Sometime within the last few years, the suitcase stopped being a box with wheels and started being a whole lot more. Like, a full-on flex of engineering, more. 

Forgive the “back in my day moment,” but I remember when it was a BIG DEAL to finally own a rolling suitcase. How far we’ve come.

Brands are racing to outdo each other with cup holders, digital scales, app-controlled locks, and shells that fold down to almost nothing. The wild part is that what used to feel like a novelty is now just… luggage. Some of it is a little bit much, but there’s a lot that’s actually useful. At the very least, all of it is worth a look before your next trip.

This One Turns Into a Mini Charging Station

The mixi skips the “just wheels and a zipper” playbook. Built into the top of the case is a cup holder sized for an actual travel mug, a phone holder so you’re not white-knuckling your phone while wheeling through security, and a built-in USB-A/USB-C charging port so you can plug in on the move (you’ll still need your own power bank… the port doesn’t generate power on its own). 

The shell is a scratch-resistant three-layer polycarbonate, and it opens from the side instead of splitting down the middle, which sounds minor until you’re the one crouched on an airport floor at 6 a.m. digging through a “traditional” clamshell. Spoken as someone with admittedly too much experience.

This One Grows Two Extra Inches When You Need It

Away built its early reputation on an ejectable battery pack, which was eventually discontinued back in 2023 once airlines cracked down on lithium batteries in checked luggage. 

What Away replaced it with is arguably more useful day-to-day. You get a wraparound zipper that expands the case by 2.25 inches, giving you roughly 10-15% more packing space exactly when you need it, like, say, on the way home with souvenirs you didn’t plan for. Zip it back up and it returns to standard carry-on dimensions for the flight.

This One Weighs Itself So You Don’t Get Hit With Fees

Heys’ top carry-handle doubles as a digital scale, so you get a weight reading the second you lift the bag off the ground before you toss it on the airport scale. Pair it with the Heys app over Bluetooth and you can also lock or unlock the built-in TSA lock remotely, plus get an alert if you wander too far from your bag at the gate. 

It runs on two AAA batteries rather than a lithium pack, so it’s checked-bag-friendly without the battery-swap hassle some “smart” luggage has.

This One Folds Flat Enough to Live in Your Closet

Rollink is less about what happens on your trip, and more about when you’re finished unpacking. The hardshell frame collapses down to about 5 inches thick when it’s empty, so instead of shoving a bulky suitcase into a closet or under a bed, you can basically hang it up. 

It still rolls on double spinner wheels and packs a TSA lock, and it’s marketed as the first fully collapsible spinner suitcase on the market, which is certainly a niche way of solving the suitcase storage problem most brands don’t bother with.

This One Turns Into a Scooter

That’s right…

The Airwheel SE3S is the most extra suitcase on this list, and it knows it. Pull out the telescoping ride bar and the front motorized wheels take over, letting you cruise through the terminal, instead of walking to your gate (and looking VERY cool).

Not riding? Fold the bar down and it pulls like a normal 20L carry-on. The battery is removable to meet airline security rules and doubles as a portable charger through the built-in USB port, and the companion app lets you control speed, lock the case remotely, and set off a proximity alarm if you leave it behind. Just don’t go grinding down the handrails in the airport, ok?