With so many options these days, it can be really difficult to pick out new luggage.
The best way to ensure that you’re spending your money wisely is by seeing what others have to say about it.
In this Level8 luggage review, I’ll give you all my thoughts on the Level8 and the luggage which I tested out recently.
Level 8 Luggage Review: Is It Worth It?
Level8 recently gifted me their Voyageur Check In and their Road Runner Carry On luggage.
Although these items were gifted to me, all opinions in this review are my own and I’ve been completely honest with both the positives and the negatives of these cases.
After receiving my luggage 10 months ago, I’ve since traveled to and from Asia twice (that’s 4 x 16-hour flights) and I’ve taken them on several shorter trips.
In a hurry? Here’s a quick overview of what I think of Level8 luggage:
Pros:
- Level8 luggage is super stylish and the designs are well thought out. I really love the look and design of the cases both inside and out.
- The wheels are very smooth which makes the case so easy to maneuver. I was super impressed by this and it was miles better than any other case I’ve tried in the past.
- The carry-on case has a separate laptop compartment on the outside which is useful if you’ll be traveling with a laptop. It had tons of padding and a strap to keep my laptop safe and secure.
- Easy to use and high-quality TSA-approved locks to keep all your belongings safe. This also came with a handy instruction guide on how to set your own passcode.
- Suitcases come with dust bags which are ideal for storage so they don’t get dusty.
Cons:
- The luggage is heavy even when empty. If you’re flying with weight limits, this can be an issue as you can easily go over the limit.
- The separate laptop compartment takes away space from the inside of the case so it’s inconvenient if you’re not traveling with a laptop.
Overall I absolutely love the two Level8 suitcases that I received. They’re ridiculously easy to maneuver due to the 360º spinner wheels and I found them to be very durable and spacious.
I can honestly say that the wheels on these cases are the best I’ve ever tried as you don’t have to put in any effort at all to move the cases. No dragging or pulling, yay!
The rest of this Level8 luggage review will go into more detail on exactly what I think of this luggage including the pros and cons, all the details and, most importantly, if I’d use them again.
About Level8
Level8 is a New York based company that creates luggage which help you travel more efficiently and in style.
They recognise that travel has become an integral part of our daily lives and our travel products need to reflect this.
All of their luggage is simple but sleek, durable and made from high quality materials.
First Impressions
I live in the UK and as Level8 are a New York based company, I was initially unsure of how long these cases would take to arrive.
The two cases were shipped separately with the first one arriving just 2 business days after my order. The second case took much longer and arrived a full week later.
The items were packaged extremely well for shipping and arrived in a cardboard box which is stuffed tight with padding to make sure the cases don’t move around.
Each case also arrived in their own dust bag which I thought was a nice high-end touch to keep them looking their best.
Level8 Carry On Luggage – Road Runner
For my carry on luggage, I tested out the in navy.
I was initially a little bit disappointed when this arrived, as I had ordered this in black but it arrived in navy but I didn’t have time to return it so I ended up just keeping the navy.
Overall I really enjoyed using this luggage. It does feel like a high quality, durable carry on with enough space to pack for a short trip.
I’d say you could pack around 3 to 5 days worth of clothes in this suitcase.
I also loved that the suitcase came with a dust bag as I hate getting out my luggage for a trip and finding it all dusty. This is a nice touch from Level8 that I really appreciated.
The main downside for me is that the case alone is super heavy and even when packing it just with clothes, I was often over the weight limit for the flight.
This has meant that I’ve largely stopped using this suitcase as a carry-on and instead I usually pay for it to be checked luggage which is a bit annoying.
Road Runner Carry-on features:
- Front pocket with laptop sleeve and lock.
- 38L capacity.
- Dual TSA-approved locks.
- Quiet, 360º spinner wheels.
- Made with aerospace-grade bayer makrolon.
- Water resistant and durable.
- 8.9lb/4kg weight when empty.
- Complies with most airlines carry-on size requirements.
- Comes with a dust bag.
