Someone Just Invented the Perfect Suitcase

Caroline Costello's travel accomplishments include surviving a 2 a.m. whitewater rafting excursion in the Canadian wilderness, successfully biking from Dusseldorf to Cologne without a map, and gaining access to a covert pizza speakeasy in New Orleans.

Caroline is an active member of the Society of American Travel Writers (SATW). Her work has appeared on USA Today, the Boston Globe, AOL.com, MSNBC.com, ABC News, TODAY Travel, and CruiseCritic.com, among other publications.

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Fugu, a new kind of extremely expandable suitcase, transforms from a modest carry-on compliant case to an extra-large and extra roomy checked bag at the push of a button. It’s awesome. We’ve never seen anything like it.

There are already plenty of expandable suitcases on the market. Most of them unzip to offer a few extra inches of suitcase space. Fugu blows the whole lot out of the water. The world’s first pufferfish-style suitcase (the name “Fugu” means pufferfish in Japanese) expands from 25 cm to 70 cm in height. It switches from carry-on compliant (at 50cm x 40cm x 25cm) to checked bag (50 cm x40 cm x 70cm) thanks to expandable panels that inflate at the press of a button. A built-in electric pump uses air pressure to swell the suitcase’s side walls.

I can think of so many situations for which this suitcase would come in handy—from business conventions that load swag upon attendees to epic shopping trips. Really, the Fugu bag would prove useful for any trip where you’re bringing home more stuff than you initially packed. Plus, it’s easier to store the Fugu at home compared to a conventional full-size piece of luggage. Shrink it down and shove it under the bed.

The bag does more than expand. Other cool features include a removable laptop case, inside shelves that fold up, a built-in battery, and 360-degree spinner wheels. My only complaint is an aesthetic one. The thing looks ugly when expanded—like a big plastic trash can or a giant LEGO contrivance.

For now, Fugu is still in the Kickstarter stage. And it needs your support to launch. You can pledge as little as $3. Want one? Pledge $219 or more and you’ll be among the first to get a Fugu suitcase.

Fugu’s campaign ends December 13.

What do you think? Would you use this thing?

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