Why You Need The Away Suitcase
ve been traveling with the Away Carry On for two years now, and I figured I finally had to write up my review of my all-time favorite piece of luggage!
If you haven’t heard of Away, you might have heard of Warby Parker, whose executives started the Away collection as a luxury-to-direct consumer luggage line. The Carry On is the most distinctive piece of the set — you have probably seen it all across your instagram. And for good reason, it is truly a lifetime investment piece! Not only does every Away luggage come with a lifetime warranty, but you get 100 days to test out their luggage and if you don’t love it by the end, you’re able to return it.
But you’ll love it because of its strong durability and smart features. It features a TSA-approved lock, 4 wheels so you can roll it standing up in any direction, a removable battery pack, a built-in laundry bag, and a compression pad (which is possibly my favorite feature!). I have used the lock the few times I’ve checked this bag (and it has held up wonderfully) as well as when I stay at busy hostels. The wheels roll very smoothly, even after lugging my suitcase across the cobblestones of Rome or New York. Despite its hard shell, the Carry On is one of the lightest suitcases out there. I’m a small, not very strong woman and I have carried this up and down many flights of stairs and am always able to lift it up to stow in the cabin hold by myself. This is so handy for when you’re traveling solo!
The battery pack has been so helpful for all my travels! It’s removable for when you need to charge it or when you’re checking your bag (it’s fine to leave it in when you’re bringing your bag into the cabin with you as a carry on). It’s been a true lifesaver during my travels. If you spend a lot of time waiting at airports or non-airplane transit, you’ll want the Away for this battery pack. It has two ports, one of which charges extra fast. It has a lot of life and is light enough that I take it out with me during my day trips. I’ve used it on long-haul flights, charging my iPad and camera while waiting at the airport, and even on overnight buses.
Another great feature of this suitcase is its compression pad. With straps that tighten over the compression pad (that is great for storing flat things like important papers, small chargers, a makeup removing cloth or an eye mask), you can compress a lot of clothes to fit in this carry on. I’ve taken a short video of me packing my Away Carry On just to show you how much room this suitcase offers. And if you pack smart and minimally , you’ll have no trouble fitting everything you need. I’ve even packed for 3 different cities and 2 completely different climates with this suitcase! The built in laundry bag is tucked away, so when you have dirty clothes you want to keep separate, just pull it out and lay it on top of your other clothes, then flatten it with the compression pad! Genius.
I fit 11 tops, 6 shorts, 4 pants, 3 pairs of shoes, 3 bras, 2 bathing suits, 2 bags of makeup/toiletries, 1 jumpsuit, 1 cardigan, some socks & underwear, sunglasses, a hair brush, a tote bag, a Tory Burch crossbody, a card-holder crossbody, my iPad, my Kindle, and even a lint roller! There was still left over room for medicine, jewelry, more undergarments and smaller items.
Another star feature of the Carry On is its size is approved for all major airlines, which means you will have no trouble traveling internationally. I have flown on both major and budget airlines, and this bag has always fit the baggage test bins and fit in the overhead cabins. Not having to worry about it not fitting and paying to gate check it means your trip is so much less stressful.
What’s great about Away is their lifetime warranty and amazing customer service. I lost my battery pack while traveling once: the flap was starting to get loose and one time I got randomly selected to gate check my bag without taking my battery out, so it may have been confiscated. Either way, I reached out to Away about getting a new battery (the electronics of your suitcase have a 2 year warranty I believe) and they sent me an entirely new suitcase with a new battery and let me send them back my old suitcase. While the price tag of an Away suitcase is hefty, the quality is worth it, especially if with the warranty you are purchasing a suitcase for life. P.S. It even comes with a luggage tag, which is fabulous, because who wants to pay separate money for a luggage tag? You can even purchase stickers on their website to personalize your suitcase, and they have extremely cute colors that will make your suitcase easy to spot at baggage claim.
So what do you think? Does it sound like a worthwhile investment? Would you use this on budget travel around Europe like I did? If you want to try out the Away Carry On for 100 days, here is a referral link I used when buying mine (*not an ad or my referral link, I purchased my Away with my own money!) that will get you $20 off your first Away purchase!
Let me know in the comments if you have one and what you love about it! xx Keri