LEVEL8 Luggage Review 2024 (Carry-On/Check-In)

There’s a lot of buzz about LEVEL8 suitcases floating around the internet.

But are they actually any good?

In this LEVEL8 luggage review, I share my honest opinions after testing two of their suitcases. 

First, I’ll dive straight into my unfiltered opinions (in case you’re already familiar with the brand). 

Then, we’ll get into the nitty-gritties of these suitcases — including pics — in case you’re looking for all the juicy details. 

LEVEL8 sponsored this post and gifted the luggage I ran my tests on. I made it clear to them that all opinions were my own, whether good or bad. As you’ll see, I don’t hold back.

Which suitcases were tested?

LEVEL8 offers a bunch of different luggage lines, but for this LEVEL8 review, I tested two of their most popular products, the Voyageur check-in suitcase and the Voyageur carry-on. 

The Voyageur series is a “Goldilocks tier” set of luggage. It feels premium compared to cheaper luggage…but it’s also not at that super luxurious make-you-cry expensive level (which in my opinion, is overrated).

It’s the “just right” luggage tier for normal travelers.  

That said, each of their suitcases has different features — and your needs might be different than mine — so I’ve created a comparison section at the end to help you quickly see the strengths of each one.

LEVEL8 luggage review: My experience and unfiltered opinions

I’ll be completely honest — I’m personally not a big suitcase guy. 

As crazy as it sounds, I much prefer carrying things on my back. It’s good exercise, and backpacks are more versatile for longer adventure-y trips. 

That said, I realize there’s a time and a place for everything. 

Sometimes backpacks don’t make sense. Sometimes you’re just not in the mood for a backache. And sometimes you just want things to be easy. 

That’s why I decided to pick up these Voyageur suitcases — especially since my wife has scoliosis and we realized carrying a heavy backpack wasn’t good for her. 

And boy I’m glad we did. 

Are they perfect? No.

For one, I think the “space saving” benefit of the wide handles is slightly over-rated.

Sure, you don’t have the bars going down the middle of the inside, which makes it less awkward and more efficient since you can pack things flat. 

But it’s not like those bars disappeared altogether. They still run down the outside edges of the bag, so while you can pack things flat in the center, there is a raised space along the outside edges.

Overall, I’d say it does save space and make it easier to pack, but perhaps a bit less than I had imagined. 

The wide handles also make it so you can’t pass through a smaller suitcase or personal item on top. 

I hadn’t thought about this when I first chose the Voyageur, but in the end, it didn’t end up bothering me.

That’s because I never use the pass-through anyway. 

I always pack my most valuable stuff in my personal item — like my Macbook, cameras, etc. 

Call me paranoid, but I prefer not to leave this expensive stuff lying around willy-nilly on top of my suitcase. 

I want it attached to me — on my back, in my lap, under my feet, whatever. 

I suppose this all comes down to what type of trip you’re taking, what you pack, and how much you trust strangers. 

If you’re dead set on being able to use the passthrough, I have a workaround I’ll share in a sec.

The wide handles do have some major perks though.

I found that they make the suitcases feel considerably more stable and easier to control compared to normal skinny handles — especially when you need to roll it on two wheels over rougher or uneven terrain.

When you roll it on all four wheels — like you’ll be doing most of the time in the airport — these things literally glide across the floor like ice skates on ice. 

After hauling around big backpacks for the past 9 years of almost nonstop travel, when I used my LEVEL8 suitcase for the first time, I remember thinking…

“WOW, this is kinda nice. I totally get why people travel this way.”

It feels effortless. 

Will I use my LEVEL8 suitcase on every trip going forward?

No.

I still prefer backpacks for certain types of trips…

Like when I know I’ll be walking around developing countries with janky sidewalks. Or when I’m constantly hopping between buses and boats and trains. Or when I’m staying in rustic beach bungalows on islands where pavement isn’t a thing.

But for “normal” trips, where I know things are gonna be more tame, my LEVEL8 Voyageur set is my new go-to.

And if you’re not a weirdo like me who prefers carrying to rolling, then I give LEVEL8 two thumbs up.

