Innovative Travel Products Found on Kickstarter: Skyroll Spinner and NapWrap

Interested in helping to bring to market new travel products? I had never thought about doing this for entrepreneurial ventures other than my own until I started seeing interesting products on Kickstarter.

My interest first got peeked by the Skyroll Spinner suitcase, garment bag and laptop case, all in one. Now wouldn’t that peek your curiosity also?
First of all, here’s a solo entrepreneur and inventor trying to design a product that makes our lives a little easier. Then there’s a product that has come up with a clever solution for combining the convenience of traditional luggage with the benefits of a garment bag. Yes, it definitely got my attention.

If you haven’t ever come across Kickstarter, which I admit I hadn’t other than hearing the term, it’s a site where you can solicit public donations for your projects. Creators explain their new product/service and ask for donations. A similar public funding site is Indiegogo.

The Skyroll has reached its funding goal, so production should be underway for those who pledged up front. For those who’d like to find one of these bags online or in a retail store, you may want to contact the inventor at this site to find out when and where.

My husband doesn’t know it yet (well, I guess he will once he reads this), but there’s a men’s version of the Skyroll hopefully showing up at our front door late in September. He’ll be heading off for a month-long business trip in October where several suits will be needed, so I hope this different concept in luggage is ideal for him.

This isn’t the only Kickstarter travel item that’s come to my attention lately. At the recent Global Business Travel Association (GBTA) convention in San Diego, I met with Bruce Backer and Mona Dehshid, co-inventors of the napwrap. The napwrap is a personal armrest designed to help you relax while inflight, especially useful when stuck in a middle seat!

I tried this napwrap on my way home from San Diego (compliments of Mona and Bruce) and I must say that my arms were very comfortable as I closed my eyes and relaxed. When I cross my arms, I tend to have one wrist and hand in an L-shape and my wrist does get sore. The napwrap prevented this entirely.

While the Skyroll Spinner’s pledging has closed, the napwrap has a few more days. Check it out and see what you think.

This form of raising money is interesting, and I’m glad to see some innovative travel products on the horizon.

If you have come across other travel products on Kickstarter, Indiegogo, or other similar sites, do share!