If you’re a regular reader of this Blog, you’ll know that I go travelling as often as I can. In the past 18 months I’ve taken trains around Europe, travelled across Sri Lanka and even stayed in the middle of the Central American rainforest. With all of that moving about though, I have never found a reliable travel suitcase which I love. Then, I stumbled across Level8 suitcases and instantly thought that their sophisticated style, thoughtful design and little extras would be something for my husband and I.
I went ahead and ordered two (in different sizes) to see what they would be like. Here is my honest review of these suitcases. Enjoy!
Level8 Suitcases | My Honest Review
The Story Behind LEVEL8
Level8 suitcases were established in 2008 within the United States. Their vision was for a new generation of travellers; people who wanted functionality but at not at the expense of style. The company specialises in making sleek – yet simple – luggage which makes the travel experience less of a burden. In fact, the brand first gained recognition for its patent-protected compartment with 230 shock-absorbing points, designed specifically for Apple laptops.
Since 2008, the brand has grown massively and collaborates with top creatives across the world. Their designs are especially sleek and minimalist, and are made with a lot of thought and attention to detail. They’ve even won international design awards for this with Red Dot, iF and IDEA.
First Impressions
We ordered the Voyageur Check-In and Carry-on in the limited edition Cerulean. I really liked the contrast between the vibrant colour and black casing; I thought it was unique and effortlessly cool.
The Check-In is large and spacious – as you’d expect – but what I love is the compartments which are built in. Honestly, packing this was a dream and I can’t wait to make it even better with packing cubes. The inside also feels luxurious and there are hidden pockets to store valuables. The Carry-On is smaller, but pushes the limits of Carry-On size, in a good way. It has been designed with organisation in mind and it was again really easy to pack.
The shells of hard suitcases sometimes can disappoint and, to be honest, I was not sure about how this would hold up. That being said, once it arrived I was genuinely surprised by how sturdy it was, but retained its lightness. I can tell that it has been made to a high specification and pushing it around feels almost luxurious (more on that later).
First impressions were excellent; I have a premium product, but not at a premium price. In fact, both of them together will cost you £499.99, which is cheaper than competitors like Samsonite.
Travel Performance
For the real test, we thought we’d take it somewhere completely different to anywhere else. Somewhere where we could see how sturdy they were, but also whether we could live out of them on what could have been our most stressful trip ever.
In October 2025, we took our Level8 suitcases to Japan. We had two weeks in Japan and travelled by plane, taxi and bullet train with the suitcases to explore the island.
Firstly, can I just go back to wheeling them about. I don’t think I’ve ever known such a smooth spinner wheel and strong, sturdy suitcase. The suitcases just glide effortlessly wherever we took them. It meant that navigating the hectic train stations of Shibuya and Shinjuku that much easier – we didn’t have to worry about them once.
One other big pro for me was the TSA-approved lock. Instead of padlocks (which, by the way, I have known to be cut-off in Thailand), it is super-secure and gives me peace of mind. I also found that setting up my personal lock code was simple and straightforward.
The suitcase was also easy to spot at the other side; the vibrant cerulean really stood out on the luggage belt. Perhaps my favourite feature is the handle at the front of the suitcase. It seemed strange at first, but meant carrying it off the belt so much easier than previous cases.
Lastly, one thing I hate about travelling is living out of a suitcase. Having the compartments built in really helped us with organisation each day. It also meant that we didn’t have to hunt down that elusive final clean item as we could re-pack as we went along. I’ll speak more on that in the next section.
Packing Space & Layout
As you have probably guessed, I’m a big fan of the layout. The shape is perfect for organised packing, with a zippered divider for each section to keep things in place. For somebody who likes to be organised, it meant that I could separate my clothes into two distinct areas and was able to plan outfits more easily.
The compartments inside are also really high quality. The fabric used as the lining feels luxurious and is super-soft, something which is really nice when diving in and out of a suitcase across two weeks. One extra little feature is pockets on the compartments, which meant that we could safely store postcards without them being bent.
The Level8 suitcase we bought was one of the largest which the company produces, but is still slightly smaller than a regular checked-in bag. For us in Japan though, the size and shape was actually perfect. In case you aren’t aware, the bullet trains have a strict 160cm rule for oversized luggage, something which our suitcase thankfully didn’t meet. Because it is also longer and thinner than its competitors, we didn’t have to place our luggage into the oversized section – we just placed it overhead on the train.
Although I’ve said that it is smaller than some their competitors, I never once noticed it. I felt that it gave me more than enough room for both my husband and I in Japan. We were able to pack in two weeks worth of heavy autumn clothing, along with many Japanese souvenirs for our home. When combined with the incredibly soft, gliding wheels it just meant that we never struggled with the luggage once and it made our trip that much easier.
How It Compares
During my life I’ve used plenty of suitcases. Most recently, we have been a fan of softer suitcases as I found that they were a bit more flexible with packing, but if I’m honest we haven’t spent much on them. We bought them years ago and they were slowly, but surely, breaking.
Our new Level8 suitcases though really stood out. Firstly, I love the way they look. The colours which we chose (cerulean) are so unique and effortlessly cool. The design is also sleek and simple, but still oozes style – in fact, for the first time ever we received compliments on our bags whilst carrying these around! I would also add that not many people have them, so our luggage was easy to spot and genuinely stood out on the luggage belt.
One competitor we considered was Samsonite, simply because we had heard lots of great reviews. Japan though is not a cheap destination and we weren’t convinced enough to pay that much on two suitcases; they would together cost almost the same as half our trip. Level8 comes in as a less-expensive alternative. It is a mid-range item which – honestly – looks just as good, if not better, than the most premium Samsonite suitcase. The suitcase still looks and feels premium, but I didn’t spend anywhere near what I would have if I had chosen another direction.
The Downsides (Because No Suitcase Is Perfect)
If I had to nitpick, I’d say that the hard shell doesn’t let you overpack, if you wanted to. This is probably a personal thing and I didn’t experience it in Japan, but I can see it happening should I go on a longer trip.
From our two weeks navigating some of the busiest cities in Japan, our suitcases still look great. Of course, the hard case means that you can pick up a few scuffs on it and it is heavier, but that is the same with any hard case.
How to Buy Level8 Suitcases
Level8 suitcases are easy to buy and their entire range can be found on the Level8 website. I can honestly say that these suitcase made our busy trip in Japan all the more easier and I can’t recommend them enough. If you are a traveller who likes to be busy – and stylish – this is for you.
I have also managed to secure a handy 20% off for you if you buy using the code PREBF20 in November 2025. This way you can save some pennies ready for your next trip abroad.
Final Thoughts | Level8 Suitcases
I would 100% recommend Level8 suitcases to anyone who is after a sleek suitcase which is built with the traveller in mind. Now that I’ve experienced Japan with it, I can’t wait to take it on my next adventure. Like I said, it made my trip so much easier and the real hero has to be the wheels of these suitcases. I’ve not experienced anything like them before and you’ll find yourself forgetting you’re pushing a 25kg bag!
