Whilst my wardrobe is made up of every shade of black, I am all about bold and useful luggage choices, so the mustard yellow soft-shell Discover Wheeled Duffel by Antler quite literally stood out to me.
With its beautiful yellow fabric contrasted against black trimmings, made to take on longer trips and holidays, it is just the sort of case that I’d use for most of my travels. It has already proved its worth on a few trips across Europe.
I spotted it the second it appeared on the baggage belt on a recent flight, no scanning rows of identical black bags for me! And its lightweight design and useful compartments have turned packing into something more pleasurable.
In this Antler luggage review, I’ll take you through my honest experience with using the duffel, the design, the build quality, how easy it is to use, and whether it is value for money.
TL;DR
This duffel from Antler has become my go-to for most of my medium to long trips. It’s lightweight enough to lug around with all my belongings inside, and the colour stands out from the sea of boring suitcases at the airport. The two compartments and compression straps keep everything organised, and the hard-shell back gives packed items far more protection than my fully soft-shell Eastpak ever did. The oversized wheels are beautiful to look at, and I much prefer them to the usual 4-wheel suitcases. My only wish: a built-in TSA lock!
Pros
- Lightweight at 3.75kg with 80 L capacity
- Two wheels (meaning it doesn’t run away from me)
- Beautiful wheels that glide easily and quietly
- Great choice of colours
- Water repellent outer fabric
Cons
- No integrated TSA lock
What is Antler?
Antler is a British luggage brand (with both USA and UK sites) founded in 1914 by John Boultbee Brooks, who was also behind the Brooks England bicycle saddle brand, originally producing trunks for motor trucks and ocean voyages.
These days, Antler positions itself around durability and longevity, offering a lifetime warranty on its suitcases and leaning into recycled materials across its ranges.
They offer a mixture of hard-shell and soft-shell luggage, in both carry-on and check-in sizes. As well as backpacks, weekend bags, and other accessories.
My experience with the Discover Wheeled Duffel
I already own both an Antler weekend bag and backpack, both of which I’ve had for around a year and are still holding up strong. So, I felt very positive about the Discovery Wheeled Duffel that Antler sent me to test.
I’ve been using it on my recent travels, and here is how I got on!
The design
It is a blend of a duffel bag with a check-in suitcase, offering both a soft-shell exterior with a hard-shell back, alongside wheels and a smooth extendable handle.
It opens in the middle, with two main sections, some internal zipped pockets, and a couple of external pockets. I find the design to be really convenient, with plenty of space to pack my belongings. The external compression straps also help me to squish all my clothes in.
It comes in three colourways: Mustard Yellow, Black, and Dark Forest Green. All of which are beautiful to look at. And whilst I love the look of both the black and green versions, the mustard yellow is, in my opinion, the most handy – it’s hard to miss at airports!
Overall, it has a luxurious look and feel to it. It is a pleasure to wheel around, and I love how it looks! The only thing I’d love to see added is a built-in TSA lock, but thankfully it is easy to attach my own padlock.
Here is a more detailed look at the features and specs of this Antler suitcase:
- Packing capacity: 80 l
- Measurement: 28.7 x 15.7 x 12.6 in (72.9 x 39.88 x 32.0 cm)
- Weight: 8.27 lb (3.75kg)
- Soft front in durable, water-repellent recycled polyester, paired with a hard shell back that resists scratches and impact
- Oversized wheels built for smooth rolling on rougher terrain
- Comfort-grip trolley handle with adjustable height, plus a deep drop front pocket for quick access
- Performance buckles to condense bulk, with two compression straps and two compartments inside for organised packing
The build quality
This duffel feels far from flimsy. It has a firm, solid construction that has so far handled being knocked about on my travels.
The zips feel strong too, gliding smoothly even when I’ve packed the case right up to its max. I haven’t had any snagging or straining. And the compression straps do their job to squeeze everything in.
So far, it has held up well across every journey I’ve taken it on. The hard-shell back did pick up a few scuff marks along the way, but these wiped off easily without any fuss.
Antler backs all of this up with a lifetime warranty on the case, which says a lot about how confident they are in its durability.
The ease of use
All round, I find the Antler Discovery Wheeled Duffel easy to use. With two main sections and plenty of pockets, packing all my belongings is a dream. I can split my clothes into one side, and my shoes and accessories into the other. All my odd bits can slot into one of the few internal and external pockets.
And then when it comes to travelling with it, the large wheels glide smoothly across all terrains. Be it pavements, pebbles, and those knobbly bits on the sides of pavements that usually trip up my 4-wheeled cases.
There are a fair few handles on the suitcase, including on the side, bottom and top, along with a super smooth extendable handle. All of which make it easy to carry this case about, even up/down huge flights of stairs.
There are no odd bits of design that get in the way. All the pockets, zips, handles, and compartments work perfectly for my needs!
The value for money
A suitcase built to last a lifetime, as I expect my Antler case to, usually comes with a price tag to match. At $330, the Discover Wheeled Duffel isn’t cheap, but it sits at a price I’d happily pay for a bag this well-made, durable, and nice to use.
And it is by no means on the pricier end of the scale when it comes to check-in suitcases. Many suitcase brands charge between $350 and $1000, often for hard-shell only options that don’t tend to age well.
Against the alternatives, $330 for a soft-shell duffel with a lifetime warranty definitely is great value for money!
| Suitcase | Price | Dimensions | Capacity | Weight | Warranty |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Antler Discovery Wheeled Duffel
Soft shell
|
$330 | 72.9 x 39.9 x 32 cm | 80L | 3.75kg | Lifetime |
|
Briggs & Riley Baseline Large
Soft shell
|
$929 | 73.7 x 50.8 x 30.5 cm | 100–122L | 6kg | Lifetime |
|
Monos Check-In Large
Hard shell
|
$375 | 76.2 x 53.3 x 27.9 cm | 97.3L | 4.79kg | Lifetime |
|
Away The Large
Hard shell
|
$375 | 73.7 x 52.1 x 31.8 cm | 104L | 5.49kg | Lifetime |
|
Samsonite S’Cure 75cm
Hard shell
|
$259.99 | 75 x 52 x 31 cm | 102L | 4.6kg | 5 years |
|
Rimowa Essential Check-In L
Hard shell
|
$1,250 | 77 x 50 x 26.5 cm | 85L | 4.8kg | Lifetime |
Prices in USD, correct at time of writing.
My Antler luggage review verdict
As someone who travels A LOT, I take great pride in my luggage choices. And the one I’ve been enjoying the most is this wheeled duffel bag by Antler.
It’s a beautiful design in a striking colour that I’ll never miss on airport baggage belts, with some of the prettiest wheels I’ve ever seen on a suitcase. On top of that, it’s lightweight, practical, and a pleasure to wheel about.
I’d give this suitcase a full 5 stars out of 5, if only it came with a built-in TSA lock. Using my own padlock on the zips is no real hassle, though.
I’m really looking forward to seeing how it continues to hold up over time, and I’ll make sure to keep you all updated here as I go.
My go-to travel health insurance:
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