The best Away alternative is the Monos Carry-On, and it is for the buyer who wants what Away sells — a design-led rigid polycarbonate cabin bag — with one specification advantage: Monos publishes its exterior at 22 × 14 × 9 in, exactly the US cabin template, where Away publishes 21.7 × 14.4 × 9 in, which is 0.4 in over the 14-inch width convention. The budget pick is the Coolife 22×14×9 Carry-On: a fraction of the money, and the only other case here whose published exterior matches the US template on all three axes.
First, what Away is actually known for, because an alternative only makes sense against a stated strength. All three of these come from Away's own published material and we have set them out in full in our Away Carry-On review.
The interior.This is the genuine differentiator and it is not marketing: Away publishes a compression pad, three mesh pockets, a hanging pocket and an included laundry bag, inside a packing box published at 20.1 × 13.9 × 7.5 in — an unusually square box with very little wasted volume. Most mainstream carry-ons give you a divider and two mesh panels.
The shell. A 100% polycarbonate hardside at a published 7.5 lb empty and 41 liters. Polycarbonate flexes under impact and recovers rather than cracking, which is the right material for a cabin bag that gets handled.
LifetimeCare.Away's published terms are unusually specific, which is to its credit: five years of complimentary repairs, up to one replacement inside that window, in-store repairs and round-trip shipping covered, and a service fee from year six. Bags and accessories other than suitcases carry a limited one-year warranty. There is also a paid LifetimeCare Pro upgrade published at ten years and up to two replacements. Almost no rival warranty states what happens after year five at all.
So the six cases below are each matched to one of those three strengths, or they undercut the price materially — and the entry says which. Two things worth knowing before you read them. Away sold direct-only for years and now lists The Carry-On on Amazon, which is why it can be compared on a live price at all. And no case on this page includes a battery or USB charger; neither does the Away, which is a common misconception about the brand.
If you want the head-to-heads rather than a field, the site owns Away vs Monos, Away vs Samsonite and Away vs Béis. If the price ceiling is the real brief, best carry-on luggage under $200 ranks the band most of these picks sit in. And if the shell material is what you are actually buying, best polycarbonate luggage ranks the field on published resin.
Every product here is one the site has already researched on its own page — the scores are the scores it earned there, and the verdicts are rewritten for this comparison. All Away figures are Away's own published numbers; all alternatives' figures are their makers'. We have not lab-tested any of these. See how we test.
The short answer
Quick picks
| # | Product | Best for | Score | Price |
|---|
| 01 | Monos Carry-On (20-Inch Hardside Spinner)The alternative for someone who wants the Away for the reasons people want the Away. Same category, same design-led positioning, same rigid polycarbonate format - and Monos publishes an exterior of 22 x 14 x 9 in, which is the US cabin template on all three axes, against Away's published 14.4 in width. Published interior 20 x 13.5 x 9 in and 39.9 liters. | Closest match on design, better on published cabin fit | | $275.00·Amazon |
| 02 | Samsonite Winfield 3 DLX Carry-On SpinnerThe alternative that matches Away on the material and undercuts it heavily on price. Also a 100% polycarbonate shell, with a published 6.97 lb empty weight - lighter than Away's published 7.5 lb - a mounted TSA lock, dual spinners and a 10-year limited warranty. What you give up is the interior: a divider and mesh pockets rather than a compression pad and a laundry bag. | Matches the shell, at about half the money | | $135.67·Amazon |
| 03 | Travelpro Maxlite Air V2 Hardside Carry-OnThe alternative for someone whose real reason for wanting an Away was the warranty. Travelpro's limited lifetime warranty names wheels, zippers and extension handles - the three parts that actually fail - and the Trusted Companion Promise adds airline damage cover on top, which is the same risk Away's LifetimeCare addresses. Polycarbonate shell, self-aligning spinners, and materially lighter than Away's published 7.5 lb. | Matches the warranty thinking, and is lighter | | $148.00·Amazon |
