5 Highly-Rated Smart Bags That Promise To Make Travel Easier

As technology advances, you may find yourself wondering if there's any part of your life that can't be made better with tech. From smartphones to smartwatches to smart gadgets you didn't even know existed, it seems the world is automating every mundane part of life. So, while the concept of smart luggage or smart bags might just seem like another technological advancement in a long list, it's actually not something you want to miss out on. To beat the stress of searching for your own smart luggage, we've put together a list of smart bags that promise to make travel days easier, with plenty of real, five-star reviews that back up these oaths. 

The list of benefits of smart luggage have lengthened as the competition has grown over the years. The "smart" label most often means that the luggage has some type of electronic capability, like charging stations for watches and phones or even built-in scales to tell you if your luggage is meeting airline weight requirements. Some of the more recent releases in the smart bag industry are catered toward helping you find and locate your items, so the industry has seen things like smart luggage with GPS tracking, proximity alarms that notify you when your luggage is nearby, and TSA-friendly batteries. Read on for some of the best-rated smart bags that consumers say made their travel lives far easier. 

Of course, every suitcase shopper must at some point ask, "But can I ride this luggage?" With the Smart Suitcase Rideable Electric Luggage, the answer is a resounding "yes." This $999 bag is lightweight and waterproof and has an electric scooter component built in to make travel days a bit less exhausting. To use the scooter feature, you just need to pull the handle out from the base and use the telescopic handle to operate the motor. Smart Suitcase claims that the bag can travel up to 8 mph, and the base of the luggage has 26 liters of storage. The rechargeable battery that powers movement can also be used to recharge your devices while on the go. 

Over 20 people gave this suitcase a five-star review on Amazon, citing that the motored scooter really works, and the convenience is life-changing. "As a lifelong Transformers fan, I feel like I'm living in a world with real adult Transformers that I can actually use," one shopper wrote. "Not only does this revolutionary piece of luggage make my traveling experience smooth and hassle-free, but it also significantly impacts my daily commute!" Another reviewer said: "I highly recommend this to anyone looking to elevate their travel experience or try something innovative." 

The HEYS Smartluggage 26 may be a bit above a typical suitcase price tag — it's $779.98 when not on sale, but as of the time of writing this article, it's marked down to $350.99. However, the smart benefits are likely to make up for the price point. This luggage comes with its own app so you can manage all of its high-tech features in one place. That includes checking your bag's weight, receiving a notification when your bag is near you, and even using your phone's BlueTooth capabilities to lock and unlock the bag. On top of that, the HEYS luggage is powered by AAA batteries, which are TSA-friendly and mean you don't need to remember to charge your luggage. 

Reviewers on the HEYS site praise the bag, with 58 five-star reviews and no zero- or one-star reviews. "Absolutely love this product," one reviewer wrote. "[I] bought my 1st about 4 years ago and it's still going like new despite having travelled the world. Just bought 2nd now, wouldn't be without." Other reviews noted that the scale feature is useful, the app is easy to use, and the HEYS shipping and handling services were top-notch. 

Another highly-rated option is the Merax three-piece hard luggage set, which retails for just $139.99 on Amazon (that's under $50 per suitcase.) This set has advancements that are "smart" in both the technological and literal senses. The built-in laptop compartment and water bottle holders are unique improvements that will help you organize your bag and keep your laptop safe and secure during travel. Like normal suitcases, the 360-degree wheels are a feature you won't want to live without once you've tried them. Technologically, these pieces have charging ports and password-protected locks, plus they come with a 28-inch USB port inside the case. 

The bags have 250 five-star reviews on Amazon, with many users expressing how high-quality the bags were for such a low cost. "It's hard to find one QUALITY made suitcase for under $100 but here you get 3! I highly recommend this set," one reviewer wrote. Others spoke about the hard shell materials and shape of the cases: "Very sturdy and durable... I recommend this luggage. Very roomy and the carry-on fits in the over head compartments on an aircraft." 

If you're more of a backpack-only traveler, the Solgaard Lifepack Backpack is a great option for wearable smart luggage. Retailing for $255, the backpack's most touted (and most visible) feature is its solar panel, which slips into a front pocket, so the sun can charge it as you go. The solar block has multiple plus so it can charge your devices on the road, but also doubles as a speaker if you upgrade to the "Boombox" version (which costs $40 more on the site.) The backpack is marketed to be "anti-theft" due to its built-in locks that can even wrap around a pole, securing the pack in place if you're planning to stay somewhere for a while. 

The Lifepack has 340 five-star reviews, plus 62 four-star reviews, and no customers have left site reviews below four stars. A lot of reviewers noted that the pack is convenient, and the solar panels are a great addition. "Super comfortable and practical, very well made, room for my 2 laptops, easy to organize everything, very cute!" one reviewer wrote. Another said the pack "keeps everything organized, stands on its own, and [is] built to last my lifestyle all while having the convenience of charging my phone." 

Hotel Collection's Carry-On Luggage is a great hard-shell smart suitcase that comes with plenty of noteworthy benefits. For one, the suitcase has a built-in scale that can be activated with just the push of a button, so you can always check that you're not going above the weight limits. There is also a special pocket that holds a GPS tracker, but is only compatible with Apple devices or your own Apple AirTags. There's also a portable USB charger for on-the-go charging capabilities. HC's carry-on also has a compression system that will compress your items once they're packed, like having a vacuum sealed bag embedded into the suitcase. 

"The quality, design, and functionality are absolutely top-notch," said one of the bag's 76 five-star reviews. "The wheels glide so smoothly, and it fits everything I need without being bulky. Perfect for travel and incredibly durable. I couldn't be happier with my choice!" Another reviewer wrote, "The features are amazing.....charger, lock, compression feature, scale..not sure which one I like best." 

A simple search of "smart luggage" on Amazon yields over 3,000 results, so how did we narrow all of that down to five items? The first layer of methodology was to find "smart" luggage that actually delivers on the promise to make your life easier. Many suitcases are labeled "smart" when they really only come with a manual lock or a pocket in which you can place your separately purchased GPS tracking devices. We've intentionally left those pieces out, in favor of bags with technological advancements and unique features that will truly take away some of the stress on your travel days. 

The other piece of the puzzle was finding tried and true items that users actually like. While some luggage online looked like it would be handy and high-tech, the reviews weren't positive enough for us to include them. Other luggage items had one or two reviews available, reducing our trust in its validity and usefulness. We opted for pieces with at least 50 reviews that averaged above four stars, so that there was enough user feedback to ensure the product was doing what it promised.