Honest Review of LEVEL8 Luggage: Best Carry-On For Minimalist Travelers

My Search for the Best Carry-on Luggage

As a frequent traveler, I’m always looking for the best travel gear. The most critical component of my travel gear is my carry-on luggage, so I was excited when LEVEL8 reached out to ask me to review a couple pieces from their award-winning luggage line.

Since I prefer to travel with a carry-on sized roller suitcase that I check on flights and a backpack for my carry-on item, I selected the 20” Voyageur Suitcase and the Atlas Laptop Backpack. LEVEL8 is known for its stylish, durable, and spacious bags, but I value functionality above all else in my bags, so I was keen to immediately put them to the test.

For the most part, I found LEVEL8 luggage is be a great option for travelers wanting a functional, good-looking bag without the designer price tag. There were some things I really loved about these bags (the suitcase’s innovative wide handle and the backpack laptop compartment are chef’s kiss) . . . and I can’t wait to use them on many, many trips to come.

Read on for the full details of my experience using these bags on my recent trip to Denver, Colorado. 

What I look for in a suitcase

• Attractive and distinctive enough to quickly spot on the baggage carousel
• Lightweight
• Durable
• Easy to pack efficiently
• Not prone to scrapes or staining
• Wheels that roll smoothly in any direction on a variety of surfaces
• High quality features (i.e. handles, TSA lock, lining, pockets, wheels, zippers)

I was really pleased by how the LEVEL8 Voyageur suitcase measured up to these standards. The only area I saw room for improvement was in the quality of features like the TSA lock, zippers, and lining. I also wished the roller wheels did a little better on rough outdoor surfaces, but this is a pain point I have with all suitcases.

How the LEVEL8 Voyageur Suitcase measures up

Lightweight

The very first thing I noticed about this suitcase was how light it is! When my spouse picked it up, he also remarked on its lightness. This is particularly surprising because suitcase is also very sturdy and stable, thanks to its polycarbonate exterior.

I really value a lightweight carry-on suitcase because I move about quite a bit once my plane touches down. For example, on my recent trip to Scandinavia, I stayed in four different places in just 8 days, so that’s a lot of hoisting my suitcase on and off of subways, buses, and trains!

On crowded trains like the ones we took to the European Christmas markets, the overhead rack is often the only available luggage storage space. The Voyageur suitcase makes it easy to utilize that space without feeling like I’m committing a public feat of strength!  

Stylish Design

Not going to lie, I’m a little vain about my suitcase’s appearance. In fact, I dislike smudges and scratches on my suitcase so much that I usually use a suitcase cover every time I check my bag. However, the Voyageur’s suitcase textured polycarbonate exterior makes it much less prone to unsightly baggage handling “scars.”    

One of the things that really help prevent scrapes and smudges are the Voyageur suitcase’s small luggage pads (sometimes called feet) on the bottom and side. These provide a buffer between other bags and also keep it from sitting directly on the floor or other surfaces.

As someone who regularly needs to do a pre-flight clothing change at the airport (especially when flying back from warmer destinations like Miami) not having my suitcase sitting directly on a public bathroom floor is huge. Since I don’t need to use a luggage cover with my LEVEL8 suitcase, it’s also much easier for me to access my suitcase contents in this particular situation.

I choose the dark olive color which I thought was such a unique luggage color. Not only does this color make it easy to spot on the luggage on the baggage carousel, I also think in the long run, the color will be a huge factor in the suitcase maintaining its clean appearance. Additionally, the suitcase’s overall sleek design really gives it a modern, high-end feel without the luxury price tag.

Packing Efficiency and Capacity

As good as the Voyageur suitcase looks, the selling point for me when I was deciding if I wanted to test out LEVEL8 items was its unique wide telescoping handle which wraps around the outer edge of the suitcase instead of being stuck in the dead center of the suitcase. I really value packing efficiency and I was keen to see if the wide handle design could up my packing game, which, not going to lie, is already pretty strong.  

I’ve packed a lot of suitcases in my days and I know all the hacks like stuffing socks in your shoes, rolling all of your clothing, etc. etc. and I hate that most suitcases have two ridges from the handle running through the center of the back half of the suitcase. This prevents items from lying flat against the bottom, which in turn leads to wasted space.

When I first packed my Voyageur suitcase, I wasn’t sure I noticed increased capacity since the wide handle does lead to the interior being a little narrower than what I’m used to in other carry-on sized suitcases. However, I realized that the wide handle creates a ledge around the edge of suitcase’s interior compartment which is perfect for tucking in small items like undergarments, mittens, and scarves or even little notepads or charging cables.

Overall, I do think the Voyageur is the easiest suitcase I’ve packed and I was very pleased with its capacity. I was easily able to pack winter (aka bulky) clothing for five days with room to spare for souvenirs, which was fortunate since I tracked down a Danish Hoptimist in the Denver Art Museum!

Durability

My Voyageur suitcase made it through its first two flights with nary scratch. While this might say more about the luggage handlers than it does about the suitcase, I was very pleased to have it still looking brand new after its first 2000 miles.

