FREITAG introduces 'zippelin', an inflatable suitcase

FREITAG presents its first rolling travel bag, a design that has been missing from the company’s expansive repertoire since its founding 24 years ago. the ‘zippelin’ will be produced in the company’s headquarters in zurich, switzerland using one of FREITAG’s signature recycled materials — truck tarpaulins. both water resistant and durable, the material has one set back — its weight. FREITAG has designed a product that makes this problem obsolete.

FREITAG creates the world’s first inflatable bag that dispenses with the traditional metal frame

the weight of the truck tarpaulins combined with a traditional metal frame and wheels would not create the light weight alternative FREITAG hoped to provide for its customers. the company decided to take a more unconventional route and leave the metal frame out of the design — replacing it with a 28-inch bicycle inner tube. using the conventional bike pump, the inner tube frame can be inflated to create a light weight travel option that can be deflated and easily stowed when arriving back home.

the bag’s inner tube frame inflates using a bike pump

‘as a former architect, I’m familiar with air-supported structures,’ said nicola stäubli one of FREITAG’s product developers. ‘I also used to be a bike messenger and was impressed by folding bikes that are fully functional when mounted, and compact when you stow them away. I could not get rid of the idea of using a common bicycle inner tube to replace the rigid and space-consuming structure of conventional luggage. I sewed an inner tube into a big piece of tarp, had it inflated, and realized that the pressurized air was indeed able to replace the usual bulky metal structures. that was the moment when I realized — hey, this could actually work!’

the zippelin can then be deflated for easy storage

the zippelin, now on kickstarter with over 670 backers, is the world’s first inflatable travel bag. the hand-cut tarps make no two FREITAG bags identical — a huge asset when in a traveling in crowded airports and bus stations. the individualized design allows an owner to easily spot their zippelin bag from a distance.

the bag uses FRETAG’s main recycled material — used truck tarpaulins