Away The Large Review

The Away The Large is a little pricier, but the added cost is A-O-K with us. The quality and performance this bag offers make it an amazing buy, and its understated construction makes it a great staple piece of luggage for most travelers.

Capacity

After hand measuring the Away The Large, we calculated it to have just a little more than 99 liters of packing volume. This isn't as much as some of the larger bags in our lineup, but it's enough for cramming in the essentials for about two weeks. This better-than-average packing power earned it solid (but not outstanding) scores for this metric.

Our scales showed The Large to be 11.6 pounds, one of the heavier bags we've tested. This extra weight is the result of more brawn — and we like it. Yes, when it came to packing for air travel, this equated to a less-appealing weight ratio for our stuff, as most airlines limit checked bags to 50 pounds. We didn't like that aspect, but during some recent international trips, we filled our Away with tons of shoes and clothes and still made weight. If the bag was any bigger we likely would have exceeded the weight limit. So, perhaps it's a good thing the bag's capacity is slightly lower than some others.

All scales aside, what we absolutely loved about this bag is its packing system. This clamshell suitcase offers a zipper-enclosed compartment on one side and a high-quality compression panel on the other. We've tested dozens of bags, and we've only seen packing systems of this quality in higher-end luggage that demand two or three times the price of the Away bag.

After traveling extensively with The Large for nearly two years, we became very aware of two things in terms of its capacity. First, it's slightly smaller than some of the luggage in our lineup, so it simply doesn't hold as much. This was more apparent to us when we traveled internationally for longer periods of time and wanted to pack more clothing, especially bulky, but lighterweight items like puffy jackets and sweaters. The second thing we liked (but also didn't like) is that this bag doesn't expand, so there's no option for making extra room for souvenirs — what you see is what you get. We didn't like this for obvious reasons. However, the more we used this bag, the more we found ourselves being more thoughtful about what we packed, carefully considering how much we really needed to bring for each trip. Additionally, the lack of an expansion zipper results in a sturdier bag.

Ease of Transport

The Away earned very solid scores for its overall ease of transport. Decent double-spinner wheels, great balance, and well-placed handles played a major role in how we graded our Away during testing for this metric.

It doesn't roll perfectly straight, and its 2-inch double-spinners could be a little taller, but when it comes to all things movement, this bag really impressed us. From curbs to cobble, and staircases to shuttle buses, it's well-balanced and easy to lift, turn, pull, and heave. And, with just a little bit of correction, it stayed by our side through terminals, city streets, and rental-car garages. When it came to staying put, we found the Away to be nicely balanced, even when packed to the gills. In fact, in all of our travels, this bag has never felt unstable or tippy.

The one thing we instantly noticed the first time we traveled with our The Large was its smooth, vibration-less ride. It rolls well, but as mentioned, it can stray just a little bit. The wheels handled most terrain very well, but did struggle a little on very bumpy surfaces, like cobblestone (a common problem for most four-wheeled spinners).

We loved that this bag's grab handles are spring-loaded, and when not in use, they sit flush against the outer shell. This is important because it reduces the likelihood of them getting damaged or torn off during the sometimes perilous journey through the baggage claim. The drawback of this design is that the handles fit quite tightly to the side of the case, which made it difficult for us to fit all our fingers under them. This was particularly noticeable when attempting to retrieve our bag from a moving carousel.

Construction Quality

After simply running our hands over the Away for the first time, we could tell this hardshell was solid. Its dense polycarbonate case seems thicker than many of the bags in our lineup, and when put to the test, it proved to us time and again that it can take a hit and keep on rolling.

Despite its tougher construction, we didn't like that the polycarbonate shell of the Away The Large doesn't have any protective bumpers (very common for hardshell bags), so the shell takes the entire brunt of all contact, including staircases and curbs. In our drop tests, this didn't prove to be a structural problem at all — we just hated seeing such a good-looking bag take on blemishes. That said, it has a matte-like finish that hides scrapes and scratches quite well, and we can't say enough about its flair for international travel. This bag is designed for the rigors of long-haul flights and not always gentle luggage handlers.

As for its waterproofing, we wouldn't trust the Away to fend off a major downpour — let alone float. Without question, the hard shell fends off water like a pro, but its Achilles heel is its zipper. During some intense backyard rainstorms, we placed our Away in a lineup of other bags on our list and drenched them with hose water from all angles. We discovered the Away's zipper to be a little less water-resistant than we had hoped. There was no standing water inside, but most of the interior — including the paper towel we had placed — was wet.

Design and Functionality

We loved the overall versatility of this checked bag. It's easy to use, classy, and has a modern style. It functions well for everything from road trips to international adventures, and its understated, but classy, vibe complements both business and leisure travel.

Color options! This is one of the first things we noticed when ordering the Away The Large. Hats off to the manufacturer for giving customers the ability to find a bag that really speaks to their personal style. In addition to numerous cool tints and some monochromatic editions, we particularly appreciated that this bag came with a leather name tag, a dirty clothes bag, a combo TSA lock, and even a melamine foam sponge (Magic Eraser) to address those occasional scrapes and scuffs. As for negatives, our notepad is still nearly empty after two years. The only thing we've noted is tough, scratchy zippers that can be a little stubborn at times. Additionally, the lack of an expansion zipper in this bag may be a functional drawback for some. Luckily, the manufacturer also offers The Large Flex.. And, combining The Large with the Away The Carry-on, makes travel a breeze.

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Should You Buy the Away The Large?

The Away The Large is a reasonably priced hardshell, especially when compared to other bags with this level of durability and performance. This bag will set you back a bit, but we feel the trade-off in quality and performance far outweighs the savings you would get from purchasing a cheaper bag. From international business travel to a casual stateside road trip, if you're looking for a rock-solid performer that works well for any jaunt, anyone who values quality will immediately see the value of this bag.

What Other Suitcases Should You Consider?

If hardshells are your thing, but the higher price the Away requires is not, we think the Samsonite Freeform Large Spinner or the Samsonite Omni PC Hardside Expandable 28" are excellent options. In fact, they're two of our favorite budget hardshell spinners. We also liked the price of the Amazon Basics 30" Hardside Spinner and the purchasing power available in the Showkoo Expandable Hardside Set 28" and Travelers Club Chicago 28" (both of which ship as multi-piece sets).