Product image supplied by the brand
In this guide
Monos sells four carry-on shapes in its Classic line, and this is the plainest: the Carry-On, with no front pocket and no expansion gusset, in a polycarbonate shell that Monos says is partly recycled and dent resistant. The list price in the US is $275 for the matte colors, with Midnight Black, Olive Green, Ocean Blue and Terracotta at the $275 figure at this check and several other colors cut to $233.75; the glossy Mulberry, Citrus and Arles Blue finishes list at $290 to $305. It is the size Monos rates for trips of two to five days and five to eight outfits.
The case competes directly with the Away Carry-On at the same $275, and on paper the differences are small but consistent: the Monos is a fraction taller and narrower, holds about one liter less, and is listed almost a pound lighter. The larger difference is in what happens after a baggage handler cracks it, because Monos folds airline damage into two optional plans rather than the base warranty. Whether that structure is a bargain or a catch rests on how you fly.
Our verdict
A well-documented $275 hardside carry-on that undercuts the Away Carry-On by roughly a pound and a liter, with lifetime cover that stops at wheels, handle and lock unless you pay $35 or $65 more within two weeks of delivery.
- A good fit for
- A traveler who packs for two to five days, wants a matte polycarbonate case with published dimensions and airline fit, and will settle the add-on coverage question inside the 14-day window.
- We would skip it if
- You need the extra volume of a Plus or expandable size, want a front laptop pocket, or expect the included warranty to cover a cracked shell after an airline drops it.
Reasons to consider it
- 22 × 14 × 9 in exterior with wheels and handles, 39.9 L, and a listed weight of 6.60 lb against 7.5 lb for the Away Carry-On
- TSA-accepted combination lock, YKK reverse coil zippers, four-position handle and a removable compression pad with a zippered flat pocket
- Lifetime coverage of wheels, handle and lock, plus a 100-day home trial and a nesting design that stores inside the Check-In sizes
The compromises
- Airline damage, cracks and lost luggage are only covered through the $35 Essential+ or $65 Pro+ upgrades, which must be added within 14 days of delivery
- The 100-day trial is voided once the case has been used in transit, and return shipping is deducted from the refund
- Monos publishes two different weights, 6.60 lb on the product specs and 7.01 lb in its FAQ, and does not explain the difference
What we have not verified: The suitcase was not packed or rolled for this article; wheel noise, handle wobble, how the compression pad behaves when the case is full, and how the matte shell scuffs in a hold were not observed, and the weight discrepancy on Monos's own site is unresolved.
The things in this guide
A closer look at the products, who they may suit, and what to check before buying.
Carry-On · Midnight Black
A 39.9-liter polycarbonate case at 22 × 14 × 9 inches and a listed 6.60 lb, with a TSA-accepted lock, YKK zippers, a four-height handle, a removable compression pad and lifetime cover on wheels, handle and lock.
Before you buy: Cracks and airline damage sit behind paid add-ons chosen within 14 days of delivery, the home trial ends once the case flies, and Monos lists two different weights for it.
Price checked September 11, 2026. Retailer prices can change.22 by 14 by 9 inches, 39.9 liters, and a weight that depends on which page you read
Monos gives the exterior as 22 inches tall, 14 wide and 9 deep, measured with the wheels and fixed handles included, which is the honest way to quote a carry-on because sizers do not subtract the wheels. Volume is 39.9 liters. The comparison table rates it for five to eight outfits and says it fits the sizer and overhead bins of all major airlines in North America, Europe, Asia and Oceania; the Plus size, an inch larger in height and width, is downgraded to most airlines. The Away Carry-On, by its own figures, is 21.7 by 14.4 by 9 inches and 41 liters, so the Monos trades a little width for a little height and ends up about a liter smaller.
Weight is where Monos's documentation slips. The product specs and the comparison table say 6.60 lb, or 2.99 kg. The FAQ, answering the same question, gives 7.01 lb. Either number beats Away's listed 7.5 lb, but the spread of four tenths of a pound on one maker's site suggests one figure is stale, and this article cannot say which. For a traveler who packs to an airline's weight limit the difference is trivial; for one comparing published figures it is a reason to weigh the case on arrival.
