*announcer voice* Welcome to the Carry-On Showdown! Today's match pits a budget newcomer against a longstanding champion: it's Quince vs. Away.
Cheesy intros aside, if you’ve been reading since this blog’s launch in 2017, you know I’m passionate about luggage. If you’ve ever had a wheel give out or a handle snap or a zipper bust in the middle of a trip, you know all too well how much bringing the wrong suitcase can negatively impact your trip.
Meanwhile bringing the right suitcase on a trip enhances the experience—so much so, that you honestly may not even notice how well your luggage suits your needs. And isn’t that the ultimate luxury? The freedom to not think about such trivial things so you can focus on your trip?
This post is not sponsored by either Quince or Away but contains affiliate links
Over the years, I’ve shared in-depth reviews of a number of suitcases and bags for the minimalist traveler, beginning with the Away Carry-On—which I purchased around the time I launched this blog. I know I’m not the only one who feels like that was a lifetime ago, but in the second-half of the 2010s, the market was flooded with so-called disruptors in every industry.
So many of those brands came and went (after all, new is exciting but not necessarily better), but there are a number of them that have gone on to become household names—essentially, the new old guard.
Away was one such brand, and the marketing worked on me. But you know what? The product actually lived up to the hype, and it’s joined me on countless journeys around the world.
Wondering what to pack inside your carry-on? Find all of my destination-specific carry-on packing lists in one place.
But while I still love and recommend the suitcase to anyone searching for a carry-on, I’d be foolish to ignore the price. The price has increased over the years, now resting at $275—which is not an insubstantial amount (it costs about the same as my last three roundtrip plane tickets combined, if that tells you anything).
So when Quince—another brand I’ve reviewed extensively on the blog—released an international-sized carry-on for less than half the price, I quickly added to cart.
Now that I’ve had some time to travel with the Quince Carry-On, today I’m bringing you a comparison of the Quince Carry-On and the Away Carry-On. As you’ll soon see, they are very similar in many ways—but are they the same quality?
We’ll dive into the specs of each suitcase first, and then move on to compare the two before I wrap things up and share my opinions on which suitcase is right for you. But before we get started, I should mention two things:
1. Both Quince and Away have multiple carry-on bags, and the ones I have personal experience with (and am talking about in this post) are the Quince Carry-On Hard Shell Suitcase – 20″ and The Carry-On from Away. To make things easier as you’re reviewing photos in today’s post, my Quince suitcase is blue and my Away suitcase is black.
2. My Away suitcase is an earlier iteration, which includes a battery pack and doesn’t have the bottom hand-hold that is now included in the current model. It also has a slightly different interior pocket layout than the newer version, and a different style of wheel. I will be referring to the specs of the current model in this post, but the photos will be of my version.
With all that out of the way, let’s get packing—er, cracking:
ABOUT THE QUINCE CARRY-ON
The carry-on suitcase from Quince (official name: Carry-On Hard Shell Suitcase – 20″), is a hard shell suitcase with a polycarbonate shell, four Hinomoto 360 degree wheels, TSA-approved lock, ergonomic telescopic handle, and zipper closure. Inside is a compression panel with a flat pocket and a laundry bag which stores in its own attached pouch.
The exterior measures 22″ H x 14.4″ W x 9.1″ D, and the internal dimensions are 20.1” x 13.5″ with a capacity of 40L. The Quince carry-on weighs 6.2lbs, and is approved to fly on most major airlines (find Quince’s list of carriers here).
Quince’s return policy permits unused items to be returned for free within 365 days. Quince luggage purchases include a warranty which covers defects such as cracks in the shell, broken wheels and handles, and zippers that no longer function. The warranty does not cover things like cosmetic damage, luggage purchased or used by another consumer, loss or theft, or damage caused by tampering (you can review the full warranty policy here).
