I’m a firm believer that it’s worth paying for good luggage. As a full time travel journalist and travel blogger – and as a mum who travels regularly with her family – quality luggage is non-negotiable.
So, when Level8 asked if I was interested in trying out a couple of their cases, I was curious. I wasn’t familiar with the brand and I was happy with my trusty North Face Base Camp Duffle bag that I have travelled with for nearly 20 years.
That said, there have been times recently when travelling, weighed down by the aforementioned duffle bag slung over my shoulder, that I’ve cast envious glances at travellers effortlessly wheeling their bags along.
Maybe, I thought, it was time for me to try a different kind of luggage?
Level8 kindly sent me two cases to try out: the Voyageur Carry-On 20” in navy and the Voyageur Checked 26” in limited edition yellow. I was also sent a Packing Cube Travel Set.
And, with a number of work trips on the horizon, it seemed like the perfect time to put my Level8 luggage to the test.
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What is Level8 Luggage?
Level8 is a luxury New York travel brand that was established in 2008. They make cases, backpacks and travel accessories for travellers looking for luggage that is simple, stylish and highly functional. Their promise is to create luggage using quality materials that stand the test of time.
Quick Pros vs Cons
I tested the Voyageur Carry-On as carry-on for a five-day trip from London to France, and the Voyageur Checked 26” as checked luggage on a week-long trip from London to Utah in the United States. I’ve written a detailed review of my experience below but here’s a quick overview on what worked (and didn’t work) for me.
Pros
- Wheels: Probably my favourite feature of the two Level8 cases are the wheels. The 360° wheels make these cases a dream to roll around and navigate.
- Colours: I love Level8’s sleek, minimalist design but I also love their fun colour options. I chose the limited edition sunshine yellow Voyageur Checked 26” and love how bright and cheery it is. Not to mention how easy it is to spot on the luggage carousel!
- Pockets: Both cases have the perfect number of pockets – just enough to stay organised but not so many that you can’t remember where you have packed things. There’s also a wet-dry pocket where you can put things like damp swimwear.
- Lifetime warranty: Not many luggage companies offer a lifetime warranty policy, but Level8 do, and it covers all functional aspects including wheels, shell, handles and zippers.
- TSA Lock: No more fiddling about with small padlocks, Level8 cases are fitted with a TSA lock.
- Wide handle design: The wide handle design means you have a larger base for increased packing space.
- Value for money: The cases are a similar price, if not cheaper, than other leading luxury travel brands.
Cons
- Heavier than my duffle bag: One of the things I love about my large North Face Base Camp duffel bag is that I can pack it to bursting and it will never weigh over 23kg. Despite being made of very lightweight durable material, the Voyageur 26 inch weighs 11.8 lbs / 5.35kg when empty so you have to be more mindful when packing.
What makes LEVEL8 luggage stand out?
Level8 prides itself on a handful of USPs to make it stand out.
Luggage Material
Level8 luggage is made of German-made Makrolon® polycarbonate construction, which is lightweight, durable and scratch resistant. What this means in practice is that your checked luggage is going to survive being knocked about when it’s put in the airplane hold.
TSA lock
For most of my adult life I have secured my luggage with small, fiddly padlocks that either require an equally small, fiddly key or a code that I can never remember.
Level8 luggage handily comes with an inbuilt TSA lock that allows the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in America and other global security agencies to open and inspect your luggage without needing to damage your lock or the luggage itself (TSA have a master key that can open TSA locks if needed for a security screening).
While the TSA lock doesn’t guarantee that you will remember your code, it does eliminate the need to use a small padlock!
Level8 hand luggage and full-size suitcases come with detailed instructions telling you how to use the TSA lock. I used the lock system with both Voyageur cases and can confirm that it was very easy to use.
Wide telescopic handle
Level8 are very proud of their wide telescopic handle design, which they say allows for superior stability and improved maneuverability. It also allows for an increased flat packing space as the internal handle tubes run down the side of the case rather than the middle.
Some travellers – my husband included – like to hook a backpack over the handle of their carry-on case but the wide handle design makes this tricky, unless you place your backpack sideways. Personally, I wouldn’t say this was a deal-breaker, but it is good to know.
360° Wheels
The 360° spinner wheels are my absolutely favourite part of the Level8 luggage. Both the carry-on and checked Voyageur bags were a breeze to navigate, gliding effortlessly – and quietly – along the streets, across London underground station platforms and through Heathrow Airport terminals. Suddenly I was that traveller, moving with ease across the airport arrivals hall rather than labouring under the weight of my North Face duffle bag.
One good thing to note is that if one of the wheels on your case is damaged then it is easy to replace: an internal zipper gives you access to the wheels so that they can be replaced if needed.
