waplog

The carry-on bag that charges your phone


There, next to the half-eaten breakfast sandwich I'd left sitting on my bag, was my phone, tethered by a power cord to the suitcase below. Suitcase, breakfast table, and phone charger—that's a multitasking trifecta few pieces of luggage can match.
 
Away is a newcomer to the luggage game, and its founders are hoping the bags stand out in the sea of boring, neutral-toned luggage in two ways. One is how they're sold: directly to the consumer, like Warby Parker glasses, rather than through a department store or other third-party retailer.
 
The second is the technology. In addition to be a quality carry-on bag that can hold a sandwich and clothes at the same time, the Away Carry-On has a built-in battery and two USB ports on the exterior to keep you powered up during those long layovers.
 
The $225 carry-on itself looks pretty ordinary: a lightly ribbed and pleasingly simple hard-shell exterior made of Bayer Makrolon polycarbonate, the typical retractable handle, and four nearly silent spinner wheels. Inside, things are little more impressive, with a flap and buckles for compression that actually works, a compact laundry bag, and that crown jewel for juice: a 10,000 mAh battery hidden beneath the lining.
 
To charge the battery, you plug the suitcase into the wall using a standard micro USB cord and charging block (included with the suitcase). With a full charge, it can charge an iPhone 6S five times. As for charging cycles, Away says it's tested the battery, running it through hundreds of charging cycles, and seen "no impact to the charging abilities."
 
Beyond the battery, the compression system—a stiff flap held down by two buckled straps—smushes clothes without wrinkling them, and the main compartment is without frills, which leaves more room  for clothes. 


MTCHT
ICT
TECHNOLOGICAL INNOVATIONS
POST
ABOUT US
NEWS
INTERESTING
INTERVIEW
ANALYSIS
ONLAIN LESSONS