Pelican Air Cases Shed Some Weight [Tech Tuesday]

We’ve been using Pelican cases for years—to safely bring underwater photo gear on dive boats, on planes when traveling and even for Fashion Week, where the case doubles as a seat or a step stool when you need to shoot over the heads and lenses of the photographers in front of you on the riser. But carrying a Pelican case through an airport, trying to keep the weight under 50 pounds (or less for puddle jumper flights) to keep the extra fees at bay, or up and down subway stairs when you’re running from fashion show to fashion show throughout the city can be a challenge.

Thanks to some clever R&D, Pelican has made photographers’ lives easier with the new Pelican Air Protector Case line. The cases have shed some weight and are now up to 40 percent lighter than their siblings.

But don’t worry; Pelican hasn’t compromised on the new cases’ rugged build. Constructed of Pelican’s proprietary lightweight HPX² polymer, the cases still provide O-ring sealing, automatic purge valves and, of course, provide crushproof and dustproof protection along with double-throw hatches. In addition to the lighter weight construction, the Air cases also feature a redesigned “conic curve” lid shape and a removable polycarbonate cardholder.

The first six models in the Air line (Pelican promises more than 20 new sizes over the next 18 months) range in size from the wheeled carry-on 1535 model to the wheeled check-in 1615. The former measures 17.75 x 10.18 x 6.15 inches and weighs 4.57 pounds; the latter, the largest Air case to date, measures 29.59 x 15.50 x 9.38 inches and weighs 14.06 pounds. The 1615 is available in black while all the smaller models come in black, orange, yellow or steel (grey).

Beyond color choices, Pelican offers four options: no foam, foam, padded dividers or the TrekPak Divider System, so you can configure the interior to match your needs. Prices, with no foam, start at $135.