There’s a New Suitcase Design in Town
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If you’ve purchased a suitcase in the past ten years or so, it probably had a clamshell design, splitting down the middle to reveal two symmetrical packing compartments that lie flat on the floor when open. This style ofluggagecan fit a lot of stuff and keep it organized but requires a little extra time and care during the packing and unpacking process. The two compartments also take up a lot of space when you rummage through them in the hotel room or at the airport.
Two popular, Strategist-recommended DTC travel brands, Away and July, are tackling these problems. As of this week, they both have launched hard-shell suitcases with flat lids and just one deep compartment, meaning they can be packed and unpacked much more quickly (just toss your items inside, then zip up!) whether you’re panicking at TSA or competing for hotel-room floor space with your husband and kids. Many old-schoolsoft-side suitcaseshave a single-compartment design, but hard-side ones were almost universally clamshell, until now. Here’s a closer look at each brand’s approach.
July made a new kind of carry-on
July’s new Capsule Carry-on Pro has a flat lid that flips from the top of the suitcase rather than the side, revealing one reasonably deep packing compartment. There’s also an even quicker-access front sleeve large enough to hold the laptop you’ll have to take out at TSA screening. You can unzip this sleeve while the suitcase is standing upright, and there’s a clever little window for you to grab a sweater from the main compartment while doing so.
The new top-down opening style sacrifices the brand’s signature corner bumpers, which is a shame. And while it’s nice that you can access the main compartment when the suitcase is standing upright, I found the layout slightly less convenient when the case was lying flat. The lid can’t stand upright by itself and instead flops over the wheels to the side. I can see it getting in the way when you’re packing or unpacking in a confined space. Another issue is that the suitcase has only one grab handle, at the top, which makes it annoying to pick up and place into overhead compartments.
It’s still a unique and clever design, one that would be especially useful for carry-on-onlybusiness travelerswho take a lot of quick trips. I particularly like how the laptop sleeve is hidden within the main suitcase compartment, rather than sticking out the front. This keeps the suitcase looking streamlined, and the smooth shape will help it slide into tight overhead spaces, too.
I was able to fit a really decent amount of clothing into the Capsule Carry-on Pro, which has a 43.5-liter capacity and weighs nine pounds. (July’s standard Carry-on Pro has a 42-liter capacity and weighs 8.6 pounds.) It lacks a full compression system, but there is a seat-belt-style strap to tamp down your packing cubes and create some extra space. There would be no issue fitting a week’s worth of outfits into this suitcase, especially usingcompression cubes.
July’s luggage is always smooth rolling and sturdy, and the Capsule Carry-on is no exception. It features the brand’s CaseSafe technology, which is basically a built-inAirTagthat helps you track your luggage’s location on your phone. There’s also a one-button braking button behind the handle to stop the suitcase from rolling away. It’s a very useful feature given that you may be packing and unpacking while it’s standing upright.
Away overhauled the design it helped make famous
While July’s Capsule design comes only in carry-on size for now, Away has gone ahead and launched its competing Topside luggage in both carry-on and checked sizes. This is the brand’s second foray into non-clamshell suitcases; itssoft-side collectionis all single compartment.
I tested the medium Topside trunk (which has a massive expandable 97.5-liter capacity) and was really impressed. Comparing it with the July Capsule, I immediately noticed that a fabric strap keeps the lid (which flips from the side, rather than the top) standing fully upright, saving on floor space and letting you pack the suitcase when it’s leaning against a wall. It also has grab handles on three sides for when you need to pick it up instead of rolling. Unlike with the Capsule, there’s no way to access your stuff while the suitcase is standing upright. It has a brake button behind the handle but no built-in Bluetooth tracking feature.
The single-compartment design is a huge improvement on Away’s standard clamshell trunk, which I’ve always found a bit unwieldy to both pack and wheel around. Although there’s just one packing compartment instead of two, Away’s familiar interior compression system remains, which is a relief. There’s something calming about opening up your suitcase to see everything still packed exactly in place; the storage sleeve and straps help keep things orderly.
You could fit three weeks of outfits into the medium Topside trunk, and it would be useful for packing bulkier items that don’t fit into a clamshell compartment. If I were going on a longish trip, I would definitely consider flying with just a personal item and checking this big roomy suitcase that’s a breeze to pack and notably far easier to zip up than its dual-compartment rivals.
Is this the end of the clamshell suitcase?
There are so many copycat suitcase designs out there these days (Quince makes a serviceableAway Carry-on dupe, for example), and it’s pleasing to see these two brands try to create something entirely new to distinguish themselves from their competitors. If you like your clamshell suitcase, though, hold on to it and put the extra money toward airfare instead of upgrading. Flights are expensive this summer. You may also consider investing in a luggage rack to make the packing process more streamlined.
For travelers who’ve been holding out on upgrading from an old Samsonite fabric suitcase, this could finally be the moment to act. Both the July Capsule and the Away Topside combine modern features (smooth and silent spinner wheels, durable polycarbonate shells, sturdy handles) with a traditional and slightly more practical packing style that’s well suited to train travel, cruise voyages, and other close-quarters adventures.
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