Antler Discovery Backpack review: comfortable, spacious, and secure

I get serious use out of my best backpacks. So while we review some truly stylish bags over here at T3, my needs are slightly different, and most of those wouldn’t quite stand up to the daily wear and tear my luggage undergoes.

My previous carry was the ever-popular Hershel Little America bag, which I had to retire after it became a little too well-loved for all my kit. There was also absolutely no organisation to speak of, which meant my bag was really just a black void all my tech disappeared into – not ideal. Oh, you need a USB-C cable? Let me sink my arm into the depths and root around – I might find one!

You get the point. It needed replacing, so I now have the Antler Discovery Backpack, and let me tell you – it is a step up in a lot of ways.

Antler Discovery Backpack review: Price and availability

The Discovery Backpack is available directly from Antler’s website, and the exact model I reviewed can be found here. At £140, I think it's well worth the price. I didn’t look at the exact number it was listed for until a few weeks into using it, and I was pleasantly surprised. As far as backpacks go (at least the ones T3 like to test), it falls on the less expensive side of things.

There isn’t too much variation, which is one thing I find slightly disappointing. The backpack itself comes in three colours: black, Antler Green, and Heather-Purple (though the black seems to have disappeared from the UK website at the time of writing), but be aware that the base backpack itself is always black. The colour refers only to the external cord.

I am incredibly boring and probably would have gone for the black if given the choice, but the green has really grown on me. It gives what is otherwise a very industrial-looking bag a pop of individuality while also serving as another practical way to store things. On that note, I would really love more colour choice, or at least the opportunity to switch out the cords for a slightly different look. I am fickle.

Antler Discovery Backpack review: Design and features

Let’s talk design. I was still discovering new pockets weeks into using the Antler Discovery backpack, which I love. As previously mentioned, my other backpack was basically one big pocket with a slender laptop sleeve, and one small outside pocket that inevitably turned into the garbage/odds-and-ends pocket. That setup really did not suit me. I like organisation, especially when carrying as many cords, adapters, plugs, and batteries as I do. I know exactly where things are now, which is a real feat in an otherwise chaotic life.

Moving on to the devices – after all, I do work for a tech magazine! There’s a dedicated space for both a 16-inch MacBook and separate sleeve for my iPad Pro with Magic Keyboard – it might be a bit unusual to carry two larger devices, but boy am I happy to not be cramming them into the same slim pocket. Mind you, these two sleeves are contained within their own pocket separate from the main. This is fantastic for a couple of reasons – when the laptop sleeve was included within the main compartment on my previous backpacks, I would eventually get to the point in which I inevitably overpacked and had to rearrange all of my things in my bag to even slide the laptop out. Not ideal if I wanted to, say, do a bit of work at the airport. A small thing, but a pain nonetheless. No such problem now.

In addition to two devices, I’ve also been carrying my camera along with me in the main pouch. (As I write this, I’m very conscious of the fact that I’m telling you about all the expensive things I have to tote around – if you ever see me on the street with this backpack, please don’t rob me.) It’s a mirrorless, granted, but a camera nonetheless. There are also all the little accessories that are necessary to my job – mics, extra batteries, a battery charger, SD card reader . . . You get the idea. Those all now get their own little separate pocket, and I know exactly where to find them in a pinch.

I know I’ve just talked about how much this backpack can fit, but there is also a compression feature. Clips along the side provide extra security and also allow you to compress the overall size of the admittedly bulky backpack when you aren’t packing quite as much.

The clips also lock a water bottle into place – I’ve always been slightly paranoid about losing my water bottle when in an exterior pocket, so that extra strap is a nice touch. The only downside possibly is that the size of the pocket is a bit limiting. I am an unapologetic 64-oz water bottle girl, but I did have to downsize to one of my slimmer bottles. Still, far better than my previous strategy of either cramming my large bottle into my tiny backpack (or going without if it didn’t fit). To be fair, I’m not sure a pouch with the capacity for a 64-oz bottle would look quite right anyways.

Antler Discovery Backpack review: performance

Those are the main bits, but what really charms me about this backpack is all the little things — after all, I do believe it's the details that set a premium product apart from the ordinary.

I’ve already mentioned the cord when talking about design, but I have also found this addition to be incredibly practical. Sometimes these ties along the outside of a backpack seem like purely decoration, or are stretchy but too thin to hang on to anything with a little heft. The cord on the Antler Discovery backpack, however, has held both my jacket and tripod (at different times) without fail. A gamechanger.

There are also quite a few features that are clearly meant to appeal to the traveller. For one, the Antler Discovery backpack has a sleeve for fitting over the handle of a roller bag. I haven’t been able to use this feature yet as I haven’t had a major work trip since using the backpack, but as a former member of the wrap-the-straps-around-the-handle-and-hope-it-doesn’t-fall-off crowd, I am excited.

Another fun detail is that there are two handles – one at the top in the traditional backpack design, and another on the side. This makes for easy handling when not carrying the bag on your back – for example, slinging it up onto a luggage belt in the security line or into an overhead compartment.

You can also lock the two main zippered pouches while travelling if you want added security – I might, for example, place a lock on my laptop pouch and leave the other open. Very useful it you want to lock up your valuables but also grab a sweater quickly if needed.

Antler Discovery Backpack review: Verdict

There are a couple of little things that could be improved (though that’s the case with almost anything, isn’t it?). One thing in particular I noticed was that the paint on the zippers is already chipping a bit. Otherwise, the backpack isn’t showing any signs of wear.

Overall though, I think this is a brilliant find, especially at the price. Versatile, strong, with a little stylish flair — what more could you want? Although the Discovery bag has become my dedicated work bag, I could easily see myself using it for a weekend away. And who knows, maybe I will.