If you’ve been researching luggage brands, you may have come across Level8 suitcases. Best known in the US but still fairly new in the UK and Europe, Level8 has quickly built a reputation for sleek, durable hard-shell cases designed with frequent travellers in mind.
In this Level8 Voyageur 20″ review, I’ll share my first impressions after travelling with their carry-on, and help you decide if this stylish suitcase is the right choice for your next trip.
Disclosure: Level8 gifted me a case of my choice from their range in exchange for an honest, unpaid review. As always, all opinions are my own.
About Level8
I’ll be honest, I hadn’t heard of Level8 before they reached out to me. That’s not surprising: the brand is relatively new to the UK and Europe but it was actually founded in New York in 2008 and has since built a solid following in the United States.
There are over 1000 reviews of the Voyageur range on the Level8 website, almost all of which are very positive about the case itself and Level8 customer service.
First impressions
The Level8 Voyageur 20″ arrived quickly with tracked delivery through Yodel. It came well-packaged inside a protective box and in its own dust bag like a fancy handbag, which is a nice touch and suggests that someone’s thought about the small stuff.
The whole thing is very nicely designed, and I particularly liked the boxy, square corners which look great and give extra packing space – very important for a carry on suitcase.
I chose a limited edition yellow and black colour scheme; it also comes in a muted navy, black and olive green, and another limited edition mint green colourway.
The zippers close smoothly, even around the squarish corners, which on a less premium case might cause sticky spots, and the telescopic handle extends without any wobble. The wheels came already attached, and when I tried pushing it around in my house it felt nicely smooth.
There aren’t any external pockets on the Voyageur design but Level8 do have some other carry-on cases with external laptop and quick-access pockets. Those styles are a little bigger though, and given that the Voyageur 20″ is already pushing the limits for European airline carry-on, I thought it would be best to stick with the simpler style.
My first trip with the Level8 Voyageur 20″
The Level8 Voyageur’s first journey with me was a UK road trip to Kent. I drove down there from Manchester and stayed in an apartment in Dungeness and a hotel in Canterbury. I’ll be taking it on a plane trip in a few weeks so I’ll update this review when I’ve seen how it fares in the airport.
In the meantime, here’s my verdict on the Level8 Voyageur 20″ after one trip.
The outside
The outside has a matte, micro-textured finish that feels good to touch and should help resist scratches and scuffs. Level8 say it’s made from 3-layer Covestro Makrolon® polycarbonate, a light but durable plastic which should mean it holds up well when I check it in for its first flight later this year. The bright yellow colour is punchy without being garish and should hopefully mean I can spot it easily on the baggage carousel.
I wasn’t careful with it at all during my trip, and on my return home it still looks as good as new, with no scratches or marks.
Grab handles
The grab handles on the top and sides of the case are soft-touch and rubbery, sitting neatly flat when not in use and stretching nicely when you slide your hand in.
On my trip I was pulling the case in and out of my car boot and carrying it up flights of stairs and they worked really well. I think they’ll be just as effective when I’m pulling it in and out of an overhead bin on a plane or off a luggage carousel.
Wide handle = winner
One of the things that struck me straight away is how useful that wide handle is. It looks a bit odd at first, but it’s a really smart design.
Because the rails extend from the very edges of the case, you don’t get that awkward space inside between the bumps for the rails, where you have to find things that fit between them and on either side to make the most of the space.
Since the Level8 Voyageur has those internal bumps right on the edge of the packing area, that means it’s much easier to pack, with an almost completely flat base that’s just a little bit narrower than the one on the other side.
That nice flat base combined with the square corners means that packing is much more straightforward, and you gain a little more usable space in that section than with some other carry-ons I’ve used. I’m a big fan of packing cubes but they don’t tend to work that well with those middle bumps. With the Level8 Voyageur, that’s not an issue at all.
Inside
Level8 were kind enough to send me a set of their packing cubes along with the suitcase and the largest one was a perfect fit for both my case and a week’s worth of clothes, leaving the top section free for all the other stuff I threw in.
