LEVEL8 Gibraltar Aluminum Carry-On Luggage Review

The LEVEL8 Gibraltar Aluminum Carry-On Luggage’s rugged exterior makes it a solid choice for travelers who care about durability; however, we are curious whether the extra weight will cause any other issues while traveling. Let’s dive in and find out!

External Components

The shell of this carry on rolling luggage is aero-space grade aluminum magnesium alloy. That sounds fancy, and it looks it, too. It’s highly durable, shiny, and professional-looking. The corners are reinforced, too, for added ruggedness. Though we love how it looks and how long-lasting the case is, there are a few negatives. First, it gets dirty easily and its shiny, pale exterior makes it easy to notice. The bag is effortless to clean, which is a perk. Second, the aluminum exterior adds a ton of weight. Coming in at 10 pounds (4.5 kilograms), this is one of the heaviest pieces of luggage we’ve tested at this capacity. It isn’t miles off the chart when plotted against other bags but is noticeably heavier than most.

There are handles on the top and side of the case with anti-snap technology. When not in use, they rest against the side of the bag. After you use them, they don’t slam against the case, as others we’ve tested have done; they slowly retreat to their resting position. This doesn’t happen with all other cases, whose handles can slam against the aluminum side and cause a loud noise. We dig this inclusion!

The rolling luggage has feet on the side, handy for setting the bag down at the airport, on the sidewalk, or in your hotel. The wheels don’t lock, so, in theory, your bag could roll away if left on its four wheels. If you set it on the feet, this can’t happen. In this position, one of the handles is easily accessible on the top.

The wheels are plastic and feel less durable than the bag’s shell, though we’ve had no issues with them breaking or feeling feeble in testing.

In a similar style, the two buckles to access the inside of the case are plastic, too, and feel significantly less durable than the aluminum shell. They work fine and have proven not to be an issue, but it’s a noticeable change when you open the case after handling the bag.

We often have an issue with aluminum luggage: the components aren’t as durable as the shell, which is more of a feeling than a problem. They are often just as durable as most other hardsided luggage on the market; they feel less durable because of the different materials used. It’s like if you bought a sports car with the same tires as your minivan. They’re probably fine tires; we just expected more.

Fit Notes

The case’s telescopic handle has four height options, which is fairly average compared to other rolling luggage we’ve tested. Still, we expected a little more for a premium bag with a matching price tag. Still, the handle doesn’t jiggle much, and we’ve found that most travelers can find a height that works for them.

The handle is broad, so your hand won’t feel claustrophobic, though it lacks padding or grip. It’s comfortable but may feel lacking if you’re used to those features. Still, the look and feel match the rugged nature of the aluminum exterior, which we appreciate.

The wheels are smooth and transition well between two and four wheels. In testing, they have handled various terrains fine, including snow and ice, during Michigan’s winter. As mentioned, these wheels perform as well as some of our favorite rolling luggage; they just feel out of place because of their construction paired with an aluminum shell.

Inside The Carry On Luggage

The case is split directly down the middle, offering two almost identically sized sides. The right portion houses the telescopic handle, so you lose some space there, but they’re relatively compatible in capacity. Some users may enjoy this symmetry; however, you can’t easily fit anything incredibly large in this case, as neither side has a ton of depth. It hasn’t been an issue in testing, but a particularly large pair of boots may prove more challenging to pack in this bag than in one with one deeper side.

The left side has a divider with a zippered (YKK) pocket. It’s crafted from mesh, so you can see what’s inside, and the contents can breathe. This is a solid place to stow smaller items, like socks and underwear. The divider attaches with snap buttons on the interior side and stretchy hooks on the other. It doesn’t compress your gear much, which is disappointing, but we dig that it’s removable if you don’t want to use it. If you do choose to take it out, the hooks are still there, which can be frustrating to pack around. The rest of the space is yours to work with, and there’s a large amount of room for clothing and travel gear.

The right side has a similar divider but doesn’t have a zipper, so it just holds down whatever you stow beneath it. These dividers can be mixed and matched, so you can use whichever you prefer on either side. This side is slightly smaller due to the telescopic handle hardware; however, you can fit a similar amount of gear here.

We recommend packing cubes inside this case, even using the included dividers. It makes finding your gear more manageable, and the case comes with a packing cube set, so you don’t have to buy a set if you don’t want to spend more money. These aren’t our favorite cubes; however, they make finding your gear easier and fit into the case well.

Overall, organizing this rolling luggage is on you. The dividers help some; however, it isn’t easy to find clothing if you toss it behind the divider and call it a day. We like that we can fit larger gear here, but things can get lost without packing cubes. For certain trips, it may make sense to leave one divider for your clothing and stow larger items on the other side. This makes it easier to bring those big boots we mentioned earlier!