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When did taking a checked bag on an airplane get so expensive? At some point in the last few years, airlines have found a way to charge us for basically existing anywhere in the vicinity of an airport, as if going on holiday wasn’t expensive enough…

That means, if you want to take even a fraction of your toiletry bag, you’re likely to end up paying through the nose for checked baggage.

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If you’re not in the business of spending more money than you need to to get where you need to go, you might prefer to take a carry-on suitcase instead.

To make sure you have a container that doesn’t drive you insane when you embark on your next trip, we’ve rounded up the best carry-on and cabin suitcases in the UK right now.

How we tested the best carry-on suitcases

Amy Glover/ Honey Jane Wyatt

To make sure we’re only recommending the best of the best suitcases, our shopping writer enlisted the help of the HuffPost UK team to test out different kinds of carry-ons.

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For each suitcase tested, we looked out for features like durability, zip strength, size, compartment options, compression, expansion zips, locks, and wheel smoothness.

We also considered whether cases fit UK airlines’ carry on guidelines and if they came with a warranty.

The 9 best carry-on suitcases in 2026

Best large carry on

If it makes you normal to be able to pack the right amount, call me weird, because I’ve never done that in my life.

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That’s why this big (and expandable) carry on from Away is calling my name: it can hold up to 10 outfits, and comes with a flex feature that unlocks an extra 6cm on space.

Beware though, you might need to upgrade to a checked bag when it’s expanded, so make sure you check with the airline first.

Dimensions: 57.7 x 39.2 x 24.4cm
Weight: 3.9kg
Warranty: Lifetime.

Best hybrid carry on

This case might look like it has a squishy exterior, but that is in fact a rigid frame packed with a super-thin felt-lined interior so you have even more packing space.

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The outside is home to a quick access pocket, filled with its own teeny pockets (meta) to keep everything in its place. Meanwhile, the larger compartment is held in place with a drawbridge-style strap unlike any other we’ve ever seen to keep your things visible and stationary.

Its 360 spinner wheels and comfy handle don’t hurt, either, according to our lifestyle writer, who praises its expansion zip that adds more space for when you pick up souvenirs on holiday (or even just at the airport).

Dimensions: 55.6 x 35.6 x 23cm
Weight: 3.9kg
Warranty: Lifetime.

Best hard shell carry on with a pocket

If there’s one thing we’ve lost in all of this push for protecting our possessions, it’s the ability to quickly grab something from a front pocket.

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Should you be the type who isn’t keen on taking extra bags on board a flight, this stylish carry on from Carl Friedrik has its very own front pocket so you can grab your essentials from it on the go.

The polycarbonate outer shell will make sure nothing gets bumped on your journey, while two sets of compression straps inside keep everything nice and snug.

Dimensions: 56 x 38 x 25cm
Weight: 4.7kg
Warranty: Lifetime.

Best lightweight carry on suitcase

If you’re anything like me, you’ll want to pack to max capacity without harming your arms when you go to lift your case into the overhead locker.

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Luckily for you, Bondi has created a super lightweight carry-on set with all the features of a heavier one. The set up inside is pretty standard, but it does come with a detachable mesh wash bag so you can keep all your toiletries snug throughout your journey.

If this panna cotta yellow isn’t doing it for you, it also comes in a range of other shades – some as fun, and others more muted for the minimalists reading.

Dimensions: 56 x 36 x 20cm
Weight: 2.4kg
Warranty: 10 years.

Best glossy luggage

If there’s one surefire way to be able to spot your luggage in the overhead locker, it’s when it’s shining down at you. This glossy case from HORIZN uses German engineering to make it the best of its kind.

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Not only does it come with premium features like 360 spinner wheels, a telescopic handle that locks at your perfect height and a TSA lock to keep your belongings safe, but the two inner pockets are guarded by mesh panels, so you won’t have one side with stuff falling around.

Dimensions: 55 x 40 x 20cm
Weight: 2.9kg
Warranty: Lifetime.

Best expandable suitcase

Who knows what kind of delights you’ll encounter on holiday that you’ll want to bring home with you? If you’re looking for an excuse to do some shopping, this carry-on lays the groundwork for a spending-filled trip, as it has an expandable zip that increases its capacity.

The inside is filled with one large compartment, held down by a Y-shaped compressor strap, while the other compartment is held down by a separator with three mesh pockets to fit all your knick knacks.

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And, as with all Antler cases, it’s protected by a lifetime warranty, in case the combination lock and coil zips fail you at any point over, well, the rest of your life.

