CES 2026: I Laughed at My Daughter, but This Inflatable Luggage Made Me Believe in Its Effectiveness.
Like many parents, I sometimes think my kids are lazy. This was one of those times: at Orlando International Airport, on the way to Disneyland, my 16-year-old daughter said how much she needed a suitcase she could ride on. I laughed and told her she could walk just fine. “Besides,” I added, “it would never work.”
I hadn’t seen any luggage that you could ride on before, and I immediately pointed out its shortcomings. First, it wouldn’t fit someone my height—190 cm and 98 kg. Second, I doubted there would be much storage space, which is the whole point of luggage. And third, who would want to ride on something so ridiculous? But my daughter was determined to prove to me not only that they exist, but that they were popular. She showed me videos of them in action. I wasn’t convinced.
On our way through the airport, we joked about suitcases that you can ride on. The topic came up again while we were strolling through Disneyland. (“See, if we had suitcases you can ride on, we wouldn’t be so tired.”) By the time we reached baggage claim after returning to LaGuardia, it had become a running joke. That same week, in preparation for CES, I researched suitcases that could ride on and planned to test them out at the show. And, as it turned out, my daughter was right.
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At CES, I tested several airplane-ready suitcases, fitting my impressive 6’3″ and 210 lb frame into motorized, battery-powered carry-on-sized bags. The best of the bunch was from Jitlife, which is introducing its fourth model, the Jitlife JS07i, this year. Not only did it impress, but it was also afinalist for the official Best of CES 2026 award in the Travel category.
Like all the suitcases I’ve carried, the Jitlife suitcase is the size of a standard carry-on, but it can hold up to 113 kg, has a top speed of about 13 km/h, and travels about 10 km on a single charge. The suitcase has a capacity of 28 liters, which is certainly much smaller than the 60-80 liters I expect from a standard suitcase, but it’s better than I thought, considering it weighs less than 9 kg and can carry me. Overall, the guy was right: wheeled luggage can work, and it’s already quite common in Asia, especially China.
As for the awkward appearance of such a suitcase, I think my point is correct. But for people with disabilities, small children, or anyone who values functionality over other people’s judgment, a rolling suitcase can be a worthy solution for faster and more convenient travel through large airports. Testing this suitcase was definitely my most enjoyable experience at CES, so whatever the future of rolling suitcases holds, I’ll accept the “I told you so!” from my child.