When it comes to luggage, few brands come to mind. Most of those that do bear remembering are often storied, legacy brands with top-tier price tags. Luxury brands like Hermés, Globetrotter and Rimowa have built their brands on craftsmanship and exclusivity; their customers occupying an income bracket that rarely finds itself flying coach. But in recent years one brand has flipped the luggage market on its head. That brand is Away.
Products in the Guide
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The Carry-On
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The Carry-On With Pocket
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The Bigger Carry-On
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The Bigger Carry-On With Pocket
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The Daily Carry-On With Pocket
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The Medium
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The Large
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The Carry-On Flex
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The Bigger Carry-On Flex
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The Medium Flex
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The Large Flex
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The Aluminum Carry-On
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The Aluminum Bigger Carry-On
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The Aluminum Medium
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The Aluminum Large
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F.A.R Duffle 40L
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F.A.R Duffle 55L
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F.A.R Duffle 70L
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F.A.R Backpack 26L
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F.A.R Messenger 16L
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F.A.R Convertible Backpack 45L
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F.A.R Tote 45L
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The Small Toiletry Bag
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The Large Toiletry Bag
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The Hanging Toiletry Bag
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The Tech Case
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The Large Tech Case
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The Shoe Cube
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The Everywhere Bag
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The Everywhere Bag
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The Large Everywhere Bag
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Airline Approved Pet Carrier
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Away, From 2015 to Now
Started by Stephanie Korey and Jennifer Rubio in 2015, Away changed the market by viewing itself as not a luggage company, but a travel company. They’ve pivoted the stale notions of what a luggage brand traditionally had been and turned it into a lifestyle that was enviable yet inclusive, appealing to the millennial market through clever social media strategies. The lifestyle harps less on a luxury jetsetting way of travel and more on the worldly experience of travel itself. Away’s editorial arm, Here Magazine, reinforces the brand’s lifestyle approach, offering insightful city guides coupled with essays on travel and interviews.

Undoubtedly the previous experience at eyewear brand Warby Parker had some influence on Away’s approach and decision to go direct-to-consumer. This model, as many other modern DTC brands are quick to point out, circumvents the need for third-party vendors (the middleman), cutting the traditional retail markup from the equation; the customer gets a premium product for almost half of what they would have expected to pay. For Away, that means hard shell luggage with 360-degree spinning wheels and modern amenities like rechargeable batteries to juice up your electronics on your travels.
Its strategy has proven extremely successful and Away has experienced lightning-fast growth in its short existence, achieving a company evaluation of $1.4 billion valuation in 2019.