July vs RIMOWA vs SPRITZ: The Honest Aluminium Carry-On Comparison (2026)

If you want a genuine aluminium carry-on, the honest shortlist is short. RIMOWA is the aluminium icon, but you pay heavily for the name. July is excellent, but its cases are polycarbonate with aluminium only on the bumpers, not a full aluminium shell. The SPRITZ Bourdain sits in the gap: a full aluminium-magnesium shell from $1,124 AUD, roughly half what the aluminium original costs. Here is the fair, side-by-side breakdown so you can pick the right one for how you travel.

In this article

• Which aluminium carry-on is best?
• RIMOWA: the aluminium original, at a price
• July: brilliant, but polycarbonate not aluminium
• SPRITZ Bourdain: aluminium without the tax
• Which one should you actually buy?
• FAQ

Which aluminium carry-on is best: July, RIMOWA or SPRITZ?

It depends on what you value, so here is the honest one-liner for each. Buy RIMOWA if you want the heritage aluminium icon and a lifetime warranty, and the price is not a barrier. Buy July if you want the lightest case with the smartest features, and you are happy with premium polycarbonate rather than a full aluminium shell. Buy the SPRITZ Bourdain if you specifically want a full aluminium build, the RIMOWA look and feel and durability, without paying roughly double for it.

Carry-on, AUD	SPRITZ Bourdain	RIMOWA Original	July Carry On
Shell material	Full aluminium-magnesium alloy	Full anodised aluminium	German polycarbonate, aluminium bumpers only
Price (approx)	$1,124	~$2,000 to $2,300	~$300 to $400
Closure	Aluminium frame, zipperless	Aluminium frame, zipperless	Polycarbonate clamshell
Lock	Built-in TSA lock	Built-in TSA lock	TSA lock with integrated tracker
Wheels	360 double spinners	360 spinners	360 silent spinners
Warranty	30-day money-back	Lifetime guarantee	Lifetime warranty, 100-day returns
Best for	Aluminium build for half the RIMOWA price	Heritage, resale value, the icon	Lightest, smartest features, lowest price

Prices shown in AUD and are approximate. Always check current pricing on each brand's site before buying.

RIMOWA: the aluminium original, at a price

RIMOWA is where the grooved aluminium carry-on comes from, and it is a genuinely excellent case: anodised aluminium, designed in Germany, backed by a lifetime guarantee. If you want the icon, nothing else is the icon. The problem is what has happened to the price. Since LVMH acquired RIMOWA in 2017, prices across the range have risen by roughly 40 to 60 percent, and the increases have been steepest on the aluminium line that made the brand famous. A Classic Cabin now runs around $2,225 AUD in-store, and popular silver configurations often sit on waitlists.

You are paying for heritage, resale value and a lifetime warranty, and for some travellers that is worth it. But a large part of that number is now brand cachet rather than raw engineering. If the aluminium build is what you actually want, there are cases that give you the same material for far less.

July: brilliant, but polycarbonate not aluminium

July is the polished Australian favourite, and deservedly so. The cases are aerospace-grade German polycarbonate with a smart feature set: silent 360 spinner wheels, an ejectable power bank, and a genuinely clever integrated tracker built into the TSA lock so you do not need a separate AirTag. Add a lifetime warranty and 100-day returns and it is easy to recommend. The carry-on lands around $300 to $400 AUD, which is excellent value.

Here is the one thing to be clear about: July is not an aluminium suitcase. The shell is polycarbonate, with anodised aluminium only on the corner bumpers, and reviewers note those bumpers scuff and show bare metal fairly quickly. That is not a flaw so much as a category difference. If you want light weight, low price and gadgets, polycarbonate is the right call and July does it beautifully. If you specifically want the look, feel and rigidity of a full aluminium case, July is not that, by design.

SPRITZ Bourdain: full aluminium without the RIMOWA tax

The Bourdain was built to answer one question: what if you want the aluminium case RIMOWA is famous for, without paying RIMOWA prices? The shell is a rigid aluminium-magnesium alloy rated to hold 100kg, closed with an aluminium frame rather than a zipper, the same zipperless construction that makes aluminium cases feel solid and secure. It has a built-in TSA-approved combination lock, quiet double 360 spinner wheels, a 7-series aluminium telescopic handle, and two mesh interior compartments. It comes in six colours across sizes from a 20-inch carry-on to a 29-inch check-in.

The carry-on is $1,124 AUD, roughly half the price of a comparable RIMOWA aluminium cabin, with free worldwide tracked shipping and a 30-day money-back guarantee so you can put it through a real trip before you commit. It was designed by our founder Ash, who spent years as a TV producer living out of a suitcase, which is exactly the kind of use it is built to survive.

The honest trade-offs: aluminium weighs more than polycarbonate, so if you count every gram, July is lighter. And RIMOWA and July both offer lifetime warranties, where the Bourdain offers a 30-day money-back guarantee. Aluminium also patinas and picks up scratches over time, on the Bourdain, on a RIMOWA, on any aluminium case. Many travellers love that lived-in look. If you do not, polycarbonate hides wear better. What the Bourdain gives you that neither price point above matches is a full aluminium shell in the middle of the market.

Which one should you actually buy?

Pick by what matters most to you. If you want the lightest case, the lowest price and clever built-in tech, and you do not mind polycarbonate, buy July. If you want the heritage aluminium icon, the strongest resale value and a lifetime warranty, and the price is genuinely not an issue, buy RIMOWA. If you want a real aluminium suitcase, the look, the rigidity, the zipperless frame, at a price that is roughly half the aluminium original, buy the SPRITZ Bourdain. All three are good cases. They are just built for three different buyers.

Whichever shell you land on, the inside matters too. A hard case keeps its shape, but packing cubes and a proper toiletry bag are what keep a trip organised. Our Connery toiletry bag and Kubrick tech organiser are built to live inside the Bourdain.

Frequently asked questions

Is an aluminium suitcase better than polycarbonate?

Neither is strictly better, they are different. Aluminium is more rigid, feels more premium and uses a secure zipperless frame, but it weighs more and shows scratches. Polycarbonate is lighter, cheaper and hides wear, but flexes more and is a commodity material. Choose aluminium for feel and durability, polycarbonate for weight and price.

Why is RIMOWA so expensive?

Partly engineering and partly brand. RIMOWA's anodised aluminium and lifetime guarantee are real, but since LVMH acquired the brand in 2017, prices have risen roughly 40 to 60 percent, well beyond material and inflation costs. A large share of the price today reflects heritage and resale cachet rather than build alone.

Is July a real aluminium suitcase?

No. July's cases are aerospace-grade German polycarbonate with anodised aluminium on the corner bumpers only. It is a premium polycarbonate case with metal trim, not a full aluminium shell. If you want a genuine aluminium case, you need one where the whole body is aluminium.

What is the cheapest full aluminium carry-on?

Full aluminium cases usually start well above polycarbonate. The SPRITZ Bourdain carry-on is $1,124 AUD, roughly half the price of a comparable RIMOWA aluminium cabin, which makes it one of the more accessible ways into a genuine aluminium shell without dropping to metal-trim polycarbonate.

Do aluminium suitcases scratch?

Yes, all of them, including RIMOWA. Aluminium develops a patina and picks up marks with use. Many travellers consider this part of the appeal. If you want your case to stay looking new, a polycarbonate shell or a protective cover hides wear better.