Level8 Adventure carry-on bag review: Pros, cons, and what makes it different

When Level8 offered me a new suitcase in exchange for a review, I accepted, but only after I made it clear that it would be an honest review, not ad copy.

The bag is open and empty, with the cinch strap closed across the empty interior. — The empty bag.

Disclosure: I received a carry-on-size “Adventure” roller bag from Level8 in exchange for writing and publishing this review.

Another disclosure: This article contains affiliate links. Making a purchase through an affiliate link will mean a small commission for this website. This will not affect your price. Privacy policy.

I took a look at Level8’s website and chose this particular bag, the Adventure Carry-On 20”, partly because I liked the bright yellow-and-black color scheme: it’s very sophisticated looking, and I wanted to try out a hard-sided bag. The idea of a lid on one side especially intrigued me, as an alternative to the more common clamshell style.

My usual travel routine leans toward minimalism: one carry-on bag, one under-seat bag and that’s it. I take only enough clothing for a week and plan time to do a load of laundry each week.

For the last few years, my carry-on bag has been a soft-sided Samsonite. It’s bright green, which is, I suppose, why it was on sale when I bought it. I liked – and still like – that it is made largely out of recycled soda bottles, and that it has straps to cinch it tighter, both inside and outside. I also hoped that its wheels, which are partly inset into the bottom of the bag, would hold up well to dragging it over rough surfaces.

Text: Level8 Adventure carry-on bag review. Images: 3 photos of the suitcase. — Save this to Pinterest for future reference!

What’s the difference between top-opening and clamshell carry-ons?

It has indeed lasted quite well through lots of trips and bumpy sidewalks. But there’s a basic problem with this kind of bag: the clamshell design.

Many rolling bags are designed this way. They zip around the center, or slightly off-center. The packing space inside is divided in half. Usually, as in my Samsonite, one side has a zip closure and the other has straps to cinch the contents in place.

I’ve experienced two issues with the clamshell design. First of all, in a standard hotel room, there’s often not enough space to open it comfortably. A typical luggage stand holds the bag if it’s closed, but if it’s open, it extends well past that. If the room has a couch, I end up using that as my luggage stand instead, or I lie it down on the floor. (I only unpack a suitcase if I’m staying for an extended time; for example, if I’m taking a week-long cruise.)

The other issue is my own forgetfulness. I often leave the zipped side unzipped while the bag is lying open. Then, when it’s time to leave and I close the clamshell, the contents slide out. Cursing follows, and I have to repack that side all over again.

So this is what drew me to the Level8 bag: it is top-opening. In other words, it has, essentially, a thin lid opening onto one single main interior space. The lid has a thin, zipped pocket inside it, but the pocket is only big enough for things that are flat, like a small notebook or a file of papers. And the lid stands up, thanks to the internal straps on either side. That means the bag fits on a standard luggage stand and I can still reach everything.

A yellow-and-black bag lying on a luggage rack, lid open and standing up vertically. — It’s rather messily packed in this photo, but you can see how the Level8 Adventure carry-on suitcase fits on a typical luggage rack and how the lid stands up.

Why does the retractable handle matter for efficient packing?

The other difference about this bag is the retractable handle. Most roller bags (of any size) have either one bar down the center or two. Either way, the bars affect the way the interior of the bag is shaped. My Samsonite, for example, has two ridges down the right-hand half of the inside. It’s awkward to fit clothing into it. What I’ve always done is use the space between those ridges for things like my extra glasses, just-in-case meds, and socks, then packed my compression packs on top of them. Often, some of that space stays empty, so it’s wasted.

The Level8 bag, on the other hand, has a wide handle. The bars are integrated into the two corners of the bag: the bottom as you look into the open bag. That means they are not in the way, and I can lay my compression packs flat on the bottom. There’s still space left over on both sides: the bars are at the sides of the space. It’s far more efficient because I can pack my compression bags, then slip all the extra little items around them.