Size
Level8 luggage comes in various sizes: the smallest carry-on bag is 18” and the largest check-in bag is 30”.
Many of my work trips see me travelling for a week at a time which I find slightly too long for carry-on only (especially if I am heading on a ski trip and need winter clothes) but not long enough to justify an enormous checked bag. Enter the Voyageur Checked 26” case. Having taken this suitcase on two-long trips to the USA now, I can confirm that it is the perfect size.
The Voyageur Checked 26” has a 43L capacity, separated into two fully lined compartments with a zipped divider. This case was more than big enough for a week-long trip but not so big that I had a half-empty suitcase or – as is more often the case – I packed far more than needed.
Zippers
Zippers can make or break a case. Cheap luggage will use cheap zippers, and these will break quickly and easily rendering your case completely useless. Zippers are one of the main reasons that I’m happy to pay for good quality luggage. My North Face bags – yes, them again! – have travelled the world for the last two decades and the zips are still perfect.
Level8 luggage uses YKK zippers, the gold standard of zippers, that stayed aligned even when my cases were packed full.
Sustainability
Level8 uses recycled PET fabric in the interior lining of a number of their key styles. Their cases are built to last – thereby eliminating landfill – and undergo serious testing to ensure they last the distance (their cases are tested to withstand 276,000 wheel rotations and 12,000 handle pulls). Finally, they use minimal packaging when shipping their cases: mine arrived wrapped in protective dust bags, packaged in simple cardboard boxes.
Lifetime Warranty
Level8 luggage offers a lifetime warranty that covers any functional damage to the shell, wheels, handles, zippers or anything else that means you can no longer use your luggage. The warranty is automatically activated when you purchase from Level8 directly.
How I tested my Level8 Luggage
In January 2026, I flew on a short-haul flight from London to Lyon in France with British Airways and took my carry-on Voyageur Carry-on 20”. A month later I took two separate trips from London to the USA, flying first with Delta to Salt Lake City in Utah and later with United Airlines to Denver, Colorado. For these two long-haul flights, I took my larger Voyageur Checked 26”.
My trip to France was a winter ski trip that required a number of winter layers and ski gear, meaning my bag was packed to the brim, hitting the maximum airline weight of 11kg. The trips to the USA were also to ski destinations but because I had so much space in the case (and maybe some careful packing?), the case did not exceed 20kg on either trip.
The Voyageur Carry-on 20”
For the last 10 years I’ve happily used the Thule Subterra 2 for short-haul journeys. Having used the Voyageur Carry-on 20” for my trip to France I can confirm that this is also a great carry-on option.
While the Voyageur Carry-on 20” does not have the compression panel that my Thule bag has (and I really like this feature) the Voyageur is much easier to handle. I like that I can wheel the Level8 bag alongside me and that I don’t have to drag it behind as I do with my Thule bag. I also really appreciate the telescopic handles on the Voyageur 20” as you really do have more packing space.
The Voyageur Checked 26”
In addition to bringing joy to the luggage carousel, this bright yellow case arrived in both Salt Lake City, Utah and Denver, Colorado without a scuff or a scratch. There were some dirt marks on the yellow, but this wasn’t surprising (and one reason why a darker colour is perhaps more sensible).
Packing Cubes
I am a packing cube evangelist and never travel without them. Not only do they make packing and unpacking so much easier, but I’m always so much more organised as I know what items are packed into their designated cube.
Level8 packing cubes are made from two-tone polyester that repels water. I received the four-pack Packing Cube Travel Set and one of my favourite things about them are the detachable rubber patches. These interchangeable labels help to identify what’s inside and include labels for makeup, cables, shoes and dirty laundry. It’s a particularly nice design touch.
Ordering Level8 from the UK
Level8 luggage is an American brand, but they offer free shipping to the UK. Typically, when placing an order on the Level8 website it takes between five days and a week between ordering and the case arriving. My cases arrived separately but speedily and were wrapped in protective dust bags and packaged in thick cardboard boxes to protect them from any damage.
Is Level8 Worth the Money?
If you travel regularly then it’s really worth investing in good luggage. I would much rather pay more for luggage once than getting a bargain suitcase but having to replace it every time I travel.
The Voyageur Carry-On 20” costs £259.99 and the Voyageur Checked 26” costs £299.99. This is comparable with other luxury luggage brands such as AWAY and cheaper than luxury brands including THULE.
You can save money – as much as 14% – by ordering a set. If you order the Voyageur cases set then it costs £509.99 compared to £589.99 if you buy the two separately.
The four-pack Packing Cube set costs £49.99.
If you want to save even more money then you can get an additional 15% discount using the code globetotting15. Add the code globetotting15 into the discount code box at checkout and you will receive 15% off.
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