Béis is a luggage brand for the travel-obsessed.
Sleekly designed without too many frills and chock-full of smart features without getting too technical, Béis’s suitcases, totes, and duffles have been meticulously created by actor Shay Mitchell with one goal in mind — “to make leaving the house an easier experience, no matter how far,” Mitchell tells PEOPLE.
We at PEOPLE know something about good luggage (we’ve tested hundreds of suitcases, duffles, and bags in our labs), so we had to test out some Béis bags for ourselves, which we did in depth. After trying out all of the bags’ features (including giving the hard-shell bags a few smacks with a baseball bat), we discovered that these bags go above and beyond their comparably moderate price range. Mitchell’s thoughtful eye for design can be seen in every detail, from built-in luggage weight scales to comfortable padded handles.
Keep reading to discover the inside scoop on the best bags and luggage from Béis.
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Has top handles and padded, removable shoulder strap
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Structured and spacious compartments
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Quite durable
If Shay Mitchell could have just one Béis bag, it would be The Weekender, she says. “I feel like that was my first creation,” Mitchell tells PEOPLE. “It’s the bag that you could fit everything in.”
The crossbody tote has top handles and a padded, removable shoulder strap to make the bag more comfortable to carry through the airport and beyond. The main compartment is structured and spacious, with a padded laptop pocket and multiple smaller slots for sorting your belongings. Zippered exterior pockets can hold your phone, passport, wallet, and anything else you need handy.
The Weekender survived our crash and drop tests during testing, and our belongings inside stayed miraculously folded. We noticed a few scruff marks on the bottom feet after we pushed the bag off a counter three times, but that didn’t detract from the bag’s luxurious feel. After all our testing, we can conclude that The Weekender undoubtedly lives up to the hype.
Editors Say
Our favorite thing about the shoulder bag is just how much we were able to fit in it during testing.
Type: Weekend cross-body | Dimensions: 19 x 9.8 x 15.7 inches | Weight: 3.86 pounds | Materials: Poly canvas, vegan leather trim
We adored the Convertible Weekender as much (if not more) than the original Weekender bag. Like its namesake, the Convertible bag has an easy-access opening with a wire frame zip that helps you locate your items faster than you would with a standard tote bag.
The bag easily fit our two-day packing list, with a removable laptop sleeve and roomy main compartment. The biggest difference between this bag and the original Weekender is that the bottom compartment is removable. We were able to fit the bag into the overhead bin, even when it was fully stuffed.
After our durability testing, the only changes we could find in the bag were some small scuffs on the feet, which didn’t bother us at all. The bag can be carried in so many different ways, but it might feel a bit large to lug around the airport when it’s fully packed.
Type: Weekend cross-body | Dimensions: 19 x 10 x 16 inches | Weight: 3.86 pounds | Materials: Poly canvas, vegan leather trim
Though this bag is marketed as a “mini,” we found that it’s actually spacious enough for a one- to three-day trip. The bag opens the same way the standard-sized Weekenders do, with a metal frame that butterflies open to give you access to more of your things at once. The interior has a few slip pockets, a zip pocket, and a removable padded laptop sleeve. We could easily fit two pairs of shoes in the bottom compartment, which also zips off completely to function like a packing cube.
The only issue we had in testing this bag was with the zippers, which split after we threw the bag off a table, though we were able to reattach them and the bag was as good as new. This not-so-mini bag would make a great personal item when traveling, and it’s also a great size to use as a spacious work bag.
Type: Weekend cross-body | Dimensions: 16 x 15.7 x 16 inches | Weight: 3.4 pounds | Materials: Poly canvas, vegan leather trim
If you’re looking for a travel backpack, the Beis Expandable Backpack looks like a luxury backpack that would cost double, and it performed exceptionally well in all of our testing. We fit our entire packing list in this bag, including a pair of shoes and a bulky coat, as well as clothing and toiletries.
The inside of the bag is organized into several interior pockets, including a laptop sleeve, two large slip pockets, and two zipper pockets. The backpack has even more pockets on the exterior, as well as a luggage trolley pass-through. It also comes with a nifty water bottle holder that can be used on the outside or inside of the bag.
The bag felt super lightweight during our testing, even when we packed it full, and we loved how comfortable the padded shoulder straps felt. If we could change one thing about the Expandable Backpack, we would want it to unzip all the way around for easy access.
Type: Backpack | Dimensions: 13 x 15 x 5 (7 when expanded) inches | Weight: 1.67 pounds | Materials: Poly canvas, recycled faux leather, nylon zipper
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Since the bottom of the duffle is the part worn against your back, when used as a backpack, you risk getting dirty
Don’t let the name fool you — the Sport Duffle was made for more than the gym. The compact duffle looks sophisticated and comfortably fits enough things for a weekend away. We love the padded crossbody handle, which makes the bag more comfortable to carry even when we’ve packed it as full as it can be. The interior is segmented with handy mesh slots and smaller pockets that helped us keep the bag organized through our test travels.
While we were hard-pressed to find anything we didn’t love about the Sport Duffle, if we had to find a flaw, we’d say that you may risk getting your back a little dirty while wearing the bag as a backpack since the part that goes against your spine is also the bottom of the duffle.
Editors Say
What made this duffle stand out from others is the stow-away padded backpack straps, which unzip from a hidden compartment on the bottom of the bag and clip into hidden buckles to completely transform this bag into a backpack.