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Each side has a cover that zips over the top, meaning that you can open it up without everything falling out and it all stays looking neat inside. There are two zipped pockets on the back cover, one of which is a special pocket for damp items. I used this pocket for my damp facecloth on our last morning in Canterbury; it’d be great for keeping damp swimwear separate as well.
Zips and lock
The zippers are branded Level8 zippers. They open and close smoothly, even around the squarish corners which on a less premium case might cause sticky spots.
The Voyageur has a TSA lock to keep prying hands out. I didn’t need to use it on this trip but it was easy to set the code and I’ll be using it on future trips.
Size and capacity
I normally pack light but when I go on UK holidays where I’ll have a car, I tend to panic-pack and throw all kinds of stuff in my bag at the last minute. The Voyageur 20″ took a camera cube for my Fuji camera, my hairdryer, a tablet, an over-stuffed toiletries bag, my un-edited makeup bag and chargers with ease, as well as all my clothes.
I’m planning a 10-day trip back to Japan at the moment and I’m pretty sure I’ll be able to pack everything I need for that trip too.
The Level8 Voyageur 20″ has a capacity of 43 litres, but I don’t think that number quite reflects how easy it is to use all the available space. I have a big carry-on backpack which is 40 litres but I’d be able to get loads more in the Voyageur, simply because it’s so much easier to pack efficiently.
Part of the reason that the Level8 Voyageur 20″ can fit so much in is because it’s on the larger side for a carry-on suitcase. It’s the smallest one that Level8 do in the Voyageur range at 54.5 cm tall, 38.5 cm wide and 25 cm deep, and while it’s fine for a lot of airlines, it does exceed some more restrictive carry-on allowances. An 18″ version of the Voyageur (like Level8 do in the Luminous Textured Carry-On) would be perfect.
Of course, just because it exceeds the requirements by a couple of cm doesn’t necessarily mean that you won’t be allowed to take it on board, but you might need to dodge the dreaded sizer for particularly strict airlines.
| Airline | Does it meet the carry-on dimensions? |
| Jet2.com | Yes |
| easyJet | Yes, if you buy a large cabin bag with your fare |
| British Airways | Yes |
| Ryanair | No, too deep by 5 cm |
| Turkish Airlines | No, too deep by 2 cm |
| Emirates | No, slightly too wide (by 0.5 cm) and deep (by 3 cm) |
I drive a VW Golf-size hatchback and it fit easily in the boot, with plenty of room left over for all the other random stuff I take on a UK holiday.
Weight
The Level8 Voyageur 20″ weighs 3.7 kg. That’s heavier than my other carry-on suitcase, but that one is fabric, slightly smaller and only has 2 wheels.
If you’re looking for an ultra-light case then it may not be the one for you, but the Voyageur’s 3-layer polycarbonate material should hopefully mean it can hold up better than flimsier competitors.
Wheels
The Voyageur rolls along on 360 degree polyurethane spinning wheels with bi-metal bearings. It was happiest on all four wheels on the flat tiled and carpeted floors in my hotel, but it did pretty well on Canterbury’s bumpy old stone pavements too.
Level8 say their cases are tested to withstand 276,000 wheel rotations and 12,000 handle pulls, and are built to handle cobblestones, airports, and everything in between. I’ve had cases before where the wheels have had chunks taken out of them after just one trip, but the ones on the Voyageur barely look like they’ve been used.
Verdict
I really liked the Level8 Voyageur 20″ carry-on. The wide handle combined with the packing cubes is a real game-changer for how I’m able to pack and how much I can carry in what’s still a small case.
If you’re looking for a suitcase that combines sleek design, thoughtful details and durability, the Level8 Voyageur Collection is a strong contender. While the dimensions might be an issue for the strictest airlines, the smooth wheels and thoughtful interior make it a great travel companion and one I’m looking forward to taking on my next adventure.
