No matter how smartly you pack your luggage for your air-bound travels, sometimes it’s unavoidable to cram everything you need into just one carry on-sized bag + one personal item. And now your pre-airport anxiety doubles: Not only do you have to totally be on top of your sock game (people notice the second you remove your shoes at the security checkpoint — they do), but now you actually have to check a bag. Unless… you’re wearing your extra luggage.
Say what? Jaktogo is a briefcase-style bag boasting 14 various-sized pockets that cleverly converts into a parka-like jacket, allowing airline passengers to disguise up to 10kg (that’s roughly 22lbs) of extra luggage in a puffy piece of outerwear in order to skirt annoying baggage fees. Rock it all the way through boarding, then when you get onto the plane, fold it back up into a bag for easy under-the-seat stowage — you wouldn’t want to accidentally sit on that smart toothbrush you packed in your back pocket now, would you?
The wind and water-resistant hybrid is shoppable in three variations, and designs run the gamut from totally wearable to kind of ridiculous. The Jaktogo (€60, about $83), which looks like a cozy winter coat, is hands down the most stylish of the three. The sleeveless Ponchotogo (€53, about $73) is undeniably the way to go if you’re lucky enough to jet set on the regular to warm weather climates, but kind of resembles a long-line bulletproof vest. And then there’s the Dresstogo (€53), a lady-friendly creation that breaks the golden rule of fashion design by adding the bulk of the storage space around the hips. Silhouette-friendly it is not, though it does give a whole new meaning to junk in the trunk (ZING!). Denim and leather varieties are available as part of Jaktogo’s custom collection, which is an admirable attempt to balance utility and design.
So while one half of us is like, loophole FTW! the other half is all… SECURITY! ‘Cause even though photos make it seem like these jackets are body scanner-friendly, we imagine that walking around an American airport in an obviously bulky Ponchotogo or Dresstogo would no doubt raise some see-something-say-something flags among our fellow travelers. The OG Jaktogo however, seems most discreet: The video below shows a man breezing past the check-in team at a non-US airport, surrounded by a smiling crowd, and has worked its magic on low-cost carriers like Ryanair. So if our itinerary included multiple stops throughout Europe, we’d probably give Jaktogo a go and use our saved cash for things that are much more fun. But let’s just say, if we run out of supply space while we’re packing up for Re:Make Austin in May, we’ll probably leave that backup filament spool behind.
So would you actually wear Jaktogo on your travels? Have you tested expandable luggage before? Share your go-to smart travel products with us in the comments below.
