We haven't purchased new luggage since 2007 when we traveled to Alaska. Those two suitcases are too large for carryon and we've been lucky checking them for all the trips we've taken since then. For this trip though we decided to heed travel advice and just pack a carryon each and a backpack.
I researched Consumer Reports and Wirecutter (New York Times) for best carryon luggage. We settled on TravelPro. We used them to pack a week's worth of clothes for our family vacation in August and they worked well. Now they'll be packed for 2 weeks in Spain. There's a washer in the apartment so we can do with less clothes and just wash what we bring.
I also purchased vacuum packing bags.
The guest room bed has the beginnings of the staging for packing.
Taking Covid tests just in case and masks too.
