I think it goes without saying: I travel a lot. And since starting an intercontinental relationship, I’ve been traveling even more. I’ll admit, traveling used to stress me out. Scheduling flights, lugging my bags through the airport, and making sure my cell phone didn’t die by the time I landed so I could call myself an Uber to the hotel all contributed to my travel anxiety. It wasn’t until I found Away that my stress started to subside. Why you ask? Because Away creates thoughtful products that make travel easier. Since buying their luggage, I refuse to buy luggage anywhere else. Recently, I’ve had a handful of people ask me what the best suitcase is and my answer is always the same: Away.
If their incredible branding on Instagram hasn’t sold you yet, here’s why you should bite the bullet and consider investing in Away:
It’s Spacious
I own Away’s most popular suitcase, The Bigger Carry On. From the outside, it looks no larger than your typical carry on luggage, but my goodness, this bag can hold SO much. The suitcase is designed with two compartments — one side for clothes and the other for shoes and toiletries. There’s also a built-in compression pad that can be buckled down to flatten clothes to create more space and also doubles as storage for smaller items such as socks and underwear. Let’s put it this way: I packed 12 days worth of clothes in this suitcase and I tend to overpack.
It’s Weatherproof
Traveling in bad weather is never ideal. But, unfortunately, the weather is unpredictable and so you always need to be prepared. The great thing about Away luggage is that its made with a hard, polycarbonate shell so your personal belongings won’t be affected by rain, snow or sleet. Traveling with a wet umbrella? Away has you covered there too. Last year I bought The Everywhere Bag (an over-sized handbag designed to hold your laptop and other carry-on items) and it comes with a zippered waterproof umbrella pocket. You’ll never have to worry about carrying around a soaked umbrella or risk getting your other items wet.
It’s Efficient
Away products are BRILLIANTLY designed. For starters: 360-degree spinner wheels. The Carry-On makes traveling through large airports a breeze. Agile and easy to maneuver, you can literally guide the case with a single fingertip. Not convincing enough? Let’s talk about their smart pockets. Nothing bugs me more than having to rummage around my bag looking for my passport. The Everywhere Bag features an external compartment perfectly crafted to hold a passport and a hidden exterior pocket to hold your cell phone for easy access. If you buy a Carry-On, you now have the option to add a built-in nylon front pocket for items you reference most in transit (ie. passports, travel itinerary, etc.). Oh, and let’s not forget my favorite feature: the trolley sleeve. The Everywhere Bag is designed with a sleeve so it can be easily secured to any Away Carry-On.
It Has Extra Features
Imagine this: you’re in a different country (let’s say England), getting ready to go out on a date with your hunky British boyfriend and you realize you can’t use your hairdryer because the plug doesn’t fit in the European outlets. For someone slightly vain like me, this would be a total buzzkill. But guess what? All of the Away suitcases come with charger converters for other countries.* Convenient right? That’s not all. Each bag comes with a hidden water-resistant laundry bag that can be unrolled to separate clean and dirty clothes. Anything else? Yup. Away offers an optional ejectable phone battery for the Carry-On luggage so you’ll never have to worry about not being able to call a cab or check your email.
Long story short: Away cares. Not only are their products beautifully designed, but they’re also one of the few brands that take a holistic approach to modern-day travel. They offer practical solutions to all of your travel conundrums so that reaching your next destination is easy and effective. Now if only they could make some passport holders…
(For more information about Away, check out NPR’s “How I Built This” podcast featuring Jen Rubio, the co-founder of Away. Her story was truly inspiring and, if anything, made me love the brand even more)
NIC NAVIGATES 