Over the past few years, I’ve become well acquainted with the travel accessories brand Away. I’m pretty sure my first introduction came when the American Express Green Card was revamped and launched with an Away statement credit as part of its welcome bonus offer. Although I didn’t end up taking advantage of that deal at the time, since then, I’ve purchased a zip backpack as well as a toiletry bag from the brand and enjoy both quite a bit. Yet, I’ve never actually owned one of their signature pieces of luggage. There are a couple of reasons for that but, to start, they only offered hard-shelled carry-ons — until now.
Earlier this week, Away unveiled its hotly anticipated softside suitcase collection. This includes its Carry-On, Bigger Carry-On, Medium bag, and Large bag. Each option is also currently available in four colors: Jet Black, Coast Blue, Cloud Grey, and Clay Pink. The Away Personalization option is available as well — although, since you can’t exactly print on a soft case as you can a hard one, you’ll need to settle for a customized luggage tag instead (at a cost of $10).
As for what these softside bags have to offer, they’re comprised of a water-resistant material — which I can vouch for having experienced this material with my backpack. It also has 360-degree wheels and, apparently, a “new proprietary stabilizer.” Lastly, in addition to interior and exterior pockets, the bag features a compression pad system.
While I can appreciate the benefits of hardshell luggage, I happen to prefer soft bags. Thus, this development from Away excites me — and the bags themselves do look, dare I say, sexy. But that doesn’t mean I’ll be buying right away.
For one, I already have a perfectly good carry-on spinner bag as well as two garment duffles. Plus, if this new line of softside Away luggage is anything like their regular one, there will be plenty of new colors and special designs down the road. This isn’t to say that I don’t care for any of the standard colors (the Coast Blue would match my toiletry bag, after all), but I’m sure they can do better.
Of course, there’s also the price to consider. The smallest bag in the line goes for $225 while the largest fetches $325. That might not be outrageous in comparison to some other premium brands, but it’s not cheap either. Therefore, I can only really justify the purchase if it’s honestly replacing a bag in need of retirement and not just joining my collection.
So, with that, I suppose it may be a while before I get a piece of Away luggage for myself. But, if you are considering buying for yourself, I happen to have a link that currently saves you $40 off your purchase. Enjoy!