Let's talk good luggage. It's the type of investment that you don't truly appreciate until it's too late—"too late" being when your carry-on's wheel conveniently stops wheeling approximately 10 minutes before your gate closes. And why would such an atrocity present itself? Because you naively skipped the reliable luggage research process and decided to buy something that looked cute and was in budget, but lacked durability. Wanna avoid that drama? You'll want to cop some high-quality, long-lasting luggage that can withstand all of your travels. And you'll want to look at two companies that are shining stars in the game: Monos and Away.
You've probably seen these bags pop up all over your various feeds, but for those who are unfamiliar, think of them as the Beyoncé and Taylor Swift of the luxe suitcase world. Both brands offer a wide range of sizes—from carry-on-friendly pieces to larger bags for check-in purposes. Buyers love both for their organized interiors, unique colors, and reasonable price points. So the question that remains is: which company really triumphs?
I went ahead and secured Monos' Check-In Large and Carry-On Plus, as well as The Bigger Carry-On and The Large from Away to test out both brands myself, so allow me to break down their major hits and misses. From there, you can determine which is worth your dollars. Follow along, kids.
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Monos Check-In Large
Monos Carry-On Plus
Monos Carry-On Pro
Now 25% Off
Away The Large
Away The Medium
Away The Carry-On
THE BUILD
Honestly, Monos and Away share similar forward-thinking designs, making them pretty tricky to compare and contrast. Both brands use polycarbonate shells for their luggage, which feels pretty indestructible. That's because the material is aerospace-grade—which basically means that it can sustain a lot of impact and turbulence, whether in an overhead bin or tumbling around in a cargo hold. Despite the hard shells, even the large check-in bags from Monos and Away felt lightweight and easy to maneuver when I packed them with about a quarter of my shoe closet. I was able to lug around Monos' Check-In Large and Away's The Large somewhat gracefully—and the handgrips on the side of each bag were a major assist there.
AwayAway’s Bigger Carry-On and The Large in sea green
MonosMonos’ Carry-On Plus and The Check-In Large in rose quartz
Both brands' suitcases also boast unique, ergonomic top handles—and I must say, they feel less awkward to use than many other brands I've used. You'll notice that the Monos handle release buttons are on the undersides, which made a huge difference when I put the carry-on baggage from both brands through a chaotic test (aka running with both brands up and down my apartment building's hallway—as I'm sure my neighbors appreciated ❤️). It felt way more natural to release and extend the handle on the fly with the underside release feature, but both brands' bags ran smoothly beside me—probably because they each use four 360-degree spinner wheels on every suitcase.
Annabel Iwegbue
Annabel Iwegbue
Beyond that, suitcases from both Monos and Away have zippers that operate as passcode-protected, TSA-approved locks! And inside the bags, compartmentalization is impossible to avoid (in the best way). Like most suitcases, the bags all have two separators for isolating shoes and clothing, and there are also a few other well-situated pockets for further organizing your belongings. My designated "clothing" halves in my Monos and Away carry-on bags had major compression powers that I appreciated—I packed my clothes well over the brim and was still able to zip the bag shut with zero straining. (Thus, the days of using my entire bodyweight to close a bag are over.)
Annabel Iwegbue
Annabel Iwegbue
TLDR; Both brands address suitcase nuisances that I didn't even know I had! With these, you'll never have to deal with buying separate luggage locks, loud stubborn wheels, or that clunky handle feel. I thought those were just things that came with luggage territory, but I'm now very spoiled, and it'll be hard to use run-of-the-mill baggage again. (Good thing I don't have to!)
THE COLORS
Monos suitcases come in 11 different colorways: desert taupe, rose quartz, olive green, blue haze, ocean blue, storm grey, stellar white, and midnight black, as well as three limited edition shades: terrazzo, terracotta, and sage green. Some reviewers have mentioned that the lighter colors (like desert taupe) show scuffing and dirt over time. My rose quartz carry-on did acquire an annoying black mark after a long travel day. But, to remove those, Monos includes an eraser sponge that you can use with warm water and mild dish soap to buff them right off. Monos luggage also comes with a cute linen dust bag so that you can store it away and keep it clean when you're not traveling.
Annabel IwegbueThe reusable Monos dust bag.
Away's luggage, on the other hand, is available in jet black, coast blue, olive green, sea green, cloud gray, clay pink, sorbet orange, tango red, glossy sale white, and navy blue, as well as a limited edition print called soundwave. If you'd like to personalize your bag, you can opt to add any three letters to the suitcase or the included luggage tag. Plus, according to other testers, the inevitable scuffs and scratches that can pop up during your travels can be easily buffed out with a damp cloth, warm water, and mild soap.
THE PRICE
Monos suitcases run at a *slightly* lower price point than Away, with their cheapest roller bag coming in at $255, compared to $275 for Away. Both companies cost more than some budget luggage you can find on Amazon, but, I'll say it: sometimes you get what you pay for! These babies are investment pieces, and Monos and Away both offer lifetime warranties that cover replacement items/fixes for any shell, wheel, handle, or zipper damage that may impact your bag for as long as you shall live (and hopefully that's a while).
SO...WHICH BRAND SHOULD I BUY?
Given how well-made, long-lasting, and close in cost these two brands are, the decision is a real toss-up—so it just depends on what you're looking for! Monos and Away both have impressive builds plus a wide range of colors, but Away's personalization options are a fun cherry on top, especially if you plan on gifting one of these bags. (TBH, I also personally prefer Away's color options.) Monos has got a (slight) leg up on the pricing front, and when I compared my similarly-sized pieces from both brands, I did notice that the Monos bags felt a tad lighter when they were packed with the same contents as their Away counterparts. When it comes down to it, I see myself using my Monos carry-on roller more often, but the Away bags could definitely become staples too. Honestly, it depends on the trip!
Annabel Iwegbue
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Annabel Iwegbue is an assistant editor at Cosmopolitan where she primarily covers lifestyle and fashion. Before joining Cosmo, she covered entertainment at Harper's Bazaar, The Knockturnal, and Black Film. She's originally from Charleston, South Carolina, and is currently based in Brooklyn, New York. She holds a B.A. in Journalism and Cinema Studies from New York University. You can check out some of Annabel’s work here and also find her on Instagram and Twitter.
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