I’ve never claimed to be an overly ‘stylish’ person, but I do know when an item of luggage is designed well enough to catch the eye, it has the chance to stand out! Which is an important feature to get right if you are entering the ‘Smart’ Carry-On market in 2017.
Samsara: The World’s First Aluminum Smart Suitcase
The mix of an Aluminum alloy outer, recessed roller wheels, smooth curves and unique, almost tubular shape, of the Samsara suggest it may well live up to its tag line; Look Smart, Travel Smart!
Design Features
At first glance, the Samsara may appear somewhat minimalistic from its appearance, but that is due to some great design which conceals some very useful features.
Stood upright, the top surface has been kept as flat as possible, to give you a mobile working space for your notebook. So when your flight is delayed and your sat in the departures area, you can still get on with some work! But, that would mean finding a seat next to a power outlet, right? Nope.
There is a 20,000mAh power bank stored at the top rear of the case which has USB-C and therefore able to charge compatible laptops (mostly newer models from 2016 onwards). Otherwise it has enough charge for 6-10 smartphones, or can be used for any other USB charged device.
The final understated feature on the outside are the wheels. The Samsara has two sets. Firstly, there are two rollerblade style wheels cut into the bottom rear of the case. By putting the majority of the wheel within the space of the case, it keeps the weight balance firmly on top of the smaller exposed section of the wheel. This should make it much easier to pull along when heavy, with less chance of it wobbling and twisting over.
Then, there are the ‘ball’ style wheels on the very base of the case. These four small ball wheels are again, recessed – or mostly embedded, within the case. Keeping the weight evenly over the wheels and making it easier to move around. These are for use when you prefer to keep your case along side you rather than pulling along from behind!
With such low ground clearance, using either set of wheels, I’d be worried about scuffing the case on curbs or escalators.
On the inside
This is where the Samsara gets Smart! When you open the case in a dark room, light sensors will turn on the internal LED light! Maybe not a feature most would expect to find in a carry-on, but there is no harm in being first at something!
An app will accompany the Samsara giving you four controls over the case:
- Opening – Should someone open the case without your knowledge the app will alert you.
- Proximity – If you happen to walk away and forget your case, the app will trigger an alarm on your smartphone to warn you.
- LED Light – Control over the LED light.
- Power – Remaining power in the battery pack.
The Samsara is currently seeking Crowd Funding support on Kickstarter where they are up to 680 backers! The case is due to start shipping at the end of the year.
If you are interested you can get an early bird offer price of $395 which is 42% off the expected retail price.
Sadly the final design is nothing like this beauty.
Have you purchased or used one? Bad experience?