HONEST Béis Luggage Review: An Unfiltered Guide to Buying (2024)

Since getting my Béis “The Medium Check-In Roller,” I’ve wondered, “Is this luggage actually worth it?” This wouldn’t be an honest Béis luggage review without mentioning that while the brand is definitely not as expensive as others (ahem, RIMOWA), it isn’t exactly cheap, either, which makes hesitating towards hitting “check out” understandable.

I’ve tried more luggage brands than I can count—RIMOWA, Travelpro, Samsonite, American Tourister, you name it. Naturally, I was excited to get my hands on a coveted Béis suitcase (they’re often sold out) and try it out for myself.

Unlike some of the brands I’ve tried, Béis places heavy but equal emphasis on style, functionality, and affordability, which makes its trendy luggage highly coveted and frankly, almost too good to be true.

Looking for a Béis promo code? Click here to get $15 off your first purchase.

What Makes Béis Travel Unique?

Pretty Little Liars actress Shay Mitchell founded Béis Travel in October 2018. The entrepreneur and actress conceived the brand based on her personal travel experience.

“Béis started when I drew up my ideal travel bag on a co*cktail napkin while on an airplane, with all the features I had mentally taken notes of over the years, like a key leash or a strap to attach onto your suitcase.

“With those ideals in mind, we started with our weekenders and our luggage,” says Mitchell to Business of Fashion.

Mitchell elaborated her thought process to Forbes saying, “I’ve been traveling since I was a teenager…I always felt like the bags I was finding were either out of my price range, looked good but lacked function, or were ugly and super packed with features.

“As I got older, I found more and more that there were no options of chic looking, highly functional AND affordable items in the travel category.”

Additional products, like the brand’s baby line and kids and baby lines, were developed as Mitchell and her family grew and discovered new needs—diaper bags when she was pregnant and kids’ backpacks for school when her daughter needed one.

Mitchell has far bigger plans for Béis than for it to be branded as solely a travel brand. “We didn’t want Béis to be something that people only think about when they’re buying a plane ticket.

“We’re not just hard luggage, we’re the on-the-go travel brand for anything–if you’re leaving your house to go to the grocery store, we have produce bags for you, if you’re headed to the gym, we have a gym bag for you, and if you’re going on a walk and want a sling bag that will hold your water bottle, we have that, too,” says Mitchell to Condé Nast Traveler.

Beis Luggage Quality and Durability

Just a few days after getting my Béis roller bag, I had an opportunity to put it to the test. I carefully packed the bag for a weekend getaway, taking advantage of several features like the suitcase’s detachable compression flap and zippered compartments.

I’m tough on my bags—I often travel at least once, if not twice a month and my bags get put through the wringer by baggage counters around the world (I’ve lost many a good Travelpro bag this way). My precious new Béis luggage, however, I babied, terrified of dirtying the perfectly pink exterior.

It’s a good thing I did. Despite trying my best to avoid damaging the bag, my Béis Check-In Roller came tumbling down the baggage claim with large scuff and dirty marks on its first voyage—not exactly a strong start, and very surprising considering that Béis luggage is made of 100% virgin PolyCarbonate, one of the most durable materials in the suitcase industry, and a hallmark of premium travel brands.

When scouring Béis luggage reviews on Reddit before getting mine, most of the mixed reviews I saw for the brand weren’t for its durability or quality but for its customer service, which made this extra surprising.

Exterior aside, there’s a lot to love about Béis luggage. I highly underestimated just how nice having a cushioned handle is, and I really appreciate the extra organization Béis bags have compared to other brands, like large zippered interior pockets.

On a quality front, Béis suitcases are sturdy and balanced. 360-degree Hinomoto wheels keep the bag gliding easily, even when packed full. The only time I’ve struggled with moving the bag is when trying to hang my Longchamp Le Pliage tote bag off of the retractable bag attachment hook, which caused some tipping.

Scuffing and tipping gripes aside, Béis luggage is well-made at its price point, especially when compared to department store suitcase brands at a similar entry level. It’s far better quality than competitor Away and generally comparable to Monos, but it doesn’t quite edge out Briggs & Riley or Tumi.

Beis Luggage Pros

• Built-in weight checker
• Cushioned handle
• Retractable front hook for attaching handbags, tote bags, and weekenders
• Expandable up to 2”
• Good interior organization
• Water-resistant zipper tape
• TSA locks
• Made of durable 100% virgin PolyCarbonate
• Stable Hinomoto 360-degree wheels
• Matching bags included for shoes and dirty clothes

Beis Luggage Cons

• Picks up dirt easily and quickly
• Scuffing after one use
• Using the front hook can destabilize the bag
• The detachable compression strap can get stretched out
• Weight checker is difficult to read

Beis Luggage Features

True to Mitchell’s mission of making travel more seamless through bags and accessories, Béis offers features that help alleviate the stress of running through airports, train stations, and bus terminals.

Many of these features, like Béis’ retractable bag hook on its hard-sided suitcases and handle sleeves on its weekender bag and pet carriers aim to help make travel more hands-free.

