SMART LUGGAGE

BLUESMART Possibly the most high-tech suitcase available, the Bluesmart is not only fitted with a global SIM card so you can track it from your phone via GPS, but also an in-built battery for charging devices, a digital lock and a scale. The crowdfunded Bluesmart One costs € 449, and the new Black Edition for the frequent traveller is € 599. bluesmart.com

RIMOWA With Rimowa’s digital tag, travellers can check in their bag via an app and drop it off at the airport, with no need to deal with staff or print out a sticker. The technology is built into “select” Rimowa suitcases, and sees paper tags replaced with “a digital data module to which the airline’s luggage data is transmitted”. Lufthansa is currently the only airline allowing passengers to use it, while it’s in testing with United. rimowa.com

DELSEY Set to launch next year, Delsey’s Pluggage case will have fingerprint recognition and tracking technology powered by Lug Loc luggage locator. Passengers download an app that can measure the weight of a case, detect when it has been loaded on board, and when it is on the baggage carousel. They will also receive a notification if the bag has been opened or moved more than five feet away from them. delsey.com

SAMSONITE Samsonite’s Track and Go technology will be installed in a new range of suitcases from the end of the year. The Bluetooth beacon technology uses “Eddystone Ephemeral Identifiers”, developed by Google, and will work in conjunction with the Travlr by Samsonite app, allowing users to check the location of their case within a 70-metre radius. Should it go missing, the traveller will be able to flag it as lost, prompting the app to search its database of users to help locate it – any app user passing within 70 metres of the case will trigger a notification to tell the owner where it is. samsonite.com

ANTLER AND TUMI Antler has unveiled its new Airstream 2, which comes with a unique ID label. Owners register their case on okoban.com, along with their contact information, so if it goes missing whoever finds it can send an alert with its whereabouts. The suitcase is not high-tech in itself, but it’s a handy add-on that may come as standard on all cases in the future. Tumi has been offering a similar service from some years – each of its suitcases has a metal plate with a unique barcode connected to the Tumi Tracer database. antler.co.uk, okoban.com, tumi.com