The Future of Luggage: Is Your Suitcase High-Tech?
If you're still wheeling around the same luggage you bought 5 years ago, get ready to have your mind blown. Luggage innovation has come a long way, baby. Today suitcases and carry-ons can weigh themselves, feature GPS tracking capability, and even have charging stations built into them. Plus, dig a little deeper and you'll find luggage whose sales strengthen good, sustainable causes.
Trunkster
Available in June 2016, The Trunkster will be sold as both luggage and carry on. The bag has a zipperless design, and is water resistant, as well as drop and impact resistant -- a bonus for travelers who have had their belongings damaged by careless luggage attendants. Business travelers will appreciate the built-in battery pack, and the bag also features a digital scale (so you'll never be over the weight limit on flights) and an optional location tracking device, so you'll never deal with lost luggage headaches.
Bluesmart
The Blusmart Carry On takes traveler's high-tech needs into consideration with an array of features. First, GPS location tracking lets you know where your luggage is at any moment, a built-in scale means you'll never pay for heavy bags again, the digital lock keeps your worldly goods secure, and a built-in battery charger keeps your devices running for hours.
Tylt
This durable, TSA-approved backpack by Tylt has plenty of room for clothes and personal items, with over 1,500 cubic inches of storage space. Of course, it also packs some serious power with a 10,400mAh removable battery that can charge your smartphone, tablet and e-reader simultaneously. The backpack even includes charging pass-thrus to 7 of its 13 specialized compartments, so your device cords won't get tangled. A full-length zipper pocket on the front of the bag gives you easy access to airline tickets or passports, and a hidden trolley slot on the back lets you easily attach it to rolling suitcases.
Away Luggage
The Away carry-on features a built-in 10,000 mAh battery with 2 USB ports that can charge devices up to 5 times during travel. Other unique features include a removable, washable laundry bag underneath a patent-pending compression system, water-resistant YKK zippers, and 360-degree Hinomoto spinner wheels, and more.
Founded in 2015 by former Warby Parker executives, Away works directly with manufacturers to offer products made from best-in-class materials with thoughtfully-integrated technology.
Scrubba Wash Pack
When travelers need to wash clothes on the road, it often becomes a headache involving bathroom sinks, tubs and an enormous mess. The Scrubba Wash Pack eliminates that struggle. This unusual backpack doubles as a wash bag, and features a flexible internal washboard with hundreds of resilient nodules. You can fill the bag with cleaning liquid and water, expel the air for approximately 3 minutes, and voila! Remove your clothes, and hang to dry. The bag's adjustable straps allows you to wear it as a backpack or messenger-style sling bag. Plus it features a waist strap and easy-access pockets on the shoulder straps and pouch, plus an abrasion-resistant back panel for added durability.
LugLoc
Though not luggage, LugLoc is worth a mention for saving travelers from undue stress. Losing a piece of luggage can quickly spoil an entire trip. Enter LugLoc Luggage Locator, a device that allows you to track the location of luggage from a smartphone anywhere in the world. LugLoc uses Bluetooth and GSM technology to keep tabs on bags, and is FAA, TSA and FCC compliant. The device turns itself off automatically when in flight or in continuous motion. LugLoc runs on a battery charged through the USB port, and will last for 15 days fully charged.
Barracuda
Barracuda Luggage is the self-proclaimed world's first fully collapsible hardside carry-on. The bag also offers high-tech travelers a built in laptop tray, a battery pack for charging devices, a digital scale so you know if you've reached weight limits, and an optional location tracking module so your bag never gets lost. The bag became available for sale this April.
Anchal Project
We love the Anchal Project, a nonprofit social enterprise that addresses the exploitation of women around the world by creating employment opportunities, services and products that support female empowerment. The Weekender is one of those product's -- a one-of-a-kind bag made from layers of vintage saris held together by a traditional kantha stitch. Each sari has been transformed into vibrant and unified textiles using natural dyes such as indigo, while leaving traces of the original sari pattern below. This carry-on compliant bag is lined with a sturdy cotton canvas and can be rolled or folded for convenient storage and packing. For every bag purchased, the artisans who craft them are empowered through economic stability, confidence and restoration of self-worth.
Ebby Rane
New luxury travel brand, Ebby Rane, has developed a suitcase that doubles as personal valet and even includes a buttery-smooth Italian leather clutch handbag. The carry-on sized Quartermaster features 10 gold-stamped accessory cases as well as the stylish 1887 Clutch bag. The bag's patented interior packing system includes cases or bags for your shoes, undergarments, liquids, dirty laundry and more.