| 04 | LEVEL8 Grace Carry-OnThe alternative that goes after Away's design positioning and adds a feature Away does not have: a front laptop compartment, so you reach a computer without laying the case flat and opening the clamshell. A Makrolon polycarbonate shell - the only case here whose maker names the specific resin - with dual spinners and a TSA lock, at well under half Away's price. | Design-led, with a front laptop compartment Away does not offer | | $134.99·Amazon |
| 05 | Delsey Paris Chatelet Air 2.0The alternative for someone who wants a case that looks considered rather than technical, from a maker with a repair route that predates the direct-to-consumer era. Delsey's Chatelet line is the design-forward end of a mainstream brand, with a recessed TSA lock that cannot be levered off a zipper line and a service network that exists if the case needs a part. | Closest match on looks, from a brand with a service network | | Check price → |
| 06 | Coolife 22×14×9 Carry-OnThe budget pick, and the answer to 'luggage like Away but cheaper' taken literally: a published 22 x 14 x 9 in exterior - the US cabin template on all three axes, better than Away's published 14.4 in width - with a front pocket and dual spinners, at a fraction of the price. You are buying the size compliance and nothing else, and that is a legitimate thing to buy. | Budget pick - the cheapest case here, and it matches the US template | | $89.98·Amazon |
#ad · Live prices from the Amazon Product API, as of November 12, 2026. Where we have no verified live price, we show none — a gap beats a number that has rotted.
In detail
The picks, in full
Closest match on design, better on published cabin fit
Monos Carry-On (20-Inch Hardside Spinner)
22 x 14 x 9 in exterior6.60-7.01 lb published39.9 LPolycarbonate
The alternative for someone who wants the Away for the reasons people want the Away. Same category, same design-led positioning, same rigid polycarbonate format - and Monos publishes an exterior of 22 x 14 x 9 in, which is the US cabin template on all three axes, against Away's published 14.4 in width. Published interior 20 x 13.5 x 9 in and 39.9 liters.
- Published fit
- 10
- Shell
- 8
- Weight
- 7
- Warranty clarity
- 4
- Value
- 7
Pros
- +Published 22 x 14 x 9 in is inside the US cabin template on all three axes - almost unique at this level
- +Lighter than both Away's published 7.5 lb and the Winfield 3 DLX's 6.97 lb, on either Monos figure
- +Published 20 x 13.5 x 9 in interior is a genuinely square packing box for 39.9 L
- +TSA-approved lock per the Amazon listing, and a polycarbonate shell that flexes rather than cracks
- +Sold both direct and on Amazon, so returns and price comparison are straightforward
Cons
- −Monos publishes TWO empty weights for this case - 6.60 lb on the product page, 7.01 lb in its own FAQ
- −Monos publishes TWO warranty terms - limited lifetime on the product page, 2 years in its own FAQ
- −Sold under three different inch labels: 20-inch on Amazon, 21-inch on monos.com, 22 in published exterior
- −The widely-repeated 100-day trial could not be confirmed for this model in this pass
- −9 in deep is about 23 cm, roughly 3 cm over the 20 cm gauge several European carriers use
- −Amazon stock is colorway-dependent - three of the five listings we read had fewer than 13 units
Don't buy this if…
…you need the warranty term to be unambiguous - Monos publishes a limited lifetime warranty on its product page and a 2-year warranty in its own FAQ, which are different policies rather than two readings of one, and Away's LifetimeCare terms are far more specific.
The published-fit point is the whole argument and it is worth being precise about. Away's own figures are 21.7 × 14.4 × 9 in, which is under on height, exactly at the limit on depth, and 0.4 in overthe 14-inch US width convention; Away's own wording is “most major airlines” rather than all. Monos publishes 22 × 14 × 9 in. On a rigid shell, width is the one specification you cannot pack your way around.
