Best Front-Opening Carry-On Suitcases: Two Hardsides on Their Own Numbers
The LOVEVOOK 22x14x9 is the front-opening carry-on pick on its listing: lighter, narrower and expandable, with a 15.6-inch laptop compartment. The Joyway 20-Inch answers with an aluminum frame and a wheel brake. Here are both sets of numbers.
The short answer
Updated October 2026. Of the two front-opening hardsides on this page, the LOVEVOOK Carry On Luggage 22x14x9 is the pick for most travelers. On its listing it is the lighter case (7.7 pounds against the Joyway's 8.44), the narrower one (14 inches wide against 15.4), the only one whose listing mentions expansion (1.5 inches and 7 liters, to 42 liters in total), and it lists a 15.6-inch laptop compartment of its own. The Joyway 20-Inch Hardside Carry On is the pick if you want an aluminum frame behind the polycarbonate shell, a brake on the spinner wheels and a side pocket with a phone holder, and you have already held its listed 15.4-inch width against your airline's published box.
We did not test these products ourselves; this guide is built from Amazon's product listings.
Front-opening cases solve one problem well: the laptop lives behind a door you can open with the case standing up, in a security line or at a gate, without unzipping the clamshell across the floor. Both listings make that door the headline. The rest of the decision is numbers, and both listings give enough of them to decide.
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The two listings, side by side
| Spec | LOVEVOOK Carry On Luggage 22x14x9 | Joyway 20-Inch Hardside Carry On |
|---|---|---|
| Listed overall size | 21.7 x 14 x 9.5 inches, including wheels and handles | 21.6 x 15.4 x 9.5 inches; the listing does not say whether wheels are included |
| Listed weight | 7.7 pounds | 8.44 pounds |
| Shell | Polycarbonate ("PC materials") | Polycarbonate shell with an aluminum frame |
| Expansion | 1.5 inches, adding 7 liters; 42 liters in total | Not stated |
| Laptop storage | 15.6-inch laptop compartment, iPad sleeve, mesh pocket | Front compartment fits up to a 15.6-inch laptop, plus documents and a passport |
| Other pockets | Large and small wet bags | Side pocket for boarding passes, cables and keys, with a built-in phone holder |
| Wheels | 360-degree "silent" spinner wheels | 360-degree spinner wheels with a brake |
| Handle and grips | Three-level aluminum telescopic handle; silicone top and side grips | Three-stage telescoping handle; soft carry handle |
| Interior | Not described beyond the pockets above | X-shaped straps, dividers, mesh pockets |
| Zippers and lock | TSA lock (title); zipper brand not stated | YKK zippers; integrated TSA lock |
| Extras | Protective cover included | None stated |
| Size name in the title | "20 Inch" and "22x14x9" on the same listing | "20-Inch", with a 21.6-inch listed height |
| Airline wording | "Airline approved"; no airline named | "Check your airline's carry-on limits before travel" |
Best for
| Use case | Pick | Why, from the listings |
|---|---|---|
| Laptop out at security without opening the main case | Either | Joyway lists a front compartment for up to a 15.6-inch laptop; LOVEVOOK lists a 15.6-inch laptop compartment without saying it is front-accessed |
| The lighter case on paper | LOVEVOOK | 7.7 pounds listed, against 8.44 |
| The narrower case on paper | LOVEVOOK | 14 inches listed, against 15.4 |
| Packing more on the way home | LOVEVOOK | Expands 1.5 inches for 7 more liters, 42 in total |
| A wet swimsuit or toiletries kept apart | LOVEVOOK | Large and small wet bags listed |
| Standing on a slope, a ramp or a train | Joyway | A brake on the spinner wheels |
| Phone propped up at the gate | Joyway | Built-in phone holder in the side pocket |
| A frame, not just a shell | Joyway | Aluminum frame listed alongside YKK zippers |
The numbers that decide it
Width and depth: the sizer test
The LOVEVOOK listing gives 21.7 x 14 x 9.5 inches and says that figure includes wheels and handles. The Joyway listing gives 21.6 x 15.4 x 9.5 inches and does not say. Those are the numbers to hold against your airline's published box, and two things about them deserve a second look. First, both cases are 9.5 inches deep by their own listings, even though the LOVEVOOK's title calls it "22x14x9". Second, the LOVEVOOK expands by 1.5 inches, which on a hard shell is depth in practice, so the expanded case is 11 inches deep by addition: fly it closed. How a listed size turns into a sizer-bin size is the subject of our guide to listed versus overall carry-on dimensions, and the boxes themselves are in our carry-on size limits by airline table.
"Airline approved" on the LOVEVOOK listing is the seller's phrase; no airline is named. The Joyway listing is blunter and more useful: "Check your airline's carry-on limits before travel."
Weight
The LOVEVOOK lists 7.7 pounds; the Joyway lists 8.44. The gap is under a pound, and whether it matters depends on whether your airline weighs cabin bags at all, which varies by carrier and is the subject of our carry-on weight limits on international airlines table. Neither listing says where the difference comes from.
