July Luggage Review: Hype or Worth It?

There’s a lot of luggage out there that is, to be honest, pretty subpar. I’ve seen a lot of cheap manufacturing, poor materials, and outright bad design in the travel industry.

If you’re on a quest to find a suitcase that doesn’t suck, you may have come across July, an Aussie travel brand who asserts that they’re here to fix the broken luggage industry. That’s a bold claim, so the question is this: how do their products measure up in real-world use?

I’ve traveled widely across the world: from little towns in Europe to mountainside villages in the Himalayas to manufacturing hubs in Malaysia. Along the way, I’ve learned a thing or two about what separates good suitcases from the rest of the mediocre pack. I’ve pitted July’s models against some of the best suitcases in the business to see how they compare.

I’ll share with you what I found, how July suitcases perform in real-world use, and break down the different models they offer. I’ll also give you a few alternative brands to check out.

The first thing that stands out to me with these suitcases is the clean minimalist aesthetic. I’m not a fan of ornate, frilly designs, and I love the streamlined look of these cases.

The fit and finish is also spot-on at first inspection. The German polycarbonate shell feels smooth and tough, the handle is sturdy, and the aluminum corner bumpers add an extra sense of quality and durability.

The biggest standout feature when I started looking at these cases—specifically the July Carry-On—was the wheels. A few years back, I destroyed the wheels on two suitcases by dragging them all over European cobblestone streets. Ever since then, I’ve been very wary of suitcase wheel durability. I tend to be pretty skeptical of spinner wheels in general because I’ve seen so many that are cheaply made.

July’s wheels feel very different from the typical cheap plastic ones that you find on budget suitcases. They are bigger than standard suitcase wheels and they feel way stronger. July claims that their silent wheels can handle the cobblestones of Europe, and based on my first impression, I tend to agree.

July is an up-and-coming Australia-based travel brand that was founded in 2018 with the mission “democratise unbreakable and lifelong design.”

For a travel startup, 2018 was a pretty terrible time to start, since the pandemic hit just as they were beginning to gain momentum. The fact that July survived the lockdown period and is still going strong is pretty impressive.

To give you a bit of an insight into who July is as a brand, here’s a quick snippet from their about page:

As a category, the travel accessories industry is broken; it’s often make it as cheap as possible, using a plethora of retailers and distributors to sell, and ignore all connection with the customer. This results in over-priced goods sold with a short product lifespan.

We’re here to fix this.

That all sounds wonderful, but many brands use high-falutin language in their marketing info. Nowadays, I find myself pretty skeptical of claims that companies make. There’s just way too much bullshit out there.

When I started to dig into the details on July, I was surprised to find that their self-proclaimed mission to fix the luggage industry goes more than surface-deep. They seem to be taking that commitment seriously.

The first place I see evidence for this is in their design process. July started the design of their products by reading thousands of suitcase reviews to find the most common complaints. Then they set out to design a suitcase and business model to fix the most problems they found.

That may sound like a pretty good (and maybe even obvious) approach, but I’ve worked as a product design engineer, and you’d be surprised by how many companies build products without actual insight into what people really need and want.

July has also chosen to do several things the harder way because they wanted to build the best product they could. For example, rather than using standard wheels available for luggage, they designed their own wheels from the ground up because they couldn’t find anything that met their quality expectations.

To sweeten the deal, July offers free shipping, a 100-day free returns policy (with paid return shipping), and an impressive lifetime warranty.

Browse July

Most of July’s suitcase models, from the compact July Carry-On to the massive Checked Plus, have the same materials, construction, and overall design. The main difference is in the size.

For the first part of this review, I’ll focus on the common elements and features across the entire range. If you want info on a specific suitcase, scroll down to the “July Luggage Review by Model” section.

Materials

Every July bag starts with a sleek polycarbonate shell. Polycarbonate has become the gold standard material for functional, high-end suitcases because it is lightweight and tough.

In July’s survey of suitcase reviews and common complaints, they found that the biggest problem areas for hardside suitcases were the bends and corners. These areas are typically weakened during the thermoforming manufacturing process, and they take more stress and impacts during use. As a result, cracked corners and edges are fairly common with hardside luggage, even if it’s made with polycarbonate.

To solve this, July improved the curved design on their suitcase edges and added anodized aluminum bumpers to the corners. The corner bumpers are a big upgrade over standard suitcases, and not something you typically see in this price range.

Beyond the hard shell, July cases are made with water- and stain-resistant lining fabric, tough YKK zippers (the best in the business), and even leather trim detailing.

The material choices are very well thought-out and give July luggage a premium feel as well as good durability.

Aesthetic

The styling of July luggage is decidedly minimalist. Their signature suitcases are simple polycarbonate rectangles. The blocky rectangular profile is smoothed out with curved edges and broken up by a single molded-in line around the center.

I personally love the overall look of these suitcases. It’s clean, streamlined, and understated. With a neutral color, a July suitcase definitely doesn’t stand out in the airport, but it looks professional and refined.

If you do want a bit more flair, they come in an awesome array of colors, so you can get something that suits your personality.

Organization

One thing I’ve loved about the July suitcases is the thoughtful organization features on the inside. I naturally like to keep things organized and tidy, but that can be hard when I’m living out of a suitcase for weeks on end. Everything seems to turn into a jumbled mess at some point.

