I have both
Away brand, Burton and Briggs and Riley

Away and the Burton open and you can fill both sides
The Briggs and Riley has the flap

We do a ton of international travel the flap is way better because hotel rooms are so small internationally

They really fit the same amount. And it’s way easier to seal if you over stuff a bit . It’s way more organized to just use one side , the flap sides have pockets for small items

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Thanks for the replies! Good point about the space it takes up when open.

Anonymous wrote:I prefer one large compartment - gives us more flexibility in packing it.

Does anyone have firsthand experience packing both, and can you actually pack more in the large compartment bag?

Yes
The the clam shell fits more

Get Briggs a and Riley one

You can have my Away carry-on when you pry it from my cold, dead hand. I LOVE it!

If you haven't yet embraced packing cubes you are missing out. Once you go to packing cubes the Away design is the way to go.

Anonymous wrote:The clamshell is annoying because it takes up so much space when open.

This. And can be unsteady or too big on a luggage rack. I’m team flap.

One of my pet peeves is the refusal of the hotel industry to keep up with the book-style luggage’s need for a larger or expandable luggage rack. Those racks exist. Why won’t hotels use them?

The kind with one large compartment are much easier to pack on the way home when you have a lot of dirty clothes in my opinion. They are also easier to open and grab something quickly.

I prefer the one large style.

OP here. Thanks for the replies! Good point about the space it takes up when open.

Anonymous wrote:I prefer one large compartment - gives us more flexibility in packing it.

Does anyone have firsthand experience packing both, and can you actually pack more in the large compartment bag?

The clamshell is annoying because it takes up so much space when open.

We have both styles. The issue I have with the book one is sometimes I have an item that doesn't fit in the shallow side, like a particular shoe or boot style. Then the deeper compartment is better.

Agree with the luggage stand issue as well.

I prefer one large compartment - gives us more flexibility in packing it.

We use both. Spouse has “book” one as a hard shell and likes it. I use “ one large compartment with flap” one in softshell and prefer that due to large compartment and it’s easier for the fold out luggage stands to support.

I’m in the market for a new carryon. I’m wondering which of these two styles of bags is better.

I currently have the style of bag that folds like a book:



I’ve liked this style because you have two separate spaces, but the issue is you can’t overfill either because then closing the bag proves challenging.

But I keep seeing this style, with one large compartment that opens with just a flap:



My perception is that this style will somehow offer more space, but I don’t know how when the linear dimensions of both bags are the same—both are standard 21” carryon bags.

If you have experience with both bag types, can you offer your opinion on both?