Skip The Suitcase And Pack In This Airport Jacket The Next Time You Fly

Traveling with luggage has become a big pain. If you’re not fighting for space in the overhead bins (there’s a special place in you know where for people who put their jackets and small carry-ons up there before everyone has boarded), you’re forced to gate check because there’s no more room. And let’s not even get started on checked luggage fees. But now, there’s a jacket that can replace your suitcase, and we’re more than a little intrigued.

Sensibly dubbed the “Airport Jacket,” this wearable luggage makes you sort of look like a lumpy shoplifter, but the purpose is important. Invented by an Australian couple, the Airport Jacket aims to make travel less stressful by eliminating the need for a carry-on bag.

According to the makers of the jacket, it can hold up to 30 pounds at maximum capacity. It has 14 pockets, two detachable compartments and a duffel bag. It can hold a laptop, an iPad, two pairs of shoes, a pair of pants, three T-shirts, two pairs of shorts, underwear, a light sweater, a dress, your wallet, phone, passport AND the 1-quart plastic bag for liquids required by the TSA. Whew.

The Airport Jacket may seem revolutionary, but it’s actually in good company. There have been a number of other online fundraising campaigns to raise money for tricked out jackets and sweaters that purport to make traveling easier.

The coat, if brought to fruition, will cost $180, but the inventors claim this will be “the jacket that pays for itself.” Since many budget airlines charge an extra fee to put a bag in the overhead bin, this might prove true for travelers who frequent carriers such as Spirit Airlines or the infamous European budget airline RyanAir.

Currently, the Kickstarter campaign for the Airport Jacket is well underway. The project has received $12,000 out of its $76,000 fundraising goal and still has a month left to raise the remainder.

So, would you buy the airport jacket?