flyer's purchase. Our Travelpro luggage review compares it with the rest of the lineup.
At a Glance: The Five Bags Side by Side
If You're Buying This October
Amazon's Prime Big Deal Days runs Oct. 6-7, 2026, starting at 12:01 a.m. PDT on Oct. 6, according to Amazon's Sept. 14 announcement. It's 48 hours of deals for Prime members only, and Amazon says new limited-time deals drop three times a day, at midnight, 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. PDT.
Here's how we'd use it. Put the one bag you want on a list now and set a price alert, then check it at each drop. If it's discounted below its 365-day price history, buy it. If it isn't, Black Friday is seven weeks later and has historically brought more luggage deals, so there's no reason to settle for a different bag. Our Prime Day luggage deals guide covers the specific bags we're watching for the event.
When Does Luggage Go on Sale? The Bottom Line
Most luggage sales land in November and December, so buy in late November if you want a particular color or model. Buy in January if price is all that matters, and around Prime Day or Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale if your trip can't wait. Skip spring, when deals are fewest.
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FAQ
What is the best month to buy luggage?
November is the best month for most shoppers. Wirecutter's price tracking finds the most luggage deals in November and December, and Black Friday and Cyber Monday offer the widest color choice. January is the alternative: discounts can run slightly deeper, but on fewer colors and models.
How often does luggage go on sale?
Several times a year, but not evenly. Deals cluster around Black Friday and the holidays, January clearance, and summer events like Prime Day and Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale. Spring and fall are the slowest stretches, and premium brands such as Briggs & Riley run short, occasional sales rather than seasonal ones.
Who has the best sale on luggage?
It depends on the brand. Amazon's member events put many mass-market brands in one sale, Nordstrom's Anniversary Sale includes luggage for about three weeks each summer, and REI's May sale suits travel backpacks and duffels. For direct-to-consumer brands like Away, watch the brand's own site around July and November.
What should you avoid when buying luggage on sale?
Avoid judging a deal by its badge. Check the price history, compare the same size and color, confirm who sells and ships the bag, and read the return terms, since discontinued luggage is often final sale. And don't postpone a bag you need for a sale that may not come.
Do I need Prime to get Prime Big Deal Days luggage deals?
Yes. Amazon says you need a Prime membership to shop Prime Big Deal Days deals on Oct. 6-7. Eligible new members can start a free 30-day trial, and Amazon charges the regular fee ($14.99 a month or $139 a year) when the trial ends unless you cancel. Students and 18-24 year-olds can check Prime for Young Adults instead. We earn a fee if you start a Prime trial or membership through this link.