July Carry-on Max Review

In addition to its size, we really appreciated the quality of the July Carry-on Max. From top to bottom, this case is constructed with reliable materials and components, making it a great option for extensive travel.

Ease of Transport

It wasn't the highest performer of the whole lot for this metric, but it certainly was no slouch either. We liked its overall performance in our tests. Its wheel treads are what we liked the most.

The Carry-on Max has a decent set of wheels. Its 2-inch double-spinners are complemented by a thick band of rubber tread. This allows the wheels to roll quietly and with much less vibration. It also makes them a little more responsive.

Four, high-quality spinner wheels, offered a smoother roll and better response in airports and concrete walkways.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

Double are generally better than single wheels because they offer better control and less vibration.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

Measuring the height of the July wheels.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

The outer edge of each wheel is surrounded by a thick rubber tread. This absorbs vibration and allows for a quieter, smoother roll.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

There is no exterior projection to handle curbs. The bag's shell makes direct contact. This is common for most hardshell carry-ons.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

While the July's wheel height is adequate, we do think taller wheels would make it easier to roll up over curbing or other obstacles.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

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We also loved this bag's trolley handle. It has a few dozen height adjustments (we stopped counting at 20), so it was super easy to find the exact elevation for our body type. This allowed for a more comfortable stroll through terminals and parking garages. Having the perfect height makes it easier to guide and maneuver any piece of luggage when you have a 20-minute walk to your gate in larger, more congested airports. People who are shorter or taller than average will likely appreciate this the most.

We didn't really like the grab handles on the July. During our side-by-side testing, we found them to be tighter and more constrictive when compared to other models. Our testers with larger hands found them a little uncomfortable and slightly harder to get a firm grip on.

Using airport staircases to test our July's grab handles. We liked their balance and placement, but we didn't like how tight they were on our hands.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

We had difficulty needling our fingers and hands into place on the top handle.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

The same was true with the side handle. It sat tightly against the exterior of the case and was very stiff and difficult to pry upwards and grab.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

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Overall, we liked how the Carry-on Max tracked. While negotiating sidewalks, parking lots, and airports, we felt it did a pretty good job of staying close to our hip. While its real-life performance wasn't perfect, we felt it tracked reasonably well. During our rolling tests, we noted a tendency to pull to one side.

Design and Functionality

The July Carry-on Max projects a slightly understated, monochromatic style that makes it timeless yet appealing. Its extra features and ease of use contributed to its higher scores in this metric.

This bag has clean lines and a sleek exterior. It is also available in a healthy range of fun (mostly subdued) colors. Its overall layout is simple and straightforward, so it didn't take us much time to learn the ins and outs of this bag. A simple design feature we liked the most was its smooth zippers and nice interior buckles. Those who like to organize out the wazoo won't be fans of the wide-open interior of this bag and may want to pair it with some packing cubes.

Both the exterior and interior zippers are smooth and easy to pull.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

The interior buckle is sturdy and snaps smoothly together.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

The compression straps is securely connected to the walls of the case which allows you to pull snugly, without worry, when its time to cinch everything into place.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

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Construction Quality

We found the Max to be well-built and a solid contender for extensive travel. It has a rugged polycarbonate shell, good wheels, and decent handles and zippers.

What we liked the most were this bag's reinforced end caps. All four top corners are inlaid with riveted metal shields that not only look great but also go a long way toward protecting the bag from the bumps and bruises of being loaded and unloaded, or from inadvertent collisions with walls, chairs, or concrete barriers. This extra protection protected our July bag during our tumble tests. However, one drawback is that they are prone to denting or bending if they take a hard hit.

This case is reasonably water-resistant. Like most hardshell carry-ons we've tested, the weak spot is the zipper. If exposed to heavy rainfall or large spills, water will eventually make its way through the cloth section of the zippers and the micro openings in the zipper teeth. However, after dousing our Carry-on Max with a solid stream of backyard hose water, we were pleased to find that the bag repelled moisture pretty well.

Our July Carry-on after we doused it with hose water.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

Lining the July with blue paper towels in order to detect water.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

Spraying this grouping in the vertical positing. The July bag is on the far right.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

Spraying down the July and two other carry-ons in the horizontal position.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

Getting our first peek inside the July, directly under the compression panel.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

The end result of our water tests on the compression panel side of the July.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

The opposite side of the July Carry-on remained dry.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

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Capacity

This is one of the largest carry-ons we've tested. Over-packers will absolutely love this bag. It has tons of space, is expandable, and has great value-adding packing features.

We really like this bag's compression straps and panel. They're robust and do an excellent job of pressing clothing and other accessories firmly into place. This creates more room and keeps clothes from shifting and wrinkling.

The July offers 50 liters of packing volume, making it the most substantial carry-on we've studied in terms of pure capacity. The drawback to its size is that it may be a little too large to fit in some overhead bins, and is more likely to be checked at the boarding gate. During our last flight, we checked the July against two airline size kiosks and were surprised that it fit — just barely. And although many US airlines don't worry about carry-on weight, many international carriers do, so this bag may be too heavy if overpacked, especially when expanded.

We were surprised that our Carry-on Max was able to fit into this baggage sizer. This one was for Southwest Airlines, which often is more generous on dimensions. However, every airline has its own regulations, especially international carriers, which tend to have heavier restrictions on baggage dimensions.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

Once again, the July was within size standards for this airline. However, we don't think this would be the case if it were expanded.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

We measured the length, width, and depth of both interior compartments in order to calculate the July's overall packing volume. The manufacturer states 50-liters, our measurements calculated 49.5 liters, which is pretty close.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

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One of our favorite things about this case is the 20-liter tote bag that comes with it. It stores easily inside, but when needed, it can be deployed as an instant personal item. The tote even has a pass-through luggage strap, so it can be securely fastened to the trolley handle — not a bad option for an over-packer who picked up a few souvenirs.

This fold-away tote is a standard accessory with the July Carry-on Max. We loved having this option as a personal item.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

The tote bag folds into itself and is zips closed.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

Thin but sturdy fabric make it easy to deploy.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

The best part is the pass-through strap that connects to the trolley handle, allowing it to securely ride on top.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

The tote makes it easy to return home with more stuff (souvenirs) than you took with you.   Credit: Jason Wanlass

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Should You Buy the July Carry-on Max?

From value meals to coffee orders, phone storage to televisions — if you have a tendency to upsize your purchases, then the July Carry-on Max is your cup of tea. What makes this bag unique is its interior volume. It has tons of open space to shove in anything from swimsuits to ski boots. And if that isn't enough, it's also expandable, and it offers a pack-away tote that can be instantly turned into your personal item. So if you end up overpacking, even when you don't mean to, or you simply want to be large-and-in-charge, we think the July bag will definitely make your short list. Additionally, if you spend a lot of time travelling for work on trains, buses, or in cars where you don't have to worry as much about size and weight restrictions — and you need a case that can fit both your clothes and work supplies — this is a great option to consider. We also think it might be a nice choice for cruise ships.

What Other Carry-On Should You Consider?

Our lineup features a handful of other bags that are on par with the July in terms of construction quality and function; however, they are smaller. If you just want a solid workhorse, the Away The Carry-On is amazing. For those of you who travel with a laptop, you can't beat the Monos Carry-On Pro. If you love travel that often leaves your clothes and shoes covered in sweat, dirt, or mud, the Gregory Quadro Pro 22" is a great option that has a dry bag to keep things separate.