Bennett Winch Weekender vs S.C Holdall

The quick answer

If you travel with a suit, the S.C Holdall. If you don't, the Weekender. Both cost $1,650 in black canvas at bennettwinch.com on October 1, 2026, and both are made in England.

The Weekender

Bennett Winch calls the Weekender its signature bag. It measures 55 by 36 by 25 centimetres, holds 42 litres and weighs 1.9 kilograms. The body is 24oz British-dyed and bonded waterproof cotton canvas, with full-grain leather trim, handles and base, solid brass hardware, YKK brass zips and brass studs on the base.

The inside is organised for a trip with a laptop. There is a padded sleeve for up to a 16-inch laptop, an internal tech pocket 30 centimetres wide, and two separate waterproof compartments that take shoes up to UK size 13. Outside there is a concealed pocket for a passport or phone and a waterproof side pocket. A detachable cotton webbing strap lets you carry it on the shoulder. Bennett Winch says it suits a long weekend and can hold the essentials for a full week, and lists it as IATA carry-on compliant.

There is also a Leather Weekender at $2,950, in vegetable-tanned Tuscan leather, with the same 42 litres and pockets. It weighs 2.1 kilograms. Bennett Winch says scuffs on its leather should buff out with a thumb.

The S.C Holdall

The S.C Holdall came out of a collaboration with Simon Crompton of Permanent Style, launched in November 2017 at £650. Crompton wrote that it took 18 months and more than a dozen versions. The idea is two bags. A suit carrier wraps around a cylindrical holdall and fastens with magnets and straps, so the jacket curves around the bag instead of being folded. The Rake quotes Crompton on why that matters:

Hard, tight folds are what cause creases in tailoring.

Simon Crompton, in The Rake

The current listing gives 32 litres and 2.2 kilograms. The carrier is 24oz waterproof canvas and the inner holdall a lighter 18oz canvas twill, a choice The Rake says was made to keep the weight down. The carrier holds one full suit, with room in the holdall for folded clothes. A removable waterproof shoe bag and a slim coat hanger come with it, and there is one external pocket for passport, keys and wallet. Permanent Style notes the holdall itself has no pockets inside.

Esquire made the practical point in 2018: it is two bags, so on a trip without a suit you take the inner holdall alone.

Size and airlines

The Weekender is the simpler fit, at 55 by 36 by 25 centimetres. The S.C Holdall is listed at 55 by 36 by 45 centimetres, but that height includes the handles. To the top of the bag it is 32 centimetres. Readers raised exactly this in the Permanent Style comments. Bennett Winch says it has taken the S.C Holdall as hand luggage on nearly every premium airline without trouble, can't speak for budget airlines with smaller allowances, and advises not to overpack it.

Weight and comfort

The S.C Holdall is 300 grams heavier empty and carries ten litres less. A few Permanent Style commenters found it heavy once fully packed. Neither bag has wheels, so whatever you pack, you carry. If you want capacity and pockets for the least weight, the Weekender wins on paper.

A note on the coverage

Most of what's been written about the S.C Holdall is launch coverage, and Permanent Style co-designed it, so it is not a neutral source. We found less independent writing on the Weekender. What we report here is mainly Bennett Winch's own specification plus those articles.

Care and the Lifetime Promise

Bennett Winch says to clean the canvas with a cloth, natural soap and water, never machine wash it, and keep it out of strong sun for long periods. The brass darkens with use unless polished. Under its Lifetime Promise it will handle repairs for as long as you own the bag, if you bought it new from Bennett Winch or an official retailer and have proof of purchase. It does not cover second-hand bags, and very heavy wear may mean a paid repair.

Canvas or leather

For the Weekender you can choose. The canvas version is $1,650 and 1.9 kilograms, with leather trim. The leather version is $2,950 and 2.1 kilograms. Bennett Winch says its canvas is naturally dyed and will change with light and weather, and that it can't be re-dyed. The leather is vegetable-tanned and, per the brand, develops a patina, with scuffs that buff out. Neither is the more practical choice by much. The canvas is cheaper and lighter.

Which to buy

• Weddings, interviews, board meetings: the S.C Holdall.
• Laptop, gym kit, a week of clothes: the Weekender.
• Strict budget-airline limits: neither, or the Weekender packed light.
• You want leather and can carry an extra 200 grams: the Leather Weekender.