July suitcases have a zippered mesh divider on one side to keep everything separated and in place. On the other side, you have July’s Y-strap compression system, which works much better than the strap compression you find in most suitcases. You also get a hidden laundry bag made of the same material as the stain-resistant lining to keep dirty clothes separate.

Overall, the interior design is very simple, but I’ve found that it works pretty well. There are no unnecessary frills to complicate things and a good amount of separation.

I do personally wish there were one or two more pockets for keeping small things like electronics, books, and toiletries. It would be easy for July to add just a bit more organization to make these suitcases even more functional.

Durability

Given the fact that July explicitly states their goal is to build “unbreakable” suitcases, my expectations were pretty high for the durability of their suitcases.

Airline baggage handlers don’t have a reputation for being gentle with luggage, and I’ve seen many suitcases come out of baggage claim with cracks or tears. The aluminum-reinforced corner bumpers give me a lot of confidence that the July Checked suitcases will survive the rough abuse.

Carry-on luggage also can take a beating during travel. The July Carry-On bag has proven impressively durable. It holds up well to being dragged across cities and stuffed into packed overhead bins (and maybe accidentally dropped out of them).

One thing to be aware of is that the corner bumpers are likely to show scuffing and wear over time. July uses a basic anodize coating for the aluminum. While that’s fairly durable, with enough use you’ll probably see scratches that go through the anodized color to show the bare aluminum underneath. It isn’t functional, but be aware that these cases may start to look beat up after several trips.

Value

Let’s face it: when you’re shopping for a new suitcase, price is going to be one of the top considerations (if it isn’t, do you want to trade finances?). I always recommend investing a bit more cash on gear that will last, but I also want to get the best bang for my buck. If something costs more, I want to know why, and I want it to be worth the cost.

July offers suitcases with a lot of premium features like polycarbonate shells, aluminum corner bumpers, and ball-bearing wheels. They do all this while keeping their prices much lower than luxury brands like RIMOWA, Briggs & Riley, and Tumi.

If you’re on a tight budget, you can definitely find capable and durable suitcases for significantly less cash, but if you want that luxury-level construction, aesthetic, and quality, July suitcases have fantastic value for the money.

Browse July

Now that we’ve covered the basics, let’s dive into the specific features offered in July suitcases. From ejectable battery banks to a smart compression system, the designers paid a lot of attention to the details of each suitcase.

360-Degree Spinner Wheels

When July couldn’t find spinner wheels on the market that fit their high quality standards, they decided to design their own smooth wheels from the ground up. Their final design features double wheels that are bigger than standard suitcase wheels and use stainless steel ball bearings for easy rolling and durability.

These silent wheels are super quiet and easy to maneuver, and they are much stronger. I typically am a bigger fan of two-wheeled suitcases, but these are some of the only spinner wheels I would trust for frequent travel.

Y-Strap Compression System

July’s Y-strap compression system includes a compression pad that you place over your packed belongings and two Y-shaped compression straps that cinch down over the top to give you more space.

The compression straps in July cases are way better than the typical flimsy straps you find on most suitcases. I don’t find those to be very helpful, but July’s straps are thick, strong, and well-placed to really tighten down your load.

Bonus? The compression pad has a mesh pocket built-in that’s perfect for smaller items.

Hidden Laundry Bag

All July suitcases come with a hidden laundry bag that is odor-resistant and compresses down to keep your dirty clothing separate from the rest of your stuff.

I really hate having all my stuff start to smell like dirty clothes a few days into a trip, so I appreciate the built-in laundry bag.

Integrated TSA Lock

July suitcases also come with an integrated TSA lock to give you some extra security and peace of mind while you travel. It is built into the side of the suitcase and locks the main zipper so thieves can’t get in.

Traveling is stressful enough. I love having the ability to protect my stuff with a little bit of extra security. It definitely isn’t foolproof—determined thieves could still rip through the zipper—but it d

July vs Monos

Monos is a Canada-based travel brand that has a lot in common with July. Both aim to offer luxury-level suitcases at more approachable prices. Both build minimal (but functional) polycarbonate suitcases. Both hit almost identical price points.

If you’re looking for a hardside carry-on with an external pocket, I think the Monos Carry-On Pro is a better choice than the July Carry-On Pro for most people. It has a real zippered pocket rather than the detachable sleeve of the July Carry-On Pro. It is just more versatile all-around (though not quite as convenient if you want the absolute best laptop carry system).

Other than that, I think it mostly comes down to personal preference and style. The features, functionality, and price of these two brands is very similar, but there are some aesthetic differences. Learn more by reading our full July vs. Monos luggage comparison.

SHOP MONOS

July vs Away

Away is one of the most recognizable and disruptive startup luggage brands, largely because of their awesome social media marketing. They also build sleek polycarbonate suitcases.

In my experience, July offers better performance and more value for your money than Away. I’ve seen Away suitcase hard shells crack, while July’s are much stronger with the reinforced corners. July suitcases are also less expensive and often lighter weight.

For more information, read our July vs Away comparison or our full Away Luggage review.

SHOP AWAY

July vs Béis

Béis is another small-ish brand that’s popular among travelers looking for stylish hardside luggage. The biggest advantage is that Béis suitcases are significantly less expensive than July. If you’re looking for a solid high-quality polycarbonate suitcase that gives you the best bang for your buck, Béis is a great brand to look at.

That said, July suitcases still have the edge in overall quality and durability. If you travel frequently and want a suitcase that will last for years to come, July may be the better bet.

SHOP BÉIS