July Carry On Pro: A clever bag of travel tricks & tech

Now that travel is somewhat possible again – albeit to frequently changing landscapes – it’s an excellent time to reintroduce yourself to the jet-age with this next-gen traveller’s bag. Calling it a mere bag is a cruel slap in the face. This is the Batmobile of carry on bags. Of sorts. At least, in the sense that those things you wish existed in certain situations in your travelling past are now here and ready to roll.

Under the pop-up handle, and protected by a little latched flap, is a 10,000mAh battery. Pretty handy – top up your phone while waiting in the departure lounge, or keep that laptop alive just long enough to finish your presentation. It has USB, Type C and Micro USB ports, and if you give it a push it springs right out of its hidey hole if you want to take it somewhere. Honestly – the number of times I’ve cursed having to dig through a bag to find a charger in the past... That 10,000mAh capacity is well under most airline maximums for carry-on batteries, too.

The July Carry On Pro currently retails for $375, and for an extra $65 you can have the bag personalised with your name (or whatever you want it to say). Right now the personalisation is free, though that is planned to end at the end of July this year.

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The July’s other particularly-cool trick is the 16-inch laptop pouch that magnetically locks to one side. July say it can hold up to 60kg, which is a heck of a lot of laptop. The material is water resistant and feels tough enough to survive the hardships of travel abuse. There’s two compartments accessible from the outside, and in the main large pocket it’s all nicely padded and with a divider. Popping it on and off is super simple, basically hold it in place and the magnets latch the lugs into place, and once there they’re not falling off without a fight. Slide it upwards and it detaches without trouble. Again, another ultra handy feature both for day trips, and for grabbing your laptop as you sit down for a flight.

A good bag needs good wheels and these seem quite luxurious. We haven't cobblestone-tested it, but the soft rubber coating does make the bag glide silently and smoothly. The handle extends through 20 stops, so no matter your height it can set for comfortable moving around. The outer material is a polycarbonate that has a bit of give to it so it won’t crack or shatter, metal reinforcement is in the corners and edges.

Inside, the whole area is lined with water-resistant and stain-proof lining, and the same material is used for the dirty laundry bag, which rolls up and tucks away in a little almost-hidden area when not in use. The internal volume is 46L, and you can be clever about what you squeeze in thanks to a slim rigid-framed mesh bag that can compress clothes using a pair of straps. There’s easily room for a full week’s worth of packing inside, for normal people at least.

The July looks great too, and comes in a choice of four colours, and if you like they’ll print your name on it too for a small extra cost. It’s very hard to wish for more from a bag, apart from more opportunities to actually use it.

July sells it bags direct, and you can pick up the Carry On Pro here, or check out the rest of the July range.