Pros of the Road Runner Carry On
Here’s what I absolutely love about the Road Runner Carry-on suitcase:
Laptop Compartment
One of my favorite things about this carry-on is the front laptop compartment. It’s ideal for me as I’m constantly traveling and need to bring my laptop along for work.
The compartment has tons of padding to keep your laptop safe and it has a strap which pulls tight so your laptop will barely move at all.
There’s also plenty of room in this compartment for other gadgets too like an iPad, a Kindle, chargers or even a book or magazine.
This compartment is also useful for your liquids bag or anything else that you need to take out of your carry-on at security. This is so much easier than unzipping your entire case.
It’s also great to know that the laptop compartment has its own lock (separate from the main case lock) so you can access it without undoing the lock on the main case.
One downside to the laptop compartment is that it does mean you lose some space in the interior compartment so if you won’t be carrying a laptop then this case might not be for you.
Wheels
I could go on about Level8 wheels all day. I think they’re great and they provided me with effortless control of my carry on.
The wheels feel super smooth and you barely have to put in any effort at all to move this case. It just seems to glide along with me without any tugging or pulling.
The wheels are also super silent. I hate being that person with a super loud suitcase so this carry on is great.
Durable & Waterproof
I have no doubts that this suitcase is super durable and will last a really long time. It feels really high-end and the casing isn’t flimsy at all.
It has a hard shell which is made with really high-quality materials and is completely waterproof which I think is a really important feature that is often overlooked.
If you arrive when it’s raining or if someone elses case leaks then this could lead to a sticky situation (literally) so having a waterproof case is a must for me.
Durability is also super important. We all know that airlines love to throw around your luggage so it’s great to know this case is super durable and will protect your items whatever the airline does to it.
Stylish & Good Design
One other thing I loved about the Road Runner Carry on is that it’s really stylish and the design is well thought-out.
Besides the front laptop compartment, the inside of the suitcase is also nicely laid out.
Inside the case, one side is shallower than the other as the laptop compartment takes up some space.
I did find this a bit annoying whenever I wasn’t traveling with my laptop as you lose a lot of space inside.
This side has a zipped cover with two large zipped pouches to store small items which I found to be very useful.
The other side is a bit deeper and doesn’t have a zipped cover. Instead it has two straps which fasten together in the middle to secure your belongings into place.
Cons of the Road Runner Carry On
Here’s what I didn’t really like about the Road Runner Carry On:
Weight
The main con of this suitcase is that it’s pretty heavy even when empty. The case weighs 8.9lbs which is 4kg.
Many airlines have weight restrictions on carry-on luggage (some don’t). On the flight that I took recently, there was an 8kg limit.
As the suitcase alone weighs 4kg, this was half of my allowance so I actually wasn’t able to completely fill the suitcase without going over.
I ended up only packing one half of the suitcase to avoid it going over the limit and it was all just clothes!!
This might not be an issue for you as many airlines don’t have a weight limit or they don’t actually enforce it but it’s something to consider.
Of course, the main reason for the heavy weight is because they use super high quality materials to make the case which will, for sure, protect your belongings at all costs.
This weight is also in line with other high-end hardshell suitcases like Samsonite.
I actually had another flight recently that only allowed 5kg for carry-on weight so unfortunately I wasn’t able to use this suitcase as it weighs 4kg alone.
Overall Thoughts
Overall I really loved the Road Runner Carry-on as it was so easy to use, really durable and ultra smooth.
As I’m from the UK, I mostly travel with European airlines which often have weight limits on carry-on cases.
After using this case for 10 months, I’ve actually stopped using it completely as a carry-on case as it just isn’t fit for purpose due to the weight issue.
Instead, I often use it as an extra checked luggage but I do have to pay extra for this.
If you’re from the US, most US airlines don’t have a carry-on weight limit so it shouldn’t be as much of an issue for you.
Overall, I would use this case again except for on flights where the weight limit would be an issue.
Order the using my 10% discount code ‘travellerselixir10‘.
Level8 Check In Luggage – Voyageur 26″
For my check in luggage, I tested out the in black.
Overall, I absolutely loved this suitcase! It was ridiculously easy to maneuver and felt like it was literally on autopilot.
