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Travel junkies rejoice: This $49 Kmart carry-on suitcase rivals a $625 case from Samsonite.

 

Luggage might not be one of the most exciting purchases to make, but it’s one you’ll want to get right.

Luckily, you don’t have to spend big to do so.

According to Australia’s Choice consumer group, there proved to be one clear budget winner in a recent carry-on luggage test. Coming in with a ‘Choice Expert Rating’ of 81 per cent, Kmart’s $49 Anko 45.5cm Soft Lightweight Case held it’s own among two other much spendier options.

Mamamia’s tips from savvy travellers. Bookmark this for your next holiday. Post continues below.

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The Kmart suitcase scored 100 per cent in a lift and drop test, in which it was filled with 4kg of clothes and dropped 90cm onto a concrete floor.

This was done 300 times, and the budget buy passed with flying colours. It also scored 86 per cent for overall performance and 73 per cent for ease of use. The Kmart website also lists its dimensions as follows: 45.5cm (H) x 33cm (W) x 20cm (D), with a weight of 2kg, and a 30L capacity.

Despite this, Choice warns customers will need to be more wary of getting the bag wet, the “stability” of the suitcase and protecting it from sudden punctures. The consumer group reports “its performance was less breathtaking,” in tests which saw the case be put under a 10-minute rain simulation, as well as being hit with a “heavy, pointy weight” and placed on a tilted platform to see if it was prone to falling over.

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The other two award-winning suitcases included the influencer-approved Away, The Carry-On case, $295, which scored an 84 per cent Choice Expert Rating and Samsonite, Lite-Shock Sport 55cm, $625, which won with an 87 per cent rating.

49 Kmart suitcase
Image: Kmart.

We know which case we'd rather buy, i.e. the one which saves us more to spend on the holiday itself.

If you find yourself in the market for another type of luggage, here are the top 10, as recommended by Choice.

OUt of Choice's Choice's 2018 carry-on suitcase reviews:

It kind of makes you want to jet off on an impromptu holiday, doesn't it?

Have you tried Kmart's tried and true suitcases, or do you have another favourite piece of luggage that we need to know about. Tell us in a comment.