A History of Luggage Innovation

A History of Luggage Innovation  

Long before the suitcase, travelers relied on woven sacks, hide pouches, saddlebags and eventually iron-banded wooden chests and trunks. It wasn't until the late 19th century that a lighter, dedicated 'suit case' broke away from the trunk altogether.  

Here we look at the evolution of the suitcase that we rely on so much today.  

The First Suitcases: Late 1800s to the 1930s 

As railways and cruise ships made travel accessible beyond the wealthy elite, demand grew for something lighter and more practical than a trunk. The first products marketed as "suit cases," designed to carry a dress suit without wrinkling it, appeared in the late 19th century. Early suitcases used solid wood as a frame, reinforced with leather and brass hardware and fitted with buckle locks and a top-mounted carry handle. But the case material was heavy, making it a burden to carry. 

Luggage manufacturers of the era, including the Shwayder Trunk Manufacturing Company (later renamed Samsonite), sold suitcases alongside trunks, though catalogs of the time still advertised trunks far more prominently.  

A 1938 U.S. checked-baggage weight limit of 40 pounds, around 18kg, accelerated a shift away from heavy leather toward lighter plastic and cardboard construction through the 1930s and 1940s. In 1937, German manufacturer Rimowa introduced the first aluminum suitcase and in 1950 introduced the grooved shell inspired by the Junkers F13 aircraft, the first all-metal aircraft, an early example of hard-shell construction as a design differentiator. 

1970: Emergence of Wheeled Luggage 

In 1970, when more people were flying worldwide, Bernard D. Sadow, a vice president at Massachusetts luggage company U.S. Luggage, noticed a worker rolling heavy machinery on a wheeled platform at a Puerto Rico airport. He attached casters and a pull strap to a suitcase and after resistance from several department stores, Macy's began selling the design in October 1970 under the tagline "The Luggage That Glides”.

1987: Birth of the First-Generation Rolling Suitcase 

Sadow's design rolled flat on four wheels, pulled by a strap which was functional, but wobbly. The design that became today's industry standard arrived in 1987, when Northwest Airlines pilot Robert Plath built an upright, two-wheel suitcase with a telescoping handle in his garage, after watching airline crews struggle with bags on luggage trolleys during a layover. 

Plath initially sold the "Rollaboard" only to fellow pilots and flight attendants, manufacturing 100 units for crew members in December 1989. In 1991 he founded Travelpro to sell the design commercially and by the mid-1990s it was competing directly with Samsonite. Other manufacturers began imitating the upright, telescoping-handle format around 1993 and it has remained the dominant suitcase architecture ever since. Samsonite added another major hardware shift in 2004 with the first four-wheel "spinner" suitcase, which could be pushed and rotated in any direction. 

2003: The Travel Sentry TSA Lock Standardizes Security 

Heightened airport security after 2001 created a new problem: locked bags that security officers couldn't inspect without cutting the lock. Travel Sentry was founded in 2003 to solve this and the first Travel Sentry Approved locks, identifiable by the red diamond mark, went on sale November 12, 2003, with master keys distributed to all 452 U.S. airports operating under TSA jurisdiction at the time. The system is now implemented in 800 airports in over 80 countries.

A Travel Sentry TSA lock lets security officers open, search and re-lock a bag using a secure tool, without breaking the lock. Today, more than 600 global brands have the Travel Sentry lock on their luggage and travel accessories.  

Early 21st Century–2010: The Multi-Functional, Lightweight Stage 

Front-opening cases and multi-directional spinner wheels let travelers reach what they needed without unpacking the whole case, while lightweight composite materials kept the body manageable for daily commuting as well as long layovers. Efficient packing, not just durability, became the design brief. 

Smart Luggage  

The most recent chapter in luggage history is electronic. Starting in the 2010s, "smart" suitcases added GPS tracking, built-in scales, fingerprint locks, USB charging and rideability. Smart features are continuously refining the travel experience.

Smart luggage today typically includes some combination of: 

• GPS tracking: real-time location via a companion mobile app, useful if a bag is lost or misrouted 
• Built-in digital scale: weighs the bag to help travelers avoid overweight-baggage fees 
• USB or USB-C charging ports: draw from an internal battery to charge phones and other devices on the move 
• Remote or app-based locking: lock and unlock the case from a phone rather than a physical key or dial 
• Fingerprint or biometric locks: an alternative to combination or key locks for faster access 
• Proximity or anti-theft alerts: notify the owner if the bag moves out of Bluetooth range 
• Motorized or "rideable" functions: battery-powered wheels that let the case follow, or be ridden by, the traveler 

Note: Buyers evaluating smart luggage suppliers should treat a removable battery as close to a baseline requirement, not an optional feature, and confirm it directly with the factory before ordering. A compelling feature set means little if it can't clear airline compliance at scale. 

Frequently Asked Questions 

When was the suitcase invented? 

The suitcase, as a lightweight alternative to trunks, first appeared in the late 19th century, designed to hold a dress suit without wrinkling it. Wheeled suitcases didn't arrive until 1970 and the now-standard upright Rollaboard design wasn't introduced until 1987. 

Why do I need a TSA lock? 

A Travel Sentry TSA lock lets U.S. Transportation Security Administration officers open, inspect and re-lock a checked bag using a secure master tool, without cutting or breaking the lock. Without one, a locked bag flagged for inspection may be forced open and the lock destroyed. Travel Sentry Approved locks are identifiable by the red diamond logo and are now used by more than 600 global brands across 800 airports in over 80 countries. 

Can I take my power bank on a flight? 

Generally yes, but only in your carry-on. Power banks are prohibited in checked baggage because of the fire risk from lithium-ion batteries. Capacity and quantity limits vary by airline and country  and have tightened further with 2026 regulatory changes.