ABOUT THE AWAY CARRY-ON
The carry-on suitcase from Away (official name: The Carry-On) is a hard shell suitcase with a polycarbonate shell, four 360 degree wheels, TSA-approved lock, adjustable telescopic handle, leather luggage tag, and zipper closure. Inside is a compression panel, three zippered pockets, and a laundry bag which stores in its own attached pouch.
The exterior measures 21.7″ H x 14.4″ W x 9″ D, and the internal dimensions are 20.1″ x 13.9″ x 7.5″ with a capacity of 39.8L. The Away carry-on weighs 7.5lbs, and is approved to fly on most major airlines (find Away’s list of carriers here).
Away’s return policy permits unused items to be returned for free within 100 days. Away luggage purchases include a warranty which covers defects such as cracks in the shell, broken wheels and handles, and zippers that no longer function. The warranty does not cover things like cosmetic damage, loss or theft, loss of functionality if you get locked out, or damage caused by tampering (you can review the full warranty policy here).
COMPARING THE QUINCE AND AWAY CARRY-ON SUITCASES
Though Away has made a few updates to its carry-on bag over the years, the Quince version is almost like a copy-paste of the original (you see it too, right?). The specs are so similar that I essentially did just that while writing the two descriptions above.
However, there are a few key differences between the two bags. The first is the overall dimensions, although it’s such a subtle difference that I honestly just assumed the bags were the same size. A bit more obvious of a difference when you roll these bags side by side is the handle; the telescopic handle rises to two heights on each, but the shape of the handle is slightly different (the Quince bag has an angled handle while the Away handle is a bit more round).
The wheels are another design departure, with Hinomoto wheels (long considered the gold standard) on the Quince bag and wheels from an unknown manufacturer on the Away (when asked who manufactures Away’s wheels, I received a pretty cagey answer from customer service).
To really dig in and compare the two bags, I think it’s best to break things down, piece by piece.
WHICH CARRY-ON IS BETTER – QUINCE OR AWAY?
Like all things in life, the answer is a little complicated. Let’s dive into the details and see if we can find our winner by the end of it:
Appearance, Exterior
Winner: Tie.
The bags are virtually identical, so it all boils down to aesthetic preferences here. I personally don’t have a preference between the wrapped grooves of the Away bag and the staggered lines of the Quince bag, but your eyes may choose a clear winner here.
Appearance, Interior
Winner: Quince.
In general, I prefer logo-less products, so it’s nice to open up the Quince carry-on and not feel like I’m being advertised to. The solid black interior looks quite chic.
Materials
Winner: Away.
I had a visceral reaction to the feel of the Quince suitcase as I pulled it from its box – and not in a good way. Both suitcases have a pebbly texture, but the Quince texture feels a bit like when you accidentally sand your finger instead of the piece of wood, and the Away texture feels more refined. The Quince suitcase has a bit more “give” to it as well, which makes it feel a little cheaper.
Unfortunately this sentiment carries through to the interior materials. The Away suitcase lining, mesh, and laundry bag are much silkier and smoother than the Quince fabric, and the compression pad and buckles feel much more secure. While they look almost identical, once you dig below the surface it’s clear to see that Quince chose cheaper materials throughout the product to reduce the overall cost.
Color options
Winner: Away.
If expressing yourself through your luggage is important to you, you’ll appreciate all of the color options from Away.
Price
Winner: Quince.
At less than half the price of the Away suitcase, the Quince version is quite a steal.
Packability
Winner: Tie.
I nearly gave Away the edge here because of the additional interior pockets, but that feels like such a minor detail in the grand scheme of things. Switching between these two suitcases to write this review has been a breeze, because the layout is the same.
Rolling
Winner: Undetermined (but leaning Quince).
I truly haven’t noticed a significant difference in rolling each suitcase (but if that ever changes, I’ll be sure to update this post), however that may be due to the fact that my Away carry-on has the same Hinomoto wheels as the Quince carry-on. Newer models have a different wheel, and I’ve heard firsthand that they are not as smooth.
