Peter and I travel frequently and we are slowly upgrading our travel gear to “lighten the load” and “look more hip” when traveling. The first piece of gear we upgraded was our luggage.
We went from heavy, soft-sided luggage (a combination of 4-spinner and 2-spinner pieces) to Away’s standard hard-sided suitcases. Our Away suitcases have tens of thousands of miles (and one repair) under their wheels and so far, so good!
Awesomeness
- Lifetime warranty
- Colors
- Lightweight
- Waterproof laundry bag
- Suitcases nest into each other
- Hard sides provide a safe haven for transporting precious items like wine
- Smooth wheels
- Smooth handle
- All handles telescope to the same height. This is key when traveling with multiple suitcases. As an example, when I moved from the USA to the UK, I traveled with the Large, Medium, and Carry-On. I was able to position the Large and Medium back-to-back and push them with one hand and I used my other hand to pull the Carry-On behind me.
- Cloth bag to use when nesting suitcases so that the disgusting wheels of one suitcase are not touching the interior of another suitcase.
To be improved
- The numbers on the security lock are difficult to turn and sometimes get stuck.
- A handle is needed on the bottom of the suitcase.
- It is difficult to open when both sides of the suitcase are heavy, however, this is an issue with all bags that are split 50/50.
- No external pocket, however, a hard-sided version with an external pocket is now available (Carry-On and Large Carry-On sizes only).
- The leather tag is bulky.
- Wheel stoppers like those on strollers/buggies are needed to prevent the suitcase from rolling around trains and buses.
- It is easy scuffed and marked. Away suitcases come with a buffing pad (e.g. “magic eraser”) but it doesn’t work well and scuffs and marks are most-often permanent.
Repairs
We have had one minor repair (technically the same repair twice) to one of our suitcases and it was easy peasy to get the suitcase repaired. However, there is an Away store in London so our repair experience is atypical because most Away suitcase owners do not live in cities with Away stores.
My repair was to replace a hubcap that decided to take up permanent residency in Peru.
I contacted Away when I got back to London and I received a quick response from customer service asking me if “I’d be happy to bring the suitcase into their London shop for a same-day repair.”
I obliged and a few days later my suitcase and I hopped on the Tube bound for Covent Garden. By the way, it is a strange feeling to push/pull an empty suitcase. People must have thought I was the Hulk carrying my suitcase up flights of stairs in Tube tunnels single-handedly and not breaking a sweat.
The repair took about 20 minutes, however, the shop salespeople are the same people who do the repairs so if the shop is busy, the repair will take longer because it plays second fiddle to customers.
Delighted with the quick repair, I left the store and I got back to our flat and I noticed the hubcap was missing! I contacted the store and let them know of this incident and that I’d be back later in the week for a re-repair. The re-repair seems to have been successful but the suitcase has not been through baggage handlers yet so only time will tell.
Away products come equipped with a lifetime warranty so the repairs were free but I did have to pay roundtrip Tube fare (twice) for a total of £9.60 / $12 USD.
Overall, two thumbs up for Away suitcases!
Yawning gets you everywhere 
Peter and I travel frequently and we are slowly upgrading our travel gear to “lighten the load” and “look more hip” when traveling. The first piece of gear we upgraded was our luggage.
We went from heavy, soft-sided luggage (a combination of 4-spinner and 2-spinner pieces) to Away’s standard hard-sided suitcases. Our Away suitcases have tens of thousands of miles (and one repair) under their wheels and so far, so good!
Awesomeness
To be improved
Repairs
We have had one minor repair (technically the same repair twice) to one of our suitcases and it was easy peasy to get the suitcase repaired. However, there is an Away store in London so our repair experience is atypical because most Away suitcase owners do not live in cities with Away stores.
My repair was to replace a hubcap that decided to take up permanent residency in Peru.
I contacted Away when I got back to London and I received a quick response from customer service asking me if “I’d be happy to bring the suitcase into their London shop for a same-day repair.”
I obliged and a few days later my suitcase and I hopped on the Tube bound for Covent Garden. By the way, it is a strange feeling to push/pull an empty suitcase. People must have thought I was the Hulk carrying my suitcase up flights of stairs in Tube tunnels single-handedly and not breaking a sweat.
The repair took about 20 minutes, however, the shop salespeople are the same people who do the repairs so if the shop is busy, the repair will take longer because it plays second fiddle to customers.
Delighted with the quick repair, I left the store and I got back to our flat and I noticed the hubcap was missing! I contacted the store and let them know of this incident and that I’d be back later in the week for a re-repair. The re-repair seems to have been successful but the suitcase has not been through baggage handlers yet so only time will tell.
Away products come equipped with a lifetime warranty so the repairs were free but I did have to pay roundtrip Tube fare (twice) for a total of £9.60 / $12 USD.
Overall, two thumbs up for Away suitcases!
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