Holiday baggage of a different sort

Ganda Suthivarakom, special projects editor

We’re halfway through the holiday season, and if you didn’t buy your gifts during the sales blitzes last week, don’t worry—we have endless ideas.

But if you were one of the estimated 55 million Americans who traveled over the weekend, how did your luggage fare? Now is a good time to assess whether or not you want to switch things up before the end-of-December flights get here.

• If you want to make the switch from a soft-case to a hard-case carry-on for delicate presents, our guide to the best carry-on luggage has the pros and cons of each.
• If you tend to run to the gate at the last minute, perhaps you’ll be interested in switching to a comfortable carry-on backpack.
• If you love flying basic economy and are ready to make the most of your underseat space, consider the best underseat personal items to pair with your carry-on bag (including the diminutive, rolling Travelpro Crew VersaPack Rolling Tote).

For more, read our tips on how to buy carry-on luggage. The holiday season can come with enough baggage; your luggage shouldn’t kick up additional drama.

Coming soon

We’ve updated our webcam guide with new testing. Our new top pick for the best webcam will be the Logitech C920S HD Pro Webcam, because it delivers sharper video with better color than anything else we’ve tested and is the best way to improve your video calls.

We continue to recommend the Logitech HD Webcam C615, and we will be adding the Razer Kiyo Streaming Webcam as a good option for gamers who need a higher frame rate or anyone who wants a ring light for flattering lighting.

We also have a new guide for high-performance subwoofers coming soon. For powerful, precise bass in stereo and home-theater systems, we think the best subwoofer is Rogersound Labs’s affordable and compact Speedwoofer 10S. Keep an eye out for both of these guides next week.

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