Polycarbonate shell, YKK zippers, and a compression pad you can take out
The shell is polycarbonate that Monos describes as aerospace grade, water resistant and made partly from recycled material, and the gaskets along the seam are TPE instead of PVC, a point the FAQ makes at length. The wheels are 360-degree spinners that Monos says it designs in house, the telescopic handle stops at four heights, and the trim that looks like leather is polyurethane microfiber. Closure is a TSA-accepted three-dial combination lock over color-matched YKK reverse coil zippers; the FAQ walks through setting the code and warns that Monos cannot recover a forgotten combination, only suggest cycling through all thousand of them.
Inside, the lining is 100% recycled polyester with a silver-ion antimicrobial treatment, and one side carries a built-in compression pad that unclips and has a zippered pocket for flat items. Included are a laundry bag with the same antimicrobial coating, two shoe bags, a luggage tag and a dust bag, plus an eraser sponge for scuffs on the shell, which Monos openly says polycarbonate will pick up in transit. The Carry-On nests inside either Check-In size for storage, which matters in a small apartment more than it sounds.
Lifetime on the parts that move, $35 or $65 for the damage airlines do
The included lifetime warranty is narrower than the word suggests. Monos lists what it covers: the telescopic handle if it stops extending, the lock if it fails in normal handling, the wheels if they stick, wear or break with regular use, and craftsmanship of the core functional parts. Cracks in the shell from airline handling, functional impacts and zipper damage from mishandling are not in that list. They live in two one-time upgrades, Essential+ at $35 with one covered airline-damage repair, a $50 credit if the bag is lost and 15% off a future trade-in, and Pro+ at $65 with up to two repairs, a $100 lost-luggage credit and 30% off. Both have to be added within 14 days of delivery.
Set against Away, the structures are inverted. Away's LifetimeCare Coverage includes repairs in the first five years plus one replacement at no extra charge, with a $35 extension to ten years. Monos includes an open-ended warranty on a shorter list of parts and charges for the airline cases. A traveler who flies a few times a year and rarely checks the bag may never need either upgrade; one who gate-checks on regional jets should price the Monos at $310 or $340 and compare from there.
A 100-day trial that ends at the airport
Monos allows a return for 100 days counted from delivery, and its advice is specific: pack it to the weight you would travel with and roll it around the house. The trial is voided if the case has been used in transit, and Monos will not take back a suitcase in unsaleable condition, so a scuffed shell from a single flight ends the option. The cost of the return shipment is deducted from the refund, and exchanges are handled as a return plus a new order, not a swap.
Orders over $100 ship free to the contiguous US, with standard ground quoted at 4–6 business days after processing and express at one to two. Monos says it produces stock in small batches and sells through colors between seasons, so a color shown as pre-order ships seven to nine business days after the date given at checkout. For a trip already on the calendar, that is the practical constraint: the in-stock matte colors are the ones a buyer can count on.
When to skip it
Skip the plain Carry-On if your packing habits call for something the other Monos sizes already solve. The Carry-On Pro adds a laptop sleeve on the front at $295, the Expandable adds a gusset that takes depth from 9.8 to 11.4 inches, and the Plus adds seven liters for travelers whose airlines allow it. Buying the base case and then wishing for a pocket is the usual route to owning two suitcases.
Pass on it too if the included warranty is what you are paying for. The base coverage is real for wheels, handle and lock, but shell cracks and airline mishandling cost $35 or $65 extra and must be chosen inside two weeks of delivery, and lost luggage yields a credit, not a case. A frequent flyer needing damage covered without a decision at checkout has other options at the same $275, and a rare one may find the Monos an honest deal precisely because it does not bundle coverage into the price.
How we put this together
Built from the product pages and listings below, without test scores or results we have not measured. Specifications and prices change, so check the original page for the exact model, current price, delivery, and returns.
- Monos: Carry-On product page (opens in a new tab)
- Monos: Compare luggage (opens in a new tab)
- Monos: Lifetime warranty and coverage upgrades (opens in a new tab)
- Monos: Refund policy (opens in a new tab)
- Monos: FAQ (opens in a new tab)
- Away: The Carry-On product page (opens in a new tab)
