From long days on the fairways to impromptu city breaks, you can get a lot done in a weekend, with or without planning. All you need is to pack a cabin bag and get going. Of course, what bag you pack is vital.
It needs to be big enough for the essentials you’ll require, versatile enough to work on the fly and stylish enough that you’re not embarrassed to be seen with it. So, from pared-back holdalls to serious cabin bags, here’s our selection of the best weekend-ready luggage pieces for that perfect short-term getaway.
Brunello Cucinelli Leisure Bag, £3,380
Laid-back luxury is both what we here at Oracle demand from a long weekend and also happens to be the lifeblood of Brunello Cucinelli, whose Italian flair is unmistakable in the fittingly-named Leisure bag. Painfully stylish, impeccably made and pristine in the kind of combination of cotton and linen you’d expect from a warm weather Italian suit, it’s effortless elegance incarnate.
Paired with contrasting brown, beautifully textured leather, the only thing this cabin bag is missing is a much-needed dose of Riviera sunshine and a couple of Aperol spritz. It’s definitely an investment piece.
Available at Brunello Cucinelli.
Ettinger Hurlingham Overnight Bag, £555
As classically elegant as its namesake club, the Hurlingham overnight bag is everything you want for a well-heeled weekend away somewhere idyllic like the Cotswolds. The well-poised halfway house between practical sports bag and everyday holdall, the combination of olive green canvas (a strong, impeccably practical cotton drill, to be precise) and brown leather trim beg to be thrown in the back of a vintage Jag for an impromptu jaunt.
Alongside the capacious main compartment, there are two small slip pockets to keep your more delicate necessities in order and an optional shoulder strap for when your other half doesn’t pack quite as light as you’d like.
Available at Ettinger.
Globe-Trotter Palm Springs Carry-on Suitcase, £1,695
With its very first Destination collection, British suitcase specialist Globe-Trotter has not only channelled the mid-century cool of resort town Palm Springs, but has taken the surrounding Coachella Valley as its colour palette. The result is a three- piece capsule – consisting of a small attaché, four-wheeled carry-on and large check-in suitcase – liveried in a mix of sandy leather and bright-blue straps, stunning whether or not you’re heading to the Californian sunshine.
For a few days away you obviously don’t need something as massive as the 30’’ check-in cabin bag, so opt instead for the 20’’ carry-on. It’s both big enough and stylish enough for anywhere you care to take it.
Available at Globe-Trotter.
Montblanc Extreme 3.0 Duffle with M Lock 4810 Buckle, £1,290
If you’re looking for a bag that not only has space for all the essentials for your climbing trip but looks like it should be halfway up a cliff face with you, look no further. Montblanc’s Extreme 3.0 Duffle combines a technical-looking embossed leather construction with a massive lock directly inspired by the climbing world.
It’s boxier and deeper than your usual duffle bag which, thanks to the stiffness of the leather, helps protect your luggage better than canvas. Paired with a shoulder strap and both external and internal pockets, you have everything you need close to hand. And hey, it’s definitely a statement piece, even if your planned weekend is calmer than tackling the Matterhorn.
Available at Montblanc.
Smythson 48-Hour Travel Bag, £1,550
Don’t consider this one a challenge – despite looking like a svelte everyday bag from the side, Smythson’s 48-Hour Travel Cabin Bag lives up to its name. As is the British leather maestro’s wont, the bag’s crafted from beautiful large grain calf in a dark taupe hue with an immaculate silhouette.
Organisationally though, it’s a cut above even that, with pockets for electronics, valuables and a double zip opening so you can really fill it to the brim. Sure, you can’t take the kitchen sink, but there’s more than enough to pack the essentials and look fantastic doing so.
Available at Smythson.
Rimowa Cabin Twist, £1,160
When you want to protect your valuable necessities from the rigours of on-board luggage bins, it’s worth relying on a tried-and-tested classic. Enter Rimowa’s original cabin-sized suitcase. The iconic block of ridged aluminium has everything you need: flex dividers to keep your clothes crumple-free and in order, TSA- standard locks so that security don’t damage your case and the ergonomics of Rimowa’s multi-wheel system, a few thousand feet above the cheap, shopping trolley versions of lesser suitcases.
The fact that the Cabin Twist looks incredible is just the icing on top of this practical, well-proportioned cake. Fit for a long weekend or a pared-back week’s worth of stuff, it’s a classic design for good reason.
Available at Rimowa.
Monos Carry-on Pro Plus, £332
Built like a safe from the same kind of aerospace-grade polycarbonate your favourite tonneau-shaped sports watch maestros favour, the larger sibling to Monos’ award-winning carry-on is a serious piece of performance luggage. Sized to fit into overhead bins on most flights, it’s as roomy as it is rugged, complete with an interior pocket designed to fit a 15’’ laptop.
You shouldn’t really be working on a weekend away, but you can’t always avoid it and, in more ways than one, this monolithic beast of a suitcase is serious business. Available in a variety of colours, you can’t go wrong with the gorgeous ocean blue and for this price, it’s hard to resist – just another benefit of this kind of case material.
Available at Monos.
Bennett Winch Suit Carrier Holdall, £750
If there’s one thing that’s guaranteed not to travel well, it’s your suits. Without a purpose-built carrier, they’re going to come out of the other end in need of a steam regardless of how careful you are. Enter Bennet Winch. The SC Holdall cabin bag is actually two bags in one.
On the outside you have a suit carrier designed to gently curve your suit without wrinkling it; on the inside a cylindrical, structured duffle bag, secured together with magnets and straps. It’s functionally inspired, eminently practical and in a beautiful dark chocolate brown, as classically elegant as a vintage Vacheron. Just be warned, there’s a bit of a wait for one of these babies – apparently you can’t put a price on looking immaculate – but it’ll be worth it when you can finally travel with your suits fold-free.
Available at Bennett Winch.
