If you’re one of the millions of holidaymakers dragging a suitcase behind you through the airport, you could be putting unnecessary strain on your body.
Experts say there’s a much easier way to wheel your luggage – and it involves pushing your suitcase at your side instead of pulling it behind you.
The advice applies particularly to four-wheeled spinner cases, which are designed to glide alongside you rather than trail behind.
According to US-based physical therapist Lori Diamos, pushing a spinner suitcase is kinder to your joints and helps you maintain a more natural posture.
She explained that when you push a suitcase beside you, your elbow remains bent and your wrist stays in a neutral position, reducing stress on your arm and shoulder.
The technique also allows travellers to switch hands more easily or even use both hands, spreading the load instead of overworking one side of the body.
On the other hand, pulling a suitcase forces your arm to extend behind you, creating a twisting motion through your spine that can become uncomfortable over long distances.
‘Pushing is better for your joints,’ Ms Diamos told Travel + Leisure. ‘When you push a spinner beside you, your elbow stays bent, your grip stays neutral, and you can switch hands or even use both, which spreads the load rather than stressing one arm over and over.’
Pushing your suitcase next to you places much less stress on the body than pulling it behind you, experts say
While pulling a suitcase might feel more natural to some people, Ms Diamos warned: ‘Pulling a two–wheeled bag keeps your arm extended behind you and creates a rotational force through your spine that adds up quickly over a long airport walk.’
Health experts have also warned that pulling your suitcase behind you can contribute to aches in the back, neck and shoulders – especially when rushing through large airports.
The Bone & Joint Center says using four spinner wheels lets you push the case with a relaxed arm, requiring less muscle power and placing less stress on the upper body.
‘If frequent travel has you sprinting from terminal to terminal at large airports, a heavy, two–wheeled bag may strain your shoulder and neck if you have to walk long distances,’ it said in a blog post.
‘The action of pulling a weight with your arm extended behind you may become uncomfortable.’
It explained that bags with four spinner wheels require less muscle power to be moved along, easing the stress on your back and shoulders.
Research has also found that luggage designed primarily to be pulled places greater stress on the pulling arm and encourages awkward body positions.
Meanwhile, a study, published in 2024, concluded that once a suitcase weighs more than around 20 per cent of a person’s body weight, pushing it is more energy efficient than pulling it. That means, for example, someone weighing 70kg should push their suitcase when it weighs 14kg or more.
Researchers previously discovered that once a suitcase weighs more than around 20 per cent of a person’s body weight, pushing it is more energy efficient than pulling it
However, experts say there are exceptions to the rule.
Two-wheeled suitcases are often better suited to rough surfaces such as cobblestones, gravel or kerbs because their larger fixed wheels are more stable.
Spinner cases, meanwhile, perform best on the smooth floors typically found in airports, hotels and railway stations.
Travellers are also advised to avoid overpacking, as heavier bags place greater strain on muscles and joints regardless of how they are wheeled.
Packing heavier items near the wheels can improve balance and make the suitcase easier to control.
Meanwhile, adjusting the handle to a comfortable height can help prevent hunching or reaching while walking.
