For Naisha Joseph, travel was always a bit of a pain. Her phone always ran out of batteries and it seemed her suitcase was always heavier on the way home, often pushing her over 50 pounds. She even experienced an airline losing her luggage altogether. But worst of all, Joseph struggled getting her suitcase up the stairs and her back was starting to hurt from all of the lifting. One trip to Jamaica, while awkwardly trying to climb a lengthy flight of stairs to the townhouse where she was staying, she lost control and her suitcase tumbled all the way down. That was the light bulb moment. Why couldn't a suitcase solve all of travels annoyances?
So in 2014, Joseph shared her travel woes with her friend Richard Braddock, who has a background in manufacturing, and they came up with the idea of TraxPack.
"Richard has always been a problem solver, so he took it upon himself to come up with the design for the bag." Joseph said.
The tracks are similar to those on a tank and paired with tilting, extended handle, the suitcase can be pulled up stairs with ease. The company has a patent pending on the track system.
"Our mission is simple," Joseph said. "We want to help people get their bag up and down the stairs."
They also added features such as dual USB ports for charging devices and a proximity sensor that alerts you when the bag is on the way to baggage claim. On top of that, there is a built-in Baggage Positioning System, which is similar to GPS, that tracks your bag from city to city. The suitcase also has a built-in scale in the handle to help avoid overweight penalties. Other features include a proximity sensor to let you know when your bag is on the way to baggage claim or if it has left the airport and a built-in TSA lock.
This isn't the first connected suitcase, but it is the first that can climb up stairs. The carry-on size will retail for $515.
The Pembroke Pines, FL-based company is starting out with a Kickstarter campaign and will start shipping suitcases in early 2017.