Dimensions: 55 x 36 x 23cm
Weight: 2.8kg
Warranty: Lifetime.

Best budget suitcase

Travel can be expensive but your luggage doesn’t have to be. If you’re not trying to break the bank on the thing that merely holds your clothes, this suitcase from Dunelm is the value for money you’ve been looking for.

It’s super lightweight, so you’ll have no probem getting it into the overhead locker no matter how much you overpack. With four spinner wheels, it’s easy to manoeuvre, and it even has a handy side handle so you can convert it into a briefcase-style bag if you’re not into the sensation of dragging something along a pavement.

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Dimensions: 55 x 40 x 20cm
Weight: Not stated
Warranty: None.

Best for long journeys

Look, we’re not just including this case because it’s pink (although that’s at least part of the reason) but also because if you’re a frequent traveller, this is the case for you.

Loaded with a removable battery pack that can charge your phone and your laptop, this carry-on will save you from spending your whole journey worrying you’re not going to be able to order your Uber at the other end.

But it’s not just that that will make your life easier. As well as being almost completely silent, the wheels glide along like a cloud in the sky, and the entire exterior is reinforced with an aerospace-grade shell so it can withstand bumps on the road – or even in the sky.

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Dimensions: 55 x 38.5 x 21.5cm
Weight: 3.4kg
Warranty: Lifetime.

Best for Ryanair

If you’re travelling on a budget, it can be tricky to walk the line between a case that fits more than a literal shoe and going over the travel allowance. This one from Tripp is *just* the right size for the Ryanair guidelines, so you won’t be stuck with any annoying fees to kick off your holiday.

After unclipping the padlocked zips, you’ll find two compartments – one with a mesh cover and the other with X-shaped packing straps – to keep everything in place.

While the original size alone is more than spacious enough for a week’s worth of belongings, you can also unzip the extra zip to make it big enough to hold all the keepsakes you’ll inevitably pick up on holiday (if you’re anything like me, that is…).

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And, most importantly, the hard outer shell makes it sturdy enough to last for years, according to our audience editor. It even comes with a five-year guarantee.

Dimensions: 65 x 45cm
Weight: 2.7kg
Warranty: 5 years.

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Richard Tice, Reform UK’s deputy leader, is among those promoting the views of an alleged human trafficker on social media.

In the aftermath of Ann Widdecombe’s death, many right-wingers have sought to politicise the alleged murder despite facts being thin on the ground.

This includes the lesser-known Tate brother, Tristan.

Richard Tice unfazed by Tate’s history

Tristan and his brother, Andrew Tate, are facing serious accusations in Romania and the UK. On 6 July, Romania Insider reported:

Prosecutors from Romania’s Directorate for Investigating Organized Crime and Terrorism, or DIICOT, announced on Friday, July 3, that they have expanded the investigation into brothers Andrew and Tristan Tate with new charges. The announcement comes after another expansion of the case, made public by DIICOT last month, regarding money laundering and human trafficking.

In total, in addition to the accusations of human trafficking and rape, which formed the basis of the 2024 case, prosecutors have added money laundering, influencing statements, removal from seizure, and complicity in the trafficking of minors to the list of offenses. The case now involves two case files.

The BBC had previously added:

The brothers will face charges in the UK, including rape and human trafficking, when they are extradited from Romania after legal proceedings against them there conclude.

The accusations against the Tate brothers are well known. As such, it beggars belief that Reform’s second-most senior politician would promote such a character. It’s sadly not surprising, though, as Reform politicians have a terrible track record on this front.

• Ex-Farage employee ‘calls bullsh*t’ on his support for women
• Farage toxifies abuse inquiry as victims demand apology
• Reform councillor quits, blames ‘sexism’ and ‘bullying’
• Reform candidate Kenyon exposed as sexist on Question Time
• Tice refuses to deny Reform will end no-fault divorce
• Braverman announces Reform policy on women, whilst in a party of misogynists

This is despite Farage & Co’s attempts to paint themselves as ‘protectors of women’ — particularly in relation to the various ‘rape gang‘ inquiries.

Unsettling behaviour

There’s a grim irony here, of course, in that Tice is promoting a man who’s accused of crimes against women to speculate about the alleged murder of a woman.

Tice and the rest of Reform are engaging in this speculation despite Widdecombe’s family asking them not to.

Reform-linked journalist scolds Ann Widdecombe’s family

Featured image via the Canary

By Willem Moore

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Sir David Beckham has responded to one comedian’s send-up of his wife Victoria’s less-than-animated reactions to watching the England football team playing over the weekend.

