Technological advances can often be observed in mundane everyday objects. Suitcases are some of those items that tell the entire tale of how travel developed if you just look at variations of suitcases throughout the years.
Those vintage wooden trunks that are today considered antiques used to be the main type of luggage people relied on. Before we had rolling backpacks with USB ports, people carried their stuff in saddle bags, and I think it’s insane that we sent people into space before we thought it would be a good idea to add wheels onto luggage.
Keep reading to learn more about the history of the suitcase, and how it changed to help streamline travel.
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The Evolution of Suitcase
The evolution of the suitcase is absolutely fascinating because it happened simultaneously with the evolution of the way we travel. First, our ancestors got around on horses, and they needed bags that were big enough to hold their essentials, but still small and light enough that the horses could easily carry them.
Then we built ships and trains so we could travel farther, and we needed bigger luggage to transport even more items. And once we invented airplanes and air travel started to take off, we needed suitcases that were lighter and smaller, but somehow fit everything we needed for the trips.
It’s crazy to think that two hundred years ago, a traveler would pack all their belongings in only a carpet bag and set off on a journey. Or that at one point in history, our luggage was so heavy that we decided we needed to pay people to carry it, and so porters became a thing.
We’ve come full circle in a way. Today you can buy a suitcase with built-in AI, which can follow you around so you still don’t have to carry luggage on your own.
Before the Birth of Suitcases
People have been traveling and carrying their things places since before the suitcase was even invented. It all started off with soldiers during the Crusades, who had to transport their weaponry to the battlefields. They came up with the concept of luggage and put all their weapons into containers on wheels.
Some of the first iterations of what we nowadays consider luggage were bags that would be strapped onto animals. The Turkish Anatolian Nomads wove camel bags, while Native Americans made Parfleche containers out of rawhide.
If you watch any Western movie, you’ll notice that all the cowboys have saddlebags strapped onto their horses. These were the main versions of luggage before the invention of the first motor vehicles.
It wasn’t until the 19th century that luggage started to take the shape that it still has today. But until the early 1800s, a leather bag was the most common type of luggage.
Suitcases in the 19th Century
The second half of the 19th century saw a large expansion of mass tourism. The construction of railways was one of the main driving factors for the invention of suitcases. Cruises also started to become popular and immigration was just starting to expand, and there was suddenly a need for a bag that people could use to transport their belongings across the world.
Trunks were the most common type of luggage back then. They were big and bulky, and weighed around 80-100 lbs when empty, so very heavy as well. Most were manufactured from wooden panels with leather belts for secure closure.
With the rise in popularity of trunks, the need for people who would do the baggage handling also arose – porters. Their services were most often utilized by the rich, who could afford to travel with multiple heavy trunks and pay someone to do the carrying instead of them.
The first steamer trunk was invented in 1958 by Louis Vuitton, and it quickly became the norm for travel with steamships. The main advantage of this trunk compared to its predecessor was the flat top. It allowed stacking, which was extremely beneficial for steamships due to limited space in the hold.
In addition to trunks, more and more people also started carrying cases that we today would call suitcases. They were briefcase-style bags, usually made from leather and wood, with carry handles on the top and belts along the body.
The belts were necessary for secure closure, and even though this luggage would still be popular several decades later, it was never really convenient to travel with because it was bulky and heavy.
Suitcases in the 20th Century
The 20th century saw a revolution in luggage. At the start of the century, people were still struggling to transport their massive wooden trunks. But by the end of the 20th century, travelers could be seen effortlessly maneuvering their luggage with wheels.
Air travel was the driver for these changes. With the invention of the first commercial airline in 1914 and the expansion of air travel in the following decades, there was suddenly a need for lighter luggage. Airlines started to limit the weight of carry-on luggage allowed on board, and all the established manufacturers were coming up with ways to make their luggage lighter.
