If you can’t be smart, at least be colorful.
With smart-luggage maker Bluesmart announcing they’ll be shutting down — you can credit/blame recent TSA restrictions on non-removable batteries for that fiasco — travelers may want to turn their attention to ROAM, a new direct-to-consumer line of hardshell luggage that promises near-infinite customization at exceedingly affordable prices.
While you won’t have a built-in phone charger or a GPS to track your lost luggage, you will get four colorful bags designed by a couple of former TUMI execs, each of which can be customized with more than a million different color combinations. You’ll get to choose your preferred shell hue, wheel caps, stitching, zipper and zipper pulls, binding, carry-handle, monogram patch and telescoping handle rods.
The custom bags, built from U.S.-made virgin polycarbonate, are tough but decidedly lightweight (between 5.8-9 lbs.). Add in super quiet ball-bearing wheels, water-resistant zippers, ergonomic comfort-molded handles and a 60-day trial period — and hey, there are still intelligent choices you can make when you fly.
And that’s before you get to the price: a decidedly un-TUMI-ish $350-$475, with free shipping on all items.
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