What is Modobag, the “World’s First Rideable Luggage,” anyway? Yes, it’s scooter luggage, like they say. But is it more of a scooter that also happens to function like a suitcase, or is it a suitcase that also happens to be a scooter?
The answer to that question is in the eye of the beholder, I suppose, which more often than not will be viewing you and your Modobag askance and with a slightly quizzical raise of the eyebrow. For indeed… this thing looks weird. More often than not, you don’t see people — adult people — riding on their luggage. But people thought the auto-mobile looked rather strange when it first started plying the rutted streets of Mannheim, Germany, in 1886. And people scoffed at those cellular phone things not long ago, did they not? (They did.) Soon enough, we all might be throwing our rollaboard luggage into the bonfire (or dumpster or attic) in favor of… the Modobag!
A Modobag uses a three wheeled chassis, telescoping handlebars, a memory foam padded seat, and foot pegs that fold up when not in use to create a passably comfortable platform atop which an adult weighing as much as 260 pounds can sit. But let’s talk about its stats when the Modobag is being used by a rider weighing around 180 pounds (as that’s the rider weight the company used to set its standards).
When its onboard battery is fully charged, a Modobag can…
- Travel at speeds of up to eight MPH (though a switch limits it to five miles per hour when you are riding inside. You have to be safe, people.)
- Travel up to six miles before the need for a recharge.
- Use its dual USB ports to keep your phone or tablet juiced up.
- Probably not land you that many dates.
What you gain in terms of a suitcase you can ride on, you will sacrifice somewhat in terms of a suitcase large enough for lots of stuff. While the Modobag does feature a padded and crush resistant compartment that will protect your laptop (or camera and so forth), it does not offer nearly as much storage space as standard piece of luggage of the same size. They had to put the motor and axles and all in there somewhere, right?
And how much does a Modobag cost? Why, only… wait, $1095!? Um.. that’s a pretty expensive piece of luggage, especially considering the whole “Hey, is that guy riding on a suitcase?” issue you’ll have to confront.
But take heart: while your Modobag might draw some odd stares and even the occasional snarky remark from those you roll past, you can assume that most of your detractors have taken a “sour grapes” stance in life and are actually just jealous. Because looks and price aside, who doesn’t wish their suitcase were a scooter?
