Away Carry-On vs Briggs & Riley Baseline Carry-On

Away's lifetime warranty covers manufacturing defects, which sounds great until an airline handler snaps a wheel off your bag. That's not a defect — that's damage, and Away won't cover it. Briggs & Riley's unconditional warranty covers airline damage with complimentary repairs, no questions asked. For frequent travelers, this isn't a perk — it's the entire reason to buy the bag.

Wirecutter's testing found that Briggs & Riley packs a higher proportion of usable interior space than competing spinners at the same external dimensions. That means more clothes in a bag that still fits in the overhead bin. Away's interior is solid, but you're losing usable volume to the shell design and the built-in battery compartment on some models.

Out of the box, both bags feel premium. But frequent flyer communities on Reddit consistently report that Away's zippers, wheels, and handles show wear faster than Briggs & Riley's over years of heavy use. Briggs & Riley builds every component — not just the shell — to a higher standard, and it shows after 50+ flights. Away is durable for its price tier; Briggs & Riley is durable, full stop.

Away's battery-equipped versions are banned on some airlines under updated lithium-ion regulations, which means you could show up at the gate and be forced to check your carry-on or remove the battery entirely. Briggs & Riley skips the gimmick entirely. For a bag you're relying on to get through airports smoothly, a feature that can get you flagged at the gate is a real problem.