Pelican Just Made Its Signature Hard Cases Even More Durable

A black Pelican hard case is shown closed and open. The open case reveals yellow padded compartments holding cameras, lenses, cords, and accessories, with mesh pockets in the lid for organization.

Pelican has announced the Next Generation Protector Series, an update on its most well-known hard cases that most photographers simply refer to as a “Pelican case.”

That case actually isn’t called a Pelican, it just happens to be the product most people associate with the company. Introduced in 1976, the iconic hard cases are actually called the Protector. While there have been other brands that make similar cases, Pelican remains arguably the most iconic.

The company says that this new series, which launches today, is not just a refresh of the existing cases, but “the future version of the case the world already trusts.” Pelican says it re-engineered the cases so that they would offer a meaningful evolution in expected performance.

A hard-shell camera case with a yellow padded interior, holding various camera equipment including a DSLR, multiple lenses, batteries, chargers, cables, and accessories. The case lid has zippered mesh pockets for storage.

“Pelican’s legacy is built on the idea that our protection starts where others end,” JC Curleigh, CEO of Pelican, says. “Fifty years ago, Pelican created a category out of a necessity for gear that wouldn’t fail, regardless of the environment, and with Next Generation Protector, we have optimized the chemistry and the architecture of our namesake line. For the professional photographer or the engineer on a remote rig, this means a case that is not only tougher but more adaptable to the most challenging environments.”

Pelican hard cases don’t seem like a product that could possibly sustain much innovation, given their simplicity, but Pelican says it substantially improved the Protector series through advancements in polymer science. It claims its proprietary HPX material formulation allowed it to address three “critical dimensions of material innovation.”

An open black hard case with yellow dividers holding a drone, batteries, remote controller, cables, and camera accessories. The lid has organized pouches and gear, all neatly arranged for travel or storage.

The company claims the new HPX material makes its cases 12% more resistant to impacts, has better rigidity under load (transport or deep-sea deployment), and has improved UV resistance, which ensures the case maintains its physical properties and color fastness even when left in the sun for extended periods.

The new Protector series also has improved wheels with steel bearings to better function under heavy loads, enhanced and improved push-button latches, a new set of lid organizers, and support for a new in-case light that provides up to 18 hours of reliable illumination.

Close-up of a black hard plastic case showing a secure latch and metal reinforcement near the hinge, with a textured surface and part of a handle visible at the top edge.

A close-up of an open black hard case with a mounted Pelican-branded foldable LED light attached to the lid, revealing padded and organized interior compartments.

A hard-shell black case with a yellow interior holds three black zippered pouches with clear fronts and red stitching, attached to the lid, and yellow dividers in the main compartment.

Pelican’s Next Generation Protector series and its accompanying accessories will be available through authorized Pelican distributors and professional equipment suppliers starting this Summer. Individual pricing and exact availability were not provided at the time of publication. It is also not clear how Pelican will differentiate existing Protector cases from its new series, as there doesn’t seem to be any mention of generation either on Pelican’s website or with retailers like B&H Photo.

Image credits: Pelican

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