It’s time for our 1st new piece of luggage in 20 years. Read my review of the July Carry On Pro to see why it was the winner.
July Carry On Pro Unboxing Video
If you want more visuals, I made this unboxing video of my July Carry On Pro.
Why Buy the July Carry On Pro
My last carry on bag from Samsonite lasted about 20 years so I have high expectations.
Since we now get to travel and are making up for lost time, my old Samsonite has started showing its age. It’s been a great carry on but it’s worn out and it was just time for new luggage.
How I Chose a New Carry On Bag
After seeing so many travelers with new bags, I saw several things that I wanted in a new carry on.
The 4 wheel spinner bags certainly looked easier to move than my 2 wheel bag. I liked the lighter weight materials of today’s bags.
And I really think that I’ll get my money’s worth out of a built in battery charger for my iPhone and other travel gadgets.
Since my old Samsonite carry on has a couple of exterior pockets (and I use them alot), I really wanted a carry on with an external pocket.
I first looked at the Away Carry On with Pocket. That really sounded like what I wanted, but then I saw Lauren’s unboxing video at YouTube.
Short version, she hated how much space they lost from the pocket.
Magnetic Detachable Laptop Sleeve
That led me to July’s Carry On. While the magnetic detachable laptop sleeve does cut into the interior dimensions a little, I’m optimistic that the exterior pocket on this July will be a good trade off.
There are 4 super strong magnets that hold the pocket in place. It seems like they really work well. Hope those aren’t famous last words before we take this on the road for our upcoming trip to Hawaii.
Inside the pocket, there’s a padded laptop sleeve that’s just slightly too small for my 14.1 inch laptop. A 13″ laptop fits just fine.
In total, the magnetic detachable laptop sleeve on the July is about 15″ x 11″ and has 6 different pockets.
- 10x 7 zippered pocket on the exterior
- 11×14 main inside pocket (a legal pad fits but not much more)
- 13×10 laptop sleeve (my 13″ Macbook Air fits but not my larger 14.1″ HP)
- 5×10 interior zipper pocket (can fit a large phone if it’s not too think)
- 2 – 5×7 interior mesh pockets (not much space in these)
- Note: don’t count on these measurements to be exact. Just pretty close.
I’m glad I’ve got these available pockets but there’s just not much space in them. After our next trip, I’ll know whether the July’s Carry On Pro pocket is a net positive or not.
Price
In searching for a new carry on bag, I looked at bags from about $100-$400. Most of the carry ons that I seriously considered were in the $200-300 range.
I paid $295 for the July Carry On Pro. It came with free shipping and there were no taxes with it coming from Australia.
That’s just a little more than the Away Carry On which was my runner up for this first luggage purchase.
Battery
Away seems to be the first luggage company that popularized having a battery built in into their smart luggage.
But c’mon Away!
It’s 2022 and the Away battery doesn’t have a USB-C connection? It’s disappointing but Away only offers the old USB A connection in their batteries.
OTOH, July carry on batteries have:
- USB A connection
- USB A Fast Charge connection
- Micro USB connection
- USB C connection
That’s right! I’ve got a July carry on battery with a USB-C port!
Handle
A good carry on needs to have a handle that fits your height and feels secure.
The July Carry On Pro’s handle fits both of those requirements.
The handle actually stops at 20 different heights so that you can find a comfortable position whether you’re tall or short. Both Zuzu at 5’7″ and I at 6’5″ can find a good height with this handle.
And it feel pretty solid even when fully extended. It’s not the flimsy handle feeling that you get with cheap department store luggage.
Spinner Wheels
Spinner wheels on 4 corners was a must for this carry on.
Locks
The July Carry On Pro comes with integrated TSA locks as well as a combination lock.
The TSA locks are on the two zippers and seem to work well.
Compression System
One thing I’m excited to try is the July Compression System.
One side of the July Carry On Pro has a 2 strap compression system. It’s on the side with the handle, opposite the indentation for the laptop sleeve.
You lose a little space due to the handle mechanics but it looks like it should work well for compressing soft clothes when you pack the July Carry On.
Good Reviews
There just aren’t many July Luggage reviews in the web. That will probably change soon because July has an “Influencer Program” that incentivizes celebrities to use and show off the July luggage line.
But I did find a handful of blog posts and YouTube video reviews of July luggage.
Some reviews were more helpful than others. Several of the reviews were helpful enough that I decided on the July Carry On as my 1st new piece of luggage.
Personalization
You can have your name or other personalization printed onto this carry on. July charges $50 extra and it means that you no longer get the generous 100 day trail. Personalization also adds 10-15 business days to shipping.
Dimensions & Weight
The outside measurements, including wheels, are 22″ H x 15″ W x 9″ D.
July says the Carry On Pro weighs 7.9 pounds. I didn’t weigh it but that seems about right.
No Bottom Handle
My old Samsonite carry on had a handle on the bottom of the bag. I was hoping to get that on my new carry on as it really came in handy, especially when pulling it out of an overhead bin.
Unfortunately, there is no bottom handle on this July Carry On.
Promo Code
The July website has a field for “Discount Code” in the checkout process. It might be worth doing a quick search before you buy but I didn’t find any July promo codes that worked.
July Luggage Options
July carries a pretty full line of luggage. On the July website, here’s a sampling of what you can buy.
- July Luggage
- CARRY ON
- Carry On
- Carry On Pro
- Carry On Trunk
- Carry On Light
- CHECK IN
- Checked
- Checked Trunk
- Checked Plus
- CARRY ON
- July Travel Bags
- WEEKENDERS
- Carry All Weekender
- Daybreak Weekender
- Carry All Weekender Plus
- BACKPACKS
- Carry All Backpack
- Carry All Daypack
- Daybreak Backpack
- TOTE
- Carry All Tote
- Daybreak Tote
- WEEKENDERS
- July Accessories
- CROSS-BODY
- Carry All Sling
- Carry All Pocket
- Carry Me Mini Case
- Tech Kit
- HAND-HELD
- Drink Bottle
- Phone Cases
- Moleskine™ Notebooks
- Packing Cells
- Luggage Tags
- Trunk Covers
- CROSS-BODY
- July Luggage SETS
- Classic Family Set
- Carry On & Checked Set
- Carry On & Plus Set
- Trunk Family Set
July Carry On Pro Review: 4 of 5
My first impression of the July Carry On Pro was pretty good. But I’m going to withhold final judgement until I’ve had a chance to travel with it. Let’s see how well it does on our trip to Hawaii.
Make sure to check back for my update after traveling ~9,000 miles next month.
Leave a Reply