Luggage Storage NYC: Where to Leave Your Bags Safely

Do you have a few hours left to explore New York after you check out and the hotel won't hold your bags? Relax! Here I'll walk you through the best luggage storage services and apps in New York.

Knowing where to leave your bags also comes in handy on a long layover in New York. I'm sure you'll want to make the most of every minute of sightseeing, without the hassle of hauling your luggage around.

Keep in mind that most New York attractions won't let you in with suitcases or large backpacks. Plus, carrying weight around this crowded city is seriously uncomfortable.

As you can see, finding a reliable spot to store your luggage in New York matters if you want to squeeze the most out of those hours in the city.

Where can you store your bags in New York?

The best option is to leave your bags at the hotel. It's often a free service, and in other cases, like at the cheapest hostels in New York, they charge a small fee for luggage storage.

So start by asking at your accommodation. In fact, on search sites like Booking, the hotel description usually specifies whether luggage storage is included.

If it isn't listed, you can message the hotel through the app itself to confirm whether they hold luggage before you book.

Luggage Storage Apps in New York

Your hotel or rental apartment won't hold your bags? Time to use an app to find somewhere to leave your luggage in New York, like Bounce, NannyBag, and LuggageHero.

I like to call these luggage storage apps the «Airbnb of suitcases,» because they connect businesses with spare storage space to people who need to stash their bags somewhere safe.

The most trustworthy apps include insurance, let you read real reviews from other travelers, and let you book your spot in advance, so there are no surprises.

Here's how the best luggage storage apps in New York work:

Bounce

I'll start with my favorite: Bounce. Why do I like it? It really does have that Airbnb vibe, and it covers more than 1,000 spots across New York where you can safely store your luggage.

Their slogan is «we keep your stuff safe, you get your day back» 😆.

Bounce also works in Europe and in several South American cities like Rio de Janeiro, Santiago de Chile, and Buenos Aires. If you download Bounce through this link, you'll get $5 in credit toward storing your bags.

How does Bounce work?

Just install the app, pinpoint where you'd like to drop your bag, the hours you need, and how many suitcases or backpacks you have.

With that info, the system shows you the available businesses nearby, including how long it takes to walk there and each location's traveler rating.

Once you've picked the most convenient spot and paid, the app gives you the exact address and your booking code, and sends reminders as your drop-off and pickup times approach.

If your plans change, don't worry. You can edit your booking details and even cancel for free up to an hour beforehand.

And if all that convenience weren't enough, the Bounce luggage storage app insures your belongings for up to $10,000 in case anything goes wrong.

How much does Bounce cost in New York?

Each bag costs $6.90 per day.

NannyBag

I won't bore you explaining how NannyBag works, because it's the same setup as Bounce, except each bag costs $7 a day (taxes and fees included) and I don't have a discount code to share with you 😆.

Another difference: they charge the same price for any size bag. That's a win if you have big suitcases, but if yours are small it works out a bit pricier.

You can check out the app on their official site.

LuggageHero

The LuggageHero storage app works like the others, but with one big difference: you can also pay by the hour.

By the day it strikes me as more expensive than Bounce and NannyBag, but if you only need to stash your bags for a couple of hours, it could come out cheaper.

Another handy feature of LuggageHero is that many partner locations let you store up to 2 bags for the same price, which is a solid deal.

The app advertises rates starting at $1 per hour, but the final cost ends up very similar to the other apps, since insurance is mandatory.

Check the prices on their official site and see if it works for you. Oh, and no welcome credit here either, unlike Bounce.

Vertoe

Vertoe is a luggage storage platform with locations all over New York and in other North American cities. It has luggage drop-offs near Penn Station, Port Authority, and Grand Central, which helps if you're arriving or leaving the city by bus or train.

Any suitcase or bag costs the same regardless of size, but prices swing a lot depending on the neighborhood and type of business. I'd check the prices in their search tool before booking, to see whether it beats Bounce, NannyBag, or LuggageHero.

Luggage storage at JFK Airport

If you have a layover at JFK Airport and want to explore New York for a while, there are several luggage storage services at the airport (LaGuardia Airport and Newark don't have bag storage).

Luggage storage at JFK is located in the following terminals:

✈️ Terminal 1: Smarte Carte storage service on Level 1. Open from 7 am to 10 pm. It's expensive! Between $25 and $35 depending on the size of your bag.

✈️ Terminal 4: On the arrivals level (Level 1), right as you exit baggage claim. Open 24 hours. Depending on the size of your bag, expect $15 to $35 per day.

✈️ Terminal 8: Meeghan Services storage in the arrivals area (Level 1). Open 24 hours, starting at $20 per bag depending on size.

Schwartz Luggage Storage NYC

If you'd rather leave your bags somewhere more old school, the kind of place Seinfeld himself might have used, here's a tip I got many years ago at the West Side YMCA: Schwartz Luggage Storage.

As proof of just how «old school» this recommendation is, look at the photo I took of the photocopy taped to the YMCA front desk 🤣:

Schwartz Travel has 2 strategically located spots:

🚌 Schwartz Travel near Penn Station and the Port Authority Bus Terminal (357 West 37th Street, between 8th and 9th Avenues).

🚆 Schwartz Travel near Grand Central Terminal and Times Square (34 W 46 Street).

This service stands out for its good prices on long-stay luggage storage, for example, if you need to leave your bags for a couple of days because you're heading out on a day trip to Niagara Falls ⛴️🌊.

Plus, the 37th Street location is open 24 hours a day, every day. As you can see, apps aren't always the answer to everything.

You can check out more info on the Schwartz Travel website, which looks like it hasn't been updated since the nineties 😉, but the service is still going strong!

Benefits of using luggage storage

It's true that in New York City it's very common to travel with suitcases on the subway. In fact, taking the AirTrain plus the subway is the cheapest way to get from JFK.

I've made that trip dozens of times myself, but only to and from the airport, not to go sightseeing around the city with my luggage in tow!

Using one of the luggage storage services in New York I've reviewed here will give you:

• Freedom to move: you can explore the city without lugging your belongings around.
• Security: the best-reviewed luggage storage spots are monitored and carry insurance in case anything goes wrong.
• Flexibility: depending on the location or app, you can store your bags by the hour or by the day, and some services even operate 24 hours.

I hope this helps you make the most of every extra minute of your layovers or the dead time around your hotel check-in or check-out, so you can keep exploring the neighborhoods of New York 🗽.