Smart luggage from SkyValet

I’m new to this blogging thing, other than some of my beer reviews and travel posts on Instagram, so please beer with me as I drink a few and blog on.  As my first true review, I want to share my long and frustrating opinion of my newest smart luggage, SkyValet.

It all started about six months prior to the Covid outbreak.  I had recently traveled to Europe, visiting England, Austria, Switzerland and of course Germany for Oktoberfest in Munich.  It was my second time visiting and the second time I was going to take advantage of all the souvenirs I could fit in my bags. By the time I was on the last leg of the trip, I had literally melted the wheels of my check-in bag from the weight and dragging it along all the cobblestone roads. That trip, I had to buy and additional check-in bag and a carry-on just to get my stuff home. Admittedly, they weren’t the highest of quality, but I never expected the issues I had with them.

The look was sleek and modern, the shark wheels were unique and functioned amazing, the charger was great quality, and the business side of the bag was laid out very well.

C. Aman

Upon my return home, I was determined to buy something that could stand up to my overpacking and the cobble roads because I knew I’d be returning to Europe in the next year or two. I didn’t know that Covid would change, pretty much, everything for the next several years. Which brings me to my deep dive into new smart luggage that would last. I stumbled upon SkyValet and their shark wheels, charging station and sleek design, so I made my purchase of a large check-in and a carry-on.  

I didn’t expect them to arrive right away, and I didn’t need them immediately, so I was patient. After several months, I received an email from them and was given the option to get just the carry-on because they were ready to ship, and I would receive the check-in bag a few months later. I thought that was great because I wanted to see it in person and check out the wheels and technology as soon as I could.

The luggage arrived a few weeks later I was immediately impressed with the packaging. It was boxed well, then the luggage was enclosed in a nice draw string bag, that I still use as a laundry bag when traveling. The look was sleek and modern, the shark wheels were unique and functioned amazing, the charger was great quality, and the business side of the bag was laid out very well.

Unfortunately, I didn’t have any plans to travel because Covid reared its ugly head, so I just practiced packing, lol. After messing around with it, I realized it is not ideal for a trip more than a couple days. I’m not sure what I expected out of a carry-on, but I know I can fit a similar amount of clothes in a decent sized backpack. Regardless, I was able to fit two days’ worth of casual clothes, a pair of shoes, flip-flops, my laptop, and a small toiletry bag.  That was my biggest issue with the “original” version of the carry-on.  It was great if I was heading out of town for a quick weekend trip that didn’t require any winter clothes or amazing as a quick business trip, assuming I would be wearing a suit. As if I would ever wear a suit! All in-all, I would have rated it an 8/10 just for the technology and wheels.

My frustration began to hit me while waiting on my large check-in bag, as the world shut down during Covid. I had to cancel plans to visit Scotland and Ireland, or they were cancelled on me, but I still didn’t have the rest of my luggage set.  I emailed and emailed and surprisingly, I always got answers. I shared my opinion on the bag I had yet to use and my disappointment on how long it was taking to fulfill the rest of my order.

They were always responsive, and I understood manufacturing was shut down everywhere and the supply chain was at a standstill, so I tried to be patient. I later realized, the owner was the one who was always responding and doing his best to get me accurate updates and taking my constructive feedback, as if I mattered. I upsold myself and ending up ordering a second set for my girlfriend as well as a medium check-in bag knowing I would get them…one day.

Nearly 30 months after my first order, not only did I have both full sets of luggage and my medium bag, SkyValet had sent me the newest version of my “original” carry-on, gratis! It was amazing, they all came packed the same way, the bags were all excellent quality, and the large check-ins are huge!  I was happy I decided to add the medium because it has been perfect for 4-6 day trips, even with my overpacking, yet not too cumbersome.

The newest version of the carry-on has a removable flap inside the business section, and it allowed me to fit at least another day worth of clothes (not sure if that was due to my feedback, but I’d like to think I played a role ?). I have nothing bad to say about all the check-in bags, they are spacious, sturdy and my first trip was to Portland, ME where I got to test out the shark weeks on the cobble roads. My bags weren’t nearly as packed as they were in Europe, but they held up amazingly!  

Overall, these bags are quality and were well worth the long and aggravating wait. They didn’t cost a fortune but offer way more than I expected. The only negative I can think of is the lack of ability to stack them when traveling, so I can have a free hand while traveling. I fixed that with some luggage straps and a bag hook I purchased from Amazon, but I can imagine SkyValet is working on a solution for that as I type.

 

This is just one drunk man’s opinion, but I’d love to hear your thoughts if you’ve had the opportunity to try out any of SkyValet’s products.

Cheers!