Head-to-head · Best Carry-On Luggage

Amazon Basics 21" Hardside Carry-On Luggage vs Away The Carry-On

Which is the better buy? Side-by-side on rating, price, strengths, and watch-outs — with the published ratings we averaged to get there.

The short answer

Away The Carry-On comes out ahead by a clear margin (3.9 vs 4.4). The gap is mostly about weekend leisure traveler who wants a stylish polycarbonate shell in a specific color, takes 3-5 day trips, and values brand-direct customer service over the lowest possible price — read the strengths below before deciding.

Ranked #5 in Best Carry-On Luggage

Amazon Basics 21" Hardside Carry-On Luggage

3.9

$80

Outdoor Gear Lab scored the Amazon Basics 20" Spinner 61/100 with the verdict 'far from being indestructible' and Pack Hacker rated it 7.2/10 as 'a solid entry-level bag for new travelers.' At $80 it's the cheapest functional hardside in this roundup — fine for occasional travel, the wrong choice for anyone who flies more than 4-5 times a year. Buy this if you need a carry-on for a single trip and don't want to pay $145 for the Samsonite.

Strengths

— $80 starting price is roughly half the Samsonite Freeform and a quarter of Travelpro
— Four spinner wheels and a telescoping handle make it functionally identical to mid-range hardsides
— Expandable for up to 25% more interior space

Watch-outs

— Newer production batches use ABS plastic instead of polycarbonate — more brittle, less impact-absorbent
— Outdoor Gear Lab ranked it 14th of 17 carry-ons with concerns about construction quality
— Telescoping handle and zippers feel cheaper than Samsonite or Travelpro under everyday use

$80 · Check Price on Amazon Full review →

Higher ratedRanked #2 in Best Carry-On Luggage

Away The Carry-On

4.4

$275

Outdoor Gear Lab scored the Away Carry-On 81/100 and called the polycarbonate shell 'one of the best we've seen,' while Pack Hacker rated it 7.7/10 with praise for the interior compression system and stylish exterior. At $275 it sits below premium hardsides like Rimowa or TUMI but above value brands like Samsonite, making it the default pick for travelers who want polycarbonate durability without aluminum-case prices.

Strengths

— 100% polycarbonate shell flexes under impact and rebounds without cracking
— Built-in compression system with double-buckle pads adds usable packing volume
— TSA-approved combination lock and 360-degree spinner wheels are standard equipment

Watch-outs

— Indented zipper track makes the shell feel flexier than premium hardsides like Monos or Rimowa
— Side grab handles are slim and difficult to grasp when the bag is full
— Built-in battery option was removed in the 2022 redesign and never returned

Full review →

How they stack up

Amazon Basics 21" Hardside Carry-On Luggage

Cheapest bag in this roundup at $80, but Outdoor Gear Lab ranked it fourteenth of seventeen — behind every other pick here. Lacks the design polish of the Samsonite Freeform ($145) and the build quality of the Travelpro Platinum Elite. Its quarter-volume expansion is competitive with Travelpro's 2-inch zipper but the underlying shell is meaningfully thinner.

Away The Carry-On

Lighter than the Briggs & Riley Baseline Essential (7.5 lbs vs. 10 lbs) and more impact-resistant than the Samsonite Freeform's polypropylene shell, but the indented zipper track makes it feel flexier than the Monos Carry-On Pro's aerospace-grade German polycarbonate. Compression system gives back roughly the same usable capacity as Briggs's CX system without the ratcheting mechanism.

Specs side-by-side

Spec	Amazon Basics 21" Hardside Carry-On Luggage	Away The Carry-On
Material	ABS plastic (newer production); polycarbonate in earlier batches	100% polycarbonate
External Dimensions	21.6 x 14.9 x 10 in	21.7 x 14.4 x 9 in
Packing Capacity	41 L (51 L expanded)	41 L
Weight	7.7 lbs	7.5 lbs
Wheel Type	4 multidirectional spinner wheels	4 dual-spinner 360-degree wheels
TSA Lock	Yes, recessed combination	Yes, combination
Expandable	Yes, 25% additional	—
Warranty	3-year limited	LifetimeCare with 5-year complimentary repairs
Compression System	—	Yes, double-buckle pads

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