LEVEL8 Road Runner Pro Carry-On 20” Review

Yes, this is hard-sided luggage. Yes, that’s a secondary compartment. Yes, that’s a USB-A port. Seriously, how neat is that? While we’re a big fan of innovative features (even when they are USB-A), just because rolling luggage has them doesn’t mean it all comes together to make a bag worth your time. Will the Level8 stack up? Let’s find out!

External Components

This hard-sided luggage is crafted from Makrolon® polycarbonate made in Germany. It’s flat, smooth, and feels durable. We’ve noticed that it scuffs up easily; however, it’s swift to clean with a towel and water, which is ideal for keeping things looking nice.

The zippers are from YKK and operate smoothly. YKK is one of the best brands around, so we expected this. The long pulls make opening and closing the bag easier; however, they’re a bit loud when they aren’t locked up on the top of the bag. To remedy this, make sure to click them into place.

To secure the zippers, bring them to the top of the bag. An apparatus there will lock them in with a three-digit code. It has a TSA-approved lock so that security agents can get inside, but it will keep unfriendly hands away. If somebody wants to get inside, they will, but it’ll deter potential thieves from targeting you. As they say, you don’t have to be faster than the bear…

There are handles on the top and side of the case. These are flat when not in use, so you don’t have to worry about them getting snagged onto anything. When you’re ready to use them, they slide upward and bend, making it easy to get your hand underneath the handle. The material is more comfortable than we’ve seen from some other rolling luggage; however, it isn’t very padded and doesn’t have grippy material. It works well for carrying the case short distances, but you might have a sore hand if you had to use these to carry the bag a mile.

Luckily, you shouldn’t have to. The pack has four 360° wheels on the bottom that we’re a big fan of. They’re smooth, feel durable, and spin with ease. So far, we haven’t had any issues with these. When the bag isn’t fully packed, they’re a little louder, but this is an issue we’ve encountered with many cases. The weight pushes the wheels down more, reducing the noise from rolling over uneven terrain. Again, this isn’t a huge issue, but worth noting if you’re planning to fill your bag with feathers.

There’s a USB-A charging port on the zipper lock. The cable leads inside the pack, so you can attach a battery bank to power this socket. It has a weather-resistant cover, which is ideal. We’ll talk more about this later on!

Fit Notes

The handle is telescopic and sturdy, so there isn’t much jiggle, even when you’re at the highest height available. There are four stops in total on the elevator ride to the top, so there’s a height that will feel comfortable for most travelers.

The handle isn’t the most comfortable we’ve come across; it has no padding or grippy material and isn’t particularly ergonomic; however, it’s fine to use. It’s wide, so your hand won’t feel claustrophobic while speeding through the airport or when your fiance’s family, whom you’ve never met, picks you up from the airport. The button is on the top, making it quick and easy to adjust the height. We haven’t hit this in testing by accident, which is a good sign. Nobody wants to have the handle sliding out unexpectedly while wheeling their suitcase!

The luggage rolls well on both two and four wheels. The transition between two and four is smooth and easy, and we’re here for it. This makes the switch from standing on the moving platform to walking to Chick-Fil-A that much easier!

The dimensions for this case are similar to others that we’ve tested. We have yet to figure out why brands make carry on luggage slightly too big for most airlines, but they do and this is one of those cases. At the time of this review, the Level8 Road Runner Pro is slightly too big on two of the three lengths for use as a carry on for Delta. That said, depending on the airline, you’ll likely get away with it. For more strict carriers, like Spirit or Frontier, it might not be worth the expensive risk to check your bag at the gate. That said, you do you, Honey Boo Boo!

Inside The Carry On Luggage

Okay, here it is, the moment you’ve all been waiting for. Let’s talk about the secondary compartment!

On the apparatus that locks the zipper, there are two buttons. One unlocks the zippers, and the other opens the front pocket. Neither will open without entering the code, so both compartments are secure. Similar to the zipper lock, this isn’t a wholesale anti-theft device; however, you only have to be faster than the other person with you.

The compartment pops open satisfyingly and is easy to close when the pack isn’t full. When you overstuff the main compartment, closing this compartment becomes more challenging. This is because there’s no barrier between the compartments, so your gear will push outward.

The laptop compartment in the secondary compartment can fit up to a 15.6-inch computer. There’s a fair amount of padding here and a hook-and-loop fastener on a strap to secure it from the top. We wish the strap was wider, like the top of an envelope, but we haven’t had any issues with it sliding around. If you were to have some rough air, there’s always a chance.

There are two small pockets inside, too, that work well for a phone, wallet, or other small items. There aren’t toppers on these pockets, so, again, there’s a chance things might pop out in transit. This compartment has some extra space to stow other gear, like a book, paperwork, or other flat items.

The USB-A charging port cable feeds into this compartment, so it is where you’d store a battery bank. The cable is a USB-A male to USB-A female, which feels outdated but is easy to use. Most banks still have a USB-A port; however, you might need to downgrade to a different cable if all your charging cables are USB-C.

Before moving into the main compartment, it’s worth noting that there are similar versions to this luggage on Level8’s site without the front pocket. If you don’t need a place to stow these items, or bring a personal item daypack or laptop backpack that will work for your computer or a sling for your tech, you can get one of those cases instead!

The main compartment is broken up into two sides with different organizational details. On the right, there’s an ample, open space. A compression system corrals it, so you can keep gear from bouncing around too much. The straps aren’t stretchy, but there’s a button buckle in the middle, and you can tighten or loosen it based on how much gear is inside. The straps attach at the rim of the compartment, so securing gear that isn’t tall enough to reach the top of the case is challenging. There’s more space on this side than on the other, so larger items do well here. Think shoes, a camera cube, or other oversized gear.

On the left side, there’s a compartment that’s topped with liner material and accessible by a C-shaped zipper track. On the top, there are two pockets with zipper closures. The first is crafted from mesh, so you can see what’s inside. The other is liner material, so you can’t peek inside. You can use these for tech, documents, or clean and dirty laundry. The clean stuff goes in the mesh pocket, and the dirties go inside the other to prevent any stink from escaping. We wouldn’t put wet stuff here, though, as it will fester inside and create a stink like you’ve never experienced!

Under the flap, there’s a fair amount of space. However, this might be less than you were initially expecting. The organization from the front compartment is inside here, so you would have more space if you chose the version without the secondary compartment. There’s still a lot of space here, but it sometimes feels limiting. Considering the closeness of this compartment to your laptop, we wouldn’t recommend putting rigid gear here, like shoes.

We’re digging the unique features of this pack, like the secondary compartment, laptop sleeve, and USB-A charging port. That said, if you don’t have a use for these, we wouldn’t recommend this rolling luggage to you. If you like the other details, it’s worth looking into the different cases in Level8’s repertoire!