I started my career as a travel reporter, and all these years later, travelling is still my greatest passion. It also means I've tested more suitcases than I could ever keep track of. Some have been forgettable, others decent, but when it comes to luggage that genuinely goes the distance, Antler is a name I find myself returning to time and again.

Founded in 1914, this British brand has had well over a century to perfect what it does, and it shows. Yes, their suitcases are a bit of an investment-you'll typically spend more than you would on something from the high street-but in my experience, they more than earn their keep. They're built to handle the realities of travel, and that confidence is backed up with a lifetime guarantee.

If you've been tempted to invest, now is a particularly good moment to do it. Antler currently has 20% off one of its best-selling ranges. The Icon range includes several suitcases in the same signature style, just across different sizes and shapes, and, conveniently, one of them happens to be my go-to hand luggage option.

The Icon Stripe suitcase usually retails for £230, but you can use code ICON20 at checkout to save £46, bringing it down to £184.

In terms of size, the Icon Stripe cabin suitcase with pocket measures 55 x 40 x 24 cm, making it ideal for hand luggage with British Airways (which allows up to 56 x 45 x 25cm) and Jet2 (which allows up to 56 x 45 x 25cm). It also works as a large cabin bag with easyJet, which has the same size allowance-though it's worth noting you do have to pay extra for that option.

At first glance, it looks much like the standard cabin bag from the Icon range, but this version has a particularly useful addition. The front pocket is designed with on-the-go travellers in mind, offering a dedicated space for laptops up to 15.6", tablets, and anything else you might want to grab quickly without opening the main case.

Beyond flights, it's a brilliant all-rounder. The lightweight, streamlined design makes it just as suited to weekend staycations as it is to hopping on a train. From experience, you can pack comfortably for a three-day trip-or stretch it to four or five days if you're a light packer. And if, like me, you tend to fill every inch of space, that front pocket becomes even more useful-especially for business travel.

It really comes into its own at the airport. Instead of unzipping your entire suitcase to grab your passport or take out your laptop at security, you can simply open the front pocket. It unzips at the front and opens at a 45-degree angle, revealing a taupe interior with two padded sleeves (perfect for a laptop and tablet), two smaller pouches, a mesh pocket, and even a pen holder.

Inside the main compartment, there's up to 47L of packing space, along with double-zip pockets for organisation and compression straps to help you make the most of your allowance. As someone who tends to pack in a bit of a frenzy, I find these internal features invaluable for keeping everything in order.

Despite being a hardshell case made from polycarbonate, it's impressively lightweight at just 3.16kg-so it won't tip the scales at check-in. That's particularly reassuring if you're prone to overpacking. It's also a dream when you're navigating busy train stations, weaving through airport terminals, hopping on and off buses, or lifting it into the boot of a car.

A lot of that ease comes down to the 360 spinner wheels. In fact, one of my favourite things about the Antler Icon Stripe Cabin Bag-along with every Antler suitcase I've used-is just how effortlessly it moves. With four spinner wheels, it practically glides from A to B. If I had to pick a minor niggle, it's that they can occasionally be a little too smooth-I've had to keep a firm grip on it during train journeys to stop it rolling away down the carriage.

It also comes with a handy Antler-branded storage bag, which helps keep the exterior in great condition between trips. There's a built-in TSA-approved combination lock too, securing both the main compartment and the front pocket in one go-always a welcome feature when you're in transit.

And, as long as you register it, the suitcase is covered by the same lifetime guarantee as all Antler luggage, which adds an extra layer of reassurance to the investment.

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