A carry-on bag is a must have for any frequent flyer! Whether you're using it as your main piece of luggage or as a second piece aside from your checked in bag, your carry-on is an essential piece of traveling equipment. The right bag really can be the difference between a stress free journey or a frustrating experience.

Everything we need, or think we might need on our flight gets shoved into our carry-on bag, so if you're on the prowl for a new carry-on consider these top tips before you make your purchase.

1. Type!

Whats your preferred bag type?

The first place to start has to be choosing which type of bag you prefer.

A carry-on can be any bag you choose, as long as it isn't too big of course, which we'll cover in tip #2.

For now we're focusing on the type of bag we want and there are a plethora to choose from. For this article we're focusing on a bag to take with us on a flight.

My personal carry-on favorite are the beautiful and sturdy roll-ons. For me the roll-on offers the most ease when I fly because I can glide it along rather than have to carry it,

and it's a classic look which matches my own fashion style, so it's an obvious choice for me. But what about you?

Head on over to your search browser and search for 'Carry-on bags' and start to look around and get a feel for what type of bag you prefer, you'll find a huge range like: rucksacks, backpacks, roll-ons, holdalls, duffel bags, tote and garment bags. Which are you initially drawn to? Which most reflects your own personal style? If you don't mind too much about your own personal style then consider which type of trip you have coming up or which type of trip you usually take.

This first step, is pretty easy, it's just a matter of considering personal preference and up and coming or most preferred type of trip.

2. Size!

It really does matter!

Once we have identified our bag style, we now need to ensure it is within the carry-on size limits. You will generally find when you begin your research for the perfect bag, that most luggage/bag companies will have taken the time to design their range of carry-on bags suitably for airline cabin size requirements. And they will also make this obvious to you within there marketing material, to help you navigate towards a bag suitable as a carry-on.

3. Style!

The next thing to consider after choosing a bag type and determining that it is the correct size is to now choose a bag style.

Above I shared that my preferred type of carry-on is the roll-on but there are hundreds of roll-ons. There is the very basic style roll-ons with one zip that opens to the main area or you have the option of a roll-on with internal and external pockets that help you to stay organized. You can even get a roll-on that looks the classic shape but opens up into a fully sized garment bag.

So our next step to choosing our perfect carry-on bag is to consider what you're going to pack in it and what is it that you want to be able to access quickly and easily.

For me I like to travel with as much ease and grace as possible, so I need a carry-on with plenty of pockets, this helps to keep me organized, meaning I can find everything I need, promptly.

Have a think about how and what you like to pack and most importantly what you like to be able to access easily and effortlessly. This will help you to make sure that the bag you choose will suit your traveling needs.

4. Budget!

When considering how much to spend on your carry-on, things to consider may be how much you think you'll use the bag, if it's just for a one off trip, then a cheaper bag will be fine as you don't need it to withstand the test of time, but if you do want it to last a while then you will need to spend a little to get the quality in return. If you don't mind too much about the material of your bag then that will help to keep the cost lower but if you prefer your bag to be leather then of course you will need a bigger budget.

If its just a case of what's left in your bank account at the end of the month then pick your type, style and size and choose a popular nylon material and you will be more than satisfied with its quality as it is naturally durable and hard wearing.

WHICH BAG IS FOR YOU?

I hope you've enjoyed this article I hope my top tips have helped you gain a little clarity as to which carry-on bag is best for you and I wish you a safe and happy trip. Bon Voyage.