The Away Signature Garment Bag will help you keep clothes wrinkle-free and looking fresh while traveling, and at the same time it is compatible and looks good with your other Away luggage. The garment bag easily fits over any rolling bag’s retractable handle so that you can effortlessly roll it through the airport, train station, or down the street.
Clever design
The bag can, of course, also be carried alone, and I really like how there is no excessive branding on the outside of the bag. You can carry it via its handles or via shoulder strap if you choose not to attach it to the handle of a rolling bag. It’s the ideal weekend bag especially if you need to travel with formal attire.
It is not designed to carry lots of clothes, but it can easily fit two suits and a few dress shirts on separate hangers without feeling overstuffed. Made from nylon and leather, the exterior is both durable and sturdy. Moisture cannot easily seep inside the bag since the nylon has a water-resistant coating, and the fabric is thick enough to prevent wrinkles from developing if someone places their bag on top of it in the overhead bin or leans into it while you’re waiting in line. Both of those instances have resulted in wrinkled clothes for me when using thinner garment bags (the kind often provided by clothing companies when you buy something, for example).
The material is meant to withstand scuffs and scratches, too. It is quite thick, which makes you feel comfortable that your clothes will be well-protected. If you have smaller items, they can easily slip into the exterior pocket or one of the many inner pockets. These are ideal for storing valuable items like coins, keys, cufflinks, or jewelry. There are also pouches especially designed for shoes.
Garment bag size and weight
When empty, the bag weighs just over two pounds without the shoulder strap attached. I noticed that when it was full, it does have a bit of heft. Luckily, it can slide over a rolling bag’s handle making it easier to carry. There is also a luggage clip that to attach to it so that it hangs in front of a bag. I find, however, that the garment bag can easily slip to the side that way.
When carrying the bag from its top handle, you can appreciate why they chose leather for the handle. This makes it more comfortable to carry it that way. I like that it has its own hook so that the bag can hang in a closet when you are not using it.
The airline carry-on bag-friendly bag measures 22.5″ x 3.35″ x 20.5″. I have used it on several flights. It’s never been a problem although the shape of a garment bag does not typically fit into an airline sizer unit. Still, it can slide on top of other bags in an overhead bin or hang in an airplane closet if available. It also makes it easy to access things inside the bag in a hotel room without having to empty the entire bag. I am not someone that unpacks a suitcase during short trips. I liked being able to hang it on a door hook and get what I needed from the bag.
Where to find it
As with other Away products, the packaging is attractively designed and comes with its own canvas pouch so that you can store the garment bag without it getting dusty when you’re not using it. The Away Garment bag, which comes in either navy or black nylon, retails for $195 on the Away website and is a great gift for frequent business travelers as well as those that like to just get away for the weekend.