The Must-Have "Away" Suitcase for the Techie Traveler
/This post contains affiliate links, which means that at no additional cost to you if you click on one of the product links, we may earn a commission. -P.S. We are not sponsored by Away. We just really love their suitcases!
Two years ago, Crystal purchased her first Away Suitcase and, at the time, Away was relatively a new company (founded in 2015). It was no surprise to us that in just a few short years, Away became THE smart suitcase to buy if you were in the market for a new one. Their suitcases were designed with the traveler in mind and they are constantly updating and renovating their suitcases. Even mega-celebrities like Karlie Kloss and Rashida Jones have joined in and have collaborated with Away.
After countless trips with Crystal, I was starting to become unhappy with my suitcase. The first time I really wanted to have Crystal's Away suitcase was when we were on a train in Japan. Our commute was about an hour to our next destination and both our phones were running low on battery. We were only half way into our day and we still needed to use our phones for directions, photos, and video. There is just so much to see and do in Japan that we're constantly shooting and posting to our social media outlets.
EXPRESS MILITARY JACKET // MARGARET O'LEARY CASHMERE SWEATER // SEYCHELLES PLATFORM SLIDES
Crystal pulled out her USB cable and started charging her phone straight from her suitcase. The suitcase has more than one USB port but I didn't have my cable, so as soon as she got some juice into her phone, I borrowed her cable and started charging mine.
While my phone was charging, I looked over at my "low-tech" suitcase and was hoping it would break, so that I would have an excuse to buy a new one.
Long story short, my suitcase never did break but after a few more trips I finally decided to purchase my very own Away suitcase. There were just so many advantages to it that it was worth the splurge.
Crystal wrote a post two years ago titled, "Away Suitcases: This is the Case You Want!" and detailed the key features she loved about the suitcase. Now that I have one, I wanted to follow up on the post and share some other reasons why we both love our Away suitcases so much:
1. Up-to-date with Airline Regulations
Away is always updating the needs of travelers and staying compliant with new airline regulations, so when I purchased my Away suitcase it was a little different from the one Crystal had.
A little less than a year ago, a new airline regulation began prohibiting non-ejectable lithium batteries for checked-in luggage and for carry-on luggage that was checked in at the gate. This meant that any high-tech suitcase that had a battery in it, had to be removable.
AN EMAIL I RECEIVED FROM AWAY REGARDING NEW AIRLINE RULES.
One time, I was boarding one of those super tiny planes that wouldn't fit any type of carry-on luggage in the overhead bin, so I had to check my bag at the gate right before I boarded my flight. A few minutes after I sat down in my seat, one of the flight attendants was holding my Away suitcase.
I quickly rose my hand and claimed the bag and was wondering why she had singled out my suitcase. The flight attendant kindly asked me to remove the battery pack inside as checked bags were not allowed to have lithium batteries.
ON DELAYED FLIGHTS, I'M USUALLY ON MY PHONE KILLING TIME SO THE BATTERY CHARGER REALLY COMES IN HANDY WHEN I CAN'T FIND AN OUTLET AT THE AIRPORT.
Luckily my battery pack was located on the exterior which was easily accessible and ejectable. If my battery was located inside the suitcase (the older Away model is like this, but more on this later), this would have been a nightmare situation for me. I would have had to take out all my clothes and then would have needed a screw driver to open the casing that held the battery. Can you imagine doing this in the middle of passengers boarding and as the flight is preparing for take-off? No, because who would even have a screw driver?
2. Exceptional Customer Support
As mentioned above, the older models didn't have an ejectable battery since this was not an airline regulation two years ago. Crystal had the older model, with the battery located inside the suitcase, but Away was ready to help customers replace their older models to be airline compliant.
They sent out emails informing customers that they had a solution and would fix the problem free of charge. This was great news for Away customers and Crystal immediately sent in a request to have her suitcase upgraded to have an ejectable battery.
The solution was to either send in your suitcase to have Away replace the battery for you or they would send you the parts and you would do it yourself. Crystal opted for the DIY and even made a video of herself installing it. Kuma (her pet corgi) was there to assist her.
3. Ejectable Battery
EJECTS WITH A SIMPLE PUSH
With the new airline regulation in place, having an ejectable battery is a must. But there is another reason why I love the ejectable battery: it's now portable!
I always carry a portable battery charger with me, so now I only need to carry one. This battery is powerful and can charge a device up to five times on one charge.
4. Lifetime Warranty
Having that warranty really gives that peace of mind and even better when they really standby their warranty. Not long after Crystal purchased her suitcase, the fabric in the case tore when she was trying to remove the attached laundry bag.
When she contacted customer support, they sent her a replacement without the hassles of having to prove the rip wasn't her fault. Don't worry, their products are made with top-notch quality and this instance was a one time mishap. The replacement hasn't had any issues and mine has never had any problems.
ANATOMIE WRINKLE-FREE JUMPSUIT \\ BANDOLIER CROSS-BODY IPHONE CASE \\ SEYCHELLES SANDALS
5. Customizable
You can get artsy with your suitcase and add fun features like a monogram or stickers. We like the idea of adding fun stickers to the suitcases to make it uniquely yours. Away has collaborated with artist's from around the world, so these aren't your average stickers.
Away also has a ton of different colored cases to choose from and they are constantly collaborating with other brands and celebrities on limited edition styles. I love that they have a ton of color choices, but at the same time, it was difficult for me to decide on a color. There were too many options for me!
KUMA THE CORGI APPROVED!
Final Thoughts
We can't rave enough about Away. The design is sleek, the features are practical, and their customer support is outstanding. We are huge fans and have purchased the Bigger Carry-On, the Medium, and the Large. The only one we have yet to add to our collection is the Carry-On.