However, it will take years of use before I can truly speak to the durability of this suitcase. While the polycarbonate shell feels bombproof, to my unprofessional eye, both the zipper and the handle seem a little flimsy. To be clear, both elements work perfectly, but I’m curious to see how they withstand the test of time.

LEVEL8 offers a lifetime warranty for its suitcases which covers any functional damage to the shell, wheels, handles, zippers, or anything else that impairs your use of the luggage. LEVEL8 does protect all bags and accessories (except LEVEL8 Atlas which has a lifetime warranty) with a one-year warranty.

Fun features of the LEVEL8 Voyageur suitcase

• Unique wide handle  

• TSA Lock

• 360 degree spinner wheels

• Water resistant lining

• Two organizational pockets, including a wet/dry pocket

• If you opt for one of the larger Voyageur suitcases (28” or 30”) they also have a handle on the front of case to make it that much easier to pull off the baggage carousel. 

What impressed me about LEVEL8 Luggage . . .  and didn’t

• Competitively priced with other carry-on suitcases I’ve tried

• Really fast shipping

• The 360 spinner wheels work fine, but I wished they were slightly beefier to better handle curbs and uneven sidewalks. They glide great on smooth surfaces and I loved that it’s easy to push around on all four wheels or on an angle with two wheels.

• I do worry that the wide handle design creates more stress on the handle when fully extended which may lead to bowing and eventual breakage. I really hope not, because I love the wide handle from a packing standpoint!  

• While the two pockets on one of the suitcase’s inside flaps are great (especially the dry wet pocket for stashing swimsuits, beach shoes, etc.) I found the interior of the suitcase underwhelming. The “compression system” is really just two zipped flaps over each side of the suitcase. That said, my suitcase did stay very organized in transit. I would appreciate straps in each side of the suitcase to further secure and compress contents. 

• The Voyageur suitcase doesn’t come with a luggage tag. Not exactly a dealbreaker, just something I noticed and found a little strange. For a brand that prides itself on affordable stylishness, I think a branded silicone luggage tag with a steel cable and grommet closure would elevate the bag that much more.

Why you should invest in a carry-on suitcase

If you’re researching the best carry-on sized rolling suitcase, you might hear some pushback that you don’t need to spend much on your carry-on because it won’t experience the abuse that larger checked suitcases do.

That might be true if you always carry-on your suitcase, but I definitely do not. I hate babysitting a rolling suitcase around the airport, jostling for overhead bin space once I’m on board, or waiting on the jet bridge for my bag (and possibly missing my connection) if I’m forced to gate check it. I always check my suitcase, regardless of size.

That means my carry-on suitcase needs to stand up to whatever happens between handing it over to the ticketing agent and retrieving it at the baggage carousel. I’m more than happy to spend a little more money on a carry-on suitcase if that means the suitcase doesn’t fly to pieces in a baggage handler’s hands.

After seeing how well my Voyageur suitcase held up on its first couple flights, I’m confident that it can “play with the big dogs” in checked luggage and withstand whatever abuse befalls it in the baggage handling process. I’d personally buy one suitcase and have it last for decades rather than having to replace my carry-on luggage every couple years, so personally, a LEVEL8 suitcase feels like a solid travel investment.

What I actually use for carry-on luggage

You’re probably wondering if I don’t ever carry-on a suitcase what I’m using for my carry-on luggage. I’ve always carried on a backpack and I always will.

Atlas Laptop Backpack

Happily, LEVEL8 was able to help me out with a backpack as well as a carry-on suitcase. If you’ve been around here for a while you know that my spouse and I have one backpack that we love using for a carry-on and we always fight over who gets to use it. Thanks to the LEVEL8 Atlas Laptop Backpack, I can now enjoy a much more harmonious home and travel life because this backpack is awesome!

Why I use a backpack for my carry-on luggage

• Comfortable to carry around the airport and doesn’t slow you down during sprints between gates on tight connections.
• Fits under the seat in front of me if necessary
• Easy to access contents during flights

What I loved specifically about the Atlas Laptop Backpack

• Padded, easy to access compartment for laptop

• Three main compartments with internal storage pockets for excellent organization

• Side pocket for water bottle or other need to have close-at-hand items like medications or headphones

• Surprisingly spacious

• Great handles

When I received the Atlas backpack, I thought it might be too small for how I was hoping to use it. However when I started to pack it, it quickly became clear that this thing is like Hermoine’s beaded bag in Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. I packed everything I wanted in the backpack and still had room for many more items.

Conclusion: Level up your luggage with LEVEL8

Overall, I found LEVEL8 luggage to be practical, attractive, and easy to use. I really appreciate their thoughtful design elements like well-placed pockets and their wide luggage handle that make it easy to maximize packing space. The bags I received feel durable and tough. I’m excited to use them for all my adventures into the foreseeable future and beyond.

If you want try out LEVEL8 luggage for yourself, you shop their full collection here. As an extra bonus for my readers, you can use my exclusive discount code BEYOND10 to receive 10% off your order.

If you have any questions about my experience with LEVEL8 luggage, don’t hesitate to drop me an email.