How many times have you been at the luggage carousel, thinking you have a unique-looking back, only to find it actually looks like most of the others? Of course, you can wrap a strap around your bag, but it could come off and it’s hardly the stylish approach you want on your make on your vacation to swanky Mykonos.
One half of Short Motivation is a huge Rimowa Salsa user, which is a lightweight polycarbonate suitcase, with the cabin-friendly version coming in at only 3.4Kg. The issue is, we’ve had two and after a few long-haul trips where they get thrown around the luggage carousel and both broke as the downside of the case material is that it’s less robust. That’s fine, but at the price you pay for the suitcase in the first place (€439 RRP), got us thinking there must be an alternative.
We think we’ve found the answer with the collection from Away Travel. Their carry-on cabin-friendly suitcase ships in two sizes. “The Carry-On” is 55.1cm x 34.8cm x 22.9cm, whilst it’s bigger brother, “The Bigger Carry-On” is 57.7cm x 37.3cm x 24.3cm. The bigger version may void the rules for carry-on luggage with the no-frills airlines such as Easyjet, who allow a maximum size of 56cm x 45cm x 25cm – the longer length may affect it from being accepted.
Both bags ship in the same lightweight polycarbonate material you’ll find with the Rimowa Salsa, with the smaller “The Carry-On” coming in at only 3.1Kg. However, the big difference is the price, with the smaller bag retailing for only €245 and the larger at €265 or almost €200 less than the Rimowa.
But, it gets even better. The Away bags include a phone charger for charging your phone when you’re at the airport or after you land on the other side. It’s an ejectable battery, too, so you can take it with you if you ever need to check your bag as hold luggage due to a lack of space in the cabin.
The new Sky colour is stunning and available across the range
Both “The Carry-On” and “The Bigger Carry-On” ship in a range of interesting colours. Expect the usual black, blue and white, which are standard colours across every suitcase manufacturer. But Away offer limited-edition colours including Blush (pink) and Sky (light blue). According to Away, over 3000 people requested the Sky colour, so demand encouraged them to produce the range.
Don’t worry, Away has hold baggage, too. “The Medium” and “The Large” have a 68L and 99L internal capacity respectively, which is easily enough for longer trips away. You can also build your own set and save. As an example, you could create a set containing “The Bigger Carry-On” and “The Large” and you’d pay only €525, which will save you 10% from the usual combined retail price of €590.
It’s also worth adding that Away’s bags are guaranteed for life, so if your bag does get damaged, check to see if it’s covered under the warranty.
Head to the Away Travel website for more information.