Telescopic Handle
Winner: Quince.
The top of the telescopic handle on the Quince suitcase feels much more comfortable in my hand (I also had Michael weigh in here, and he agrees).
Side Handles
Winner: Away.
The side and top handles on the Away carry-on feel much more sturdy and secure in my hand than the Quince ones.
Zipper and Lock
Winner: Tie.
They slide and lock identically.
Weight
Winner: Quince.
Though you may not be asked to weigh your carry-on suitcase all that often, a pound could be the difference between paying an overweight baggage fee or not!
Return Policy
Winner: Quince.
Though I wish both luggage companies would offer a risk-free trial, you have plenty of extra time to make your decision with the Quince bag. Just be sure to really test things out at home before you decide to roll it out the front door (basically, once you cross that threshold, it’s yours for good!).
Warranty
Winner: Tie.
I can attest to the validity of the Away warranty as I’ve successfully used it, but I can’t speak firsthand on what it’s like to submit a claim with Quince. But as written, both warranties are essentially identical.
Accessories
Winner: Away
While Quince’s travel section grows more robust by the day and includes items that are similar to other brands for a fraction of the price, I’m giving this one to Away for its considered and original options and for the fact that it comes with a luggage tag (the Quince suitcase doesn’t, something you’ll need to factor into the price).
ZIPPING IT ALL UP: WHICH SUITCASE SHOULD YOU BUY?
With nearly identical specs and a lifetime warranty for each of these suitcases, plus a mixed bag of pros and cons for each, which suitcase you should choose boils down to two things: price and quality. While I can’t peek into your bank account to tell you which bag you can afford, I can make the following recommendations based on my perception of the value of each bag:
The Carry-On Hard Shell Suitcase from Quince may be for you if:
- You’re looking for a hard shell suitcase at a lower price
- You prefer minimally-branded products
- You don’t necessarily care about the quality of the materials
- You need a lighter suitcase
The Carry-On from Away may be for you if:
- Budget is of no concern
- You like the styling and branding
- You prefer materials with a higher quality feel
- The weight of the bag doesn’t matter
As for me? Nine times out of ten, I prefer to travel with my Away suitcase for its tried-and-true durability and the way the materials feel.
But the other one-tenth of the time? I’ll be reaching for the lighter Quince suitcase to eek out as much weight as I can on airlines with very low carry-on weight allowances (looking at you, Lufthansa, with a sub-20lb. limit…).
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If you found this post helpful, please consider shopping through my Quince or Away links—this won't cost you anything extra, but just helps offset some of the costs of hosting this blog and providing free, reliable reviews for you (not to mention, it makes my day!). Thanks for reading along!
Questions for you
Which suitcase are you most drawn to?
Is there a third contender in the ring? What other suitcases are you considering?
Where to next? Why not give one of these a read:
- Updated Away Carry-On Review
- First Impressions of The Carry-On by Away
- How to Pack the Away Carry-On
- Pack Smart, Not Hard: A Review of Away’s Packing Cubes
- Away Everywhere Bag Review + Packing Tips
- A Travel Blogger’s Review of the Solgaard Carry-On Closet
- How to Pack Faster
- The Travel Pill Organizer I Never Leave Home Without
- Traveling Hands-Free with Parker Clay’s Nyala Foldover Clutch and Sodo Belt Bag
- A Review of Cuyana’s Classic Leather Zipper Tote and Tote Organization Insert
- The One Accessory You Should Always Pack
- Choosing the Right Jewelry for Travel, Featuring GLDN
- Home Try-On: Three Packable Straw Hats Under $100
- Avelo Airlines Review
- Contour Airlines Review
- Frontier Airlines Review
- Spirit Airlines Review
- Shop My Closet
- All Travel Guides Sorted by Destination
- Checking In: Hotel Reviews
- Real-Life Packing Lists
- Exclusive Discount + Promo Codes
Great, thorough review. Glad you included the weights of each.