PART of my job means I get to travel nearly every month, be it a UK city break or a beach holiday abroad.
And with all that travel, I’ve found the best suitcase which has stood the test of time, no matter how battered it gets after checking it in.
AwayI swear by my Away suitcase – and so do a lot of celebs[/caption]
Away SuitcasesThey also come with a built-in waterproof laundry bag and suitcase divider[/caption]
Having also racked up nearly 50 countries, I’ve been travelling with the same suitcase for nearly five years.
Away, which first launched in the US in 2016, followed suit with UK stores in 2017.
I was one of the eager travellers who bought their luggage following the change to their built-in battery packs, which allow you to pop them out before checking them in.
And while they are popular in the US – plane cabins are full of Away suitcases – they are yet to be as popular in the UK.
However, I am often singing the praise of mine which, bar a few ugly black marks on the pale blue exterior, is still in as good a condition as ever.
And it’s not just me – a whole wave of celebrities use it.
Margot Robbie, Zoe Saldana, Emily Ratajkowski and even Meghan Markle have all been spotted wheeling the famous luggage brand from airport to plane.
Here’s why I think the Away suitcases are worth every penny – and I’ll never buy another brand.
The quality
My hand luggage-sized bag has taken a beating, often trying to squeeze in as many souvenirs as possible into an already full bag.
And I’ve seen it thrown across the conveyor belt after I checked it in, bouncing off the walls before I can get to it.
Yet after five years, both the exterior and the zip remain unbroken, no matter how much they have been put through the wringer.
And I wouldn’t even worry if they would break – Away has a lifetime guarantee on fixes.
The little extras
Inside are some extra functions you never knew you needed, but will be an absolute gamechanger.
It has one side that is open for your packing, while the other side has a zip cover so you can put any looser items in there such as hats and scarves.
It also has a detachable compression pad to pack everything down even more.
This helps keep things so much more organised.
It also has a built-in laundry bag which is waterproof, so you can throw your damp, dirty bikini in there without ruining your other clothes.
And it has a built-in TSA lock for extra security too.
AWAYWhile they no longer come with the built-in battery, it was a gamechanger when it launched in 2016[/caption]
The battery pack
While they no longer come built in, Away was one of the first suitcase brands to offer battery packs in them.
They used to be screwed in, until rules in 2017 banned battery packs from being checked into the hold.
They quickly changed them to be able to pop out – and mine charges my phone at least twice.
While you can no longer buy suitcases with them built in, you can still buy the battery packs on the website for now.
They start from around £220 for a carry-on bag, although do have rare sales with the most recent offering 35 per cent off.
Here’s how I also only travel with hand luggage – no matter how long the trip.