As a beauty and travel editor who lives in the north of England, I do a fair bit of travelling around, whether it's for holidays or for weekly commutes to the office in London. And after trying out dozens of different handbags, travel bags and suitcases, I think I've finally found one that's not only practical but stylish too – and it's on sale this Black Friday.
My main requirements for an everyday travel bag to get me through a three-hour train journey followed by a busy day (sometimes two) of meetings are that it needs to hold a lot of stuff – heavy laptop, chargers, water, book, snacks – yet still be comfortable to wear and practical to carry – and I think I've found exactly that in the Antler Chelsea Backpack. Even better, it fits neatly under any airline's seats – and even better yet, it currently has 30% off.
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Antler)Pros
- Fits a lot in
- Comfortable to wear
- Looks simple and chic
- Has lots of different compartments for various essentials
- Can be slotted over a suitcase handle
Cons
- Very big laptops won't fit in the laptop sleeve
- Unlikely to fit more in than for a night or two away
The Chelsea Backpack comes in three colours and usually costs £140, but shoppers can add it to their baskets for £98 in Antler's Black Friday sale – that's a saving of £42.
I love how everything stays neatly organised inside, rather than all rolling around together in my usual tote-style bag: water bottle, laptop, keys and small essentials such as charging cables all have their own compartments, making it easy to find what I'm looking for on a packed Avanti West Coast train. It easily fits in all my daily essentials, and even a change of clothes if I'm staying overnight (not loads, but there's enough room for a spare top/underwear/toiletries, and it's neatly compressed down).
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Laura Mulley)Antler's Chelsea bag also incredibly comfortable to carry on both shoulders – much more so than a one-shoulder bag – and handily slips neatly over the handle of a suitcase, if you're travelling with more bags. Of course, knowing that it'll fit under the seats of even the strictest airlines is also a huge plus, making it a great carry-on bag for holidays.
In fact, the only slight downside is the price – at just under £100, it's not the cheapest backpack – but for something so practical and for someone who travels as much as me, it's been a game-changer.
If you like the look of this but want something a little cheaper, Antler also sells the Essential Backpack, now £80.50 in the sale; it's a very similar design but with slightly fewer features.
Meanwhile our fashion editor Lauren swears by the Nere Bondi Suitcase for her travels, with prices now starting from £69.30 in its own Black Friday sale.
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