Choosing the right luggage may not make or break your trip, but having high-quality luggage you can count on, sets you up to have a more enjoyable holiday. We have been travelling with Antler luggage for years, including 4 years of full-time travel, and love them. We were recently gifted a beautiful set of Antler Clifton luggage and took it on a little staycation to test it out. So if you’re wondering if Antler Clifton suitcases are for you, here is our Antler luggage review of the Clifton set in large, medium and cabin, to help you decide. You can also take a look at our video review below to get a better look at the cases inside and out.
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Antler Luggage Review Video
Antler Clifton Luggage Review
Each of the bags in the Antler Clifton luggage set has the following features:
- Expandable zip
- Twist-grip handle
- 4 double 360-degree rotating wheels
- TSA combination lock
- Polycarbonate material
Antler Clifton Cabin Suitcase Review
Things to know about the Antler Clifton cabin suitcase:
- Dimensions: 56 cm x 35 cm x 23 cm
- Weight: 2.9 kg
- Packing capacity: 38 to 43 litres (expanded)
We are a little biased toward the Antler Clifton Cabin suitcase, as we usually travel carry-on only. If you’re new to our blog, we travelled for 4 years full-time with our previous Antler Juno and Juno 2 cabin suitcases only. So we look at the cabin case from the perspective of it being our main luggage.
Pros
It seems similar in size to our previous Antler carry-on suitcase, which was a great size for travelling carry-on only. That is if you’re happy to pack light.
One of the things I love about the Clifton Cabin suitcase is the internal pockets. One side is zipped closed with two pockets, whilst the other side has a strap and one small pocket on the side. These extra pockets really make it easy to organise your things and find them easily during your trip.
Besides protecting what you have inside, I feel like the sign of a really great bag, is one that makes packing and using the bag throughout your trip easy. The Antler Clifton Cabin suitcase does just that, as it’s these little details that make all the difference.
Another feature that we love is the expandable zip, particularly for cabin-size luggage. We don’t use the expanded size when taking the suitcase on flights, only when travelling by land so as to not get caught by the size restrictions. But this is great for us, as we often pick up a few more items along the way, that we may not necessarily be taking home. For example, cooking items or utensils you might buy and keep with you between Airbnbs. It means you can add a little more to it throughout your trip if you need to and just gives you a little more flexibility.
Here are a few other things we love that just make the suitcase easy to use. The twist-grip handle moves with your hand as you go from the luggage standing to rolling on two wheels. The wheels are so sturdy and make the luggage really easily manoeuvrable. And of course, the TSA combination lock is super handy and easy to use and we love not having a physical lock and key (I still remember those days, it just does not compare).
Cons
I feel like the cons of the Antler Clifton Cabin Luggage is very similar to our last Antler bag, in that the 4-wheel hard case type of bag often means it’s on the larger side for cabin luggage. This generally isn’t a problem for most flights, but particular airlines or smaller planes may not consider it cabin luggage. So that is something to consider or check before your flights. Our previous Antler bag was a similar size and in 4 years of full-time travel, this was only an issue once.
Another thing to consider, if you aren’t travelling carry-on only, is how many bags are you happy to wheel or have with you on your holiday. So if you pack one of the larger checked bags as well, are you happy to push two bags? This isn’t really a con, but something to think about when you pack.
Antler Clifton Medium Review
Things to know about the Antler Clifton medium suitcase:
- Dimensions: 67 cm x 45 cm x 29 cm
- Weight: 3.9 kg
- Packing capacity: 75 to 83 litres (expanded)
So we recently had a little staycation to test out the Antler Clifton medium suitcase. As I said, we normally travel with carry-on only, but as this was a little trip in the car, we thought it would be the perfect time to try out the medium size. Rather than take a bag each, for a one-night stay, we ended up deciding to put all of our luggage in one bag to make it easier. So it easily fit the luggage of myself, Chris and our 11-month-old Clara, and had plenty of space to spare. This could have actually been enough for all three of us for a much longer holiday.
Pros
So a pro of the Antler Clifton medium case is that it is a fantastic size for those who still want to pack light, but don’t want to travel carry-on only. As I mentioned, it fit the luggage of two adults and one baby for a one-night stay. If you are heading on a longer trip, you could fit so much in here for one person. I think it’s a happy ‘medium’, of not having to sacrifice anything, whilst also being able to fit it into all modes of transport (taxis, trains etc) and still being small and light enough to not negatively impact your holiday.
Cons
I honestly can’t think of a con for this size of luggage. Obviously, you can’t travel carry-on only with this size, but that’s not what it’s intended for. The only downside would be if you’re someone who loves to pack a lot of stuff, then perhaps the large would be more suited. And as for the features of the bag itself, there is nothing that I personally think it’s lacking or doesn’t do well. Our trip with it was seamless.
Antler Clifton Large Review
Things to know about the Antler Clifton large suitcase:
- Dimensions: 80 cm x 51 cm x 34 cm
- Weight: 5 kg
- Packing capacity: 121 to 132 litres (expanded)
Pros
Not quite sure if this is a pro or not, but the Antler Clifton large suitcase is, well, large. So you will have no problems packing anything you wish in there. But this could also be a con.
We wouldn’t usually travel with such a large bag, but here’s an example of where we may. We are considering using it for our next international trip, only if we travel with a travel cot, as we could fit that inside it as well as some other things to minimise the number of items we have to carry. But honestly, my guess is that we will decide not to.
I do think that it would be great for road trips as you could still fit it in the car boot and minimise the number of bags you are taking, even if multiple people pack together (for example, one side each).
It, of course, has all the same pros as the Antler Clifton range, in that it is great quality, has excellent wheels and manoeuvrability, it has an easy-to-use handle and an expandable zip.
Cons
As someone who packs really light, I struggle to see a need for such a large suitcase. But I also know there are many scenarios (as mentioned above) where this size would be great.
So the drawbacks for me aren’t Antler specific, more generic across all large bags. Something to consider is if the size of this bag will be easy to use on your travels. For example, will you travel by public transport at any point and will it fit? Will you need to walk with your luggage any distance and are you happy to do that with this size?
But more than size, something to be mindful of, is what you pack in the bag in terms of weight. Because a bag this size could definitely become very heavy, very quickly, as it’s so spacious.
Is The Antler Clifton Luggage Set Worth It?
The Antler Clifton range has beautiful high quality suitcases. Each individual suitcase is worth getting, depending on your individual needs. As for getting them in a set, I think the benefit of a set is that each size can be used for different styles of trips. So although we would most likely not use them all at the same time, it gives you lot’s of flexibility to pack best for the circumstances. And if you are a family or a couple, who might pack differently and can therefore use the set between you, then that’s another great reason to get the set. There is also usually a discount for purchasing the luggage in a set.
We were gifted this set by Antler, and will definitely find uses for each suitcase. If we were buying them ourselves, we would most likely buy the cabin case and the medium case, as they better suit our needs. But this is really a personal decision, based on how you pack and travel.
Overall, we definitely recommend Antler Clifton luggage, because of its high-quality, beautiful design, ease to use and thoughtful touches.
Let us know if you have any questions about our Antler luggage review of the Clifton Suitcases below…
Thank you to Antler for gifting us this beautiful Clifton Set. All opinions are our own. The main goal of our Antler luggage review is to help you decide what luggage is best for you and your travels.