On Saturday night, Sir David and Victoria were joined by their youngest three children, Romeo, Cruz and Harper Beckham to see England’s latest World Cup game, where the squad triumphed over Norway.

While the rest of the Beckhams couldn’t hide their joy at England’s success, it’s fair to say that, true to form, the former Spice Girls star’s reactions were a touch more muted.

“I wanted to take a moment to single out England’s number one fan Victoria, Lady Beckham!!!!” the comedian Jenny Johnson wrote on Instagram the following day.

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“There’s nothing like cheering your heart out for England from home, then they cut to Victoria and we see that classic Posh Spice smile! It’s so infectious!”

Jenny quipped: “I used to think I got animated while watching sports, but Victoria blows my enthusiasm out of the water! Each time I see her I shout, ‘SPICE UP YOUR LIFE!!!!’ because her energy is electric!!!”

“See for yourself!” she added, alongside a series of stoic-looking pictures of Victoria.

Within just a couple of hours, Sir David had popped up in the comments, joking: “She was celebrating inside I promise. Her reactions were slightly slower than mine.”

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Mark Large/ANL/Shutterstock

Back in 2019, Victoria claimed that “not smiling publicly” was a type of “armour” that she hid behind, an idea she elaborated on in her self-titled Netflix documentary last year.

“I’ve looked miserable for all these years because when we stand on the red carpet, this guy has always gone on the left,” she told viewers, referring to her famous husband.

“Now I didn’t realise that when I smile – which I do! – I smile from the left, because if I smile from the right, I look unwell. So, consequently I’m smiling on the inside – but no one ever sees it. So, that’s why I look so moody.”

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Much of the economy south of Lebanon’s Litani river is generated by some of the most fertile and productive land in the region. It is famous for olives, avocados, bananas and citrus fruits. It is also the area most torn apart by fighting with the Israelis since 1982.

The district of Sour is particularly rich in agricultural resources. It was here that we met with Mohammed el-Hussaini, a spokesman of the Syndicate of South Lebanese Farmers.

He explained how the latest war, which started in October 2023, derailed the end of the olive harvest and made preparations for the following year impossible. He also described how the IOF are embarking on an orgy of thieving, vandalism and intimidation, causing deliberate, vindictive and long-lasting damage to the rural economy.

Chemical warfare

One such tactic, which is illegal under international law, is the use of white phosphorous. It is a chemical compound used by the Israelis to burn crops, dwellings and wooded areas within the zones where they operate. It also has a lasting environmental impact on the land where it is deployed.

In a more sinister development, it was recently used as a chemical weapon against agricultural labourers. A video of the workers fleeing the trademark white clouds that this compound produces has gone viral across the region.

Mohammad said:

Those farmers were hit by white phosphorus during the harvesting of watermelons. They were a few hundred metres from an Israeli checkpoint, and they were outside their line of control. The IDF saw them collecting the watermelons and they attacked them.

The Israelis are well known for deploying this illegal weapon across areas where they are being held back by local fighters. But using it against labourers, harvesting their produce during a ceasefire, represents a new low.

Another tactic of the occupiers is the deployment of herbicides to clear the vegetation in their so-called buffer zone. Mohammad continued:

They have used glyphosate – the herbicide that kills weeds by stopping the photosynthesis. The density that they used was 30 times more than is allowed, to ensure that they killed everything that is green – the plantations and the forests, including the areas where wild animals live. We have videos showing how they used planes to spray this herbicide.

The use of glyphosate in such a concentrated way amounts to ecological terrorism. It is a chemical agent that is already controversial when deployed within its recommended guidelines, and its use is heavily restricted in some countries and banned outright in others.

Studies suggest that it causes cancer, and contaminates the environment. Its use, in illegal doses, is a tactic that has long been witnessed in the border areas of Gaza where the IOF claim to be terraforming the land for security reasons. But in reality, they are trashing the food security of the Palestinians. A genocidal tactic that is now being imported to south Lebanon.

Aside from the chemicals, more familiar means have been used to destroy Lebanese land and inhibit the return of its people. The infamous D9 Bulldozers have been deployed into IOF controlled zones to destroy homes and plantations. There is also a growing body of evidence to suggest that non-military contractors from Israel are being commissioned for this and other tasks.

Wholesale demolitions

It is already confirmed that Israeli civilian companies are involved in the demolition of border villages. There is also verified evidence of systematic looting from residential south Lebanese properties by IOF soldiers.