For an extra 10% off, use the button below with discount code ProjectUntethered10.

Ok, now onto the nitty-gritties for all you suitcase nerds out there.

What makes LEVEL8 so special?

LEVEL8 is a popular luggage brand for a reason — they take their designs seriously. 

Their suitcases are constructed with rock-solid materials like German-made Markolon® and 1680D high-strength nylon, which is why they’re able to offer a longer warranty than most other luggage companies (for life!).

They also pay attention to the details and offer handy features for business vs. leisure travelers. 

Lastly, I like how they have both modern and classic designs in a variety of stylish colors, which I’ll show ya in a sec. 

I went with black because that’s more my vibe (I added stickers to make it easy to identify), but they also offer unique color combinations that stand out. 

For example, in addition to typical black and blue colors, the Voyageur also comes in a limited-edition yellow or a calming green color.

This helps prevent your luggage from getting confused and makes it harder to steal.

LEVEL8 Voyageur review: carry-on vs. check-in vs. combo

Before getting to the pros and cons, I wanna quick touch on the different sizes. 

You can buy a carry-on or check-in size individually, or if you need both, you can bundle them to save money. 

I won’t bore you with all the detailed specs, because that’s easy to find on their website. 

Instead, I wanna show you some pics so you can get a better feel for the difference. 

Here’s how the interior looks side by side, with dividers zipped and unzipped (notice that the check-in has an extra divider to keep shoes separate):

That is a LOT of space.

I like keeping my clothes on one side, and my shoes, electronics, and other random stuff separate on the other side.

You can keep your liquids in the wet-dry pocket to prevent leaks, which can be handy. 

But I personally keep my liquids in a toiletry bag and use this wet-dry compartment for things like a damp swimsuit or stinky socks. 

LEVEL8 Voyageur pros & cons

After testing my LEVEL8 suitcases, here’s what I liked (and didn’t like).

Pros

Wheels glide like a ninja. The silky-smooth 360° wheels make it effortless to roll around and navigate.

Unique color options. If you’re not gonna decorate your bag (like me), I recommend choosing one of their stylish colors to minimize the chances of luggage confusion or theft. 

Clever wide-handle design. This makes the bag feel more stable and easier to control. It also allows for a flat packing base on the inside.

Perfect amount of organization. Enough pockets and dividers to stay sane and not have smaller items floating all over the place, but not too many pockets that things turn overwhelming and unusable.

Wet-dry pocket to protect from leaks. I mostly use this to isolate dirty/wet stuff from the rest of my luggage. 

Little exterior pegs.  This small detail allows the bag to rest on the pegs instead of the bag itself, which prevents scratches. 

Lifetime warranty. Their lifetime arranty policy is way better than many top luggage companies that only offer 5 or 10 years. 

Nestable storage to save space. Our apartment is tiny, so the fact that these suitcases pack into one another was a dealbreaker. They also come with a dust bag that protects the suitcase in storage.

Cons

Wide handle space saving is slightly overrated. The design does feel more spacious and makes packing easier, but the handle still takes up interior space along the edges.

No compression straps. You can use the divider zippers to keep things secure, but there are no straps to cinch things down and save space inside. For that, I recommend packing cubes.

No laptop compartment on the Voyageur series (available on other models). If you pack your laptop in a separate personal item like I do, this isn’t a big deal. It’s actually a good thing because it means less wasted space on a compartment you don’t use. 

Not as light as a backpack. This is just a fact of life — a suitcase is always gonna weigh more than a backpack. The Voyageur’s weight is on par with most average suitcases, so when comparing apples to apples, I can’t complain.

No passthrough for personal item bags. The wide handle means you can’t slip a smaller suitcase or personal item backpack on top. This isn’t a huge deal for me because I prefer to carry my personal item, which has all my valuables in it. You can also simply just put your backpack sideways to fit over the handles.

Is LEVEL8 luggage worth it?

LEVEL8 luggage is worth it for the right type of person.

If you barely ever travel and just need something to move your stuff once or twice, then these suitcases are probably overkill.

But if you take a couple trips per year, I believe they’re a worthwhile investment.