It’s Béis’ attention to detail and features like these that initially piqued my interest, and for the most part, they don’t disappoint.

My suitcase’s 2” of expandability has saved me on more than one occasion (most recently when trying to bring the better part of a casserole from Minnesota to New York), and having a large PVC zip pocket has been incredibly useful for keeping my most-used liquids in easy reach during vacation.

It’s silly, but I love having matching dirty clothes bags for my suitcase. When I get home from trips, I’m no longer sorting through plastic bags trying to figure out which has my laundry and which has my shoes.

Béis’ luggage weight indicator could use a little tinkering. On my most recent trip with the bag, my boyfriend and I had a tough time figuring out if my bag was actually overweight or not because the weight indicator was only half-red (it was a few pounds under).

The cushioned handle is super squishy and comfortable—I just wonder how to clean it as it’s made from a knit material that seems like it would absorb dirt.

Pricing

Pricing for Béis luggage ranges from $218 for The Carry-On Roller (21”) to $328 for The Large Check-In Roller (29”). My bag, The Medium Check-In Roller (26”) in Atlas Pink, is $308.

Béis’ viral The Weekender Bag ranges from $108 to $128. The Sport Sling, Beis’ answer to the Lululemon Everywhere Belt Bag, is $58.

Béis is priced high enough to warrant second-guessing yourself before purchasing, but isn’t so expensive as to price out customers that would never shell out hundreds for luxury Paravel or Bric’s bags.

For Béis’ high quality materials and solid construction, its pricing feels very fair, even if it is a reach for some travelers. The value of Béis luggage versus similarly-priced labels is definitely higher, helped by the brand’s direct-to-consumer approach.

Beis Luggage Sizes

I spent hours debating which Béis luggage size to buy before getting mine. I couldn’t figure out if the brand’s The Medium Check-In Roller, which measures 26” tall, would be enough space or if I needed The Large Check-In Roller, which stands slightly taller at 29” high.

I’ve had suitcases of all sizes over the years. Slim, lightweight carry-on suitcases shorter than 15” and giant checked bags that measure 32.5” tall. Bags of unusual dimensions too small to make sense as a checked bag and too big to fit international carry-on dimensions. At one point, my tiny studio apartment had five bags (two checked, three carry-on) all of different sizes in it.

Increasingly, I found myself getting frustrated with my large checked bags. While they were nice for two-week long trips, they aren’t always practical for solo travel and sometimes are simply too much space for a one-week adventure.

With this in mind, I skipped The Check-In Roller, deciding that it was too close in size to the oversized checked bags I was getting annoyed with. Instead, I got The Medium Check-In Roller.

I’m 5’6” tall, and this 26” suitcase is the perfect size for almost any one-week trip I could take. It’s easy to move and doesn’t overwhelm my size. I could easily see it working for longer trips when I’m traveling to warm destinations that don’t require packing bulky layers.

International carry-on dimensions are 15.7” by 21.7” by 9”. At 15.7” by 22.8” by 9.8”, Béis’ The Carry-On Roller is a little bigger. Still, I saw a few of these bags while recently transferring through London Heathrow, carried by travelers who managed to evade luggage sizers.

If you travel internationally on budget airlines, airlines likely to measure carry-ons or frequently carry-on items that can’t be checked in the event of mandatory gate-checking, I’d skip this suitcase.

Where to Find Beis Luggage In Stock

Béis is so popular now that its website hardly has bags stocked, especially during peak gifting seasons.

This luggage hardly goes on sale. I’ve only ever seen it on sale during Béis’ Black Friday sale on its own website. Should you happen to notice a deal, snatch it up quickly. You can get $15 off your first purchase at all times by clicking here.

If you’re looking for Béis suitcases in stock, check out the following retailers:

• Béis
• REVOLVE
• Nordstrom
• Bloomingdale’s

How to Clean Beis Luggage

As mentioned earlier in this Béis luggage review, my luggage from the brand picks up dirt easily. It’s obvious that this hard-sided luggage is going to require more maintenance on my end than others I own.

Here’s how to clean your Béis bag, if you find yourself with a similar issue

Cleaning the Interior

To clean your Béis luggage, first empty the bag. Use a vacuum to get out any crumbs, sand, and small debris. Then, dampen a washcloth in a mix of mild soap and water to wipe the interior of dirt.

If you’re noticing odors from the interior of your bag, try letting baking soda sit in it for a week or spray it with a solution of one part white vinegar and three parts water. When your bag is thoroughly deodorized, sticking a dryer sheet in it when the bag is stored will help prevent the smell from coming back.

When you’re done with the interior, disinfect with a Clorox or Lysol wipe.

Cleaning the Exterior

Like the interior, the first step to cleaning the exterior of your Béis suitcase is to wash it in mild soap and water. After, disinfect with a wipe, letting the bag sit for at least five minutes before continuing on.

Béis used to sell the Béis Buffer for cleaning scuff marks, which appears to be discontinued. A Magic Eraser will work similarly. When your suitcase has dried, use one to rub out any dirt marks still on the bag.