Level8 Gibraltar Carry On Review
The brand’s first entry into the more premium aluminum/magnesium luggage space. Worth the bump in cost?
Level8 Gibraltar Carry On Review Introduction
Level8 - back at it with our third review from their lineup - and this one is a biggie. Well, higher end I mean. Level8 focuses on quality and value for money, so this isn’t going to be like Rimowa, you can remove that one from your mind right now. That said, this is in their premium lineup and I’m going to be reviewing it from that viewpoint.
The Gibraltar lineup is Level8’s take on the aluminum luggage trend. It’s got the higher end finishing that aluminum pieces always have, and has that shiny metal look that we all love (come on, for the most part that’s why we buy these!). Can the company succeed in putting out a metal case that you want to buy, but prevent you from having to get a job washing dishes at the restaurants on your holiday in order to help pay for it? Let’s find out.
This is my review of the Gibraltar Carry On luggage from Level8. It’s their higher end line (though not their highest), and is made from aluminum and magnesium allow. It’s more expensive than most of their other lines, so we’ll see if it’s worth it to check out. I tested this on quite a trip recently - I took it to Japan. This included 4 different flight legs in 3 countries (US, Japan, Qatar) as well as 4 different train journeys (3 Shinkansen and Narita Express). So, it had its work cut out for it.
As always for full transparency, I did reach out to Level8 and ask if they’d be willing to send me a piece for review and they were nice enough to say yes. That said, this is not a sponsored article and I receive no money to write it. I do use affiliate links to help keep the site running but you’re under no obligation to use them. Thank you for stopping by!
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Level8 Gibraltar Carry On Overview
Checking out at the DoubleTree Higashiyama in Kyoto, JP.
The Gibraltar is certainly targeting the higher end crowd and not the bottom-dollar hunting crowd. Aluminum luggage in general is always something for folks that are going for more of an image while traveling, and that’s certainly what Level8 is going for here.
From The site:
Materials: Aerospace-grade aluminum magnesium alloy
Dimensions: 22''L x 15''W x 8.4''H (55.8 x 38.1 x 21.3cm)
Weight: 10Ibs (4.5kg)
Capacity: 36L
The Gibraltar Carry On retails for $449.00 in the US as of writing in March 2025. It comes in both Silver and Black (which is pretty intriguing, too).
Gibraltar Carry On Features
On Location at Odawara Station.
Carry on luggage is often short on features, so we can cover this pretty quickly but the piece does have some to discuss. Obviously while most of their units are made of Makrolon, these are made mostly of aluminum/magnesium alloy with some parts being plastic.
At 20 Inches, this will satisfy most airlines carry on restrictions. Though like anything, it’s up to you to check that before you fly because some brands have pretty wild restrictions.
On the outside, it’s got my new favorite feature for luggage, the clip style closure. These also have the TSA approved locks built into them and you can set the combo as you wish. I just kept mine at the default of 000 because I would not have this outside of my person at all.
Inside, there are two compression flaps of a sort, each with two clips that attach to metal hooks built onto the sides of the case. More on that later. These flaps also have some zipper pockets but those are really only good for flat documents if you need to store that.
One feature I’d seen on other Level8 models is the slow close handles on the top and side (not the pull handle). When you release the handle, it slowly fades back into its resting position on its own.
Speaking of handles, those grab handles are on the top and one side with the clips.
On the other side, there are 4 nubs that help you to place the luggage on its side and prevent it from being straight up on the ground.
The wheels are Level8’s own, rather than being branded like Hinamoto, but they are super smooth, 360 degree spinning. That’s it folks.
The Good
Like the other luggage pieces I’ve looked at from Level8, I found a lot to like. I really did.
I’m a broken record on this brand with this bit but their quality to value is almost unmatched in the space. There are some corners cut, but generally speaking the cost you pay for an aluminum/mag carry on is such a good value compared to the competition. It won’t compare to Rimowa (there is a reason they cost so much) - but I’d have a hard time paying the price for a Monos or Away or Carl Friedrick version when this is out there.
I love the slow-release handles and I think all of their wheels perform very well. I had no real issues with changing surfaces outside of the jetways and some deep carpets (but that was because I also had a backpack on the luggage and in those scenarios it’s better to change into “pull mode” anyway; regardless of the brand of carry on).