Capacity
Only the LOVEVOOK listing gives a volume: 42 liters with the expansion open, of which 7 liters come from the expansion, which leaves 35 liters closed by subtraction. The Joyway listing gives no liter figure, so there is no like-for-like number; its interior is described by its organization (X-shaped straps, dividers, mesh pockets) rather than its volume.
Frame, shell and closure
The Joyway listing describes a polycarbonate shell with an aluminum frame for structural support, YKK zippers closing the compartments and an integrated TSA lock, which reads as a zippered case with a frame inside it rather than a latch-closed aluminum case. The LOVEVOOK listing describes a polycarbonate shell, a TSA lock and a protective cover for the shell, and names no zipper brand.
The two picks
LOVEVOOK Carry On Luggage 22x14x9, front-opening and expandable
Per the listing, this is a front-opening hard shell carry on with overall dimensions of 21.7 x 14 x 9.5 inches including wheels and handles, weighing 7.7 pounds, which expands by 1.5 inches to add 7L for a total capacity of 42L. It lists a dedicated 15.6-inch laptop compartment, an iPad sleeve, a mesh pocket, and large and small wet bags for toiletries or damp clothing; 360-degree silent spinner wheels; a three-level adjustable aluminum telescopic handle with soft silicone top and side grips; and a protective cover to keep the shell from scratches in transit. The listing says the shell is high-quality PC material.
It calls the case airline approved at 22x14x9 but names no airline, and its own overall depth figure is 9.5 inches. Its title also says "20 Inch" while the listed height is 21.7 inches, so read the numbers, not the size name. It suits the traveler who wants the lighter, narrower case and the option to expand on the way home.
LOVEVOOK Carry On Luggage 22x14x9
Joyway 20-Inch Hardside Carry On Luggage, front opening and aluminum frame
Per the listing, the Joyway measures 21.6 x 15.4 x 9.5 inches and weighs 8.44 lbs, with a polycarbonate shell, an aluminum frame for structural support, YKK zippers and an integrated TSA lock. Its front compartment fits up to a 15.6-inch laptop along with documents and a passport, and a side pocket holds boarding passes, charging cables and keys, with a built-in phone holder that keeps the screen visible at the gate. The listing says the 360-degree spinner wheels have a brake to keep the suitcase in place, the telescoping handle has three stages, and the interior uses X-shaped straps, dividers and mesh pockets.
The listing also says to check your airline's carry-on limits before travel. What it does not say: capacity in liters, whether the 21.6 x 15.4 x 9.5 figure includes the wheels, or whether the case expands (nothing on the listing suggests it does). Its 15.4-inch listed width is the number to hold against your airline's published limit before you buy. It suits the traveler who wants a frame behind the shell, a wheel brake and a working side pocket, and who has done that check.
Check the current price on Amazon
FAQ
What is the best front-opening carry-on suitcase?
Of the two on this page, the LOVEVOOK Carry On Luggage 22x14x9: lighter (7.7 pounds listed), narrower (14 inches listed), expandable (1.5 inches, to 42 liters), with the same 15.6-inch laptop door as the Joyway. The Joyway 20-Inch is the pick for an aluminum frame and a wheel brake, once its 15.4-inch listed width has been checked against your airline.
Will these fit in an airline sizer?
The listings give 21.7 x 14 x 9.5 inches (LOVEVOOK, including wheels and handles) and 21.6 x 15.4 x 9.5 inches (Joyway). Hold those against your airline's published carry-on box rather than the listings' "22x14x9" or "airline approved" wording, and fly the LOVEVOOK with its expansion closed.
Does the front compartment take a 15.6-inch laptop?
The Joyway listing says so: a front compartment for up to a 15.6-inch laptop with documents and a passport. The LOVEVOOK listing lists a dedicated 15.6-inch laptop compartment with an iPad sleeve, without saying it sits behind the front opening.
Which one is lighter?
The LOVEVOOK, at 7.7 pounds on its listing, against 8.44 pounds for the Joyway. Neither listing says where the difference comes from.
Does expanding the LOVEVOOK change its carry-on size?
Yes. The listing says the expansion adds 1.5 inches and 7 liters, taking the case to 42 liters; on a hard shell that growth is depth in practice, so the listed 9.5 inches becomes 11 inches by addition. Expand it for the drive home; check your airline's sizer before flying with it expanded.
Sources
- Amazon product listing: "LOVEVOOK Carry On Luggage 22x14x9 Airline Approved with Spinner Wheels, 20 Inch Small Carry On Suitcase with TSA Lock, Expandable Hard Shell Suitcases for Men Women" (title and feature bullets).
- Amazon product listing: "Joyway 20-Inch Hardside Carry On Luggage, Front Opening, Aluminum Frame" (title and feature bullets).
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