Where Away keeps an advantage is the documentation. Monos publishes two different empty weights for this case — 6.60 lb / 2.99 kg on the product page against 7.01 lb in its own FAQ — two different warranty terms, and sells the same bag under three different inch labels. We set all of that out, rather than reconciling it, in our Monos Carry-On review, and the head-to-head is in Away vs Monos.
Matches the shell, at about half the money
Samsonite Winfield 3 DLX Carry-On Spinner
20-inch spinnerPolycarbonateDual spinners10-yr limited warranty
The alternative that matches Away on the material and undercuts it heavily on price. Also a 100% polycarbonate shell, with a published 6.97 lb empty weight - lighter than Away's published 7.5 lb - a mounted TSA lock, dual spinners and a 10-year limited warranty. What you give up is the interior: a divider and mesh pockets rather than a compression pad and a laundry bag.
- Weight
- 7
- Size compliance
- 9
- Build
- 9
- Wheels
- 8
- Value
- 8
Pros
- +20-inch case clears strict overseas sizers a 22-inch bag fails
- +Full polycarbonate shell flexes under impact instead of cracking
- +Built-in TSA lock and dual spinner wheels
- +10-year limited warranty with a global service network
Cons
- −Heavier than a softside bag on a 7 kg allowance
- −Glossy shell shows scuffs and fingerprints quickly
Don't buy this if…
…you fly carriers with rigid gate sizers - Samsonite publishes 22.25 x 14.5 x 9.5 in overall, which is over the convention on all three axes and further over on width than the Away.
On material and weight this is the straightforward trade. Same 100% polycarbonate shell, half a pound lighter empty by each maker's own figure, and a 10-year limited warranty whose exclusions are published: airline transport damage, normal wear, water and solvents. It is shell insurance rather than carousel insurance, which is exactly what Away's LifetimeCare is not — Away publishes that it covers airline-caused damage too.
Be honest about the size figures, because this case is worse on them, not better. Samsonite publishes 22.25 × 14.5 × 9.5 in overall for a case sold as a 20-inch carry-on, and it clears every soft sizer in America because almost nobody measures. Full published figures in the Winfield 3 DLX review, and the head-to-head in Away vs Samsonite.
Matches the warranty thinking, and is lighter
Travelpro Maxlite Air V2 Hardside Carry-On
PolycarbonateSelf-aligning wheelsLightweightLimited lifetime warranty
The alternative for someone whose real reason for wanting an Away was the warranty. Travelpro's limited lifetime warranty names wheels, zippers and extension handles - the three parts that actually fail - and the Trusted Companion Promise adds airline damage cover on top, which is the same risk Away's LifetimeCare addresses. Polycarbonate shell, self-aligning spinners, and materially lighter than Away's published 7.5 lb.
- Weight
- 9
- Size compliance
- 8
- Build
- 8
- Wheels
- 9
- Value
- 7
Pros
- +Light for a hardside — closes much of the gap to a softside bag
- +Self-aligning wheels track straight instead of wandering
- +Limited lifetime warranty
- +Hard shell protection without the usual weight penalty
Cons
- −Costs more than the Omni PC for similar protection
- −Lighter shells flex more under heavy packing
Don't buy this if…
…you want the bag to look like a design object - this is an unapologetically functional case, and if the Away's appearance is a real part of the appeal the Monos or the Delsey below are the honest answers.
Compare the two warranties on what they name rather than on their headlines. Away's LifetimeCare is five years complimentary, up to one replacement, a service fee from year six, with shipping covered. Travelpro's is a limited lifetime term that names the three components most likely to break, plus airline damage if you register within 120 days. Neither is strictly better; they are different documents, and both are more specific than the category average.
The weight is the other reason this is here. On a carrier capping cabin baggage at 7 kg including the bag, the difference between this case and a 7.5 lb one is real packing capacity on every single flight. The model's three conflicting published heights are in the Maxlite Air V2 review, and the warranty landscape in warranties explained.
