The VELO Suitcase Expands to Double Its Size — Comfier Travel and Easier Storage
Hi, I’m Hide — tech journalist and part-time house-husband. A shape-shifting suitcase was not something I saw coming.
The VELO is an innovative suitcase that expands from size S to about double. Keep it compact when you’re packing light, then expand it after buying souvenirs.
It also lets you replace the two sizes you used to keep — one for business trips, one for vacations — with just one. Here’s my review based on actually using it.
Official site: VELO
Where to buy: VELO | Expandable Suitcase
For my articles, I sometimes receive products on loan or as samples from companies, within the bounds of Yahoo! News’ rules. However, if a product doesn’t meet my standards for writing about it after actually using it, or if its downsides significantly outweigh its good points, I return it and don’t write about it. I don’t receive any payment from companies.
First off, it’s a high-quality suitcase
The VELO Hyper Edition is the second-generation model, improving on weak points that came up as lots of users tried the first one. It handles up to 50 kg, and areas that tend to be weak — like the handle and the expanding parts — have been strengthened.
It also has quiet 360-degree wheels, so you can roll it alongside you instead of just pulling it behind. I’ve heard some people prefer the pull-behind style, but personally I like 360-degree wheels — you can slip through narrow ticket gates and roll it upright too.
There are three sizes, and the smallest is carry-on friendly. The largest is 72L, about double, so you’re covered if your luggage grows on the way home — and you don’t have to haul an oversized suitcase on the way out.
Storage is ridiculously easy
Saving space is a big plus. Combining two suitcases into one frees up a whole suitcase’s worth of space, and the VELO itself shrinks down compact and light for storage. So easy.
The width, which doesn’t expand, is compact too, so it’s easy to load into a car. Compared with suitcases that get bigger all over, the VELO only grows in one direction, which felt more versatile.
Plenty of packing space
I always figured the family needed at least one big suitcase for overseas trips… but now that the VELO is here, I’m thinking of getting rid of one of the two my wife and I own.
Nothing wastes space quite like storing suitcases, right? (Wry laugh.)
The VELO comes in black, silver, and two-tone. Thinking about all the bumps it’ll take, I considered black, but went with silver. The color also makes it feel less bulky in storage.
At first I suspected it was just a gimmicky expanding suitcase, but as you’d expect from a second-gen product, it’s genuinely practical. I plan to use it for our holiday trip home too.
This story was originally published (in Japanese) on Yahoo! News Japan Expert.
