Constant business travelers may have their routine down pat, but new technology is helping to make life easier for people used to living out of a suitcase. And that starts with a new kind of suitcase, but it doesn’t end there. Travelers can now also better cope with hotel bathrooms that have limited counter space, experience a cooler flight experience, translate anything—even with spotty Internet connection—and more.
Luggage: No Zippers, No Problem
Trunkster ($355 to $435) has proven to be a popular concept. It raised more than $1.4 million on Kickstarter and received a $28 million valuation on Shark Tank. And now the “most crowdfunded travel campaign ever” is available for purchase. What makes this suitcase so unique? For starters, no zippers. Instead it uses a sliding rolltop door that provides easy access on the go, while making it harder for thieves to break into compared to vulnerable zippers. Additional features include a removable battery for charging digital devices via USB, a built-in digital scale, and a tracker that can trace your suitcase anywhere in the world.
Translator: No Internet Connection Required
The Logbar ili is a wearable translator that works without the need for any Internet connection. Instead the ili uses its own OS that can translate words instantly, and even includes a library of travel lexicon to make it ideal for travel purposes. It is expected to be released this summer with the ability to support translation for English, Chinese, and Japanese. The company hopes to add French, Thai, Korean, Spanish, Italian, and Arabic support in the near future.
Toiletry Bag: Built-in Countertop
ORGO Lite ($40) is a toiletry and makeup bag that not only neatly organizes all of your stuff, but can expand to serve as its own countertop. It can even be used right over a sink to provide you with more space. In its compact position, the bag is only about 15-inches across but it can expand out to three feet. The bag is also designed to keep objects of all shapes and sizes in place no matter how you store them.
Neck Pillow: Instant Cool
At the 2016 International Travel Goods Association Conference, Cabeau’s Evolution Cool ($60) neck pillow was named the Buzz Award winner as the most talked-about item at the conference by popular vote among attendees. This patent-pending pillow uses cooling air circulation vents to provide a more comfortable experience and eliminate heat and perspiration concerns. The pillow is also made of proprietary dual-density memory foam to ensure each person gets the support and comfort best for them.
Battery: Charge at Hyperspeed
Constant travelers are always searching for available outlets to keep their devices fully charged so they can remain connected wherever they go. The Simpiz iTron ($79 to $150 in May 2016) promises to be the fastest portable battery charger on the market. After 18 minutes of charging the iTron, it has enough juice to fully recharge a 9000mAh battery on to go. And most devices don’t even have a battery that large. That means it only takes three minutes of charging the iTron for an iPhone 5, five minutes for an iPhone 6S or eight minutes for a Samsung Galaxy.