Design-led, with a front laptop compartment Away does not offer
LEVEL8 Grace Carry-On
20-inch caseMakrolon polycarbonateFront laptop compartmentTSA lock
The alternative that goes after Away's design positioning and adds a feature Away does not have: a front laptop compartment, so you reach a computer without laying the case flat and opening the clamshell. A Makrolon polycarbonate shell - the only case here whose maker names the specific resin - with dual spinners and a TSA lock, at well under half Away's price.
- Weight
- 7
- Size compliance
- 9
- Build
- 8
- Wheels
- 8
- Value
- 8
Pros
- +Front compartment takes the laptop out at security without opening the case
- +Makrolon polycarbonate shell — the good grade, not an ABS blend
- +20-inch size suits strict overseas limits
- +Looks considerably more expensive than it is
Cons
- −The front compartment eats some main-case volume
- −Warranty is shorter than Samsonite's or Travelpro's
Don't buy this if…
…you want the simplest possible silhouette - a front compartment is a visible feature and a fixed volume, and the Monos above is the closer match if a clean rigid shell is the point.
The front compartment is the practical case for this over the Away. Away's interior is genuinely excellent — the compression pad and the square packing box are real engineering — but it is all on the inside of a clamshell, which means a laptop is a floor-level operation. A front-loading compartment is a thirty-second operation standing up in a boarding queue.
Naming the resin is the other small thing in its favor. Makrolon is a branded polycarbonate from Covestro, and a maker that names its supplier has committed to a specification rather than to a word. The model has its own LEVEL8 Grace review, and the front-pocket format is ranked in best carry-on with a front pocket.
Closest match on looks, from a brand with a service network
Delsey Paris Chatelet Air 2.0
PolycarbonateLeather-look trimBrake wheelsTSA lock
The alternative for someone who wants a case that looks considered rather than technical, from a maker with a repair route that predates the direct-to-consumer era. Delsey's Chatelet line is the design-forward end of a mainstream brand, with a recessed TSA lock that cannot be levered off a zipper line and a service network that exists if the case needs a part.
- Weight
- 6
- Capacity
- 8
- Build
- 8
- Handle
- 8
- Design
- 10
Pros
- +Genuinely distinctive design rather than a recolored generic case
- +Wheel brake stops it rolling away on a slope
- +Polycarbonate shell with a soft-touch finish
- +Interior is better finished than anything else here
Cons
- −Considerably more expensive than the picks above
- −Heavier, and the trim scuffs where a plain shell would not
Don't buy this if…
…weight is your priority - this is a style purchase in the same way the Away is, and the Travelpro above is the case to buy if an airline is weighing your cabin bag.
The honest framing is that this competes with Away on the same axis Away competes on: how the case looks and feels to own. Where it differs is the infrastructure behind it. A legacy luggage brand has spare parts, service centres and dealers; a direct-to-consumer brand has a returns process and a repair queue. Both work. One is older.
The recessed lock is a real functional advantage worth naming. A lock sunk flush into the shell cannot catch on a carousel belt and cannot be wrenched off, which removes the most exposed piece of hardware on a hardside case. The brand range is in best Delsey luggage, and the case in its original context in best carry-on luggage for women.
Budget pick - the cheapest case here, and it matches the US template
Coolife 22×14×9 Carry-On
ABS+PC shell22×14×9 inFront pocketDual spinners
The budget pick, and the answer to 'luggage like Away but cheaper' taken literally: a published 22 x 14 x 9 in exterior - the US cabin template on all three axes, better than Away's published 14.4 in width - with a front pocket and dual spinners, at a fraction of the price. You are buying the size compliance and nothing else, and that is a legitimate thing to buy.
