Meet G-RO, The ‘Smart’ Carry-On That Charges Your Phone, Laptop On The Go

By Einat Paz-Frankel, NoCamels October 19, 2015 2 minutes

G-RO Carry-On Luggage. Courtesy

A new Israeli Kickstarter campaign that has raised over half a million dollars in just a few days may just offer the world’s coolest carry-on luggage.

The new G-RO carry-on suitcase is not only super sleek, ergonomic and compact, but it is also smart: It charges your laptop and smartphone on the go!

With the rise of low-cost airlines, millions of people choose to travel light, carrying just a handbag or a carry-on suitcase onto the airplane; but schlepping your carry-on around isn’t always a smooth ride. Many suitcases never really roll smoothly on cobblestone and gravel, and they’re difficult to lift up a staircase. And, if you leave them unattended, they often tilt and then fall.

G-RO Carry-On Luggage. Courtesy

Reinventing the wheel?

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That’s why G-RO’s model has already captured the attention of the crowds: Its carry-on features large wheels that enable users to easily wheel the luggage over rugged surfaces and terrain, such as gravel, street curbs, cobblestone, snow and icy sidewalks. By placing the rotation axis of the wheel closer to the center of gravity of the bag, G-RO feels significantly lighter than a bag of similar weight with small wheels. Its dual compartment system maximizes the luggage space, keeping clothes wrinkle-free and enabling easy access to packed items.

During the course of just five days, G-RO successfully raised $660,000 on crowd-funding platform Kickstarter – more than five times what the G-RO team had initially hoped to raise.

This smart carry-on – which starts at $199, and will be shipped to campaign backers next summer – contains an electronic module with a battery strong enough to charge a smartphone up to 10 times. It also includes two USB ports and a universal power outlet, for charging up to three devices at once while on the move. G-RO’s battery can be charged using a standard cable, which will be provided with the suitcase.

The carry-on (along with its patented, all-terrain wheels) was developed by Israeli startup Travel-Light, founded by Netta Shalgi and Ken Hertz in 2010. The company claims this is the new generation of luggage: The 1990s four-wheel “spinner“ luggage with 360 degree turning capabilities “doesn’t really work outside of a perfectly flat space,” according to Shalgi. “G-RO is the world’s first luggage that isn’t just smart, it’s intelligent.”