Heavy, impressive-looking luggage is officially over. The airlines have made it so with new, stricter weight regulations that have travelers groaning.

American Airlines, Continental and Delta now have a 50-pound limit for checked baggage, even for international flights. Charges for overweight baggage range from $25 to $50 per bag. At American, the maximum carry-on weight is 40 lbs.

Of course, the lighter your luggage, the more stuff you can lug along. So we set out to find the lightest suitcases on the market, weighing nearly 40 suitcases we found locally and online. The conclusion? Cheaper bags are lighter - though they won't necessarily last as long. Here's how they weighed in:

FOR THE INFREQUENT FLIER

These are the top lightest 21- to 22-inch bags at J.C. Penney that were billed as being small enough to carry on. (The Wal-Mart bag was one we had at home.) Because some people like to check everything, we used these bags as a base line. They were weighed with a luggage scale from Magellan's ($9.85 at www.magellans.com). The weights are approximate, and the bags are listed with the lightest first. Note that most items from J.C. Penney were marked as 40 percent to 50 percent off, and the sale price is what we listed.

Bag/weight/store/price:

1. Wal-Mart Essentials 21-inch carry-on/6 pounds/Wal-Mart, purchased several years ago. At Wal-Mart now, single carry-on bags start at about $30.

2. American Tourister Mystique 19-inch carry-on/7 pounds/Part of a three-piece set at J.C. Penney for $95.99.

3. Dockers Bayside 21-inch pilot case/Just under 8 pounds/Part of a four-piece set at J.C. Penney for $99.99.

4. Protocol Cumberland 21-inch upright carry-on/7 pounds/Part of a five-piece set at J.C. Penney for $149.

5. American Tourister Glenbrook 19-inch carry-on/9 pounds/Part of a six-piece set at J.C. Penney for $179.99.

6. Wenger Ridge 21-inch Pullman/9 pounds/Part of a five-piece set at J.C. Penney for $149.99.

Conclusion: Cheaper is lighter and just fine if you want a very basic case with no frills. We didn't test durability, but the more economical cases felt ... well, cheap, and were made with more brittle-looking plastics and fewer reinforcements at wear points. The relatively new "spinner" bags - with four wheels so they're more easily maneuvered - were heavier.

FOR THE FREQUENT FLIER

These bags weigh more but are crafted of higher-quality materials and have more bells and whistles, such as shoe bags or included hanging toiletry bags. Although we weren't able to test durability, these seem likely to last longer. Most have higher-denier fabrics. (Denier is a measure of a fiber's linear mass. In general, the higher the denier, the more durable the fabric.) Again, they are listed lightest first. Bags that were on sale may not be available now - check with the store first. Heights are as listed on luggage tags.

Bag/weight/store/price/extras:

1. Samsonite Ambiance 20-inch four-wheel spinner/Nearly 11 pounds/Dillard's, $280/Includes separate toiletry and shoe bags.

2. Wenger Chalet 21-inch pilot case/11 pounds/J.C.Penney, $119.99/Our favorite in this category. Well-made case, plastic zippered lining covered entire bottom for dirty clothes, heavy-duty zippers and pulls, medium-heavy 1260 denier nylon/1260 denier polyester.

3. Kenneth Cole Air Ballistic Lite 21-inch expandable/11 pounds/Dillard's, $100/Basic bag.

4. Samsonite Versatility 21-inch side roller/11 pounds/Dillard's sale, $100/Includes large toiletry bag with hanger.

5. Protocol Centennial 21-inch expandable with tote/11 pounds/J.C. Penney, $49/Tapestry fabric cover.

6. Samsonite Regency 3000 22-inch four-wheeler/11 pounds/J.C. Penney, $155.99/Hanging toiletry bag.

Conclusion: These bags don't differ much in weight, and many probably are close to the same as far as durability. You'll need to make your choice based on what extras or styles you prefer.

PACKING TIPS

Choosing the lightest suitcase doesn't matter much if you insist on taking along too much stuff. These ideas will help you pack lighter, no matter what style traveler you are.

For everyone:

• Wear your heaviest clothes, such as jackets and coats.
• Call your hotel and ask whether such items as blow-dryers, irons and robes are provided. No need to pack them if so.
• Check the weather and make a list. Then pile everything on the bed and edit. If you pack straight into the suitcase, you're more likely to add extra items.
• Downsize toiletries. Buy travel-size versions or empty plastic bottles. It makes a huge difference.
• According to Melissa Klurman at Fodor's, a good rule of thumb for traveling less than one week is one shirt per day, one layering jacket or sweater, one bottom per every two days (but never less than two pairs of pants), no more than two pairs of shoes, underwear for every day and seasonal additions, such as a bathing suit. Klurman also says for more than a week, you should take the same number of items and plan to wash. If the exchange rate is good, use a laundry service. Otherwise, bring Woolite and a travel stain-treatment stick (Tide to Go is the best, Klurman says).

For the fashionista (or fashionisto):

• "Choose a central color to pack around," says Chris Culwell at Fodor's. Try a neutral such as brown, black or tan, then choose accessories to change the look - "so you're not bringing things like purple pants and a green tank top," Culwell says.
• If you're not going to wear it more than three times, don't bring it, urges Rick Steves' Web site, www.ricksteves.com. Let sandals double as slippers or a scarf double as a wrap.
• If we know you, you'll want to shop before you go. At www.exofficio.com you'll find good-looking techie anti-wrinkle dry-wicking stuff including one line with built-in insect repellent; www.travelsmith.com is an old reliable, better-suited to the over-40 traveler; www.tilley.com likewise; www.rei.com has some of the cuter stuff online.
• Silk, microfiber or stretch-lace underwear dries faster than cotton.
• Leave your expensive jewelry at home. It's not worth losing it.

For the business traveler:

• Pack a business suit in a dry-cleaner bag. Less friction means less wrinkling.
• Use zip-top bags for lots of things: liquids, dirty shoes - anything you want to keep away from items you can't wash or spot-clean.
• Put socks inside shoes to save space.
• Line the bottom of your suitcase with pants and let the legs hang over the outside edge, say the experts at Travel+Leisure. Then pack the rest - with lighter items on top. Wrap pants legs over all, and they'll keep their crease.
• Hang wrinkled items in the bathroom while you shower to help get rid of wrinkles.