I’m an extraordinary creature of habit when it comes to luggage. For years, my default has been any kind of spinner or something broadly similar: conventional hard-shell cases that I know, trust and rarely have much reason to think about.

So, when I recently had the opportunity to try LEVEL8’s Voyageur luggage, it was my first meaningful change of suitcase in a very long time.

For this review, I put two navy cases from the LEVEL8 Voyageur collection through their paces on a somewhat wild, hectic trip:

• Voyageur Carry-On 20”
• Voyageur Checked 28”

As I say, our first proper outing together was to Puglia in southern Italy, where a relatively straightforward airport-to-hotel journey somehow evolved into far more walking, lifting and dragging luggage over cobblestones than anticipated (late at night, of course).

In other words, a better initial test than anything that could have been staged at home, or indeed if I had tried to plan something more sedate and straight-forward.

First Impressions

Both cases arrived quickly from within Europe and were extremely well packed. Each came protected in its own cloth covering, along with straightforward instructions for setting the lock and using the case.

Packaging is hardly the most important consideration when buying luggage, but it did offer a strong, premium, first impression. Nothing felt as if it had simply been pulled from a warehouse shelf and placed in a cardboard box.

The cases themselves also look considerably more premium in person than they necessarily do in hand-size product photography. The navy shell has a smart, undulating finish, while the small yellow LEVEL8 logo gives it just enough identity without making the design feel loud or overbranded.

That wasn’t only my opinion – when the cases appeared on my Instagram Stories, they attracted a surprising number of unsolicited “ooh, fancy luggage”-type responses.

They certainly look the part. The more interesting question, however, was whether the unconventional design would actually make travelling any easier.

The Wide Handle Takes Some Adjustment

The defining feature of the Voyageur collection is its unusually wide telescopic handle.

Rather than two rails extending from the middle of the case, the handle runs almost the full width of the suitcase. At first, this felt slightly unwieldy simply because it was so different from what I had used for years.

After travelling with it, however, the reasoning became much clearer. The broad handle makes the case feel incredibly stable and easy to control, whether it is being pulled behind you or pushed ahead on all four wheels.

This became particularly useful in Italy, where we ended up wheeling the cases over rough cobblestones right from arrival, through uneven entrances, and in and out of lifts with the sort of raised gap seemingly designed specifically to inconvenience anyone carrying luggage.

The handle provided excellent control and made all manner of surfaces surprisingly easy to navigate. There was far less twisting and wobbling than I would normally expect when trying to manoeuvre a fully packed suitcase over an uneven surface.

There is one trade-off; because the handle is so wide, most conventional backpack trolley sleeves will not fit over it, nor is it quite as easy to casually hang a coat or jacket from the top as it would be with a narrow telescopic handle.

Depending on how you normally travel, that may take some adjustment. Backpack straps can still be placed over the handle, but anyone accustomed to securely sliding a bag onto a conventional luggage handle should be aware of the difference.

For me, the increased stability and ease of movement more than compensated for it.

A Flat Interior Makes Packing Noticeably Easier

The other major benefit of moving the handle rails to the outer edges of the case only becomes obvious when you open it and start trying to pack.

Because most conventional suitcases have the aforementioned two raised tracks running down the centre of one packing compartment, I’ve become so accustomed to wedging shoes and other smaller items around those tracks that I had almost stopped noticing them.

Neither Voyageur case has that problem; the interior packing areas are remarkably flat, without handle rails interrupting the available space.

Shoes, packing cubes and larger folded items can sit wherever they fit best, rather than wherever the shape and geometry of the suitcase permits. It was an unexpected pleasure not to have to play the usual game of squeezing shoes down either side of a handle track or arranging everything around two unavoidable ridges.

It’s one of those product decisions that makes complete sense once experienced, even if at first it seems relatively unremarkable.

Consistent and Thoughtful Organisation

Another detail I appreciated was the consistency between the two cases.

The 20-inch carry-on and 28-inch checked case use essentially the same interior. Moving between them, unlike most other cases even of the same family, doesn’t require relearning where everything should go or discovering that the larger version has an entirely different set of compartments.

Both sides close with zipped dividers, keeping everything contained when it’s all packed up and underway. One divider (the front) incorporates several useful storage areas:

• A large water-resistant pocket for toiletries, swimwear or anything else best kept separate from clothing.
• A smaller upper pocket that works well, in my experience, for phone chargers, cables and other travel accessories.
• A larger lower mesh pocket suitable for underwear, socks or other small items.

The water-resistant compartment was particularly useful in Italy. Full-sized toiletries – as you can see – could be placed directly inside rather than taking up space in a separate wash bag, while the translucent finish made it easy to see what was there.

The 28-inch checked case has another clever feature I really liked; a pop-out divider within its main storage area. This can be used to separate shoes from clothing or to create a protected section for more awkward items.

In my case, it proved ideal for hats that I didn’t want crushed, bent out of shape or otherwise emerging from baggage reclaim looking as though they had been sat on – which is something I’ve struggled with through successive cases for years.

Easy to Lift; Even When Fully Packed

One of my favourite features is also arguably one of the least glamorous: the grab handle positioned on the front of the checked suitcase.

