Trunkster: The Suitcase of the Future

You regularly upgrade your personal electronics; why not upgrade the way you travel with them?

By Jennifer Schiavone

When you think of traveling technology, there are portable gadgets aplenty. Tablets, laptops, phones, smartwatches — you’d never leave home without them. They make waiting in line an opportunity to check email, and trekking across the airport becomes exercise points on your fitness tracker. But with all these cutting edge devices along for the journey, why is the bag you carry them in so old-fashioned?

Enter Trunkster, the brainchild of Jesse Potash and Gaston Blanchet. They spent a long time imagining what an ideal piece of luggage would be. The result is a set of high-tech bags (available in sizes for checking or carrying-on) that bring a host of modern conveniences to the suitcase — whose most revolutionary additions had previously been wheels and zippers.

While you will find wheels on a Trunkster (rubberized silent spinners, to be exact), there are no zippers. Instead, it opens via a sliding rolltop door. The eye-catching design offers several benefits: It’s water-resistant; it’s easier to access belongings without disturbing the rest of your bag’s contents; and it’s far more secure than zippered cases — most of which (even locked) can be broken into with a ballpoint pen.

Further enhancing security is the Trunkster Tracker. Its low-energy Bluetooth technology, which runs for 15 days on one battery charge, lets you monitor your bag’s location whenever it’s nearby — in case you’re wondering if your checked bag made it onto the flight or when it will be showing up at baggage claim. Plus, if your bag is lost, you can request a “Trunkster Trace,” which will locate it almost anywhere in the world. As an added bonus, the GPS device is removable, so you can use it in other bags or lend it to a friend if you’re staying home.

Another techie refinement is a digital scale built into the handle to help you avoid pricey overweight baggage fees. But perhaps the most useful aspect of the Trunkster is how it helps you power all your other portable electronics. The carry-on has an optional, removable USB power bank that provides enough charge to refill an iPhone eight times — with USB plugs located conveniently at the top of the bag.

Perhaps most travel gear will eventually come equipped with these sorts of bells and whistles. In the meantime, if you’ve been wishing that your luggage would join the rest of your accessories in the 21st century, this may be the upgrade for which you’ve been waiting. Visit trunkster.co.