A quick glance at our Away luggage review and our guides to the best luggage will show you that we're big fans of Away luggage. Every suitcase and bag we've tested from the brand has proven durable, attractive, and well-designed. But if I had to choose a favorite product from Away, it would hands-down be the Flex; Away's line of expandable hard-sided luggage.
My go-to suitcase is the Bigger Carry-On Flex, and our former travel editor, Emily Hochberg, previously tested and loved the Medium Flex. Both of us are habitual overpackers and love that these suitcases feel roomy and flexible while still meeting luggage dimension requirements for most airlines.
Here's what makes the Flex line so great, and how our suitcases have held up after countless flights, hotel stays, and even a few big moves.
The Bigger Carry-On Flex is Away's largest and most versatile carry-on bag. Its zipper-activated expansion panel reveals an additional 2.25" of space — great for packing more or bringing back souvenirs from your travels.
What we like
What we don't like
Design and specs
The Flex line combines Away's signature durability with a clever expandable design that adds up to 2.25 inches of packing space for carry-ons and 1.75 inches for checked bags. Each suitcase includes all the brand's hallmark features — a TSA-approved lock, 360° spinner wheels, interior compression system, hidden laundry bag, underside grab handle, and removable, washable lining — all wrapped in the same sleek polycarbonate shell as the original.
The only difference is the expansion zipper, which slightly increases the bag's weight but gives chronic over-packers a welcome buffer. The standard and expanded dimensions mirror their non-Flex counterparts, but keep in mind: once fully expanded, the carry-on size typically won't fit in most overhead bins. I've managed to squeak by on a few flights, but expect to check it if you use that extra space.
What it's like to use
Despite my best efforts, I'm an anxiety packer. It can be really hard to travel carry-on only when you're someone who worries about being prepared for every possible scenario. It defies some logic, but having more space in my carry-on with the Flex has actually allowed me to pack lighter and smarter. There's some relief in knowing you have room in your suitcase for any last-minute items or for anything you might buy on your trip. The expansion panel also acts as its own form of compression. I like to pack the suitcase while fully expanded, even if I have leftover room. Once packed, I zip up the suitcase and then zip up the expansion. It eliminates any struggle of having to sit on your suitcase to get it closed and it's a much easier way of compressing your items without wrestling with the expansion panels.
As for the bigger Flex sizes, former travel editor Emily Hochberg used the Medium Flex as one of her checked suitcases when she moved cross country with her family. She used the Flex to pack most of her daughter's belongings, which included clothes, baby towels and burp cloths, toys, books, diapers, and more. It made its way through two airports and multiple hotels where it was packed and unpacked with different items. As such, it went through a lot of use and was packed to the brim on more than one occasion.
She found the interior to be roomy and able to fit a lot, even without packing cubes. The compression panel helped secure items, but when over-packed, the side with a zipper panel struggled to close.
In her words: "Had I purchased the original Medium with no expandable option, I'm confident I would not have been able to fit everything I needed or more likely, close the bag at all. The expandable, heavy-duty zipper was what made it possible."
Both Hochberg and I found the suitcases easy to push, pull, and spin as we navigated airports and transfers, even with multiple bags and a baby stroller in tow.
The TSA-approved locks are easy to set and secure, and it's nice not to have to keep track of separate lock and key components.
I've never had an issue with my Bigger Carry-On being gate-checked by an airline for being too large, but I know it's a possibility, especially with airlines trying to crack down on "carry-on creep" — the phenomenon of carry-on bags getting bigger and bigger. I feel a little guilty knowing I'm part of the problem when I travel with the bag expanded, so I try to only carry it on when the expansion panel is closed and check it when I need to expand it for extra room.
However, you'll want to be mindful of weight limits when traveling with these bags. Hochberg's Medium Flex weighed around 40 pounds at check-in when fully packed to the brim. She felt strongly that if she had used the Large Flex, the expansion function would have led to an overweight bag.
Both of us have experienced significant scuffing on our bags. I intentionally tossed mine around as part of our durability testing of carry-on bags, and there are some pretty gnarly scratches from where it's hit the ground. Hochberg's navy blue shell came out with a few scuffs just from regular use. We've both used the provided Magic Eraser-style sponge to try to buff them out. While it does lighten them, it does not remove them altogether. But in all, the bags have held up extremely well.
What makes the Away Flex stand out
All of the Away Flex bags are functional and thoughtfully designed. Thanks to the expandable zipper, they provide more space than a standard-size suitcase. This is the only line of Away hard luggage with this feature.
Signature Away features are also included, such as a TSA-approved combination lock, 360° spinner wheels, an interior compression system, a hidden laundry bag, and a removable, washable lining.
Starting at $325 and $345 for carry-on sizes and $395 and $425 for the Medium and Large Flex sizes respectively, it's similarly priced to other mid-tier premium competitors and designed to last for life.
All Away bags come with a 100-day returns and free shipping, but the brand recently did away with its generous trial period. If you want to make a return, your suitcase will have to be completely unused. Fortunately, if you do choose to keep the bag, it's covered by a lifetime warranty. I've personally exchanged a bag under Away's lifetime warranty and found the process easy and painless.
The cons
The expandable feature comes in handy when you have a lot to pack. However, it may also be a risk if you're flying on a major commercial airline and exceed the weight limit for checked bags. So, keep that in mind when you're throwing everything possible into your Flex. This is, of course, less of a problem with smaller bags that weigh less, but something to consider before you purchase the Large Flex.
Additionally, when fully expanded, carry-on sizes won't meet most airline overhead guidelines and may need to be checked.
What are your alternatives?
We recently replaced the Away Flex with the Beis Carry-On Roller as the top pick for extra space in our guide to the best carry-on bag. Beis offers even more packing room in its carry-ons than the Away Flex, and comes loaded with thoughtful features we haven't seen in other bags, like a built-in weight indicator, bag strap for personal items, and tons of interior organization and compression. Read our full Beis Carry-On review.
Our all-time favorite suitcase, the Travelpro Platinum Elite, is also expandable. When fully expanded, it doesn't offer quite as much packing room as the Away Bigger Carry-On Flex, but it has some incredible organizational features. We've also found that soft-sided luggage doesn't show as much wear and tear as hard-shell suitcases. Read our full Travelpro Platinum Elite Expandable Carry-On review.
We also love Briggs & Riley's Baseline and Sympatico collections, which feature a unique expansion and compression system. A framework in the bags provides a more rigid expansion that can then be pressed down once fully packed to keep your suitcase at a compact size. It's available in both hard-sided and soft-sided bags. The one downside is that the bags are priced at between $600 to $700 — almost double the price of the Away or Travelpro bags. For a budget expandable option, we recommend the Samsonite Outline Pro. It's priced at $160, but doesn't offer quite as much packing room as the Away Flex or Beis bags.
The bottom line
Away's polycarbonate Flex bag is the suitcase we've been waiting for from the brand. Now you can enjoy all the features of their signature hardshell suitcase with the option to expand for more space.
Just be careful with overpacking the Large, lest you pay overweight airline baggage fees, and know that both carry-ons might need to be checked when fully expanded.
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