The Level8 bag with a pair of shoes and 2 packing cubes in it. — This is the first layer I pack: a pair of sandals on the left (with shower caps covering them), a compression pack on the right and, in the middle, a packing cube that doesn’t compress but that has separate sections for my clean and dirty underwear. I can tuck lots more around the sandals and around the packing cubes.

In case you’re curious about those packing cubes, they’re from Reismonkey, a Dutch company. I bought them because I thought their “Clean & Dirty” series sounded brilliant, and it is! The orange cylindrical one on the left isn’t a compression pack; it’s meant for things that get smelly like underwear and socks. You pack the clean ones in one end and the dirty ones in the other. An inner divider shifts depending on how much you pack into each side. The pack on the right also has two sections with an inner divider, and it compresses with a zipper like a traditional compression pack.

My first impression of the Level8 Adventure carry-on

Now that I’ve tried it, I love this design! It works much better for me than the typical clamshell bag. I can fit the same amount of stuff as in the Samsonite: three compression packs of clothing, a pair of sandals and assorted meds and other just-in-case items. But because I’m not fully opening it clamshell-style, I can pack while it sits on that luggage rack.

This bag also is expandable, with a zipper around its center. Expanding it would mean you couldn’t use it as a carry-on bag anymore, but the extra 5 liters of space would be very handy for souvenirs you take home.

Open Level8 bag filled to the edge with one large compression pack. — Once everything else is packed, I can fit this larger compression pack right on top and still have no trouble closing the bag. Notice there’s still a bit of room around the edges, which is good because I inevitably forget something and have to add it last minute!

What are the pros and cons of the Level8 Adventure?

	Pros	Cons
Configuration	Opens with a lid, not clamshell-style. This is a matter of personal preference, but I prefer this top-opening configuration.
Other features	Small “legs” on the long side opposite the side grab handle and also on the bottom, opposite the lid. These prevent the suitcase’s whole side or bottom from sitting on dirty surfaces. (See photo, right.) TSA lock Grab handles on the top and one long side. Cinch strap across the top of the main compartment, with 2 small zipper pockets integrated into it. One zipper pocket along the inner long side. Expandable by 5 liters in volume.
Handles	The wider handle (adjustable to 4 different heights) allows a flat internal space for efficient packing.	The wider handle means luggage pass-throughs for your under-seat bag are unlikely to fit. (Level8 offers two solutions to this: an under-seat-sized backpack called the Urban and their Citygo Weekender Bag, both of which have pass-throughs to fit on their wide-handled luggage.)
Wheels	Rolls very smoothly on four spinner wheels, which is easier on your arm than a two-wheeled model. They seem pretty sturdy; I’ve rolled and dragged it over some pretty rough surfaces and it’s survived so far. Level8’s website claims “less than 2mm of wear after an incredible 276,000 rotations.”
Recycled	Level8 states that the interior lining is “100% RPET recycled polyester.”
Style	It looks good!
Size	21.3” x 15.4” x 10.2” (Metric: 54.1 x 39.1 x 25.9cm) Volume: 45 liters (50 if expanded)	Check your airline’s limitations. This size may be too big for some airlines, particularly budget ones.
Stability	It’s very well-balanced. The Samsonite topples easily if I’m not careful how I pack it.
Weight		9 lbs (4 kg) empty. Again, some airlines may weigh bags, and if their weight limit is low, you won’t be able to pack much.
Price		It’s on the expensive side: over $300. Some of their other offerings are less.

Thoughts about the price

About that last point: Since Level8 gave me this bag, I didn’t pay the price of over 300 euros. You can certainly find luggage cheaper than this. The question is: will it last as well? And will it look this good? We’ve gone through a number of cheaper carry-on bags over the years; our basement seems to accumulate broken luggage. The corner seams give out or a zipper breaks or the wheels wear out or wobble. In terms of sustainability, it makes sense to spend more for a bag that will last longer.

If you decide to buy any product from Level8’s website, make sure to use the code RACHEL10 and you’ll get a 10% discount on your purchase!

