Is Smart Luggage Really Worth It?

As smart luggage enters the carry-on game, experts debate if the gimmicks are actually worth it.

Today’s luggage can do more than ever before. Some offer the option to lock and unlock your suitcase from your phone, some come with in-luggage chargers for your mobile devices, some weigh themselves, some have remote tracking capabilities — and some luggage does all of those things at once. You can now connect your suitcase to an app or use it as a mobile hotspot. Samsonite and Samsung even began a partnership to create luggage that follows you through the airport so you don’t actually have to push anything. But is it all worth it?

Some experts don’t think so. Ramesh Tainwala, CEO Samsonite, told CNN that most of these perks are just for show and not value-added.

“Everyone is talking about smart luggage, but right now, I think what’s in the marketplace is more gimmicks,” he told CNN. “I wouldn’t really say we’ve reached a level of technology where you have something that delivers value to the consumer in a manner that is safe.”

For now, it might be more sensible to focus on the standard parts of luggage and their quality. According to Tainwala, wheels and weight are hot items right now. Manufacturers are striving for the lowest luggage base weight because the lighter a bag is, the more you can pack before reaching the airline-imposed limit. And the wheels, although they may not look like much, often have up to 60 different components. Samsonite’s adjust based on temperature and weather.

“It’s probably one of the most complicated parts that goes into (the design),” Tainwala told CNN.com. “It’s not like the wheel of a toy, you know.”

[Photo: AP]