I just had to share my favorite purchases of late and probably my favorite travel purchase of all times… the Away carry-on suitcase! The thing is truly incredible and I’ll share with you why in photos so you can see for yourself. In fact, I raved about this little guy so much over the summer, that my travel companion to Bali bought one as well. I swear she spent half of our trip saying that she was so glad that I bought one and “made her buy” one. You guys, this thing is magical!

It all started when I found out that Asian airlines require smaller bags as carry ons than the old Delsey one I’d been rocking for years from some Bed, Bath and Beyond clearance sale. The Away the tiniest (and lightest weight) of bags, but you’d never know it. I’ve gotten nearly my whole closet in there! The Away’s first trip was to Miami for a long weekend and it managed:  6 dresses, 3 swimmers, 3 cover ups, a pair of heels, 2 pairs of wedges, 2 pairs of sandals, a massive makeup bag, a beach bag, underthangs, and several hair products.

For two weeks in Asia, the thing was more than sufficient. On the way home I even stuck my lap top and souvenirs in there. For that trip it held: 2 pair of sandals, yoga pants, 2 tees, 2 sports bras, sleeping thangs, under thangs, 5 dresses, 1 pair of shorts, 2 tanks, massive makeup bag, medicine bag, lady thangs, and other odds and ends. I did have to sit on it multiple times to close it, but I was shedding items as I travelled too and ended up with room for a computer AND souvineers. UNREAL.

Of course I bought black. All black everything is where my closet tends to lean. Although, I’m having slight bag envy upon seeing the Malin Gray x Away collaboration they launched today. I just adore his beach photos and could really use one inside of my luggage to brighten things up a bit. <sigh…..> Where was that bag two months ago when I was in the market????

Anyway, here’s what the Away looks like open, virtually the same size as the tiny overnight Tumi I bought a couple of years bag and have used like twice. The thing is a cube, but the design is poor and it is barely useful for an overnight business trip. I hate to say it, but it may end up on the aisles of eBay very soon.

There’s this lovely sleeve for breathable needs like swimwear or underoos.

One end of the case features this waterproof bag that hardly takes up any space. It can be unsnapped and used for things like wet swimwear or dodgy shoes because it is WATERPROOF!

The zippered compartment is perfect to separate shoes and my massive makeup bag. If only Away could design a smarter toiletry bag, they could count me as their first customer!

You can also see that the meshy bit in the middle works as a compression mechanism to shrink all of your stuff. INCREDIBLE!

There’s a handy built-in lock that is TSA approved.

Then, there’s everyone’s favorite part, the built-in phone charger with a port for regular charging and a port for lightening speed. Is your life changed yet?

Finally, if you’re like me and headed to Asia, you can’t keep the battery installed in the suitcase so it can easily be removed with this little screwdriver. Voila!

If you have any sort of major trip or travel with any frequency, I’d highly recommend this become a standard for your packing. It’s truly a five-star product of innovation. Call me when the toiletry bags are ready, please and thank you Away!