What Really Came Of Ride-On Carry-On From Shark Tank?
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Husband and wife inventors Randy and Darryl Lenz burst onto the "Shark Tank" scene in April 2011 during Season 2, Episode 4, ready to shoot their shot! The pitch? $50,000 in capital in exchange for a 25% stake in their Ride-On Carry-On product. But what exactly is the Ride-On Carry-On? According to Darryl, who worked as a flight attendant for 27 years and is well versed in all things flying and airport etiquette, their product "instantly converts any wheeled carry-on luggage into a travel stroller" and is designed to transport any child from 8 months to 5 years old. With the Ride-On Carry-On, parents no longer have to schlep through the airport with a big clunky stroller. What's not to love, right?!
Following the lively pitch, complete with a child-like doll to demonstrate, Sharks Barbara Corcoran and Kevin O'Leary duked it out over the ride-on luggage attachment. In the end, however, Corcoran secured the deal, offering the exact terms the couple requested. A win-win! But whatever came of the airport travel invention after the cameras went down? Here's what we know.
The business initially enjoyed great success
Following their on-air handshake deal with "Shark Tank" judge Barbara Corcoran, Randy and Darryl Lenz went on to enjoy great success with their Ride-On Carry-On invention. In March 2012, during a Season 3 "Shark Tank" update, viewers learned that sales jumped to $500,000 after the show— up from $40,000 before.
"The show was a big boost," Darryl later gushed about the product's overnight success during an interview with The Citizen. "I've never seen anything like it." The outlet reported that the Lenzes enjoyed a staggering 7,000 hits on the Ride-On Carry-On website, and the shipping department shipped out a whopping 500 units during the four days after the product premiered on the hit reality television series. "You just had 12 minutes of time on prime-time television. Imagine what that's worth," Corcoran reportedly told the Lenzes shortly after the episode aired. But where is the company today?
The Ride-On Carry-On is no longer riding
Unfortunately, the Ride-On Carry-On is now permanently grounded. In 2019, the product went through a bit of a shakeup — it was rebranded the SitAlong Toddler Luggage Seat and distributed through a company known as Think King, which touts itself as "always thinking about functional solutions" for modern parents. Think King's founder, King-Yee Man, told Big City Moms in June 2011 that her own obsession with gear inspired her to start the company. "My dear husband says, 'Invention is the necessity of motherhood,'" she recalled.
As of September 2023, the product had been 86'd from the Think King's website, and the product's official website and social media had vanished too. It should also be noted that it's no longer available on Amazon either. Womp, womp, womppp. Perhaps some of the negative reviews were to blame? One customer gave the product a one-star review, noting that they had bought two of them for an upcoming trip — but upon receiving them they felt "they weren't sturdy at all," and one fell apart before they even boarded their first flight. Meanwhile, another customer gave the product three stars and wrote, "It's good, but not too safe." Ruh-roh.