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When you’re packing for a trip, the last thing you want is to feel disorganized or stressed trying to pass off a larger bag as your one personal item.
In this Away Everywhere Bag review, I’ll take you through all you need to know about the bag that’s small enough to be a personal item but large enough to fit all you’ll need for a quick weekend away.
Can this bag really go everywhere? Read on to find out!
Bottom line: The Nylon Away Everywhere Bag is the ideal minimalist personal carry-on item. While it’s definitely an investment piece, it’s built to last and so you should get a lot of use out of it.
I’ve been eyeing the Away Everywhere Bag ever since I first laid eyes on it sometime last year.
I’m one of those people that always packs only carry-on luggage for quick trips. I find it faster and safer than checking bags for a quick trip.
The downside is, as an over-packer, I’ve run into issues where multiple bags have broken because of being overstuffed.
When I found out the Everywhere Bag qualifies as a personal carry-on item, it was a total game-changer.
I was curious if it would actually live up to the hype of being a bag that you could take anywhere.
Since purchasing it, I’ve brought it along with me on all my travels to see how functional it is, and if the quality of the bag is worth the price tag.
Here’s my Away Everywhere Bag review to give you an idea of if this stylish bag is the right investment for you.
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The Away brand, founded in 2015, has risen to fame in the luggage market thanks to a brilliant social media strategy and direct to consumer pricing.
They’ve made luggage fun, fashionable, and of course, Instagrammable. The best part is that they’ve also created bags that are functional and well-made.
The “Everywhere Bag” is one of their most popular carry-on items because of its functionality, style, size, and a wide variety of color options.
You can choose between heavy-duty waterproof nylon or soft, subtle leather material. I chose the nylon for the sake of my bank account (the leather was about $100 more).
The bag has a trolley sleeve so you can attach it to your rolling bag, and plenty of compartments, including ones for a laptop, passport, and even an umbrella (or in my case extra flats).
With a name like the “Everywhere Bag”, it’s clear they meant for the design to be functional enough to take literally everywhere.
Compared to my old carry-on personal items that never have enough space, and are hard to carry, my first thought when writing this Away Everywhere Bag review is that it’s a major upgrade from the bag I had been using.
Sure, you can use a purse or backpack as your one personal item to carry-on the plane, but will it keep you as organized?
The Everywhere Bag is the perfect size to fit under your seat (even when stuffed full). Its compartments keep you organized, though it’s tough to see into the bag when it’s fully packed.
Besides being the perfect carry-on bag when flying, you can also use this bag as a briefcase, beach bag, and weekender bag (if you pack light enough).
The best part of Away's update to The Everywhere Bag is the zippers that go down to the lower portion of the bag, which when opened gives easy access and visibility to all the contents.
The crucial question you must ask yourself is if you’ll use it enough to justify spending just under $200 on it.
For me, after lots of back and forth, I finally took the plunge and splurged on this fancy carry-on bag.
With how much I travel, I knew that I’d be getting plenty of use out of it.
Plus, it’s also reassuring to know that Away lets you return purchases for up to 100 days after purchasing (as long as you didn’t get the item personalized).
If you’re like me, and always traveling, then the Away Everywhere Bag is worth a look.
The Away Everywhere Bag comes in its branded dust cover in the most adorable box that I’ve seen.
Inside the bag, you’ll find a padded shoulder strap that attaches to the bag.
The box doesn’t look like much from the outside, but when you open it, there’s a cute little poem about travel featured on the inside of the lid.
The Away Everywhere Bag has multiple straps. You can hold it like a purse, throw it over your shoulder using the padded shoulder strap, or attach it to the handle of your roller bag.
It’s made from heavy-duty waterproof nylon and has leather handles and accents.
The Everywhere Bag qualifies as a personal carry-on item when flying thanks to its dimensions of 16.3 x 7.3 x 10.2 in.
The zippers seem to be heavy-duty plastic and so far have held up nicely.
Though I should note when looking through reviews online prior to purchasing, I saw one or two people complain about broken zippers.
The bag also has a panel that acts as a trolley sleeve, allowing it to fasten onto the top of your rolling luggage.
The bag features multiple pockets inside the bag, including a laptop compartment, and an umbrella panel at the bottom, and a side zipper that’s the perfect size for your phone and passport.
I like that Away made the Everywhere Bag in a way that allows it to keep its shape when empty.
The storage compartments make it easy to pack and makes keeping things organized feel easier.
My major complaint is that once packed, the bag is hard to see into if you’re reaching for something that isn’t on top.
It’s also great being able to go from carrying it on my shoulder to securing it on top of my rolling bag.
Flying with it was a breeze. The bag easily fit under my seat, even though it was a smaller plane.
The bag takes up most of the under-seat area, so just don’t expect to gain legroom by using this bag as your personal item.
Coming at just under $150, the Longchamp Le Pliage is a stylish nylon travel bag with leather handles. It folds up easily for storage and can fit lots of items with ease.
This is the bag I would travel with frequently before purchasing the Away Everywhere Bag.
There are two things I don’t love about this bag. Its lack of compartments and that it doesn’t have a shoulder sling. As an over-packer, I really got my workout lugging this around the airport.
However, that said, I always have mine folded up inside my luggage to use as an every day carry, or for if I buy too many souvenirs and need an extra bag to carry everything home in.
The Herschel Novel Duffle Bag is a bag I frequently see travelers using at the airport.
At just under $100, it’s a solid bag for a minimal investment.
I really like that it comes in a variety of colors so you can pick the one that feels the most like you.
I don’t love that it’s made of cloth, which means it picks up dirt easier than nylon bags.
The bag boasts an umbrella compartment and has a shoulder strap and handles.
The best part of Away's update to The Everywhere Bag is the zippers that go down to the lower portion of the bag, which when opened gives easy access and visibility to all the contents.
Away recently released a second Everywhere Bag that’s taken into consideration some of the original complaints users had with the original design.
This updated bag features zippers that go further down, and a different combination of interior pockets.
The big difference is that the longer zippers make the bag a bit more annoying to pack if you’re squeezing in a lot of stuff. You also lose the exterior zip pocket on the trolley sleeve, which I really love having.
The good news is Away now give buyers the option to purchase the Original Everywhere Bag or the updated one depending on personal preference.
The best part of Away's update to The Everywhere Bag is the zippers that go down to the lower portion of the bag, which when opened gives easy access and visibility to all the contents.
The best part of Away's update to The Everywhere Bag is the zippers that go down to the lower portion of the bag, which when opened gives easy access and visibility to all the contents.
If you’re in the market for a stabilized selfie stick, then you need to check out this Zhiyun Smooth XS review to find out if this is the selfie stick for you!
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