Late last year, airlines started announcing that they would ban carry on bags that had batteries built-in due to safety concerns. This forced many smart luggage companies to start making bags that would allow the batteries to be removed.
Bluesmart Luggage Maker Shuts Down
The first major smart bag, the Bluesmart carry-on
Link: Bluesmart Luggage Blog
However, the early leader in the smart bag space, Bluesmart, was unable to keep things going with this ban on their bags. As a result, they have announced that they are closing up shop.
The Bluesmart bag originally launched on Indiegogo and was a smashing success by travelers who wanted tech on the go. It did very well, raising over $2 million (which was 2730% of their funding goal!).
Unfortunately, the Bluesmart bag was not something that worked well with the latest airline ban on luggage. As a result, they announced that they would be closing down. They have sold off their assets to Travelpro which should ensure that we still have smart bags in the future.
With Travelpro taking on their technology, chances are very good that we will see a great tech bag from a very reputable manufacturer. Delsey has their Pluggage line, which looks very good as well.
At any rate, I am sorry for those who worked at Bluesmart but am thankful for them pushing this technology forward.
If You Have a Bluesmart Bag
If you have Bluesmart luggage, make sure you check this link. Here is what they have to say for their customers:
- Bluesmart is no longer manufacturing, promoting or selling any products.
- Any Bluesmart products that are available at retail or online are no longer supported or warrantied in any way.
- Bluesmart servers and apps will be maintained for several months from today. No immediate changes to the Bluesmart user experience are expected at this time, although functionality or service quality will be reduced in the future.
- Warranty support is no longer available for Bluesmart products.
- How-to information and troubleshooting can still be requested by emailing inquiry@bluesmart.com
- Returns or replacements of Bluesmart products will no longer be accepted or refunded by our Support Team. If you believe you have a potential claim against the company, please file a claim via this link: www.proofofclaims.com/bluesmart/documents
- Customers or contributors to the crowdfunding campaign who have not received product may review the process to file a claim here: www.proofofclaims.com/bluesmart/documents
- Bluesmart products purchased at retail may be returned or exchanged based on the retailer’s return policy.
- If you need to change the ownership or password for your Bluesmart product, email inquiry@bluesmart.com with your suitcase ID. You can locate this number in the settings of your App by clicking on the menu (three lines in the top left-hand corner).
- If needed, you can remove the battery of your Series 2 Check 29” or Cabin 22” in 5 simple steps. How to remove your Series 2 battery.