It is far more useful than it might initially appear as I quickly discovered when lifting the case onto the check-in baggage belt. As we all know, this particularly unglamorous movement usually involves reaching across to find the top or side handle, then trying to manoeuvre it into place at an awkward angle, while the check-in agent looks at you waiting for you to be done.

The front handle on the Voyageur 28-inch case gives you a much more accessible lifting point when the case is facing you, making getting the Voyageur onto the check-in belt considerably easier and decidedly more elegant. The same was true when lifting it from the baggage carousel on arrival.

It also helped when moving the case over steps, thresholds and those small but infuriating bumps at the entrance to lifts. This isn’t necessarily a feature that most would purchase a suitcase over, it is exactly the sort of thoughtful detail that makes a meaningful difference during an actual journey.

Smooth and Surprisingly Quiet Wheels

Both cases use four sets of 360-degree spinner wheels and moved effortlessly through the airport, across tiled hotel floors and along pavements. More impressively, they remained easy to control on Puglia’s less forgiving cobbled streets.

No suitcase is going to levitate silently over rough stone, but the Voyageur cases were noticeably composed. There was none of the loud rattling or clattering that can make a suitcase sound as if its wheels are trying to wake the neighbourhood before you have even reached the hotel.

They were equally easy to push alongside me on all four wheels or pull behind when the surface became too uneven. Combined with the broad handle, the result is a case that feels stable rather than top-heavy or inclined to suddenly veer in a different direction.

Clever Details on the Outside Too

The thoughtful design was ever-present, even including the integrated TSA-approved lock, for example, which is positioned at the top beside the zips. This makes it much easier to see the combination and unlock the case while standing normally.

On many suitcases, the lock is positioned down the side, requiring you to crouch awkwardly beside the case or turn it horizontally while trying to line up the numbers. It is a small inconvenience, admittedly, but one that LEVEL8 has sensibly designed around.

In terms of the finish, I had some reservations about how the navy finish would survive its first checked journey, particularly given the visibly rough handling all luggage seemed to be receiving at Brindisi Airport. To my amazement and delight, a few marks did appear, but they wiped away immediately with a damp cloth.

After the trip, both cases still looked remarkably close to new. There were no dents, significant scratches, damaged wheels or other obvious souvenirs from the various baggage-handling systems.

Naturally, one journey cannot provide a definitive long-term durability verdict. Still, surviving a relatively demanding first outing between flights, my own rough driving, and multiple hotels and pavements without any meaningful damage is a very encouraging start.

Is the Voyageur Carry-On Suitable for Every Airline?

One point worth checking before buying the 20-inch Voyageur is your regular airline’s permitted cabin-bag dimensions.

At approximately 54.5 × 38.5 × 25cm, it is a generously sized carry-on; that space is useful, but its 25cm depth exceeds the allowance published by some airlines, particularly the more restrictive European and low-cost carriers.

As always, check the precise allowance for the airline and fare you have booked rather than relying on the general “carry-on” description.

Where the permitted dimensions suit, however, the flat packing area makes excellent use of the available capacity.

Is There Anything I Didn’t Like?

Honestly, very little and I’m struggling to think what.

The wide handle is the only meaningful adjustment. It makes hanging other bags and clothing from the top less convenient.

Against that, the design provides a flatter packing area, a much more stable grip and excellent control when moving the case. On balance, it feels like a sensible and positive trade rather than a flaw.

The carry-on is also relatively substantial for a cabin case, so travellers who predominantly fly airlines with very strict size or 7kg weight limits will need to consider whether it suits their usual travel patterns.

Beyond those practical considerations, nothing emerged during the trip that caused frustration. Even the expected scuffing proved temporary and easily removable.

LEVEL8 Voyageur: The Verdict

Both LEVEL8 Voyageur cases are extremely well designed, inside and out.

The wide handle may be the feature that attracts attention, but its real value is in the combination of improved stability and a genuinely flat packing area. Add the smooth wheels, logical internal compartments, accessible TSA lock and extremely useful front grab handle on the checked case, and the Voyageur begins to feel like luggage designed around how people actually travel.

It helps that both cases also look suitably premium. The design is clean and restrained, but distinctive enough to stand out on a baggage carousel without resorting to an outlandish colour or pattern.

I am normally far more familiar with trying to get away with cabin baggage than travelling with a large checked case. Yet both versions proved effortless to bring along, even on a trip involving much more walking and far rougher surfaces than expected.

Their next assignments will include Paris and Chicago in September, and there is little doubt they will have many busy months ahead after that.

Lastly, and certainly worth a mention – LEVEL8 offers a lifetime warranty on luggage purchased through its official website, subject to the company’s warranty terms.

If you fancy treating yourself to some very effective and undeniably smart-looking new luggage, don't forget to add the code WINDOWSEAT10 which gives 10% off on all purchases from LEVEL8, especially for Window Seat Preferred readers.

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Disclosure: LEVEL8 gifted both suitcases for review. As always, the views and experiences shared here are entirely my own. This article contains affiliate links, meaning I may receive a commission if you purchase through them, at no additional cost to you.