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review

Patrona Shirt Shuttle MK3

8
£30.00

VERDICT:

8
10
A nice solution to a common commuter problem
Weight: 
540g
Contact: 

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The Patrona Shirt Shuttle MK3 is a really good idea for those who commute by bike or need to transport shirts without them creasing or crushing. Keeping the shirts protected against both, the Patrona works really well, offering good protection without being massively heavy. That said, it could do with being a bit smaller to make sure everything else can still fit in a rucksack.

One of the biggest issues some of my friends and colleagues have with the idea of cycling to the office is that they have to wear suits. This means they need to look dapper when they arrive at work, which doesn't always go hand-in-hand with putting all your clothes on your back or in a pannier to get to the office. The Patrona Shirt Shuttle MK3, a well-protected shirt box, looks to have solved this issue.

Buy this online here 

The box itself has three main components: a hard plastic shell, a dense polystyrene back, and a central removable board made of the same polystyrene. It feels robust and solid both in and out of my bag. The polystyrene used is similar to the type you would find on a body board, to give you an idea of the quality.

Sitting on top of this is a plastic shell that is good and thick, not allowing for too much compression and certainly good enough quality to not crack under a reasonable amount of pressure.

Inside is a board around which the shirt is folded, as per the simple instructions on the packaging. There are then two pegs at the top that keep it in place and stop it from shifting around inside the box. Folding the shirt around the board is very easy, and it allows for enough space that the folds don't need to be too tight, which could then create creases. This meant that when I got to work after a 40-minute commute, then another 30 minutes to unpack, shower and get dressed, my shirt was still crease free.

Patrona Shirtshuttle MK3 - open

The only gripe I have with the box is that it is quite large, so when it is in a regular sized rucksack it takes up a considerable amount of space. It meant that, with shoes in the bag too, it didn't leave a huge amount of space for anything else. From what I have seen and heard, people tend to leave a suit and shoes at work, so that might not be a deal breaker.

An rrp of £30 isn't too extortionate for the convenience that it gives. It also only weighs 540g, which is fine for something that you are unlikely to be lugging up Mt Ventoux, if not necessarily the lightest.

Overall, it is a useful piece of commuting kit and certainly solves a problem that many who cycle to work have. It is solid and easy to use and the only thing I would change is the size. Who knows, if Chris Froome had followed his brothers into accountancy, maybe this is what he would use!

Verdict

A nice solution to a common commuter problem

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road.cc test report

Make and model: Patrona Shirt Shuttle MK3

Size tested: One size, black

Tell us what the product is for, and who it's aimed at. What do the manufacturers say about it? How does that compare to your own feelings about it?

Patrona says: "The shirt shuttle is the perfect travel companion. Whether you're cycling to work, flying off on business or heading out straight from the gym, its ergonomic design ensures your shirt stays clean, dry and crease-free. Stay smart on the move."

This kind of says it all, it is very much for the person who wants to transfer their shirt without it creasing. It works well at this, making it easy to fold into the box, secure on the move and an uncreased shirt at the end.

Tell us some more about the technical aspects of the product?

Patented folding board prevents creases

Lightweight at 515 grams

Compact design fits easily into any backpack/pannier bag/suitcase

Perfect for the Crease-Free Commute

Made in Britain

Rate the product for quality of construction:
 
8/10

It is well made and sturdy without being too heavy.

Rate the product for performance:
 
8/10

It performed well, kept my shirts uncreased on my commute, and was easy to transport.

Rate the product for durability:
 
8/10

It is solid and feels like it would be difficult to break with regular use.

Rate the product for weight, if applicable:
 
7/10

Could be lighter, but it is for commuting, not carrying the maillot jaune through the Alps.

Rate the product for value:
 
7/10

£30 may be a bit much for what it is, but the convenience that it provides makes up for this.

Tell us how the product performed overall when used for its designed purpose

Very well, does exactly what it needs to, but could do with being a bit smaller.

Tell us what you particularly liked about the product

Keeping my shirts crease free.

Tell us what you particularly disliked about the product

Its size in the bag is pretty big.

Did you enjoy using the product? Yes

Would you consider buying the product? Yes, if I worked in a suit.

Would you recommend the product to a friend? Yes

Use this box to explain your score

Does what it needs to, but could do with being a bit smaller, if possible.

