I have to admit, I’ve never ‘nerded’ out on a suitcase as much as the July Carry On Pro.
As someone who’s lugged around a battered, generic suitcase all my life, I never knew what I was missing out on. That is, until, I laid my hands on this beautiful and sturdy travel companion.
Experiencing all of July Carry On Pro’s features gave me the same feeling as flying business class for the first time or wearing skinny jeans for the first time – I was introduced to a whole new world that I never knew existed, a world so great that I vowed never to go back to how things used to be (normal jeans now have way too much breathing room).
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The first thing you’ll notice about the July Carry On Pro is its sleek, well-thought-out marketing, packaging and design. The Carry On Pro, as well as the rest of July’s product range, is designed in Victoria’s hipster capital of Melbourne with a strong emphasis on aesthetics and practicality. On its website, July has boasted the mission: “To elevate your travel standard from product-buying to being augmented around the experience of considered design and service… Simply put, July is here to ensure you can focus on the parts of travelling you love.”
Before we get into the Carry On Pro itself, I want to take a moment to pay tribute to July’s beautiful website, which seems to have taken all the best parts from Apple’s ethos. It instantly makes you feel like you’re hanging with the cool kids; not only that, ordering the Carry On Pro is a completely hassle-free process.
Emojis on a suitcase? 🤯
As an online shopper, I was able to pick the colour of the Carry On Pro I wanted, and then personalise it through Inked™ by July. What this basically means is that July is able to add a custom print on your suitcase using a process that it promises to last as long as your suitcase does – no wearing off, no fading, none of that stuff. You can then choose the font, colour and design of your personalisation. Most importantly, you can add emojis! Emojis are the backbone of our society.
Receiving the Carry On Pro was also reminiscent of opening my first Apple product: opening it felt like opening a box of jewellery. Its packaging was minimalistic, and rather than including the typical, dull multi-lingual booklets that no one ever reads, my Carry On Pro simply had a small tag detailing how to use some of its features, as well as a simple instruction manual tucked away in a secret case.
July Carry On Pro Features – can the laptop sleeve fall off easily?
I’d like to give a huge thumbs up emoji to the Carry On Pro’s features, with its most noticeable feature being its SnapSleeve™. It’s a detachable sleeve that acts as a 16” laptop component or space for your random (or government secret) documents. There’s also a small sleeve in front of the main sleeve for smaller items. The sleeve also makes airport security transfers so much more convenient, so say goodbye to having to rummage through your bag to pull out your laptop.
READ MORE: Here’s an easy packing list for female travellers.
My immediate concern with seeing the SnapSleeve™ was that someone could just easily snatch it off. Much to my relief, it’s extremely secure. I tried hard to pry it off to no avail. The only realistic way I could remove it was through the proper way to remove it: to unzip the sleeve, pull an internal tab and then detach it. Or for me to gain Avengers-level superhuman strength. Either way, putting the SnapSleeve back on is as easy as clicking it back.
Laptop bonus: portable power bank
Just like me on a Monday, my MacBook’s battery depletes annoyingly quickly. What I love about the Carry On Pro is that it includes a portable battery charger that, according to July, is approved for any flight in the world. It’s an ejectable 10,000mAh power bank that includes USB and USB-C docks that can charge both your phone and laptop.
Can it lift, bro?
How much can the Carry On Pro carry, and can it take a beating? Firstly, from the size of the July Carry On Pro, it’s clear that it’s not meant for the long term vacationer, but for short term travellers who require quick trips for work or want to go on small holidays.
That being said, with 46L of volume, and for its compact appearance it can surprisingly take on a lot. I was able to easily pack:
- 2 pairs of shoes
- 3 sets of pants
- 4 shirts
- Shorts
- 4 sets of underwear and socks
- A toiletry bag
- And of course, my MacBook and electronics
I’m a lazy packer – I just threw everything in without folding or any of that nonsense – and there was still room to spare. The nifty compression system certainly helped with this. However, I was not able to easily fit my suit blazer into the Carry On Pro. Instead, I had to hang it on the Carry On Pro’s handle. Which, by the way, is smooth and easy to hold.
So can it take a beating? As someone who’s had to bring luggage across all kinds of terrain, I was pleased to experience how versatile the Carry On Pro is. Its 360 degree wheels allow me to walk quickly, and in multiple directions, without feeling like I’m awkwardly pushing a broken grocery store trolley. As for the case itself, July says that it is 100% aerospace-grade German polycarbonate, which is probably a fancy way of saying it’s one tough mofo. In my past two weeks of using it and lugging it over a variety of terrain (tiles, gravel and side streets), everything seems A-OK.
The July Carry On Pro also comes with the following features:
- A hidden, odour-proof laundry bag
- A Y-strap heavy duty compression system to help create more space
- An integrated TSA-lock
- 20-height multi-stop telescopic handle
10/10 would recommend?
July’s Carry On Pro is a compact carry on suitcase that is clearly engineered to both look good and do so much more than the run-of-the-mill suitcase. It’s certainly made me more excited about the next generation of suitcases. The SnapSleeve™ feature by itself makes the purchase worth it, and I think this tough and clever suitcase can be perfect for frequent short term travellers and for people like me who can’t live without their MacBook conveniently by their side.
This post-pandemic world must be tough for anyone trying to start a suitcase company, so I’m sure your purchase of the Carry On Pro would be perfect for your next journey while also supporting a company as passionate about travel innovation as July.
The July Carry On Pro retails for AUD 375 or USD 295 with free personalisation (do check with July if this is applicable in your market).
