San Francisco-based Barracuda is trying to change the way people travel with their latest Barracuda Collapsible Carry-on ($349). This sleek luggage piece, which by the way was created thanks to very successful Kickstarter and Indiegogo crowdfunding campaigns, merges tech and style into one good looking and functional tote. The Carry-on is available in six colors (black, blue, brown, gray, pink, or red) and collapses down to 4.5 inches deep. It also has a fold-out tray table, a battery pack and a location tracker.
Barracuda Carry-On Design
For starters, the Barracuda Carry-On is equipped with strong zippers. The main pulling handle swivels for easy maneuverability. It also swivels 360 degrees when you hold down the button, and it can be adjusted to reduce pressure on wrists as you pull it around.
On the inside, there’s a main pocket with a padded Velcro strap to keep five days of clothing, as well as two narrow, 17-by-4-inch mesh flap pockets for accessories, cables or toiletries. The bag also has a roomy, padded pocket on the outside, so you can easily pull out your laptop at the TSA checkpoint. Finally, there’s a TSA-approved lock at the top of the bag.
The big selling point with the Barracuda Carry-On is its expandability. As mentioned, it can collapse down to about 4 inches thick and fits in an included pouch, which can hang in a closet. Pop it open and snap four plastic tabs into place, and the bag becomes a full-sized carry-on. Setup, as you can probably tell, is super simple, and it’s interesting to see how small the bag can compress.
There’s also a pop-out laptop tray with a cupholder. To use, you simply pull up the handle, unzip a zipper along the back, pop down a plastic panel, and unfold the tray left and right. The fully unfolded tray fits up to a 15-inch laptop fairly nicely. To put the tray back in its secure place, you simply push it back and zip it up. This feature is huge for those road warriors waiting for their connecting flight. It essentially provides a portable office to bang out emails and such.
The two 2.75-inch, rubbery wheel design is sleek, and much better than four-wheel models because it rolls so much more smoothly, and you can navigate over the roughest city streets and sidewalks with ease. Two wheels also help to easier collapse the Barracuda Carry-On and store it.
Battery, Ports and Location Tracker
There’s a Velcro patch on the back which houses the 10,000mAh removable USB battery. It does have to be removed to charge, but it lasts a long, long time, and while the company says you can only charge tablets and phones with the on-board USB port, we were able to charge a Windows laptop without issue.
The Barracuda Carry-On also has an optional LugLoc luggage tracker, which runs $50 extra, and works like a charm using a companion app. And there’s a self-weighing scale you can also purchase, which automatically weighs your bag for check-in purposes.
Bottom Line
The Barracuda Carry-On Collapsible Luggage is a very compelling product. The fact that it can collapse for easy storage is a big bonus. Add to that its sturdy lightweight construction, its useful zip pockets inside and out, its included dust bags for shoes and laundry, its TSA regulation locks, its pivoting handle design, its front pocket laptop sleeve, the laptop tray, the 2-wheel design, its large rechargeable battery, it’s USB port for charging, and the number of accessories you can add on including a locator and a self-weighing scale, and you basically have the Swiss Army Knife of luggage. It’s an awesome piece for those that spend half their life in the airport.
Available for $349 or cheaper, the Barracuda Carry-On Luggage can be purchased here.
