This July Carry-On Features a Built-In Tracker—But That’s Far from Its Most Impressive Feature

I had my tech-obsessed husband test it out over two flights—trips from New York to Los Angeles and Phoenix—and one weekend road trip to see how it fared, testing everything from how smoothly it glides to how easy it is to find. I asked him to be brutally honest in his review, providing photos of every aspect of the experience, so you can decide whether it’s worth it for you.

What Makes the July Carry-On with CaseSafe So Special?

First, there’s the aforementioned CaseSafe tracker (the world’s first suitcase featuring an integrated, trackable TSA lock, according to the brand), which is compatible with Apple’s Find My network and Google’s Find Hub. It also features a removable power bank for charging your phone or other devices on the go, 360-degree SilentMove wheels and Y-strap compression system for keeping things secure in your bag. And on the durability front, it features a polycarbonate shell and reinforced bumpers.

“Syncing the suitcase finder (Casesafe) was ridiculously simple on my Android—I opened the find hub app, pressed a button and it appeared on my phone),” my husband, Nathan Davison, says. “Fortunately, I haven't had to use this for its intended purpose (yet), and so it was fun to put the luggage in another room and press the ‘play sound’ button in the app to make music play for my kids, then go find it. They got a kick out of it, and I can see the practicality for picking up your luggage from a bag check to make that process quick and easy too.  And it does give me the peace of mind that if my luggage does disappear, I can use an app I already use to help me retrieve it.”

Could you get similar results from a tracking tag? Probably, as long as it doesn’t get yanked off or separated from the carry-on. Is this a nice, integrated feature? Also, yes.

The July suitcase had a slimmer profile than other carry-ons I’ve tested, so I wasn’t sure if it could really hold six to eight outfits, or the essentials for a five to seven-day trip, as the brand suggested. However, I was wrong—it contained everything, bulky running shoes included, for a weeklong trip without issue. (Now, if you tend to vacation with a different bag, shoes and full set of accessories for every outfit, you may need more space. But in general, jeans, pants, dresses, tops and other essentials fit with ease.)

This is largely thanks to the Y-buckle compression separator and pouch. “[It] worked great to help me pack everything in and then keep it all from sliding around, and it made closing the suitcase that I packed for a week at a time an easy experience,” Davison says.

Quarter-mile walks and trips up escalators and dashing across airports were a breeze with this carry-on. While it’s sustained a few minor scuffs across its trips, the durability of the luggage itself has never come into question. Even when overpacking caused the shell to bulge somewhat, it zipped closed easily, and when it was emptied, it returned to its normal shape without issue.

Con: The Power Bank Depletes Quickly

Honestly, it’s a small thing, but it’s worth noting—the power charger is a really nice addition (and it’s great that you can remove it, should you need to check your bag). But after charging a cell phone, it was fully depleted, and you needed to remember to charge it after every leg of the trip, essentially. Still, it’s a nice addition that most carry-ons don’t have.

The other consideration is that, at $325, the luggage is comparable to many bells-and-whistles premium carry-ons out there, but that’s still a decent chunk of change to spend. However, after dropping $85 on a basic hardside suitcase, only to have the top handle snap right off the first time it hit a curb, I’d say the spend on something more durable—and trackable—is worth it.

As my husband put it: “Luggage needs to be good at being luggage: plenty of storage, reliable wheels, strong zippers, sturdy case for protection—the July luggage does all of this really well.” The tracker and lock are the cherry on top, making any trip feel just a little less stressful…even if you’re racing to the gate 11 minutes before it closes.