I can’t guarantee yet that the Level8 will last well, but it certainly has impressed me so far. As I write this in September 2026, I am a month into a trip in Central Asia: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan. I’ve rolled/dragged the bag over quite a lot of bumpy surfaces already and it still looks pristine, except for a general coating of dust. On our flight home, I will expand the bag and check it in to see how it weathers the typical rough baggage handling. I’ll update this review after that.

What I can say is that I far prefer this bag over any other carry-on roller bag I’ve used, especially because of the top-opening design, but also because of the wide handle, its stability and how smoothly it rolls. I will continue to use it on future trips, and I’ll come back to update this article if there’s any change.

3 bags with handles extended: the Level8, a blue backpack-looking bag, and a green carry-on. — On our trip in the “Stans,” I used the Level8, while my husband used the green Samsonite. We aren’t doing the minimalist thing this trip because my husband wanted to take some extra things for hiking in the mountains: that’s why we brought the Eagle Creek bag as well. And we added some warmer clothing, since we were traveling in the fall and it was likely to get colder. I loved the Eagle Creek for years – it transforms into a backpack. But a) my back can’t take that anymore, b) the straps use a lot of space when you aren’t carrying it as a backpack and, most importantly, c) the wheels gave out after about 6 years. I ordered new ones and they work, but don’t fit as well as the originals so they wobble a lot. I think they’ll give out soon too.

What other bags does Level8 sell?

Level8 offers other carry-on and check-in bags with the more traditional clamshell configuration. Within their offerings you can find bags with wide handles or the more traditional narrow ones. Some of their models are zipperless, and some of the carry-on sizes have a separate laptop pocket on the outside. Many are hard-sided, like my “Adventure” model, made of “German-made Makrolon® polycarbonate.” Some are aluminum, and only one model is soft-sided, made of nylon. Only the “Adventure” series – my carry-on size and the two larger check-in sizes they offer – have the top-opening design.

My recommendation

I definitely recommend this bag for its ease of use, sophisticated style, and efficient packing. The only situation where I’d recommend against it is if you mostly travel budget airlines and don’t want to pay to check a bag.

Again, don’t forget to fill in RACHEL10 to get a 10% discount on your Level8 purchase!

My travel recommendations

Planning travel

Skyscanner is where I always start my flight searches.
Booking.com is the company I use most for finding accommodations. If you prefer, Expedia offers more or less the same.
Discover Cars offers an easy way to compare prices from all of the major car-rental companies in one place.
Use Viator or GetYourGuide to find walking tours, day tours, airport pickups, city cards, tickets and whatever else you need at your destination.
Bookmundi is great when you’re looking for a longer tour of a few days to a few weeks, private or with a group, pretty much anywhere in the world. Lots of different tour companies list their tours here, so you can comparison shop.
GetTransfer is the place to book your airport-to-hotel transfers (and vice-versa). It’s so reassuring to have this all set up and paid for ahead of time, rather than having to make decisions after a long, tiring flight!
Buy a GoCity Pass when you’re planning to do a lot of sightseeing on a city trip. It can save you a lot on admissions to museums and other attractions in big cities like New York and Amsterdam.
Ferryhopper is a convenient way to book ferries ahead of time. They cover ferry bookings in 33 different countries at last count.
I’ve become an affiliate for VisitorsCoverage travel insurance, mostly because you should ALWAYS have travel insurance when you travel! You may be young and healthy and never get sick, but the fact is, sh*t happens, and it’s worse if you don’t have insurance!

It’s really awkward to have to rely on WIFI when you travel overseas. I’ve tried several e-sim cards, and GigSky’s e-sim was the one that was easiest to activate and use. You buy it through their app and activate it when you need it. Use the code RACHEL10 to get a 10% discount!
Another option I just recently tried for the first time is a portable wifi modem by WifiCandy. It supports up to 8 devices and you just carry it along in your pocket or bag! If you’re traveling with a family or group, it might end up cheaper to use than an e-sim. Use the code RACHELSRUMINATIONS for a 10% discount.
I’m a fan of SCOTTeVEST’s jackets and vests because when I wear one, I don’t have to carry a handbag. I feel like all my stuff is safer when I travel because it’s in inside pockets close to my body.