Mohammed says there are now multiple testimonies saying that other outside contractors are being used to steal the resources of occupied rural areas:

We have olive trees that are hundreds of years of old, which they remove using excavators, and are then taking into Israel. They are worth thousands of dollars each. Typically, they end up in the gardens of newly built settler homes. They are also transporting livestock and other valuables from the areas they control behind their yellow line.

When the war restarted in March 2026, the Israeli line of control extended yet further into the south. At present, well over 600 square miles of south Lebanese territory is effectively off limits to the local farmers.

Aside from the burning, poisoning and bulldozing, the pausing of irrigation will kill the trees. This will render plantations fruitless for long into the future. Replanted citrus and olive trees need seven years of uninterrupted growth before they can start yielding. Avocados require five and bananas at least two.

Economy in ruins

Recently published figures by the World Bank estimate the cost of lost revenue up until 2025 at $1.2 billion. But this could just represent a fraction of the damage to livelihoods for years to come.

Satellite imagery seen by the farmers union confirms that over 7,000 hectares of farm land have been actively destroyed, with other occupied areas withering from neglect.

Along with the crops, the Israelis are also destroying the farmhouses and other infrastructure. Mohammad continued:

Around the border they are demolishing entire villages. Places like Bint Jbeil, Aitaroun and Aita Shaab are flattened. But they are forgetting the history of this area. Since 1982, the farmers have refused to leave this land. They have even stayed in tents, so that they can replant when they have had no homes. The people will return like they did in 2000 and 2006. They have beaten these occupations before.

All the time we are getting reports of farmers being shot at by the IDF when they approach their land. Yesterday, they dropped sound bombs on farmers in Nabatieh. Using their AI and facial recognition, the IDF can easily distinguish between civilians and fighters. Their cameras can recognise faces and connect to open sources like social media. They know that these people are non-combatants, but they attack them anyway. They just want to eliminate everyone. To make this an empty zone.

Threats and intimidation

Mohammad shared a recent experience of his own with me:

Before the ceasefire, I was 20 kilometres away from the yellow line harvesting bananas. They called me, ordering me to leave. They use some kind of machine that calls our mobiles with a recorded message, spreading the threat that we should move away from the area. The calls come from European and international phone numbers. My call came from Serbia.

The following day, we were heading south through miles of fields and plantations. Some of the bridges we crossed were temporary structures, placed by the army above the ruins of the original ones. Most farmhouses along our route were reduced to rubble.

When we reached our destination, Fadel Soufan, a member of the citrus growers association, took us on a tour of one of the local orchards to inspect the damage. A drone hummed overhead.

The area was vast with groves stretching for miles in every direction. Oranges and lemons worth millions of dollars lay rotting under the trees. Many of the trees were clearly dying. He explained that everyone had fled the area after six workers were killed in a drone strike:

It was night and they were getting ready to sleep in their tent when the drone came for them. None survived. They were from Syria and Palestine. They were innocent and had nothing to do with this war.

Much of Lebanon’s rural economy depends on migrant labour from poorer communities in neighbouring countries, or from refugee camps within its borders. The heat-sensitive cameras of the drone that murdered those people did not differentiate between people holding scythes or those who carry guns.

Artillery strikes on agricultural infrastructure

Fadel took me away from the track to show me an area targeted by the IOF:

This is where they shelled the plantation with their artillery.

A series of craters marked the places where the shells had landed among the trees, which were scorched and lacerated by shrapnel. Some of them were snapped in two nearest to where the explosions had detonated. The area was clearly of no military significance, but the object of the assault lay destroyed in the centre of the targeted area.

A twisted heap of metal and thick rubber pipes lay in a clearing. It had been the pumping facility that connected the nearest well to miles of smaller pipes that irrigated the orchards. The generator, which powered it and similar appliances, had also been destroyed by shelling a hundred yards away.

The bombing was a deliberate and calculated act of vandalism that would condemn the plantation to die in the unforgiving sun, unless it was repaired in the very near future.

For as long as the Israelis remain, the farmland of south Lebanon and its associated infrastructure will continue to degrade.

The present dynamic is different to previous occupations as no locals remain behind the so-called yellow line of control. For the local fighters intent on removing the IOF, this is both a blessing and a curse. They can engage their enemy without putting civilian lives at risk, but moving around this area undetected by modern military technology is now a lot harder.

All images and videos courtesy of the author

By Guy Smallman

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Ann Widdecombe was found dead in her home in Devon last week (Alamy)

2 min read10 min

Counter terrorism police are now leading on the investigation into the murder of Ann Widdecombe “following new information and evidence”, the Home Secretary has said.

