Adrian Solgaard

Adrian Solgaard is a Norwegian–Canadian inventor and entrepreneur best known as the founder and CEO of the sustainable travel goods brand Solgaard. Solgaard designs suitcases and other travel gear that combine utility with sustainability. These include the Carry-On Closet® suitcase, which features an integrated compression shelf system, and the company’s Shore-Tex® material made from 100% recycled materials.

Early life

Solgaard was born to Norwegian parents. He grew up in Norway and also near Vancouver, Canada, later settling in New York City.

Career

InterLock seatpost lock

Before establishing Solgaard, he invented the InterLock, a bicycle lock that hides inside a bicycle’s seatpost and deploys via retractable cables. The product was launched through Kickstarter campaigns and covered by cycling and technology media in 2013–2015.

Solgaard Design

Solgaard Design, Inc. (commonly called Solgaard) is a travel-goods and accessories company founded by Solgaard in 2016. The company focuses on sustainable luggage and accessories featuring functional design and recycled materials. Solgaard’s product portfolio features luggage with integrated shelving (Carry-On Closet® and Check-In Closet®), backpacks, soft goods, watches, solar power bank chargers and travel accessories.

In 2016, after discussing features for a “perfect” backpack when a friend’s bag was stolen, Solgaard launched the Lifepack, a solar-powered anti-theft backpack, via crowdfunding. During its crowdfunding campaign, Lifepack received more than US$1 million in pledges on Kickstarter. The product line expanded the following year with the Hustle backpack.

Solgaard became widely known for the Carry-On Closet® suitcase, which features and an integrated collapsible shelving system for organized packing. The product has been sold at MoMA Design Stores and was also recognized on TIME Magazine’s 2018 Best Inventions list.

Sustainability

Many Solgaard products feature the brand’s proprietary Shore-Tex® fabric, made using recycled, ocean- and river-bound plastic. In 2023, Solgaard launched its first mono-material, fully recyclable backpack, the “Circular Backpack” (now named the “Compass Backpack”), which received a Red Dot: Product Design Award.

In cooperation with its network of plastic collection impact partners and the Solgaard Nyx-Foundation, the Solgaard brand cleans up six pounds of plastic from coastal communities around the world with every product sold.

As of Earth Day 2025 (April 5, 2025), Solgaard announced it had cleaned up 30 million pounds of plastic up in cooperation with its network of impact partners and the Solgaard Nyx-Foundation.

Solgaard Design

Solgaard Design, Inc. (stylized as Solgaard) is an American travel goods company headquartered in New York City, United States. The company was founded by Adrian Solgaard in 2016. Solgaard Design's Carry-On Closet® suitcase, which integrates a collapsible shelf organizer, was named to Time magazine’s list of Best Inventions of 2018. The company emphasizes recycled and “ocean-bound” plastics in its materials, including a proprietary fabric called Shore-Tex.

History

Solgaard was founded by Norwegian-Canadian designer Adrian Solgaard. Solgaard started a crowdfunding campaign for Lifepack, a solar-powered, anti-theft backpack launched on Kickstarter in 2016, which raised US$613,917 from 3,705 backers.

The company later introduced the Carry-On Closet suitcase with a built-in, removable shelving system, which became Solgaard’s best-known product after being included on TIME magazine’s Best Inventions list in 2018.

As of 2025, Solgaard is headquartered in New York, United States.

Products

Carry-On Closet

Solgaard’s flagship suitcase, the Carry-On Closet, features a patented five-shelf organizer that compresses for packing and can hang in a closet or on a hook when traveling. The organizer and interior lining are produced with recycled plastic materials (Shore-Tex), and the case includes a TSA-approved lock and polycarbonate shell. The product has been widely reviewed in consumer and travel publications.

Lifepack and other bags

The original Lifepack backpack line integrated a removable solar power bank/speaker, cable lock, and hidden pockets aimed at mobile workers and travelers. Solgaard has since expanded into additional backpacks, weekenders, and travel accessories.

Materials and sustainability

Solgaard reports using recycled materials in multiple components through its Shore-Tex® (textile) and Shore-Plast™ (hard plastic) material streams. In February 2023, the company announced it had become a Certified B Corporation, and at the same time publicized an increase in plastic collection per purchase. In April 2025, Solgaard announced it had cleared an estimated three million pounds of ocean-bound plastic from coastal communities and waterways to date, through Solgaard’s programs in cooperation with its partners and a related foundation.

Recognition

Time magazine included the Carry-On Closet on its “Best Inventions” list in 2018.

Fast Company named Solgaard's Shore-Tex sustainable fabric and product collection a finalist in its "World Changing Ideas" awards in 2020.

The Solgaard Compass Backpack (previously referred to as the Circular Backpack) received a Red Dot: Product Design award in 2023 for its sustainable, mono-material construction.

External links

• Adrian Solgaard (official website)
• Solgaard (official website)