New 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro Made with Steven Bartlett

We're going to be honest with you. We've never been more excited about a launch in Ekster's history.

We partnered with Steven Bartlett and The Diary Of A CEO, one of the most influential voices on the planet, to build something that's been missing from every traveler's bag. And we mean that literally.

Introducing the 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro. 

Our most ambitious, most considered, most obsessively engineered product to date. And the most literal expression of the 1% philosophy either of us has made.

Why Ekster and Steven Bartlett?

If you've ever listened to The Diary Of A CEO podcast, you already know the answer.

Steven Bartlett dropped out of university, built Social Chain into a publicly listed company by the time he was 27, and turned a podcast recorded on a laptop into one of the biggest shows on the planet, with over 60 million monthly listens. 

He's an investor, an entrepreneur, an author, and one of the most relentlessly self-improving people we've ever come across.

But here's the thing. It's not the numbers that made us want to work with him. It's the philosophy behind them.

Steven has spent his entire career talking about the power of 1% improvements. The idea that you don't need a dramatic breakthrough to get from good to great. You just need to get 1% better, in every detail, every single day. Small actions, compounded consistently, that add up to something extraordinary over time.

Sound familiar? It should. Because that's exactly how we build products at Ekster.

So when we started talking, it became clear pretty quickly that we weren't just aligned on aesthetics or audience. We were aligned on how we think. And when two brands think the same way, the most natural thing in the world is to make something together.

The problem we set out to solve

Steven travels constantly. Like, an almost unreasonable amount. More than 135 times a year. 

And like anyone who lives out of a carry-on, he knows the frustration better than most: you always pack too much, your bag never closes properly, and the moment you get to the hotel and want to repack, it's a full wrestling match.

The vacuum travel bag category has existed for years. But if you've ever used one, you know the problems. Narrow openings that make packing a nightmare. Bags that lose air mid-trip. Flimsy seams that give out after a few uses. Pumps that are too bulky to actually travel with.

Nobody had sat down and asked whether every single detail of the vacuum travel bag could be 1% better.

So we did. With Steven Bartlett and The Diary Of A CEO team.

What makes the 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro different

This is where it gets good.

Every feature of the 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro exists because someone in the room asked whether it could be better. None of the improvements are dramatic on their own. Together, they add up to the most advanced vacuum compression kit on the market.

Here's what we mean:

Open wide, pack faster

We redesigned the opening completely. The 1% Vacuum Bag Pro has a wide, half-clamshell top zipper that opens the bag up like a suitcase. Loading bulky jackets, sweaters, and thick layers is genuinely easy now. No more stuffing clothes through a gap the size of a mail slot.

No more bunching

The shape of the bag is boxier than anything we've made before. Wider edges help clothes distribute evenly inside rather than bunching up at the sides. It sounds like a small thing. It makes a huge difference when you're compressing.

15+ days. One compact brick.

The 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Bag Pro has a 20L capacity. That's enough for a serious trip! Think two pairs of pants, six shirts, two sweaters, and everything in between. And even with all of that packed in, the compression still squeezes it down to a brick that saves up to 70% of the space. No checked bag. No fees. No waiting at the carousel.

Nothing to hide

A transparent window on the front of the bag lets you see exactly what's inside without unpacking everything to find out. At airport security. In the hotel. On the way home. You always know what's where.

Grab-and-go ready

We added a side handle to the 1% Vacuum Bag Pro. It sounds obvious in retrospect, but no one had done it properly before. Now you can carry the bag independently, like a proper travel bag, rather than an awkward plastic pouch you have to shove inside something else.

Built to last the trip. And the next one. And the one after that.

We completely upgraded the build quality of the bag. Reinforced seams along a wider, thicker edge give the 1% TravelPack™ exceptional air hold and serious rip-resistance, even after regular, repeated use. This is a bag built for the way frequent travelers actually travel.

The pump that goes everywhere you do

A vacuum travel bag is only as good as its pump. And the pump situation has always been the weak link in this category.

Too big. Too slow. Needs a wall socket. Incompatible with the bag. We've heard every complaint.

The limited-edition DOAC Air Pump Pro fixes all of it. It's USB-C rechargeable, compact enough to slip into any bag, and powerful enough to fully compress the 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro in seconds. At home before your trip. At airport security. In the hotel before checkout. On the road between stops.

And if you ever forget to pack the pump? No problem. The 1% Vacuum Bag Pro is compatible with any standard household vacuum cleaner. So you're never stuck.

This is the 1% philosophy in physical form

Here's the thing about the 1% mindset that people often miss. It's not about making one big improvement and calling it a day. It's about applying that lens to every single detail, consistently, until the cumulative effect of all those small decisions becomes impossible to ignore.

That's what we did with The Diary Of A CEO 1% TravelPack™. 

A wider opening. A boxier shape. A bigger capacity. A transparent window. A side handle. Reinforced seams. A better pump. 

None of these changes will make headlines on their own. Together, they make a product that is noticeably, meaningfully, undeniably better than anything else in the vacuum travel bag category.

That's the 1% mindset in practice. And it's exactly what Steven Bartlett has been talking about for years.

Limited edition, get it while you can

We need to say this clearly: the 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro is a limited-edition drop. Once it's gone, it's gone. There's no restock planned, no second wave, no "back by popular demand" moment we're holding in reserve.

If you've been following Ekster for a while, you know we mean that. Our limited drops sell out. This one will too.

The 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro is available exclusively at ekster.com. Don’t miss your chance to own the same compression kit Steven Bartlett travels with every time he flies.

FAQs

What is the Ekster x DOAC 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro?
The 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro is a limited-edition collaboration between Ekster and Steven Bartlett of The Diary of a CEO. It includes the TravelPack™ Vacuum Bag Pro and the limited-edition DOAC Air Pump Pro, designed to compress your clothes and save up to 70% of packing space in seconds. Every feature was built around the 1% philosophy: small, deliberate improvements that compound into something significantly better.

How does the vacuum travel bag work?
Pack your clothes into the 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Bag Pro, seal the zip, attach the DOAC Air Pump Pro to the valve, and press the button. The pump removes the air from inside the bag, compressing your clothes into a compact, airtight brick that saves up to 70% of packing space.

Can I use the vacuum bag without the DOAC pump?
Yes. The 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Bag Pro is compatible with any standard household vacuum cleaner. The DOAC Air Pump Pro is included for on-the-go compression, but it's not the only option.

How much can I fit inside the TravelPack™ Vacuum Bag Pro?
The bag has a 20L capacity, enough for 15+ days of travel, compressed down to a brick that saves up to 70% of packing space.

Will the bag lose air during my trip?
No. The 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Bag Pro features reinforced seams along a wider, thicker edge for exceptional air hold. Once compressed, it stays compressed.

Is it easy to repack mid-trip?
Yes. The wide half-clamshell opening makes repacking quick and easy, even with bulky items. Simply open, repack, and compress again with the DOAC pump.

Why did Ekster partner with Steven Bartlett and The Diary of a CEO?
Ekster and Steven Bartlett share the same core belief: that small, deliberate improvements, applied consistently, compound into something extraordinary. The 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro is the most literal expression of that shared philosophy either brand has ever made.

Is the 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro limited edition?
Yes. This is a limited-edition drop with no restock planned. Once it sells out, it's gone.

Where can I buy the Ekster x DOAC 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro?
The 1% TravelPack™ Vacuum Kit Pro is available exclusively at ekster.com.