Suitcases and travel backpacks are something I don’t like to cheap out on. 

You don’t need the most expensive option, but you also don’t want to skimp. 

Because when you skimp, things break (been there, done that).

And let me tell you, it’s NOT fun attempting to awkwardly carry or roll broken luggage across the world. 

As mentioned earlier, I found LEVEL8 luggage to be the Goldilocks luggage — it’s not the cheapest, but with a lifetime warranty, it’s built to last.

LEVEL8 luggage comparison

You can find a detailed side-by-side comparison on this page, but here are some of the standout features for each of the other luggage lines offered by LEVEL8, ordered from least to most expensive. 

Luminous Textured luggage set (20″ / 24″ / 28″)

The Luminous Textured line is LEVEL8’s entry-level line and is best if you’re on a tight budget.

It has many of the same features as some of the more expensive luggage sets, so you’re really getting the best bang for your buck. 

These features include:

• LEVEL8’s signature German-made Makrolon® polycarbonate hard shell material, which is designed to be durable yet light. 
• Built-in TSA combination lock
• Diamon texture anti-scratch surface
• Four ultra-smooth 360-degree spinner wheels

Lastly, if you’re worried about weight limits, the Luminous Textured line is LEVEL8’s most lightweight hardshell model, with the carry-on coming in at 7.7lb (3.5kg). 

Road Runner carry-on (20″)

The Road Runner is the next step up and is designed for travelers who like to work on the road. 

It has a designated lockable laptop pocket at the front for easy access to your computer, tablet, and cables. 

This also makes it way more convenient when you have to remove your laptop to pass through airport security.

As mentioned, I usually carry my laptop in my personal item bag, so this is a feature I wouldn’t use. But if you want to simplify your life and travel with just a carry-on and no personal item, then this would be a super handy suitcase for digital nomads. 

They also offer a more premium Road Runner PRO carry-on, which looks a bit sleeker (in my opinion) with a built-in USB port and a powerbank storage compartment on the inside.

So if you ever need to charge, just hook up to your suitcase.

Stride carry-on (20″)

LEVEL8 is known for its hardshell luggage, but they also offer softshell options as well, like the Stride. 

The advantage to softshell suitcases like the Stride is you get quick-grab exterior pockets, which are handy for packing things you need easy access to in the airport or on the plane. 

It’s no fun having to open up and dig through your entire suitcase to find your snacks, kindle, earbuds, etc. (which is another reason I like to travel with a personal item and/or sling pack).

The Stride also has an extra 6L of expandable space in case you need some room for souvenirs on the way home.

Freeloop carry-on (20″)

The Freeloop has a completely different look than other LEVEL8 suitcases.

It’s more antique-ish looking and comes in normal colors (like gray) as well as quirky colors (like turquoise). 

The Freeloop also has a zipperless design, opening and closing with latches. 

This not only makes it faster to open and close, but it also stops thieves from opening your locked zipper with the ol’ pen trick.

Hegent luggage set (20″ / 24″)

The Hegent suitcase is built for the serious business traveler. 

Similar to some of the other suitcases mentioned, it has a laptop sleeve and X-strap compression system.

But what makes the Hegent unique is its built-in aerospace-grade aluminum frame with metal corner guards.

That makes it extra impact-resistant, perfect for heavy use.

It also has not one, but two TSA-approved Zipperless Locks, adding an extra layer of security to your belongings. 

Gibraltar Aluminum carry-on (20″)

The Gibraltar takes the Hegent’s aluminum frame to the next level. The Gibraltar is built entirely with aerospace-grade aluminum magnesium alloy. 

This bad boy won the Red Dot luggage design award and looks like it could survive an atomic bomb. 

It’s surprisingly lightweight for being built like a tank, weighing less than a pound more than the Road Runner.

That said, it does fall on the heavy range of the spectrum (naturally), so be careful of airline weight limits.

It also has TSA-approved zipperless locks for easy opening and theft prevention. And it includes 4 bonus packing cubes, a luggage tag, and a suitcase cover protector.

This is the top-of-the-line and really only makes sense if you’re a constant business traveler.