Are Parra the new contenders to the Peli crown?

We've long been fans of the Nuprol range of cases, not least as they're a UK based company. Widely known in the Airsoft world, we've found their sturdy and practical IP rated cases to be really functional items. And not just for storing Airsoft guns either! So when they said they were launching a new range of cases (Parra) which could rival Peli in the flight case arena, we just had to check them out.

About Nuprol

If you don't move in those circles you'd be forgiven for not knowing Nuprol. They're a well-known brand in the airsoft and tactical gear industry, primarily offering products and equipment related to airsoft guns and accessories. Founded in 2013 and based out of West Sussex, Nuprol specialise in providing high-quality airsoft products, including the aforementioned cases.

The arrival of the Parra case

In late 2021 they announced a big plan. To launch a broad range of hard case solutions which would to be known as their Parra Case range. The catalogue was set to be vast. Promising injection moulded waterproof hard cases, rota-moulded military cases, lite leisure cases and a range of tool boxes. The flight-case styling of the range looked set to rival the big players in that industry, presently dominated by the likes of Peli or Pelican as they're more widely known outside of the UK.

Since reliability and affordability have always been at the core of what Nuprol were known for, the same expectations will be set for the Parra range. This will be in contrast to the likes of Peli who's excellent products come with an equally premium price point. So can budget and excellence really come together in their new waterproof hard case (WHC) offering?

Waterproof hard cases from Parra

This new range of WHC's are all manufactured from injection moulded Polypropylene, then toughened with the addition of glass fibre. The range is planned to offer a whopping 40 cases, ranging from 1L capacity through to 200L. They aren't solely destined for the Airsoft market either, as they'll be suitable for anything that requires this top-level protection. They of course offer IP67 ingress protection, comparable to the better known Peli range. Plus they promise to be shockproof, crushproof and chemical resistant too. 

Next level flight cases

Of course, any flight case, whichever brand you choose, won't be complete without a robust, durable and infinitely customisable foam insert to secure and protect it's contents. However good the case itself is at protecting the contents, then the contents in turn need to be secure and protected within the case. Otherwise, you may as well have not bothered in investing in your case. So in essence, the case itself is only as protective of your gear as the foam you use in it. And that's where Shadow Foam comes in.

The right foam for flight cases

Interestingly, many flight case manufacturers supply their cases pre-filled with Pick n Pluck foam, typically manufactured from the now undesirable Polyurethane. Shadow Foam moved away from using Polyurethane in our material some time ago as it poses a lot of environmental issues both in it's manufacture and it's disposal. But due to it's super low cost, it still gets put in many flight cases by default. Usually paired with the traditional wavy egg-box type foam in the lid (official name "convoluted foam") and again usually made from the less sustainable Polyurethane.

All this would be fine if those pick n pluck foam inserts lasted for the lifespan of the case or the contents, but as anyone who's ever used them will tell you, they don't. This material is intentionally designed to fall apart easily for use. Which, it doesn't take a scientist to figure out, means they also fall apart frustratingly easily during use. Essentially rendering them all but useless pretty quickly.

For that reason, Shadow Foam have been producing custom-fit inserts for the existing Peli cases for a while now, and we're excited to be speaking with the Nuprol guys with a view to offering the same for their Parra range once we have the measure of what could work in those cases.

Some of the Parra cases in the range

So far we've laid our hands on the PARRA-5584, and PARRA-5032 which are pretty cool. Both very Nuprol-case like in appearance and style. The monster flight case PARRA-8428 has a whopping 85L capacity. So this one comes with a necessarily strong wheel section. Plus handles both at the sides and front for ease of transportation. 

The PARRA-2975 and PARRA-3493 so far seem remarkably good alternatives to the Peli-1510. We've yet to try out these cases in anger. However, on the face of it, they really do feel really quality and pretty robust for the money. 

Features of the Parra range versus Peli

Both sets of cases of course share that IP67, rating. As well as that they're shockproof, crushproof, chemical resistant and so on. But on paper, how similar or different actually are they!?

Take, for example the Parra 2975 which is listing on the Nuprol website for £99.99. Compare it to the Peli 1510 equivalent. Arguably their biggest selling case, these sell for anywhere between £230 and £490 depending where you shop and how lucky you are. For the £175+ saving, you'll get a very similar looking  case, similar spec and very similar sizes.

The main differences we can see really are the range of colours available. This, of course, could change over time. But also the significant difference being the guarantee. Peli state that if the case ever fails due to a manufacturing defect, it will be repaired or replaced free of charge. This warranty reflects the brand’s confidence in its product and shields users from unexpected costs. Making it an especially important consideration for professionals who rely on Peli cases to safeguard expensive and critical equipment.

However, for less than half their cost, Parra seem to be delivering fairly comparable products. Therefore a lot of users might be prepared to take the chance and compromise on that detail. 

We can't wait to see how these play out in the marketplace. No doubt they'll be popular amongst their existing Nuprol customer base. But given the price-point, we might expect there to be a much wider appeal for these great little cases. 

We plan to bring a selection of ready made inserts for the cases very soon, as part of our range expansion plans over Q4 2024.