LEVEL8 Voyageur Review: The Boring Carry-On I Keep Choosing

Sometimes the best luggage doesn’t try to reinvent anything. I’ve been travelling with expensive aluminum suitcases, a vacuum-compression carry-on and a roller backpack, and the one I keep reaching for is this plain hard-shell from LEVEL8. I have the 20-inch carry-on and the 28-inch checked bag in Celadon.

The shell, wheels and zippers

The shell has a subtle micro-diamond texture. It feels nice in your hand and gives it more character than a completely flat case, and it hides wear better too. The branding is small and only where you’d expect it.

The wheels are smooth, which is what I’d expect at this price. The zippers feel solid, not delicate, so I expect them to last. There’s a TSA-approved combination lock built in, so you don’t need to bring your own. My one wish is a wheel lock. When you’re on a subway or a slope, the BlackVoyage wheel lock is something I miss here.

The wide handle trade-off

This is the part I go back and forth on. The Voyageur uses the new style of handle that’s as wide as the case. On the carry-on I don’t love it. You can no longer slide a backpack over the handle, and if I’m bringing a carry-on I’m almost always bringing a backpack too.

The upside is that the inside is flatter and easier to pack. On the 28-inch checked bag the wide handle makes sense, because you aren’t hauling that through the airport with a backpack on top. And this handle is smoother than the one on the MVST Zero: it comes up and goes down without fuss.

Packing space

The carry-on holds 43 liters and weighs about 8.1 lb. LEVEL8 says that’s 3 to 5 days of travel, and I agree. Inside there are two zippered covers up top. One is mesh and the other has a mesh pocket and a clear plastic wet/dry pocket for toiletries. It will keep a small leak contained, but the zipper isn’t waterproof.

The 28-inch checked bag gives you 99 liters at 12.4 lb. It’s taller and slimmer than most checked bags, and the inside is the same layout with a buckle strap to hold clothes down.

Why weight is the whole point

Aluminum luggage feels more premium, no question. But it eats your weight allowance. Some international airlines cap carry-ons at 15 to 22 lb, and a 10 lb aluminum case uses up a big chunk of that before you pack anything. With the Voyageur, more of that weight goes to clothes and gear.

Is it as tough as aluminum? No. It’s not going to survive being driven over. But what are you packing that needs to?

Packing cubes

LEVEL8 sells two kinds of packing cubes. The standard ones are basic but use tough polyester, and they have removable patches so you can label what’s in each cube. The compression cubes are worth the extra money: lighter, thinner fabric and a double zipper that squeezes clothes down more.

Verdict

The Voyageur has a nice shell, smooth wheels and good zippers, and it’s light. It doesn’t try to reinvent luggage with clamps or a metal shell. It just does what a suitcase has always done, and does it well. For most people that makes it the best carry-on I’ve tested. See how it compares in my carry-on comparison.

Specs that matter

Capacity (20")	43 L, roughly 3–5 days
Weight (20")	8.1 lb / 3.7 kg
Capacity (28" checked)	99 L
Weight (28" checked)	12.4 lb
Shell	Polycarbonate hard shell, micro-diamond texture
Lock	Built-in TSA combination lock