A suitcase that weighs itself and charges your phone launches in the UK this week
Flying is always stressful, and trying to cope with size and weight restrictions on luggage doesn't help.
Fortunately, there's a suitcase on the market that can weigh itself.
American luggage company Raden recently launched a line of smart, self-weighing suitcases, which are due to be sold in the UK this month.
The cases work alongside a free app that pairs with your suitcase via bluetooth and provides current weather conditions, traffic alerts, case location and details on your flight, making it easier to plan your next trip and get through the airport with ease. The suitcase also charges your phone on the go.
Raden’s suitcases come in two sizes — the larger A28 Check case which retails at £340 ($419) — and the $295 (£200) A22 Carry which is small enough to fit in the overhead storage bin (and on offer for £250 ($308)). A set of two costs £510 ($629).
The New York-based company, which launched in 2013, has recently made its suitcases available for international purchases on Netaporter.com, and will be stocked in Selfridges in London from November 25.
Here's how it works:
Once you've downloaded the Raden app and registered for an account, you can start "pairing" your phone to your suitcase.
To do this, switch the battery on, which is hidden in the suitcase's interior, by holding the grey button at the base until a light appears. Once it's up and running, you can use your phone's bluetooth service to link the app to your case.
To "pair" the devices, hold your phone close to the suitcase, then connect them via the Raden app. This should take about a minute.
When your phone successfully pairs, you can weigh your case by clicking on the in-app "weight" tab.
When you're fully packed, stand your case upright and tap the "calibrate" button on your app.
There are two sets of scales located on either side of the case, meaning there's no need to weigh it yourself.
Tap the "weigh my case" button, and pick up your case off the ground to let the scales work their magic.
After a few seconds, the app will display your suitcase's weight.
This is how much a carry-on case weighs without additional luggage. The larger model weighs 5.9kg when empty.
The Raden app will also ask you to choose your nearest airport. This is so that you can check the weather, journey time and how long the queue at security is.
Both the carry-on and larger case come with an in-built USB port, so you can charge your phone on the move.
Every Raden case comes with a 7,800 mAh battery. According to the firm's website, it can fully charge an iphone up to five times.
It even makes arriving at your destination easier. The suitcase has built-in proximity sensors that tell you when your case is coming down the carousel.
"The $40 billion luggage industry is built on providing a basic travel product with little innovation in design and technology," Raden founder and CEO Josh Udashkin told Business Insider.
Udashkin's firm spent almost two years developing the cases, which "successfully combine design, technology, and value in an effort to solve the headaches we all experience while travelling."
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