Should you choose a window seat or an aisle seat? Which credit card is better for booking flights? Is hard-sided luggage better than soft-sided? Most of these debates don’t have a right or wrong answer; it depends on your travel preferences. And if you prefer soft-sided luggage, you may not have many Away pieces in your collection.
Related: Review of the updated Away The Bigger Carry-On: Same great bag, revamped features
Since launching in 2015, the popular luggage brand has only offered hard-sided luggage — until now. On Tuesday, Away launched its newest collection: Softside. Softside marks the luggage brand’s first foray into soft-sided luggage.
Related: Keep calm and carry on: The best carry-on luggage for every kind of trip
The new Softside collection is designed to be as durable, lightweight and stylish as its hard-sided counterpart. It has all of the features you already love about Away, plus a few new ones. Each piece of Softside luggage is constructed with high-strength, water-resistant nylon that can withstand frequent use while providing a bit of flexibility when you want to squeeze in just one more outfit for your trip.
AWAY
Softside bags are available in four colors — jet black, cloud gray, coast blue and clay pink — across each of Away’s original luggage sizes:
Softside Carry-On ($225): Holds five to seven outfits and fits in the overhead bin of most major U.S. airlines (21.9 inches by 15 inches by 9.1 inches).
Softside Bigger Carry-On ($245): Holds six to nine outfits and fits in the overhead bin on most major U.S. airlines (23 inches by 15.7 inches by 9.1 inches).
Softside Medium ($295): Holds 10-13 outfits and must be checked for air travel (26 inches by 18.9 inches by 10.6 inches).
Softside Large ($325): Holds 15-19 outfits and must be checked for air travel (28.7 inches by 21.5 inches by 11.8 inches).
Luggage in the Softside collection is also outfitted with a Transportation Security Administration-compliant combination lock, a polyester laundry bag, 360-degree spinning wheels, a black leather luggage tag, and interior and exterior pockets for organization. Each piece also has a wraparound zipper that allows you to expand the suitcase when you need additional packing space.
The exterior pockets are sized to fit items you need easy access to, like your laptop, tablet and other essentials. Two smaller interior mesh pockets are built into the compression system. There’s also a large mesh pocket within the suitcase’s lid.
Some travelers prefer soft-sided luggage over hard-sided luggage for its flexibility, lighter weight and capacity. Away’s Softside collection delivers all of these, plus the durability and functionality Away luggage has provided for years.
Related reading:
Carry-on vs. checked bags: Which is the better choice?
Here’s what to pack in a carry-on bag every time you travel
Airline carry-on luggage size: Everything you need to know
Travel gear and packing tips to help you avoid rising checked bag fees
Airline baggage fees: Here’s how much it costs to check a bag on major US airlines