It actually made the whole travel & check-in process enjoyable (which I don’t think I’ve ever said before!).
I also found this suitcase to be extremely spacious and had room for pretty much everything I could need.
Voyageur Check In features:
- Made from durable and sturdy polycarbonate hard shell material.
- TSA-approved lock.
- 93L capacity.
- Super quiet 360º spinner wheels.
- Spacious interior.
- Wide handle made from aluminum alloy.
- Made with aerospace-grade bayer makrolon.
- Sleek & simple design.
- Weighs 11.8lb/5.3kg when empty.
- Comes with a dust bag.
Pros of the Voyageur Check In
Here’s what I absolutely love about the Voyageur Check In suitcase:
Easy To Move
Easily my favorite thing about the Voyageur suitcase is how easy it was to move around.
This is a big suitcase and I packed it quite tightly so it was pretty heavy but it still moved with ease and felt like I was barely pulling anything along at all.
I’ve literally never used a case that feels this easy to use and move around!
It was also very easy to change directions. The wheels don’t get stuck at all and it definitely doesn’t feel like you’re lugging around super heavy luggage which I loved.
Durable
This suitcase seems very durable and I have no doubt that it will last a very long time.
Over the last 10 months, I’ve taken this suitcase on 4 super long flights to/from Asia and several shorter trips.
The airlines weren’t exactly gentle with my luggage as it came out a little scratched and dirty but overall no serious damage was sustained.
I’m very grateful for the sturdy hard shell on this case as I think it would have been a different story without it.
One of my other non-Level8 suitcases came out with a huge dent in the side so they definitely weren’t careful with my luggage.
Here’s the damage to my other suitcase:
Level8 do say on their website that this case is ‘scratch-resistant’ which I didn’t find to be completely true as I did have several scratches including scuffed corners and one large scratch on the front after just one trip.
Here’s what my case looked like after the first flight I took it on:
10 months later, the suitcase is now covered in scratches and does look bit worn out but it still works perfectly.
Here’s what it looks like now:
Having said that, I do think that the material of the case potentially minimized the amount and severity of the scratches and probably prevented more minor scratches.
Spacious
This suitcase is extremely spacious and I was able to pack so much stuff inside it.
One other thing that I loved was the interior design as it comes with handy compartments and a divider.
On one side, you have an extremely spacious area with a divider that you can fold up or down depending on your needs. This area can be zipped up too which I love.
On the other side, you have another spacious area which can also be zipped up. On the cover, there are 2 large compartments (one of which is waterproof) which are useful for storing small things.
I loved that both sides of the suitcase zipped shut as you don’t have to worry about things falling out whenever you open the case.
Great Design
I love the look of the Voyageur suitcase as it’s simple yet super sleek and stylish.
The whole design is well thought out from the wide handle which extends to various lengths to suit your needs to the two well placed grab handles on the top and side of the case.
Cons of the Voyageur Check In
Here’s what I didn’t really like about the Voyageur Check In:
Weight
The main downside to this case is that it is quite heavy even when empty. I got the 26” case which weighed 11.8lb/5.3kg when empty.
On the flight which I took it on, I had a 50lb/23kg limit for check in luggage.
After my initial round of packing, I was slightly over the limit so I did have to rearrange a little and put a few bits in one of my other cases but it wasn’t too difficult.
It’s definitely not a deal breaker as you still have plenty of weight allowance but it’s worth considering if you don’t pack light.
Other than that there’s literally no negatives. I love this suitcase.
Overall Thoughts
Overall I really enjoyed using this suitcase and will definitely be using it again on my next trip.
It’s so easy to use and travel around with due to the 360º spinner wheels and the inside is super spacious and well laid out.
I can honestly say that it’s the best check in luggage I’ve ever used and after 10 months of using it, I still love it just as much. It’s my go-to suitcase.
Order the now using my 10% discount code ‘travellerselixir10‘.
And that’s it!
Hopefully you found this Level8 suitcase review useful and it helped you decide whether or not these suitcases are for you.
I personally really enjoyed using these suitcases and will definitely be using them again.