Away The Medium Checked Luggage Review: Pros & Cons

A month is a long time to live out of a suitcase, so I wanted to be sure I was taking a good one with me on a recent extended trip. I needed a bag that could hold up to wear and tear, while striking a delicate balance between having enough space for a month of stuff (plus souvenirs I found along the way), without being so big I couldn’t lift it.

I put Away’s The Medium checked bag through the ultimate stress test, hauling it on flights both long and short, boats, and public transportation. Here’s my honest review.

Overview

The Medium is the perfect size for a long trip. It held enough for a month (although I did do laundry along the way) without being too big or unwieldy. At 10.4 lbs., it’s fairly lightweight for a checked bag, so even packed to the brim, it stayed under the weight limit for every airline I flew, including some domestic carriers with strict allowances of around 30 lbs. A larger suitcase would have been difficult to maneuver and hard to store in smaller hotel rooms.

Even fully loaded, the bag was easy to roll around, thanks to 360-degree smooth-gliding wheels and a padded trolley handle. I opted for the light sea green color, which is beautiful in person and made my bag easy to spot on the luggage carousel. The underside grab handle was a nice touch that made hefting a heavy bag onto the airline scale noticeably easier.

With a bag this spacious, it’s extra important to stay organized, otherwise you run the risk of the luggage turning into a black hole of stuff. I appreciated that both compression boards have multiple pockets. I appreciated that both compression boards have multiple pockets, since most suitcases only offer them on one side.

The included removable laundry bag was another nice feature that helped keep dirty clothes separate from clean ones. As for durability, the bag held up exceptionally well across multiple flights, and everything inside arrived intact every time.

Dimensions & Capacity

Away has a lot of options for checked bags, so it was hard for me to decide which one to get. I opted for the medium size, and it was big enough for a long trip without allowing me too much room to overpack. If you’re on the fence, I’d recommend getting the Medium Flex, which is the same size suitcase but expands to give you an additional 1.75” of space. If you’re already an Away convert, The Medium nests neatly inside The Large, while a carry-on can nest inside The Medium for easy storage at home.

Suitcase	Exterior Dimensions Including Wheels	Interior	Weight	Capacity	Price
The Medium	26″ x 18.5″ x 11″	23.5″ x 17.8″ x 10.2″	10.4 lbs	72 L	$345
The Medium Flex	26″ x 18.5″ x 11″	24″ x 17.5″ x 10.2	10.8 lbs	72 L / 81 L expanded	$395
The Large	29″ x 20.5″ x 12.5″	26.9″ x 19.7″ x 10.6″	12.1 lbs	104 L	$375
The Large Flex	29″ x 20.5″ x 12.5″	27″ x 19.5″ x 10.6	12.6 lbs	104 L / 115 L expanded	$445

Pros and Cons

Pros

Weighs 10.4 lbs. and feels lightweight for a checked bag
Fits checked bag requirements for all major and budget airlines with room to spare
Durable 100% polycarbonate shell is strong but flexible enough to accommodate a fully stuffed bag
Quick-release trolley handle with two adjustable height settings
Built-in TSA-approved lock
Lots of pockets for organization: three mesh and one hanging pocket
Underside grab handle makes lifting easy
Included a removable water-repellent laundry bag
Comes with a leather luggage tag
Available in a variety of eye-catching colors, including bright red, light blue, and sea green

Cons

The lighter color showed some scuffs after being checked a few times; however, they were easy to remove with the magic-eraser-style sponge included with the bag.