Charging backpacks — bags with built-in batteries and cable management — are an obvious solution to smartphone batteries that don’t last long enough. Unfortunately, most purpose-built charging backpacks tend to include much black and orange to highlight the fact that they’re high-tech carrying solutions for the plugged-in-professional, and consequently look awful.
So frankly, it’s a little embarrassing for the world’s entrepeneurs that it’s taken this long to make a charging backpack that doesn’t scream nerd.
The Current Bag Co has taken to Kickstarter to sell its line of decidedly hipster charging bags. In contrast to regular computer bags, the Current bags have leather accents and trendy coloring and generally don’t look like the kind of thing designed around cables and charging.
Inside, you get a 5,000 or 10,000 mAh battery that should be good for a couple smartphone charges. You also get cable organization pockets and sleeves, the idea being that you leave the battery and cables all wired up, then connect your phone when you slide it into a specific pocket.
There’s nothing groundbreaking about the technology, but combining it into a bag that doesn’t look terrible and is reasonably priced is enough to make this worth backing. The Move backpack with a simpler design and a 5,000 mAh battery runs $70 on Kickstarter, while the more featured Classic bag is $110. Delivery is set for August this year, and given that there’s no outlandish promises or complicated technology, I’d guess you have a reasonable chance of seeing this delivered on time.