Overall rating: 8/10

About the tester

Age: 27  Height: 6 ft  Weight:

I usually ride: Cannondale Supersix Evo 6  My best bike is:

I've been riding for: Under 5 years  I ride: Every day  I would class myself as: Experienced

I regularly do the following types of riding: commuting, club rides, sportives, general fitness riding, fixed/singlespeed, mountain biking

George is the host of the road.cc podcast and has been writing for road.cc since 2014. He has reviewed everything from a saddle with a shark fin through to a set of glasses with a HUD and everything in between. 

Although, ironically, spending more time writing and talking about cycling than on the bike nowadays, he still manages to do a couple of decent rides every week on his ever changing number of bikes.

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15 comments

Avatar
Zjtm231 | 6 years ago
1 like

Bought one (that was in a sale thank god). Used it twice: too heavy and too bulky.

Not only that but it actually got more creased in it than if I just laid the folded shirt on top of everything esle...

 

Dont waste your money

Avatar
Yorky-M | 8 years ago
0 likes

So it seems the heavy plastic box for shirts gets a: NiT nawwe.

Avatar
lushmiester | 8 years ago
0 likes

Looks like a square mile thing to me. So price & wieght are not issues you don't carry it... the chaffer driving behind you does.

 

To be serious though I think there are better solutions.

Avatar
mike the bike | 8 years ago
0 likes

I carried a clean shirt to work every day for many years, mostly in a backpack, and nobody ever laughed at my creases.  The trick is not to fold it, but to roll it lightly into a cylinder shape.

Avatar
congokid | 8 years ago
2 likes

The weight appears to fluctuate between 515g and 540g, though the price remains a reassuringly stable £30. That's a lot of weight, considering I already have work docs, lunch box, ipad, bike tools and Kindle to carry. And a lot of bucks, too.

And at no point does it have dimensions of width or length, though here's a clue: "could do with being a bit smaller". Invaluable to know.

For years I cycle commuted with a fresh daily shirt, folded around a slim A4 sized magazine (a Waitrose guide to Spanish recipes, food products and wines, if you must know), and wrapped in a small Next carrier kept for that purpose. During my commute I stowed the shirts in a courier bag and later a Brompton front carrier, with no wrinkly mishaps.

I used to hanker for some kind of lightweight frame that would hold the folded shirt flat and smooth under tension, a bit like those plastic ones new shirts are sometimes wrapped and pinned around. But I made do. And I think I'll continue to make do.

Avatar
thereverent | 8 years ago
0 likes

Looks ok, but I'm not sure it would be worth the extra bulk in my bag.

I find folding my shirt carefully seems to be ok, with only a few creases.

Avatar
Spiny | 8 years ago
0 likes

I have one of these Eagle Creak jobs. Works well to take a shirt & pair of suit trousers.

Avatar
DaveE128 | 8 years ago
1 like

If it carried more shirts, costed a lot less and weighed slightly less, I might be more tempted.

The review is useful but would have been much more useful if the dimensions were provided so that I know whether it would fit into my small panniers! (it says it's a bit large but not how big exactly!)

Avatar
Iamnot Wiggins | 8 years ago
3 likes

if you need one of these because you cannot keep a shirt crease free for a bit then you have truly failed at life.

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Danger Dicko | 8 years ago
0 likes

I take 4 shirts to work on Monday morning (Friday is dress down).

I use hangers at work which allows 99% of creases to fall out.

I leave 2 pairs of trousers and shoes in my desk drawers.

Avatar
davenportmb | 8 years ago
0 likes

Charles Tyrwhitt's cotton non-iron shirts are the bomb.

Avatar
cdamian | 8 years ago
1 like

I usually do a shirt-run once a week and bring shirts and clean clothing in a big backpack. Until I run out and then it is another run. At least I can travel light most of the days.

Avatar
Darkhairedlord | 8 years ago
1 like

fold it up, slip into a ziplock and shove it into jersey pocket. Job done, no need for a rucksack. swap shirts bi-daily, swap trousers weekly. 

Avatar
Shouldbeinbed | 8 years ago
1 like

£30 to transport 1 shirt. I could buy a basic iron and board for less than that and stash them at work. Half an hour early one day a week and all my shirts for the week sorted.

Lucky me I rescued a locker out of a skip and got to keep it in the toilets eh.

Avatar
velodinho | 8 years ago
3 likes

It's not such a big problem that you'd spend £30 to solve it. Fold your shirt, pop it in a plastic bag and place it inside a newspaper. If you want to keep it dry put the whole thing in another plastic bag.

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