Antler, has a new range of luggage out – Clifton – available in three different sizes – cabin, medium and large – and in six colours: mineral, navy, taupe, blush, black and sycamore. Antler is keen to sell all three bags as a set and offers competitive deals for doing so, and when supplied each comes with a dust bag meaning you can fit them one inside the other like Russian dolls, so they don’t take up as much room at home.
The sizes are as follows:
- Cabin (20x40x55cm)
- Medium (30x45x67cm)
- Large (35x52x80cm)
I already have a number of Antler bags, and like them enough to attempt to get them repaired, although I didn’t have any luck with that.
The new range is seemingly an evolution to the previous ranges. It is immediately recognisable as an Antler both from its exterior design and once you open the cases, where they divide into two equal halves with a zipped compartment allowing for a separation between, say, folded and ironed clothes (shirts and trousers) and other items.
Manoeuvring the case is easy with the handle, though the twist grip took a little getting used to. There are buttons at either end for raising or dropping the handle.
There’s a trade off between weight and strength (and therefore longevity) with bags, of course. Briggs and Riley and Tumi’s ballistic nylon cases are impressively long-lasting (they come with lifetime guarantees) but they are heavy. Antler polycarbonate bags are much lighter – the cabin bag is 2.8kg with a capacity of 37 litres when empty: not super light, but competitive, while the medium and large are 3.9kg (75 litres) and 5kg (121 litres). The medium and large bags also have the ability to (slightly) expand (to 83 litres and 132 litres, respectively). All the bags come with a 10-year guarantee
The cabin bag is excellent for short trips and I tested it with some overnight trips to Europe and also just commuting when I had things to carry. Here it is on a train…
The medium case is large enough for a week’s trip, which does beg the question of why anyone would need a large one, but there’s no accounting for how much some people can pack.
The surfaces of the bag are in a kind of wave pattern, and are colour-fast meaning that any scratches will be the same colour as the bag. If you go for a lighter colour ( I did) you will get darker marks on the case from the hold and the carousel belts. Antler recommends The Pink Stuff https://www.thepinkstuff.co.uk/ for cleaning then – I will test this out at some later date. At the moment, I don’t mind the marks.
To open and close the luggage there is a zip which is protected by a rubber seal. It adds to how waterproof the bags are, though it is quite stiff to begin with and, especially if the bag isn’t full, it can be difficult to use the zip for the first few times, though it does gradually loosen. All the bags have an integral TSA combination lock which I have not used on the cabin bag, and forgot to use on the medium bag, but will do the next time I travel with it.
Antler says that the bags are ‘designed and engineered in London’, but they are made in China. The brand dates from 1914, and though it has been through several changes of owner over recent years, is going strong, so the 10 year warranty is worth registering for.
Verdict
A good value, medium priced option, with a range of sizes and colours.
Fact box (for the cabin bag)
- Size (20x40x55cm)
- Price: £159
- Colour: taupe (mineral in the pictures)
- Weight 2.8kg
- Packing capacity 37L
- Wheels : 4 wheels, spinner.