Type: Duffle | Dimensions: 10 x 17 x 8.5 inches | Weight: 2.6 pounds | Materials: Wrinkle nylon, recycled poly
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Tons of pockets and dividers for organization
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Detachable compression flap
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Built-in scale that turns red if the bag exceeds TSA checked weight restrictions
Organizing a carry-on suitcase can be a stressful game of Tetris, but the Carry-On Roller from Béis made the packing process much simpler. Just unzip the clamshell-style rollaboard to reveal a litany of pockets and dividers that’ll delight even the most type-A packer.
Inside the hard-shell bag, there’s a detachable compression flap with two zip and mesh pockets, compression straps, a small zip pouch, and separate pouches for dirty clothes, shoes, and underwear. The bag is loaded with surprising features, like a built-in scale on the side handle that turns red if the bag weighs over 50 pounds and 360-degree spinning wheels.
Mitchell really thought of everything with this bag, down to the telescoping handle with light cushioning for comfort. During our durability test, the exterior scuffed significantly after a drop from a table. After hitting the suitcase with a baseball bat, the telescoping handle dented, making it difficult to extend.
Type: Rollaboard | Dimensions: 15.7 x 22.8 x 9.8 inches | Weight: 8.3 pounds | Materials: Polycarbonate, polyester, vegan leather, nylon zipper
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Spacious interior with lots of pockets
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Detachable compression flap
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Easy to maneuver over variety of floor types
The 26-inch Check-In Roller bag is the ideal checked luggage size: not too big, not too small. The interior of this mid-sized rollaboard feels spacious, full of Beis’s signature slew of pockets and organizational features. The zippers ran smoothly, and the cushioned handle was soft and comfortable. Inside the sleek case is a U-zip flat zip pocket, a PVC pocket, a small zip pouch, and separate pouches for dirty clothes, shoes, underwear, and wet clothing. It also has a detachable compression flap and mesh compression straps.
The hard-shell bag was easy to maneuver. It rolled easily over the tile and thick carpet — we found this suitcase easier to roll around than our similarly sized Away bag. The wheels stood up to our aggressive baseball bat test: They didn’t fly off no matter how hard we slammed the bag. A small dent appeared on the bag after our durability testing, but it was barely noticeable. It also comes in a larger size, which fared just as well in testing.
Type: Rollaboard | Dimensions: 17.7 x 28.3 x 11 inches | Weight: 10.2 pounds | Materials: Polycarbonate, polyester, vegan leather, nylon zipper
The Start of Béis
Since its start in 2018, Béis has steadily made a name for itself as a stylish luggage brand with a penchant for good pockets. Mitchell’s line of functional bags is a surprising departure from the ventures started by her celebrity peers — makeup, skincare, or clothing lines are more popular pursuits among A-listers — but the You and Pretty Little Liars actor tells PEOPLE exclusively, “I have always had such a passion for bags.”
The Canadian actor fondly remembers childhood trips to Target, ignoring rows of lip gloss and body mists to make a beeline toward the toiletry bags. “It would be crazy for me to have gone into any other space other than this when this is really where my heart is,” says Mitchell.
She tells PEOPLE that she founded Béis by sketching her first creation, the Weekender Bag, “on a cocktail napkin on a plane one time.” The question that sparked the beginning of Béis, Mitchell says, was: “If I could design my perfect travel bag, what does that look like? And what are the features that I haven’t seen out there?”
Behind the Scenes
To find out how well Béis bags perform in the real world, we tested nine of the most popular styles in our PEOPLE Tested labs.
- Inspection: We weighed each bag while it was empty to compare it to the listed weight on the website. We then examined the bag’s interior and exterior, testing the zippers, handles, straps, and any extra features.
- Packing Test: After noting initial reactions and measurements, we packed each bag with a standardized packing list, depending on the bag type, including shoes, toiletry bags, jackets, shirts, and more.
- Carry Test: Once the bags were packed, we picked each bag up and carried it for five minutes, taking note of how easy or difficult each bag was to carry.
- Durability Test: We then tested the durability of the bags by pushing each bag off a table three times, then hitting it several times with a baseball bat on the sides, top, wheels, and handle.
- Real-World Test: After all of our testing was complete, we sent some of the luggage home with our testers to be used in the real world on vacation. At the end of our testing, we came away with in-depth insights on the best Béis bags for every traveler.
Why Trust PEOPLE?
Cai Cramer is a commerce writer at PEOPLE, covering the best products across the beauty, fashion, health, and lifestyle spaces. For this story, Cai consulted extensive testing data from the PEOPLE Tested labs, which included durability and real-world testing on each Béis bag included in this story. Cai also spoke with Béis founder and CEO Shay Mitchell about how she started the brand, her favorite pieces in her luggage collection, and what sets Béis apart from other luggage brands.
What Is PEOPLE Tested?
We created the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval to help you find the very best products for your life. We use our unique methodology to test products in three labs across the country and with our network of home testers to determine their effectiveness, durability, ease of use, and so much more. Based on the results, we rate and recommend products so you can find the right one for your needs.
But we don’t stop there: We also regularly re-review the categories in which we’ve awarded the PEOPLE Tested seal of approval — because the best product of today might not be the best of tomorrow. And by the way, companies can never buy our recommendation: Their products must earn it, fair and square.
In short, PEOPLE Tested provides recommendations you can trust — every day, every purchase.
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