Getaway Gear: The BauBax Travel Sweatshirt is Like Wearing Your Carry-on

Every time I’m packing for a trip, I think about that scene in Commando, when Arnold Schwarzenegger arrives on the beach and gears up for his rescue mission. If you know what I’m talking about, I suggest giving it a try, because it eliminates the monotony and repetition of packing the same items over and over. And believe me—you’ll never feel cooler when sliding your kid’s tablet into your laptop bag.

But thanks to a new addition to my travel wardrobe, I might be trading John Matrix for James Bond (yes, I am well on my way to breaking the record for the most Bond references by a travel writer). In addition to my new weekender bag, I wore the BauBax 2.0 sweatshirt on a recent trip, and this company has taken a classic piece of clothing and turned it into the proverbial kitchen sink for regular travelers who want to avoid luggage fees and long waits at the baggage carousel.

Techies might recall hearing the BauBax name as a crowdfunding success story. This apparel brand’s unique travel gear raised an estimated $9 million on Kickstarter, as well as $11 million on Indiegogo. That’s a lot of faith for a start-up clothing brand, and also a lot of pressure. But judging by the 2.0, BauBax knew what it was getting into.

My first impression of the BauBax 2.0 sweatshirt was an eyebrow raised so high it would have made The Rock blush. Just read this product description:

The BauBax 2.0 Sweatshirt upgrades a wardrobe staple to a new-age design with modern, utility-inspired details. It is handcrafted with tech styling all over to give it a contemporary twist. It includes a built-in eye mask, an inflatable neck pillow & footrest, and 20+ other features. Made with soft cotton for all-day comfort.

A neck pillow? Footrest? Twenty-plus other features? I kinda thought this was tongue-in-cheek. But then I received my sweatshirt and, holy cow, this thing really does live up to its description. (The footrest is inflatable and comes in its own bag.)

Still, I was certain that this sweatshirt would be clunky and bothersome. Certainly, it couldn’t be as comfy as my trusty, old J. Crew hoodie that has been on so many adventures with me. Could it?

Short answer: Yes. But read on, I implore you.

Even if you read the list of features, this sweatshirt still has its surprises. For example, the first time I put it on, I was caught off guard and kind of annoyed by the detachable gloves, but they quickly became my favorite comfort feature for when I tried to get a quick nap in on my flight.

And it’s amazing that I still felt so comfortable while I had my passport in my breast pocket, iPad in a large interior pocket, iPhone in an interior chest pocket (I use AirPods, but the sweatshirt also has headphone holders attached), sunglasses in the other interior chest pocket, Anker portable charger in another pocket, Airpods case in yet another specialized pocket, and my Breadcrumb in—you guessed it—another pocket, but this pocket is actually a drink pocket on the front of the sweatshirt.

Seriously, a drink pocket. You can put a can or box or pouch and just sip away with a straw. Don’t have a drink? The sweatshirt comes with a plastic pouch (TSA-friendly, obviously) so you can fill up with anything. Mine may or may not have had a margarita in it at one point.

Oh, and there’s also the blanket pocket (blanket included, of course) and an Apple pencil pocket. That’s it, I think… just kidding! There’s a secret RFID pocket, too. I’m almost dizzy trying to remember everything.

Whenever I travel abroad, it never fails—I am the only passenger in a five-row radius who has a pen. So, naturally, everyone else wants to borrow mine. Now, I am a man of the people and I teach my son daily that sharing is caring, but I’m still wary of the germs of 10 strangers touching something I use all day long, and you’d be surprised how many times another passenger “accidentally” puts my nice Cross pen in his pocket.

That’s why I cackled with delight (I’m not kidding) when I realized, after two days of wearing this sweatshirt, that the zipper toggle is actually a small, retractable pen and tablet stylus. I cannot overstate how easily impressed I was by this tiny feature, but then, that’s basically the BauBax 2.0 sweatshirt in a nutshell.

This company has thought of everything, so that you won’t have to think too hard when going through your packing routine.