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It's the dilemma faced by jetsetting shoppers the world over – buying too many goodies to fit in your suitcase on the way home.

Do you shell out for yet another 'emergency' suitcase, to add to the piles of unwanted luggage cluttering up your home? Or spend a small fortune shipping your things back?

Now an inventor claims to have come up with a better solution, and it's one that really could take off – an inflatable suitcase.

The Fugu suitcase pictured can triple in size using an electric pump that plugs straight into the mains 

When it is expanded, the wheeled suitcase can store 120 litres worth of clothes and will cost £190

It was inspired, he says, by Mary Poppins's magical bag which famously had room for everything including a lampshade. The new case has side walls similar to an accordion, allowing it to expand in height by an extra 17 inches (45cm), tripling its volume from 40 litres to 120 litres.

The walls of the suitcase can be inflated in around 20 seconds using an electronic pump, plugged into a mains supply.

Best of all, it allows holidaymakers to save time and money by starting their journey using a compact carry-on size, which is compatible with airlines' hand luggage size restrictions, according to one of its makers Daniel Gindis.

Once inflated for the journey home, the case – named the Fugu after a Japanese pufferfish – can simply be checked it in as hold baggage. It is expected to cost about £190 when it goes on sale. Isaac Atlas, industrial designer at Fugu, got the idea for the case when he had to buy new luggage on his way home from a trip because his carry-on bag could not fit in all his extra shopping.

The inflated suitcase, which is now in the prototype stage, can also be used as a surface on which you could stand a laptop or make-up mirror, and has the option of internal shelves to transform it into a cupboard.

Its four multi-directional 360 degree wheels make it easy to manoeuvre around the airport, while the fabric of the sides is impact resistant PVC material found in inflatable boats. This means the case should withstand being tossed around the baggage hold.

Its makers aim to incorporate other features, such as a refrigerated compartment to protect perishable items and a light which comes on when you open the suitcase in the dark.

The company is raising funding through Kickstarter, an online crowd-funding website.

Mr Gindis is hoping the suitcase will be available to order by December next year.