We independently evaluate all of our recommendations. If you click on links we provide, we may receive compensation. Travel Products Luggage + Bags The Best July Luggage of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Durable and lightweight, these are the pieces of July luggage that impressed us most after testing them in our lab. By Anna Popp Anna Popp Anna Popp is a New York-based commerce writer at Travel + Leisure covering all of the best travel products, from luggage to outdoor gear. She has been a travel writer and product tester for over five years. Travel + Leisure Editorial Guidelines Published on January 30, 2024 In This Article Expand In This Article Our Top Picks ReviewsOur Testing Process Others We Liked Tips For Buying FAQ Why Trust T+L Photo: Travel + Leisure/Joy Kim Australia-based luggage brand July has taken the luggage industry by storm since it was founded in 2018, creating some of the most lightweight suitcases in the industry. We got our hands on 14 pieces of July luggage to find out more about the brand with hands-on testing. From the popular Lightweight Carry-on to the stylish Checked Trunk, we tested one size from each of the brand’s luggage collections to get a well-rounded testing experience. We packed the bags full to look at their capacity, ran them over carpets and through obstacle courses to check maneuverability, and threw them off tables to check durability. We also recreated an airplane set in our Travel + Leisure lab to lift the carry-ons into overhead bins and place personal items underneath seats to get a feel for how lightweight and portable they really are. Many of the bags wowed us and proved to be exceptionally durable even after we hit them with baseball bats over and over. Keep reading to find out more about which July suitcases we recommend most. Our Top Picks Best Carry-on: July Carry On at July.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best Checked: July Checked Plus Light at July.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best Set: July Trunk Set at July.com ($990) Jump to Review Best With Laptop Compartment: July Carry On Pro SnapSleeve at July.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best Large Capacity: July Large Luggage at July.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best Weekender: July Carry All Weekender Plus at July.com ($295) Jump to Review Best Backpack: July Volume + Backpack at July.com (See Price) Jump to Review Best Carry-on July Carry On PHOTO: July View on July.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Organization 5/5 Design 5/5 Maneuverability 5/5 Durability 5/5 Why We Love It It’s the ideal size for a week-long trip. What to Consider There could be a few more pockets for organizing items while packing. While July has several carry-on models, the classic option won us over in testing. We were impressed with the sturdy design of the suitcase that proved to be just as durable as it looked after we hit the outside with a baseball bat and dropped it off a countertop several times. The German-made polycarbonate shell features bumpers on the corner and we noticed that the corners didn’t scuff, dent, or scratch at all after our durability tests. The original model also comes with a removable USB port to charge devices on the go — an exclusive feature to the original mode. We had no issues filling up the suitcase with our week-long packing list, and everything fit perfectly with the help of the compression flap. The only note of improvement we had is that the interior could use a few more pockets (there’s just one currently) to add more organizational options. Other than that, we felt like this suitcase checked all the boxes (and more) for what we look for in a high-quality carry-on. The Details: 21.5 x 15 x 8.5 inches | 7.4 pounds | 42-liter capacity | Polycarbonate, nylon | USB charging port | Not expandable Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure/Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure/Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure/Joy Kim Travel + Leisure/Jhett Thompson Best Checked July Checked Plus Light PHOTO: July View on July.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Organization 5/5 Design 5/5 Maneuverability 5/5 Durability 5/5 Why We Love It It’s shockingly lightweight for how much it can hold. What to Consider The compression straps are small and don’t cover the entire side of one of the compartments. One of the hardest parts of traveling with a checked bag is keeping it under the usual 50 pound limit, but this July suitcase solves that problem. Weighing just a bit over nine pounds when empty, this lightweight checked bag still offers 105 liters of storage space, meaning you can fit more items before hitting the weight limit for flying. In testing, we were able to fit our entire packing list on one side of the suitcase, and it never felt cumbersome to roll or pick up when packed. The lightweight proved to be just as durable as all the other July suitcases we tried after sustaining zero damage during our durability tests. The only note we have is that it would be nice to have stronger or larger compression straps to add even more space, but the bag is still impressively large. The Details: 30.32 x 20.87 x 11.22 inches | 9.2 pounds | 105-liter capacity | Polycarbonate | Not expandable Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Best Set July Trunk Set PHOTO: July $990 at july.com Why We Love It Both suitcases have sturdy latch closures and comfortable handles. What to Consider These suitcases are not expandable, so there's no room for overpacking. Buying a set of luggage can be practical for some shoppers, so we recommend July’s stylish Trunk Set. The carry-on and checked bag duo have similar features that include adjustable handles, aluminum latch closures, and an 80/20 clamshell design that has one larger side for storing bulkier items. In testing, we were able to pack everything on our packing list into the suitcases, but the checked trunk is smaller than other July checked bags at 95 liters, so it was a tight fit (and it's not expandable). Both suitcases held up well against the baseball bat with minimal scuffing and no visible damage