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Airback: Backpacks and Luggage That Can Shrink Their Contents with a Vacuum

By Rain Noe - November 8

in Bags

Dutch company Airback has invented a backpack that can shrink its contents. Their eponymous backpack ($185) features a zippered airtight compartment with a port; once you've stuffed this compartment full, you attach either a household vacuum cleaner, or the company's small electric pump, to the port.

All of the air gets sucked out of the compartment, compressing the clothing within. The company reckons this allows you to cram in 50% more stuff.

The backpack also has a scale built into the handle, so you can avoid exceeding airline weight limits and being forced to check it at the airport.

The overall design is quite intelligent, featuring a passport stash pocket, a locking laptop compartment, bottle holder and more:

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Following the popularity of the backpack—which was Kickstarted to the tune of €350,000 (USD ~$380,000), they designed a smaller Airback Go ($152) which fits beneath an airplane seat. This design lacks the scale in the handle.

There's also a larger Airback Max ($361), which boasts rollers and a telescoping handle…

…as well as the Airback Next ($416), a hard-sided carry-on roller.

All of the bags feature a built-in USB-C port, to which you can connect your own powerbank.

The company's separately-sold pump runs $52. One does wonder what to do if either that or the handle scale breaks. For their part, the company says "we've committed to a circular system - allowing you to send your bag back to us when it's lived its life, whereupon we, along with our partners, will give it a new purpose." However, what I'd prefer to see is some mention of repair options.

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George Mokray

11 days ago

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There are plastic airtight bags that you can buy which allow you to squeeze the air out of them to reduce their size. I've found them to be rather flimsy. However, I have used regular ziplock plastic bags to do the same thing which reminds me I have to buy the bigger ziplock bag size at the supermarket for my next trip.

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Toby B

14 days ago

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Seems to me that if they wanted to increase the lifetime and usefulness the vacuum bag should be replaceable? To me the most likely failure would be a leak there from wear and tear, which you might not be able to find (or seal, if you did find it). Of course people might use them in someone else's bags then...

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