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Widdecombe, a former Conservative MP and minister who later joined Reform UK, was found dead in her home last week.

On Saturday evening, a 28-year-old man was arrested in South Yorkshire on suspicion of murder after Widdecombe’s death.

The suspect is believed to have driven almost 300 miles to Widdecombe’s home in Dartmoor, Devon, on the day she was killed. 

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On Monday morning, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood posted on X that she had spoken to the head of counter terrorism police and “following new information and evidence, they are now leading on the investigation into the horrific murder of Ann Widdecombe”.

“The police are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry to establish the motivation for this attack. I will be updating the House further this afternoon.”

The head of national counter-terrorism policing, Laurence Taylor, said: “Building on the progress made by our colleagues in Devon and Cornwall police, we now have new information and evidence that means counter-terrorism policing is now leading the investigation.

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“We are pursuing multiple lines of enquiry to establish the motivation for this attack.

“Our priority is progressing this investigation quickly, with all the capabilities we have available to us. If anyone has any information, please share it with the police.”

A 26-year-old man was previously arrested on Friday but was released on Saturday and has now been ruled out of all police inquiries. 

Mahmood is set to update MPs on the case on Monday afternoon.

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As we’ve extensively reported, Nigel Farage is facing criticism over the various gifts and donations he’s failed to declare. He’s also facing multiple investigations into the same cases.

Unsuprisingly, the public is largely unimpressed with this state of affairs.

Farage spent years complaining the establishment ignored “the will of the people”.

Now 60% of voters – AND half of Reform voters – think he behaved incorrectly over gifts and donations.

Funny how quickly “the people” become “the establishment” when they stop believing Nigel… pic.twitter.com/3AVuhYD0dd

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— Liz Webster (@LizWebsterSBF) July 13, 2026

Nigel Farage vs the public

Farage has multiple ongoing scandals right now, including:

• Multiple investigations into a £5m ‘gift’ he received from a crypto billionaire
• Accusations he’s shilling for crypto on behalf of his donors
• Questions over three houses he seemingly failed to declare
• Failure to declare financial support from convicted fraudster Posh George in the runup to the 2024 election

Now, the Times has commissioned YouGov to poll the public on what they think about the matter. They asked 2,000 people, which is about twice as many as you need for a poll to be considered credible.

The key takeaway is this:

Six in 10 voters believe Nigel Farage has behaved incorrectly over undeclared gifts from wealthy benefactors and only half of Reform UK voters back him

The issue isn’t that voters are simply uniformed because:

Some 22 per cent said they had seen “a lot” about accusations that he did not correctly register donations and another 45 per cent said they had seen “a fair amount”. Only 9 per cent said they had seen “nothing at all”.

Other findings include:

• 40% of voters “disapprove of Farage’s decision to call a by-election” (22% approve)
• 35% “think Farage is treated in the same way as politicians from other parties” (24% think the press is more hostile towards him)
• 26% actually think the press is “unduly lenient” towards Farage

Farage ‘very sleazy’

The above isn’t the only polling YouGov has done on Farage recently. Data released on 10 July found:

Most Britons say Nigel Farage is ‘very sleazy’

Results included:

• 73% of Britons describe Nigel Farage as sleazy, including 56% thinking he is *very* sleazy
• This includes 40% of Reform UK voters seeing Farage as sleazy
• Belief Reform UK as a party is sleazy has increased by 18 points over the last two years, with the public now more likely to consider them to be dodgy than Labour
• 77% of the public feel British governments are generally sleazy
• Keir Starmer is seen as sleazy by 51% of Britons, with 42% saying the same of Zack Polanski and 34-36% of Kemi Badenoch or Andy Burnham

That 77% figure is key to understanding why people will support Farage regardless. Once you think all politicians are corrupt, your options are:

• Don’t vote
• Ignore corruption as a factor

Still, Reform and Farage do top the charts when it comes to the perception of sleaziness.

Fading fortunes

It seems that the more the public sees of Farage, the more they dislike him. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean Reform couldn’t win in a general election. What we’ve seen in recent years is that politicians don’t need to enjoy broad support from the public; they just need to be less hated than the alternative.

Still, Farage’s various financial scandals could sink his career regardless of what’s happening with his popularity. We’re sure that Farage won’t be happy about that. We’re equally sure the public will broadly think he had it coming.

Featured image via the Canary

By Willem Moore

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