- Build
- 7
- Wheels
- 7
- Weight
- 7
- Warranty
- 6
- Value
- 9
Pros
- +Blended ABS+PC shell is tougher than the pure ABS around it
- +Front pocket swallows a laptop and the liquids bag
- +Dual spinner wheels and a TSA-style lock
- +Sized to the US 22 x 14 x 9 standard
Cons
- −Blend is still short of full polycarbonate
- −At 22 inches it is the wrong pick for strict European carriers
Don't buy this if…
…the shell material matters to you - this is published as an ABS+PC blend rather than the 100% polycarbonate Away publishes, which is a cheaper material with a crack-rather-than-dent failure mode.
Set expectations correctly and this case is excellent value. It does not match Away on the interior, which is Away's real differentiator, and it does not match it on material or on warranty, because there is no named warranty term here at all. What it matches — and beats — is the one specification a gate agent can measure.
Treat it as a five-year purchase rather than a lifetime one. At two or three trips a year that is better arithmetic than it sounds, and the money saved is more than the difference between any two cases on this page. The sub-$100 field is in best budget carry-on, and the cost-per-trip reasoning in how long does luggage last.
Away's published figures, and each alternative's
The first row is Away's own published specification for The Carry-On, taken from Away's published material and set out in full in our review. Every other row is that maker's own published figure. Where a figure is not published for a listing, the row says so. Live prices and a per-row buy button for the six alternatives are in the Quick picks table above.
| Case | Published exterior | Published empty weight | Published shell | Warranty, as published |
|---|
| Away The Carry-On (the original) | 21.7 x 14.4 x 9 in | 7.5 lb | 100% polycarbonate | LifetimeCare: 5 yrs complimentary, fee from yr 6 |
| Monos Carry-On | 22 x 14 x 9 in | 6.60 lb and 7.01 lb both published | Polycarbonate | Limited lifetime and 2 years both published |
| Samsonite Winfield 3 DLX | 22.25 x 14.5 x 9.5 in overall | 6.97 lb | 100% polycarbonate | 10-year limited, shell defects |
| Travelpro Maxlite Air V2 | Three heights published for this model | Published at 6.4 lb for this line | Polycarbonate | Limited lifetime: wheels, zippers, handles |
| LEVEL8 Grace | Not published for this listing | Not published for this listing | Makrolon polycarbonate | Not published for this listing |
| DELSEY Chatelet Air 2.0 | Not published for this listing | Not published for this listing | Hardside, recessed TSA lock | Delsey limited warranty, service network |
| Coolife 22x14x9 | 22 x 14 x 9 in | Not published for this listing | ABS+PC blend | Not published for this listing |
Read the width column. Away publishes 14.4 in; the US convention is 14 in. Monos and Coolife publish 14 in exactly; Samsonite publishes 14.5 in. On a rigid shell that is the specification you cannot pack around, and it is the single most useful line in this table.
Which strength you are actually replacing
If it was the interior — the compression pad, the pockets, the square packing box — then nothing on this page matches it directly, and the honest answer is that Away's interior is its best feature. The workaround is good packing cubes in a cheaper shell, which costs a fraction of the price difference and gets you most of the way. See best packing cubes.
If it was the shell, the Samsonite and the Travelpro both publish polycarbonate, both publish a lighter empty weight than Away does, and both cost dramatically less. That is the clearest win on this page.
If it was the warranty, the Travelpro is the closest thinking: a named lifetime term on wheels, zippers and handles plus airline-damage cover with registration. Away's LifetimeCare is more specific about what happens over time; Travelpro's is more specific about which parts.
If it was the look, the Monos and the Delsey Chatelet are the two cases here bought for the same reason people buy an Away, and the Monos is the direct substitute.
What “cheaper than Away” actually buys you
Roughly: the shell and the wheels are largely the same conversation across this whole page, because polycarbonate is polycarbonate and every case here runs dual spinners. What the money buys at the top is the interior fit-out and the service relationship. What the money saves at the bottom is enough to buy a second case. If you fly a handful of times a year, the arithmetic favors the bottom of this page strongly; if you fly weekly, the interior and the repair route start to earn their keep. The decade-long cost-per-trip view is in how long does luggage last, and the price band most of these sit in is ranked in best carry-on luggage under $200.