Space was great, I think they used a nice sweet spot at 43L. Super flexible and I didn’t need to fill it up if I didn’t want to. You should resist that urge, too. I liked being able to still fit a pair of extra sneakers when I made an obligatory Onitsuka purchase in Japan (I did swap out a packing cube but I do think I could have made it work without doing that).
The look. I mean come on, like I said that’s why you’re going after a suitcase like this. It looks great in person (the wife commented on it, too). In that way it definitely succeeded in its mission. You want your higher end luggage to look higher end and this definitely gets that done.
The Bad
Since this is their mid-high end line, I do think there could be some improvements in certain finishing pieces.
First, I think the pull handle needs to have some soft-touch plastic added. That’s a common point I’ve made about all three models I’ve reviewed, but if they are going to start somewhere it should be on the Gibraltar. This is one of their most expensive pieces and higher end. It should have handles that match.
On the inside, I didn’t love the compression flaps. They are fine overall and do work, but I think I’d like to see the same inside operation as the Voyager and maybe a richer color (like Navy). Paravel does this well and you can see that in my review here (Paravel Aviator Carry On review). I think the metal attachment points also get in the way of packing in some cases, so that would eliminate that, too. Or at least, make these smaller and more against the wall of the luggage. It didn’t really hinder me at the end of the day but if we’re optimizing, I’d consider those things. They can for sure get in the way in some cases and you’ll need to push the cube under them - that won’t work if it’s something in a hard case. They do have a nice industrial feel to them, however.
With clips on the outside, keep in mind to use the other side when you’re putting this in an overhead bin on its side. Those clips will get caught on the lip of the bin when you’re pulling it out if you’re short like me. Probably not an issue for taller peeps, though.
One point to make about aluminum alloy (This is not a Level8 critique) - you’re gonna see the scuffs. Just accept it and consider it patina from your travels. Especially in a light color like this one - those scuffs are gonna pop up from all the tossing around in overhead bins, trunks, etc. Also keep in mind that ‘scuffs” can often be wiped off.
Packing The Gibraltar Carry On
OK, so in this case we went to Japan for 8 days. That said, I always ALWAYS recommend packing for no more than 5 days, and doing laundry. I had the DoubleTree Kyoto do some for me halfway through to give me a nice reset on the important stuff.
Here’s some shots of the luggage and what I took:
Gray Level8 Packing Cube - three button up shirts, and one pair of pants
Medium Green Level8 Cube - 2 Patagonia Capilene Cool Daily t-shirts, 1 Western Rise Session T for sleeping, 1 Uniqlo Heattech long-sleeve shirt that I ended up not needing, 1 Uniqlo Airism undershirt.
Small Green Level8 Cube - 6 Uniqlo Airism underwear, 2 pairs of Darn Tough socks, 2 Uniqlo Airism undershirts.
Bellroy Toiletry Kit in standard size.
Matador Camera Base Layer with a Fujifilm X-T50 and two lenses that I was testing.
Pair of Oxford shoes.
Western Rise X-Cotton button up.
I had more than enough room to either pack super badly on the way home, or also to stuff a new pair of Onitsuka sneakers in there. (Hey they shut down their US operations so I had to get them while I could, sue me).
Final Thoughts On My Level8 Gibraltar Carry On Review
Shinkansen trip, anyone?
Has Level8 done it again with an offering trying to manage quality and price? Yeah I think they did.
You’re not going to compare this to a Rimowa aluminum luggage, but I also don’t think it’s worth the price tag to buy an Away or Monos version either. I think this is a much better sweet spot.
The Gibraltar also has the benefit of being 20 inches, which is better for global travel vs. the Away’s 23 inches, which is really only good for US domestic and transcontinental flights. You MAY run into issues with a 23 incher abroad, airline depending.
I found this piece to be great looking (the primary purpose of metal luggage in my mind) and with some nice touches that made it great in use (the well performing wheels, balance, and the slow close handles to mention a few).
I still think there is some growing for the brand to do on the small touches (like soft touch rubber on the pull handle) - but this is another piece from Level8 that’s worth you taking a look at. I’m very happy with the quality and looks, the price, and I’ll be keeping this one around for a good long time.
Level8 is still a brand to watch.
As always with the indy brands, I’d suggest buying directly through their website for best service.
Wander more - and wander smarter everyone.
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