Many manufacturers stopped using leather and wood and turned to lighter materials like plastic and cardboard. These materials turned out to be significantly lighter and even more durable, so it’s no surprise that they’re still being used today in modern luggage.
The most significant innovation in the luggage industry was the invention of suitcases with wheels. Bernard D. Sadow, the former vice president of US Luggage (a Massachusetts luggage company), is credited with this invention, although there is some proof that he wasn’t the first person who came up with the idea.
Sadow worked for US Luggage, which is nowadays a part of Briggs & Riley. He saw an airport worker pushing a heavy machine on wheels and decided everyone needed wheels on their own luggage. It took Sadow about two years to finalize the concept and he got the patent in 1972.
In the years to come, all other major luggage manufacturers would come up with their own solutions for rolling luggage, and the rolling suitcase would become the norm.
Suitcases in the 21st Century
The 21st suitcase saw another important invention in the luggage industry. In the year 2000, Rimowa launched the first polycarbonate suitcase. The invention came from the same brand that invented the aluminum suitcase back in 1937, which are just a couple of reasons why they are considered pioneers in the industry.
By using polycarbonate, Rimowa managed to produce a plastic suitcase with excellent durability, but which was still very lightweight. Many other brands followed suit, and polycarbonate suitcases are still extremely popular 20+ years later.
However, the innovation in the materials is hardly the only way in which luggage has moved forward in the past two decades. Thanks to crowdfunding, many innovative luggage companies have managed to launch new products, and this has only driven long-established brands to innovate and develop their existing luggage.
In this day and age, smart luggage is becoming increasingly popular. These are suitcases with either tech-related features such as USB ports and battery packs, or suitcases with full-on motors and even AI, which offer an entirely different travel experience.
In 2023, you can buy a suitcase that you can ride like a tiny motorcycle, as well as a suitcase that will follow you around wherever you go because it has a camera built into the handle.
It’s insane to think about how far the industry has come, especially when you look back at where suitcases began. What’s even more insane is to just consider what the future has in store.
The Future of Suitcases
What do you think the future of suitcases looks like? I think we’ll be seeing a lot more luggage with built-in AI and smart features. For me, the future of suitcases is hands-free, and I fully expect that in 20-30 years everyone will be walking around and their luggage will just follow them.
But I might be thinking too narrowly because it’s almost impossible to predict what a suitcase could look like in one or two hundred years. I probably can’t even imagine how far luggage will come in the span of a couple of centuries, just like our ancestors who carried carpet bags and saddle bags could not imagine the existence of robotic suitcases.
Will we get luggage that’s capable of talking to us and reminding us what we forgot to pack? Imagine if a few decades from now you can experience being judged by your luggage because you’re an overpacker. It’s not at all outside the realm of possibility.
Interesting Facts About Suitcases
Man walked on the moon in 1969, but he wasn’t able to travel with wheeled luggage until 1972.
Louis Vuitton started off as a company that manufactured travel trunks back in the 1850s.
The word “luggage” was added to the Oxford English Dictionary in 1596. It is derived from the verb “lug”, and it was defined as “inconveniently heavy baggage”.
The most common color of the modern suitcase is black.
Frequently Asked Questions
When was the first wheeled suitcase invented?
The first wheeled suitcase was officially invented in 1972 by Bernard Sadow. However, there is proof – a photograph- that Alfred Krupa came up with the idea of a wheeled trunk and manufactured one back in the 1950s. Also, Sadow’s design was often wobbly and unstable, and it wasn’t until Robert Plath reworked it that it became widely popular.
When was the first 4-wheeled suitcase invented?
The first 4-wheeled suitcase was invented in 1972 by Bernard Sadow. His initial design for the rolling suitcase had four wheels.
Who was the inventor of the first suitcase?
No one is credited with the invention of the first suitcase. People have been transporting their belongings in some versions of bags and luggage for centuries, and the first wooden and leather suitcases were adapted from briefcases and other types of bags.
