A good toiletry bag can be hard to find. Sometimes they’re too big, too small or simply unable to hold up to constant use. For quick trips, you may be able to make do with a toiletry bag that’s just OK. But if you’re going on a longer trip or you’re a frequent traveler, a high-quality toiletry bag can make all the difference. After all, many of these bags can be cumbersome to pack and even more annoying to dig through.
With a monthlong trip ahead of me, I wanted to test out the Away Hanging Toiletry Bag to see if it could be the one. The main requirements? It had to fit all my toiletries (makeup included) and take up as little space in my backpack as possible.
Here’s what I did and didn’t like about the Away Hanging Toiletry Bag.
This toiletry bag is designed to give you easy access to all of your toiletries. It has three mesh pouches for organization and convenient access to whatever you store inside it. Plus, it has a built-in hook, so you can hang it on a wall or door and see all of your toiletries, makeup and other accessories at once.
What we liked about it
Sleek and sturdy
Generally speaking, you can expect Away products to have a sleek and sturdy feel to them, and the Away Hanging Toiletry Bag is no exception. The Away Hanging Toiletry Bag is made of nylon, giving it a nice structured look. While the fabric isn’t very giving, the zipper is heavy-duty and easy to zip even when the bag is stuffed to the brim.
Hanging capability
The big draw of this bag is that it can be hung up, which is especially handy while on the go, as there’s not always a ton of counter space in hotels, vacation rentals or hostels. The hook itself is not only sturdy, but it also swivels, giving it more versatility. You can easily hang it from a wall hook or latch it over a doorknob or shower rod.
Water-resistant and durable
I’d argue that a good toiletry bag has to be water-resistant. After all, the bathroom is where you’ll primarily be using it. Not to mention, spills are bound to happen when you’re dealing with liquids. One good thing about the Away Hanging Toiletry Bag is that anything that spills inside isn’t coming out, and anything that gets on the outside of the bag isn’t going to seep in.
As for the mesh bags inside, they have some stretch to them and can hold a decent amount of items without feeling like they’re going to rip.
What we didn’t like about it
Not very packable
My one gripe with Away products is also what makes them great — they’re really sturdy. This can make it hard to squeeze in last-minute additions, as the Away Hanging Toiletry Bag is made of solid and rigid nylon that doesn’t give very easily. You have to be strategic with your packing to ensure you’re placing items in the optimal spots to maximize all of its interior space.
I find the Away Hanging Toiletry Bag’s storage compartments to be very center-heavy. I wasn’t able to take advantage of the extra space around the edges of the interior compartment during my testing. This is mostly due to the design of the interior pockets, which don’t allow you to fill out the sides.
Organization is lacking
The Away Hanging Toiletry Bag has four organizational pockets. On one side, you have a large zippered mesh pocket, and on the opposite side, there are two small mesh pockets that are elasticized. There’s also one clear zippered bag that is detachable and can be snapped in between the two mesh pockets.
While four organizational pockets may seem like enough, they aren’t very functional since they are relatively small. The issue here is if you can’t fit all your toiletries and makeup in the mesh pockets or clear bag, then you have to store things loosely. Then, the hanger isn’t quite as helpful as you have to remove loose items before hanging the bag.
On my last trip, the included clear liquid bag wasn’t quite big enough for all my liquids. I worried about leaking in the mesh pockets, so I ultimately ended up packing some items in a separate Ziploc bag.
Easily marked up
The Away Hanging Toiletry Bag may be easy to wipe off, but I still don’t like how easily its exterior is marked up. If you don’t like the idea of constantly having to brush off your bag, you may want to opt for a lighter color like blue or pink that hides marks and dust.
How it compares
 |
 |
 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Colors | 3 |
10 |
4 |
| Key specs | 9.6 x 3.74 x 6.6 in. |
8 x 4 x 6 in. |
9.4 x 6.3 x 4.6 in. |
| Organizational pockets | 1 large-capacity compartment, 1 zipper mesh pocket and 2 small mesh pockets |
2 interior zippered compartments |
1 multi-pocket compartment and 1 large-capacity compartment |
| Price | $75 | $75 | $20 |
Bottom line
Overall, the Away Hanging Toiletry Bag is durable and just as sleek as all Away products are. However, I found myself wishing it were a bit more functional and included better organization tools so that it could be packed better. I prefer having one toiletry bag for both my makeup and toiletries, so I thought this would be a good option. However, I still had to pack a loose bag for some items, which didn’t make the hanging feature quite as useful.
Further, the Away Hanging Toiletry Bag took up a lot of space in my backpack, so I ultimately decided to split up my toiletries into two smaller bags to make them easier to fit into the random spaces in my backpack rather than taking up one large space.
All things considered, the Away Hanging Toiletry Bag can be a good option for those who don’t carry a lot in their toiletry bag. But if you’re looking for a bag that fits all of your toiletries, makeup and other bathroom products, you may want to search for an alternative.
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