I'm a classic overpacker, but I really wanted to travel light on my 3 week trip to Europe. I used a cheap, unexpanded Ricardo softside spinner carry-on (20"x14"x9", or 21.5" high including the wheels), plus an almost empty over-the-handle Solo laptop tote as my personal item (almost empty so I could throw it in the carry-on for our Schengen flights that wouldn't allow a 2nd personal item). I measured the bag carefully on a hard surface and checked in advance that the dimensions would work for our particular itinerary. None of our flights had weight restrictions for carry-ons, but I still made sure it was under 50lbs/23kg just in case I were required to check it.
I think the items I packed and the way I packed them had much more to do with my success than the actual luggage. Using the method in
this video, I packed five days' worth of coordinated separates on hangers, plus a dress, three bras, three pairs of ExOfficio underwear, two pairs of Icebreaker socks, bathing suit, pair of flip flops, sunglasses, 40"x72" microfiber towel, toiletries, makeup, flatiron, adaptor plugs, laptop, and kindle. The suitcase was easy to close without unzipping the expansion zipper. It rolled well on every surface, even Roman cobblestone, and it never tipped over.
I washed the undies and socks in the sink every few days, and sent out the rest to be laundered halfway through the trip. Even after adding things we collected, I never used the expansion zipper and didn't check anything on the way home. I now swear by this packing method, regardless of the luggage used.