Is Away still direct-to-consumer only?
No. Away sold direct-only for years, which is why older comparisons describe it as unavailable on Amazon, and it now lists The Carry-On there — which is the reason this page can compare it on a live price at all. Note that not every Away model made the move: the Carry-On Flex, for example, was not found on Amazon in our checks and remains a direct order. Two other premium brands people compare with Away, Béis and Rimowa, are still direct-only, which is why the site's Away vs Béis page treats that as part of the decision.
One thing Away does not include
A battery. The ejectable charger that made the brand famous is not part of The Carry-On as published today, and no case on this page includes one either. If a USB charger is actually what you want, that is a separate purchase and a separate set of airline rules — lithium batteries must be removable and must travel in the cabin. We cover the format and the rules in luggage with USB charging.
How we picked
We did not lab-test these bags
Everyone in this category says they tested twenty suitcases. We have not lab-tested any of these, and we say so. What we did instead: compiled each bag's published specifications, checked its dimensions against the airline sizers, ran the cost-per-trip and weight-to-capacity math, read the aggregated owner reviews, and scored every pick against a published rubric. The scores are judgments from documented research — not measurements we took, because we do not have a lab and we will not pretend we do. Where a number came from someone else's work, we name them in Sources.
Questions
Frequently asked
What is the best alternative to Away luggage?+
The Monos Carry-On, because it matches Away's design-led rigid polycarbonate positioning and publishes an exterior of 22 x 14 x 9 in - the US cabin template on all three axes - where Away publishes 21.7 x 14.4 x 9 in, which is 0.4 in over the 14-inch width convention. For the cheapest case that also matches the template exactly, the Coolife 22x14x9 at a fraction of the price.
What luggage is like Away but cheaper?+
The Samsonite Winfield 3 DLX and the Travelpro Maxlite Air V2 both publish a polycarbonate shell like Away's and a lighter published empty weight than Away's 7.5 lb, at roughly half the money or less. For a design-led look closer to Away's, the LEVEL8 Grace and the DELSEY Chatelet Air 2.0. The one thing none of them matches is Away's interior fit-out - the compression pad, pockets and laundry bag.
What is Away luggage actually known for?+
Three published things. The interior: a compression pad, three mesh pockets, a hanging pocket and an included laundry bag in a packing box published at 20.1 x 13.9 x 7.5 in. The shell: 100% polycarbonate at a published 7.5 lb and 41 liters. And LifetimeCare, whose published terms are unusually specific - five years of complimentary repairs, up to one replacement in that window, shipping covered, and a service fee from year six.
Does Away luggage fit in a carry-on sizer?+
Away publishes 21.7 x 14.4 x 9 in, which is under the US limit on height, exactly at the limit on depth, and 0.4 in over the 14-inch width convention - and Away's own wording is 'most major airlines' rather than all. In practice it clears soft sizers routinely because they flex. If you fly carriers with rigid metal gate frames, the cases on this page publishing 22 x 14 x 9 in are the safer specification.
Is Monos better than Away?+
On published cabin fit, yes - Monos publishes 22 x 14 x 9 in against Away's 14.4 in width, and on a rigid shell width is the one spec you cannot pack around. On documentation, Away is clearer: Monos publishes two different empty weights and two different warranty terms for the same bag, and sells it under three different inch labels. Our head-to-head sets both sides out in full.
Does Away luggage still come with a charger?+
No - the ejectable battery that made the brand famous is not part of The Carry-On as published today, which is a common misconception. None of the alternatives on this page includes one either. If a USB charger matters to you it is a separate purchase, and airline rules require lithium batteries to be removable and to travel in the cabin rather than the hold.
Receipts
Sources
We do not run a testing lab, and we do not pretend to. Specifications come from the manufacturer's own listing or manual, and size and weight limits from the airline's official baggage-policy page. Where we could not verify something, we say so on the page rather than quietly leaving it out. Read our full method.
