Away
Carry-On
About the product
A winner with effortless, functional style
The Away Carry-On is one of the most ubiquitous and popular pieces of luggage on the market today. Its sleek and minimalist design in a seemingly never-ending array of fashionable colors have made it a social media darling, spawning a host of imitators and rivals. But is it worth its fame and price?
The BestReviews Testing Lab put an Away Carry-On through its paces, thoroughly testing its wheels, shell, handles and other features. We concluded that, while somewhat pricey, when it comes to convenience, mobility and style, the Away Carry-On deserves its stellar reputation.
What is the Away Carry-On?
Dimensions: 14.4" W x 9" D x 21.7" H | Capacity: 39.8 L | Weight: 7.5 lb | Material: Polycarbonate | Expandable: No
The Away Carry-On is a hard-sided carry-on upright wheeled suitcase built to fit in almost every airline’s overhead bins. Its outer shell is made of lightweight and durable polycarbonate plastic that comes in a variety of stylish colors, including seasonal hues. Its clamshell configuration offers two separate halves lined with fine, smooth polyester fabric. One half features a compression system with an attached compression panel and wide compression pull straps. The other half is intended for bulkier items like shoes and toiletries and comes with a zippered panel with several mesh pockets and a removable laundry bag.
The Away Carry-On has four double 360-degree spinner wheels for smoothly moving on sidewalks and streets. It has a telescoping trolley handle made of high-grade aluminum and three grip handles (one each on the top, side and bottom). It features comfortably shaped zippers and an integrated TSA-compliant combination lock at the top. Weighing 7.5 pounds empty, it has a capacity just short of 40 liters and no expansion features. The lifetime limited warranty covers damage to the shell and its parts, which does add value to this pricey bag.
See how it compares to other products in its space — check out our reviews for the best carry-on suitcases.
Price and where to buy
The Away Carry-On costs $275 and is sold directly by Away via its website or one of its brick-and-mortar stores in large U.S. cities. Away products are also now available via Dick’s Sporting Goods.
Why we like it
Smooth wheels
The Away Carry-On’s spinner wheels were astonishing during testing. Even when filled with 20 pounds of contents, it glided and maneuvered over all manner of terrain like butter.
Smooth handle
The telescoping trolley handle was also impressive. Compared to other roller suitcases’ handles, which can wobble, make noise, feel flimsy or even bend and break, the trolley handle of the Away Carry-On extended smoothly, felt stable and maneuvered dependably.
Internal organization
We were impressed by the spacious interior of the Away Carry-On and its organizational features, such as its mesh pockets and compression straps. We also greatly appreciated the large and practical included laundry bag for separating used clothes.
Underside handle
The bottom handle on the Away Carry-On is a clever additional feature that makes it easy to retrieve from overhead bins or luggage carousels in the event it has to be checked.
What we don’t like
Scratches easily
The hard shell of the Away Carry-On held up well to impacts, but its beautiful and unmistakable colors were easily marred by scratches during our testing, and we were concerned this would only get worse over time.
Zippers got stuck
During testing, we had difficulties with the zippers on the Away Carry-On. Despite their large, curved pulls, they got stuck both on opening and closing the suitcase, which frustrated us.
Price
While the Away Carry-On is definitely not the most expensive carry-on luggage on the market, we had some reservations about its value relative to its $275 retail price.
Durability and build quality
The shell of the Away Carry-On is made of polycarbonate, one of the most durable plastics used in hard-sided luggage; it’s stronger than ABS while still being flexible, and it’s lighter than the aluminum used in high-end hard shells. In our testing, which included drop testing and scratch testing, the polycarbonate material held up well structurally without any significant damage. However, we did notice scratching, which is common to hard-shell suitcases even if they’re billed as scratch-resistant.
We didn’t notice any significant wear or damage on the wheels or handles during testing either. However, we did have issues accessing and using the zippers. Away previously used highly regarded YKK zippers on its luggage but has moved to different suppliers. We’re not sure this had anything to do with our difficulties though.
Design and features
Design is the biggest selling point of the Away Carry-On. Its polycarbonate shell with subtle grooved detailing comes in 10 colors, ranging from dark shades to pale pastels, in satin-matte or high-gloss finishes. Away also frequently releases limited-edition colors that can become collector’s items. Its subdued branding and black leather detailing creates an elegant contrast to the color of its shells. Inside, the lining, compression straps, pockets and other accessories are color-coordinated with each other, which appealed to us during testing.
The Away Carry-On’s features are also first-rate. We liked having a grab handle on the bottom next to the wheels in addition to side and top handles. We also appreciated the integrated TSA-compliant lock that holds the zipper pulls and its location at the top of the suitcase. The Away’s compression features include a double-buckle compression pad with integrated mesh pockets and two lateral straps, which we found highly efficient in maximizing the Away’s storage capacity.
The Away Carry-On’s dimensions are sized to fit within the guidelines of every major local and international airline, including Virgin Atlantic, Alaska Air, Lufthansa and other carriers known to be stricter about cabin luggage size requirements.
Maneuverability and travel convenience
We were thoroughly impressed by the maneuverability of the Away Carry-On in testing. Its four spinner wheels were among the best and smoothest we’ve ever tested. Handling was stable and seamless even when fully loaded. We experienced no wheel jams or unbalancing. The trolley handle was also impressively smooth to use and provided excellent strength and handling.
The extra grab handle near the wheels made the Away more convenient to load and unload from an overhead compartment, and we could see how it would also come in handy if the bag were checked and needed to be fished out of baggage claim.
How does it compare to other carry-on luggage we’ve tested?
We tested a lower-priced model, the Amazon Basics 20-inch Hardside Spinner, at the same time as the Away Carry-On. While we appreciated the usefulness and affordable price of the Amazon Basics bag, the Away’s polycarbonate shell was superior to the Amazon’s cheaper ABS shell, and its wheels were sturdier and smoother. The Away’s adjustable-height trolley handle was much stronger than the flimsy one on the Amazon as well.
The Away’s interior organization with compression outmatched the Amazon’s simple offerings, and the Amazon had no integrated lock at all. One thing the Amazon bag did have was expansion, but the Away Carry-On is meant to be one size only.
Testing the Away Carry-On
We tested the Away Carry-On for material durability, wheel performance, volume and packing efficiency, and longevity and wear. We dropped the suitcase from heights of 3 and 6 feet onto both carpet and concrete to simulate rough handling, and we also sent it tumbling down a flight of stairs. We measured the weight of the Away empty and then filled it with as much clothing as it could hold, then tested its mobility on a variety of surfaces, including carpet, bare floor, city streets and sidewalks.
Finally, we packed and unpacked the Away Carry-On multiple times to simulate long-term usage and wear.
Should you get the Away Carry-On?
The Away Carry-On has become one of the most popular pieces of luggage on the market thanks to its fashionable colors, sleek design and impressive features. Having confirmed the usefulness and performance of almost all those features in our testing, we think this carry-on lives up to its reputation. While it’s somewhat pricey, we feel confident the Away Carry-On is more than just a pretty shell.