Where To Buy Raden Luggage
My fiance and I received Raden luggage for our couples shower. The next week my fiance took the Raden carry on to her client meeting in Chicago. After deboarding the plane she noticed the bottom of the suit case was completely scratched all over. Yes, this luggage has great features an app etc. But who wants to buy a piece of luggage that scratches from an overhead bin on first use?!
where to buy raden luggage
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Overall I really liked the Raden, it takes a step forward in terms of the tech components while matching the design quality of traditional luxury luggage brands. Its companion app is easy to use and has some cool features, including Bluetooth-enable location technology and a weight calculator. Overall, it is one of the very best pieces of luggage that I have reviewed.
Similar to competitors like Away and Arlo Skye, the batteries inside Raden's bags allow you to charge your phone, and even track the location of your suitcase if it's lost. However, they're also a fire hazard, and American Airlines announced back in December that smart luggage would not be permitted on board unless the battery can be removed and carried separately. And then the dominos began to fall: Delta, Southwest, Hawaiian, and Alaska Airlines quickly followed suit. Earlier this year, one of our own editors had to remove the battery from her Away bag with a screwdriver before boarding a Delta flight.
"I hate to say this, but I think it's nonexistent," Udashkin says of the future of smart luggage. "All these companies rely on word of mouth, but buying this product now gets you hassled. I don't see how you can continue selling it."
I discovered Raden a few months ago, and these guys seem to lead the market in luggage innovation. They were kind enough to send over one of their A28 check-size suitcases to review, and I was able to put it to the test earlier this month. Is it worth an investment in your travel routine? Read on to find out.
Probably the best feeling part of the suitcase is those silky smooth Hinomoto wheels. I packed about 35 pounds of stuff on my maiden voyage with the A28, and the bag glided across the floor like a champ (so much so that I rarely felt the need to tilt it). Those wheels make this luggage feel super premium.
Great luggage is expensive, and the Raden is no different. At $395, the A28 is on par with hardshell offerings from the big luggage brands, but it packs a whole lot of value into the equation that should sway you in its direction. However, if you were previously in the market for a discount-store value bag, you may run into some sticker shock.
I need to add a pic of that; in the top photo, you can see the combo lock on the top of the suitcase. To be compliant with the TSA in America, it includes a lock mechanism as well that lets the TSA bypass that combo lock and get into the luggage if needed.
The scale was quite helpful as we flew (for the first time in a long time) coach on a carrier for which we did not hold status with that carrier nor the partner. Being able to weigh the case accurately gave us some vision as to how we would need to adjust the weight in our bags for the one segment where language would be difficult and we would have no status saved us from luggage fees.
The durability of the suitcase was tested a few times. The A28 Check consistently exceeded 70lbs in weight for much of the trip, was tossed, dropped, and jumped on (by a 30lb toddler), was shoved into taxis, pushed onto luggage carts and plopped onto carousels only to be heaved into cargo holds and jostled through turbulence before doing it all over again. On our trip it was checked and flew on nine separate flight segments in between all of the other abuse. While we were concerned when it arrived with a plastic strap around it in Toronto, we were relieved to see that despite an ambitious bag agent in China (I will discuss that shortly) that it lived through every test.
The placement of the battery is not ideal should you need to retrieve the battery, so if you plan on flying to or through a country that will not allow batteries connected in the luggage, plan ahead and remove it first. On the way home, though we passed through mainland China, we departed from Hong Kong who did not flag the battery issue to us. As a result, Chinese baggage handlers in Beijing not only removed the battery but then left a note (as TSA and CBP do in the US) to let us know they had been in the case and if just to give us a scare, they then put a plastic strap around the bag twice.
Batteries might also have to be removed when checking in luggage or during a scan. In some countries and airlines they are very paranoid about Lithium ion batteries as they have a tendency to be unstable. It is very rare, but it has happened. Therefore airlines tend to prefer they are in your carry on in case something happens.
Smart Case Features: This is what the Raden series is all about. So they win hands down here. With USB charging, a built-in scale and tracker, there is not much more you can currently offer in terms of smart luggage.
Raden's line of bags, which launched at the end of March, are tethered via Bluetooth to an app that allows users to calculate the weight of their luggage and determine the best possible route to the airport.
With very subtle urban style, Raden takes the smart luggage concept to a higher level. It incorporates all the good stuff, power charging, phone app for total bag connectivity, self weighing handle, TSA lock, etc. and then pairs it with two sizes of tough, super light hard cases with Japanese reversed zippers and smooth, spinner wheels. Oh, and the bags are all solid color throughout AND they come in eight colors.
Bluesmart is the other new smart connected suitcase brand for the digital age. Complete with a powerful device charging battery, self weighing handle, phone connected bag GPS that gives you alerts when your bag is near and allows you to track it anywhere in the world. This is the geekier of the two new bags with much more blatant digital styling.
The bags cost $295 for a carry-on, $395 for the "check-in" version, and $595 for the pair. This isn't outrageous for high-quality luggage, and slightly cheaper than some "smart" competitors like Bluesmart. But the ultimate success of Raden won't likely hinge on small price differentials over competitors, but on whether Udashkin can make the brand something that people love. And Udashkin, who got his job at Aldo by pitching the CEO during a chance meeting at an airport, is a good pitchman for it.
We recently reported that many popular airlines including Allegiant, Alaska, American, Air Canada, British Airways, Delta, Hawaiian, Qantas, Southwest, and United are no longer allowing smart luggage with nonremovable lithium batteries. This change applies to both checked and carry-on smart luggage.
We are happy to report that you can still buy a smart luggage. But, the batteries in the smart suitcase must be extractable batteries. While top smart luggage brand Bluesmart does not currently have an option with removable batteries, there are a number of brands of smart luggage that do.
Purchase your Raden luggage, download the app and pair the two to experience the latest in travel tech. Raden luggage includes a removable built-in charger (providing up to 4x full phone charges), integrated scale with ergonomic top carry handle doubles as a weight sensor, and proximity sensors leverage Bluetooth technology. Starting at $295, SaksFifthAvenue.com
If you like to lock up your stuff, the luggage goes into full (TSA-approved) lockdown mode using just the zippers and a built-in locking device. (It just looks like something that would be in James Bond's arsenal, no?) And the way the zippers are attached makes the whole thing waterproof. Handy, in case some other shmo's toiletries implode midflight.
Raden is a new smart luggage company aiming to change the future of travel. All Raden bags are equipped with an integrated scale, built-in-charger and location awareness technology. Customers are able to use a sleek companion app to track their case and attain relevant information about one's travels including an estimated security wait time. The startup has secured a $3.5 million seed round of funding led by First Round Capital and Lerer Hippeau Ventures, with additional participation from Silas Chou, Rachel Zoe and others.
"The $40 billion luggage industry was lacking a brand that integrated technology, value, and sleek industrial design into a single bag, so we spent nearly two years in stealth mode to develop a product and brand that does just that," Millennial CEO Joshua Udashkin said. "We wanted to provide travelers a travel case that has everything they need to seamlessly get them to their destination, and bring magic back to the journey."
To avoid airline overweight fees, Raden's ergonomic carry handle doubles as a scale and is able to determine the weight of the case. For charging, the case has an integrated 7,800mAh battery that allows for up to 4x full phone charges, while two 2.1A USB ports enable dual device charging at the same time. Additionally, all Raden bags are also equipped with Bluetooth technology, so you never have to worry where your bag is. 041b061a72