Antler’s new raffia tote bag is the ultimate plane-to-beach chameleon

Packing for a resort break requires some thought. You’ve got to fit in your beach gear, workout stuff, casual clothes for heading into town, and a set of smarter looks for swish evening dinners. Even short trips require a lot of stuff, with multiple outfit changes a day a certainty. When I booked an eight-night Caribbean holiday to St Lucia, I knew I needed to be savvy when packing, so I could avoid the nightmare of lugging multiple cases through small airports and onto tiny planes – while sidestepping any eye-watering overweight baggage charges (once, I was hit with an unexpected £100 additional fee at check-in – ouch).

But packing light isn’t typically synonymous with bringing an extra, bulky beach basket in your luggage. They’re always massive and take up plenty of valuable suitcase real estate. For my upcoming trip, my dream was a single companion that could handle both the airport schlep and look entirely sophisticated the minute I stepped onto the resort. I found it in British luggage brand Antler’s new Raffia Tote Bag.

Woven bags often lack the structure needed to both protect your belongings and fit under the seat during transit, but that’s not the case here. The bag has been designed with airport days in mind, with firm sides, a flat base and tan leather detailing – including a removable suitcase passthrough band – that immediately elevates it above standard beach baskets.

As such, it worked perfectly as my underseat cabin bag. It fit comfortably under the seat on the British Airways plane, keeping essentials within arm’s reach. Inside, the spacious main compartment easily held a heavy travel wallet, oversized scarf for the cabin chill, water bottle and my headphones with plenty of room to spare. The internal zip pocket kept small valuables, such as my passport, Kindle, lip balm and headphones, accessible without need for rummaging. The secure fastening also offered peace of mind whilst moving through bustling terminals, and the suitcase band made whizzing through the terminal easier too. As a frequent flier, this is always a feature I look for with a tote or backpack.