With today’s exorbitant baggage fees, smart airline passengers are eschewing checked bags for carry-on-only travel. Unfortunately, that often means lugging two or more bags through the airport which gets old fast. Whether you’re looking to stick it to the airlines, to stop lugging multiple carry-ons, or a little of both, “wearable luggage” may be the solution. Here are just three of our favorites:
SCOTTeVEST
SCOTTeVEST pioneered the modern “wearable luggage” movement. Their men’s line includes several dozen vests, jackets, pants, and sports coats in various weights, sizes, and pocket quantities. Even their basic caps and travel T-shirts pack a few hidden pockets, but their most “luggage-like” jackets include 20 pockets or more. Many are designed to hold everything typically stored in your carry-on, including a laptop, water bottle, sunglasses, wallet, smartphone, point-and-shoot camera, tablet, and more. Most surprising is that, if packed properly, the silhouette of the jackets remains completely stealth. So would-be pickpockets don’t know that you’re “wearing” two thousand dollars or more in gadgets. The SeV Sport Coat ($215 USD) is particularly noteworthy — it’s sleek, stylish, and looks like a typical men’s luxury sports coat.
Related: How to Pack a Suit When You’re Traveling Light
Clothing Arts Cubed Travel Jacket
Clothing Arts is best known for their Pick-Pocket Proof Adventure Travel Pants, but their latest product release is the innovative Cubed Travel Jacket. It lacks the near-absurd number of pockets of SCOTTeVEST’s products. But, with two zippered hand pockets, four interior pockets, and two Napolean-style interior/exterior pockets, there’s ample room to stash most of your gear essentials. The sleek, ultra-minimalist design won’t bulge, even when packed full of tech. The shell is also meticulously designed for active travelers and is waterproof, windproof, lightweight, and breathable. Coupled with boatloads of patent-pending technology, closures, and a four-season outer membrane, the $380 USD price tag almost seems justified.
Jacktogo
For travelers more concerned with function over style, Jacktogo delivers. Unlike the solutions above which are cleverly designed jackets, Jacktogo is literally a stripped-down carry-on bag with arm holes. Sure, it looks utterly ridiculous, but its purpose is to be worn just long enough to skate through security and dodge the pesky “one carry-on bag” rule. The polyester shell is lightweight, waterproof, and also available in leather and denim. Although, it’s difficult to imagine that anyone would wear it outside the airport. It features 14 pockets capable of carrying more than 20 pounds of gear. At just $110 USD (for the original version), it’s also the cheapest solution we’ve seen.