to the polycarbonate shell. Like most July bags we tested, we were blown away by the durable materials and sturdiness of both of these bags. The glossy finish seemed to pick up light dust and dirt easily, so we recommend storing these in their dust bags when not in use. The Details: 21.7 x 15 x 8.7 inches for carry-on; 28.25 x 16.5 x 14.5 inches for checked | 8.4 pounds for carry-on; 14.2 pounds for checked | 42-liter capacity for carry-on; 95-liter capacity for checked | Polycarbonate | Not expandable Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure/Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim The 11 Best Luggage Sets of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Best With Laptop Compartment July Carry On Pro SnapSleeve PHOTO: July View on July.com Our Ratings Capacity 4.5/5 Organization 5/5 Design 5/5 Maneuverability 3.5/5 Durability 5/5 Why We Love It The removable laptop compartment has generous padding, and the white suitcase held up perfectly against a baseball bat. What to Consider The wheels didn’t roll as smoothly as the other July bags we tried. This July suitcase boasts all the features we love from the classic carry-on with the special addition of a detachable laptop case. The ultra-padded case has a magnetic snap closure that secures it to the front of the suitcase to give travelers easy access to technology while on the go. We tested the white-and-black colorway and were blown away by the durability of the polycarbonate shell. Even with the snow white color, the suitcase didn’t scuff or scratch after we tossed it off a table and hit it with a baseball bat many times. The 42-liter bag was big enough to fit everything on our packing list for about a weeks’ worth of travel, and the only issue we ran into was with the wheels that didn’t roll as smoothly over rough surfaces like carpet and stone. While it’s a slight inconvenience, the helpfulness of the removable laptop sleeve and durable exterior make this bag well worth the investment. The Details: 21.5 x 15 x 8.5 inches | 8.6 pounds | 42-liter capacity | Polycarbonate, leather | Not expandable Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Best Large Capacity July Large Luggage PHOTO: July View on July.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Organization 4.5/5 Design 5/5 Maneuverability 5/5 Durability 5/5 Why We Love It The sturdy handle and smooth wheels make it exceptionally easy to roll this large bag. What to Consider It’s easy to go over the 50 pound weight limit with such a spacious bag. If you’re in search of a seriously spacious checked bag, July’s Checked Plus is your best bet. With 110 liters of space, this bag can hold more than enough items for a two-week trip or longer, so it’s safe to say our week-long packing list fit perfectly between the two spacious compartments. One side has a large compression flap, which was helpful for packing down bulkier items like jeans and jackets. Despite its very large size, this suitcase was impressively easy to roll over rough surfaces like carpet and cobblestone, and we could maneuver it through our obstacle course without any issues. Similar to the design of the classic carry-on, it also features aluminum bumpers on every corner to absorb hard impact, so this suitcase is extremely durable as well. The Details: 30.25 x 19.75 x 12.5 inches | 10.5 pounds | 110-liter capacity | Polycarbonate | Not expandable Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Best Weekender July Carry All Weekender Plus PHOTO: July $295 at july.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Organization 5/5 Design 5/5 Durability 5/5 Value 5/5 Why We Love It The clamshell-style design makes it easy to pack and organize items efficiently. What to Consider It only comes in navy and black colorways. Minimalist yet functional, July’s weekender bag was a breeze to pack thanks to its clamshell design and spacious interior. It has a whopping 50 liters of room (more than the July carry-ons), so we could fit over a weeks’ worth of clothing, shoes, and accessories into the weekender. This bag also features the most pockets we’ve seen on a piece of July luggage, and we loved the various spots to place undergarments, a laptop, and other smaller items. When the bag was packed full, it was surprisingly lightweight, and it never felt cumbersome to carry or place in an overhead compartment. The twill nylon material looks sleek and stylish, and it’s extremely durable and protective. We wish this perfect-scoring weekender bag came in a few more colors, but the black and navy blue are still sleek options. It also comes in a smaller 28-liter size that would make a great personal item. The Details: 12.5 x 22 x 9 inches | 4.2 pounds | 50-liter capacity | Twill nylon | 16-inch laptop pocket Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson The Best Hardside Luggage of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Best Backpack July Volume + Backpack PHOTO: July View on July.com Our Ratings Capacity 5/5 Organization 5/5 Design 5/5 Portability 5/5 Durability 5/5 Why We Love It The main compartment has an expandable zipper to add five liters of extra space when needed. What to Consider The minimalist design may be too plain for some. This expandable backpack is especially helpful for packing last-minute items when you need a little extra space. It has a discrete expandable zipper that adds five liters to the 21-liter capacity, which was a noticeable increase when we tested it. We were able to fit carry-on essentials like a laptop, notebook, headphones, and a jacket, and when we were running out of room, all we had to do was unzip the expandable zipper for additional storage. Like all July luggage, this backpack is super lightweight and extremely well padded, which added lots of comfort while wearing it around our lab. And, the padding absorbed the impact when we tossed the bag off a table several times, so the design of the pack is extremely long-lasting as well. While it’s not the most stylish backpack on the market, the special features and durable design more than make up for it. The Details: 1.02 x 7.09 x 16.93 inches | 2.2 pounds | 21-liter capacity (26-liter capacity when expanded) | Nylon, leather | Expandable Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Travel + Leisure / Jhett Thompson Our Testing Process July luggage has been on our radar for a while now, especially since the brand is known for its shockingly lightweight luggage. While we’ve tried several suitcases from July over the years, we decided to thoroughly research and select 14 pieces of luggage to test in a July-specific lab test in New York City. Travel + Leisure/Jhett Thompson We tried one suitcase size from each collection to gauge the durability, capacity, maneuverability, and design during our rigorous testing process. We created designated packing lists for the carry-on and checked bags and put together obstacle courses with various types of surfaces like carpet and cobblestone to wheel the luggage over, testing how smoothly the wheels glide and how stable the handles are. And of course, we performed our signature durability tests that involve tossing the suitcases off of tabletops and hitting them with baseball bats repeatedly. Travel + Leisure/Jhett Thompson We paid special attention to how lightweight the carry-on bags felt by lifting them into real overhead bins on our airplane set and noted how well smaller personal items fit underneath airplane seats. After taking thorough testing notes and photos, we sent the luggage out to our travel editors to test while out traveling for up to six months to get further testing notes to update this article. Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Other July Luggage We Liked These are some other stand-out options we tested from July, all of which scored highly. July Carry On Essential: It’s a durable and easy-to-pack suitcase, but we preferred the extra features of the Classic Original Carry-on compared to this more basic model. July Checked Light: Weighing seven pounds, this is a shockingly lightweight bag, but it has a smaller capacity at just 75 liters, which might not be worth it for some travelers looking for a more spacious checked bag. July Volume + Weekender: Compared to the Carry All Weekender Plus, this bag lacked space and organizational features that lowered the value of the pricier bag. Travel + Leisure / Joy Kim Tips for Buying July Luggage Know the difference between the collections July has several collections of luggage that have pros and cons for each type of traveler. The collections are Classic, Trunk, and Lightweight, and all three include carry-on and checked luggage options. The Classic collection features the Original and Essential suitcase options, while the Original suitcases boast more technical features like USB ports and aluminum corner bumpers for durability. The Trunk collection offers all sizes in the unique 80/20 design for a more modern spin on the vintage-style travel trunk. And lastly, the Lightweight collection features the brand’s iconic featherweight suitcases that all weigh under 10 pounds. Consider special features As mentioned above, certain collections offer more special features than others, so doing some research into each style of suitcase can help you decide which one to get. The Classic Original suitcases offer features such as a removable USB port for charging and aluminum corner bumpers. The Classic Essential doesn’t offer those features, but it is lighter in weight. The Trunk collection also boasts the USB ports and a more robust compression system but doesn’t offer the corner bumpers for durability. If you choose the Lightweight collection, you’ll get an extremely lightweight suitcase but will forfeit those extra features. Don’t forget about bags and accessories July has a variety of bags and accessories besides luggage, and we particularly loved the Carry All Weekender Plus during testing. The bags proved to be just as durable as the luggage and they complement the sleek and stylish designs of the minimalist luggage. The brand also offers tote bags, packing cubes, shoe bags, luggage covers, and more. Frequently Asked Questions Why is July luggage so popular? The Australian luggage brand boasts a huge variety of sleek and stylish luggage options in trendy colors like beige, forest green, and cherry red. It is most known for its Lightweight luggage collection that features hardside suitcases of all sizes weighing less than 10 pounds — which is an incredible feat considering the suitcases still offer superior durability with lighter weight materials. Which is better: Away or July? Luggage is ultimately a personal choice, and some brands might work better for certain travelers over others. After testing both brands in our lab, July luggage impressed us with lightweight materials that proved to be extremely durable after our rigorous durability tests that included baseball bats. We also have a roundup of our favorite Away luggage pieces. Does July luggage get scratched easily? In testing, we were blown away by how durable July luggage is, and we didn’t notice any damage done to any of the suitcase after our durability test. Some of the bags had light scuff marks that could be buffed out. Of course, no suitcases are invincible to getting scratched, but we think it would take some seriously rough handling to damage these bags. Why Trust Travel + Leisure Anna Popp is a commerce writer at Travel + Leisure, where she writes most of the team's tested content. She has tested dozens of suitcases in the last few years and she spent the day in the lab testing July luggage. Anna sifted through testing notes and pulled from her personal experience testing the luggage to put together this list of the best July luggage. The Best Lightweight Luggage of 2024, Tested and Reviewed Love a great deal? Sign up for our T+L Recommends newsletter and we'll send you our favorite travel products each week. Edited by Jackie Cucco Jackie Cucco Jackie Cucco is a Commerce Testing Editor at Travel + Leisure, where she assigns, edits, and writes travel-related product reviews based on in-depth product testing. She previously worked as a travel agent, has a Master’s degree in journalism, and has over six years of experience creating gift guides and writing about various products. She has made over 100 TV appearances discussing consumer products and shopping trends. learn more