I Tested the Level 8 Gibraltar Aluminum Carry-On for a Weekend in LA. Here’sWhat I’d Tell a Friend.

A pretty suitcase with fantastic wheels, and a few tradeoffs you should know about before buying. This post contains affiliate links and was created in collaboration with Level 8, who gifted the suitcase featured. All opinions are my own.

Why the Gibraltar Caught My Eye

Level 8 asked if they could send me one of their suitcases in exchange for my honest review on my blog, YouTube, and Instagram. All my opinion, not theirs. Is the Pope Catholic?

I picked the Gibraltar aluminum carry-on because, it looked gorgeous. Sleek, modern, a little retro, and unlike every other black roller bag floating through airports.

I make the Northern California to Los Angeles run regularly to visit my daughter, so a good carry-on matters. And I’ve come to appreciate a distinctive look in luggage. If I do end up checking a bag, I want to spot it on the carousel without squinting at twenty identical navy suitcases wondering which one is mine.

A Quick Note on Aluminum (and Why the Price Tag Matters)

I’d never owned an aluminum suitcase and wasn’t sure if it was a new trend or a throwback. So I went down a small research rabbit hole.

Short version: aluminum luggage is vintage chic making a comeback. For most of the twentieth century, an aluminum case was the luggage of the well-traveled person. Then polycarbonate hardshells got cheap in the 1980s (“One word, Benjamin, plastics!”) and softside nylon took over the carry-on market. Aluminum didn’t disappear. It just stopped being the default.

Now it’s the cat's pajamas again, and I learned why pretty quickly when I looked up who actually carries these. The celebrity favorite is Rimowa, the German luxury brand that has been making aluminum cases since the 1920s. Gwyneth Paltrow, Julianne Moore and Martha Stewart are all Rimowa fans. (Most of the other names I found were people I had never heard of, which I will charitably attribute to my advanced age.) If Martha Stewart and I are aligned on hardware, I am content.

Here is where the Gibraltar starts to make a lot of sense. A Rimowa Original Cabin aluminum carry-on retails for around $1,400 and weighs 9.5 pounds. The Level 8 Gibraltar retails for under $500 and weighs 10.14 pounds. For roughly a third of the price, you are buying the same aesthetic, nearly the same weight, and the same fundamental construction!

Aluminum cases are also genuinely difficult to break into. Polycarbonate cracks. Softside fabric can be sliced open. Aluminum just doesn’t give. Combined with two integrated combination locks, the security factor is real.

Would I put diamonds in this bag? Probably not. Expensive electronics? Honestly, yes.

First Impressions

When the suitcase arrived, I opened it immediately with the excitement level of a kid at Christmas. It really was beautiful in person. Shiny, structured, and very polished looking.

Inside, the suitcase has two removable divider panels that snap into place to hold your belongings securely. One side also includes a zippered pocket for smaller items. Both are made of mesh, which is always handy to see what's where.

Level 8 also included a set of gray packing cubes, which I genuinely liked. They were surprisingly nice quality. The cleverest part was the little Velcro labels included with them. You could swap out tiles for:

• Clothing
• Makeup
• Electronics
• Laundry

I had never seen that before and thought it was a fun touch.

Two TSA-approved combination locks are built directly into the shell. Easy to set up your own combination using the included card. These are substantial integrated locks, not the kind of soft-bag zipper anyone can pop open with a ballpoint pen.

Packing for a Weekend in Los Angeles

This was when I started realizing that aluminum luggage comes with some tradeoffs.

Unlike soft-sided luggage, the Gibraltar has absolutely no flexibility. There’s no expandable zipper section and no “just shove one more thing in there” energy happening. The suitcase is what it is.

For my two-night Los Angeles trip, I packed:

• Two swimsuits
• Two tops
• A cardigan
• Linen shorts and pants
• Pajamas
• Socks and underwear
• Makeup and toiletries
• Flip-flops
• My CPAP machine
• Curling tools

I made it work, but only by getting strategic. The packing cubes Level 8 sent are nice, but they aren’t compression cubes, which is what I actually needed. I dug out my own compression packing cubes (one for clothing, one for underwear and socks) and that bought me the room.

A second pair of shoes was not happening. I packed the flip-flops for the pool and wore comfortable black flats on the plane that I could keep on for every other activity.

I also strategically wore my bulkiest items on the plane:

• Jeans
• Structured blazer
• Lightweight sweater

Once everything was packed, the suitcase closed successfully. Barely. There was essentially zero extra room left.

The Level8 Wheels Deserve the Hype

Before trying this suitcase, I honestly thought people were being dramatic about the Level8 luggage wheels. How different could suitcase wheels really be? It turns out, very! For real.

The first real test happened in the airport parking lot, rolling across rough pavement and uneven surfaces. Normally, with my other carry-on, I would have to tilt the bag onto two wheels and drag it behind me. Not this one. The Gibraltar rolled smoothly across rough ground with all four wheels staying planted. Once I got inside the airport on smoother floors, it glided effortlessly. I barely had to touch it.

I’ve never paid this much attention to luggage wheels in my life. Now I notice everyone else’s.

If you travel through old cities, rough sidewalks and pavement, brick streets, or cobblestones, the wheels alone might be the reason to consider this bag.

One Important Thing: It’s Heavy

For reference: my polycarbonate Vera Bradley carry-on weighs about 7.8 pounds empty and has an expandable zipper. The Gibraltar weighs 10.14 pounds empty, and the walls do not budge.

Fully packed for a two-night trip, the Gibraltar hit 23 pounds on my bathroom scale. I remember weighing a full-size checked bag for a two-week trip to Europe and getting the same number. So yes, this bag feels heavy. Because it is.

That’s not necessarily a dealbreaker (think of it as a workout!), but it’s something to know before buying, especially if:

• you struggle lifting luggage overhead
• you have shoulder or back issues
• you prefer ultra-light packing

My Weekend at The Garland with the Gibraltar

I spent the weekend in Los Angeles celebrating my daughter’s college graduation and staying at my favorite LA hotel: The Garland. The pool atmosphere there is just magical. It feels like the world’s coolest backyard party.

We had a special celebratory dinner at their restaurant, The Front Yard, which has such a fun California resort vibe.

In a sentimental moment, I bought a Garland Hotel coffee mug, which later became a packing issue.

Because I had packed the suitcase so efficiently on the way down, adding one fragile souvenir completely changed the equation. I ended up wrapping the mug inside clothing within one of the cubes. The suitcase still closed, but this time I definitely had to lean on it with my forearms to make that happen.

So if you’re someone who loves shopping while traveling, this suitcase may require either:

• very disciplined packing
• checking a second bag
• or excellent self-control in gift shops

None of which describes me particularly well.

What Happened When I Checked the Bag

On the flight home, the airline was begging people to voluntarily check carry-ons because the flight was packed. I agreed partly to help out, and partly because I was curious how the aluminum suitcase would hold up in checked baggage handling.

When I picked it up from the baggage carousel at the San Jose airport, I had a genuine moment of shock. The beuatiful, pristine Gibraltar I had checked in an hour earlier was not the Gibraltar I was getting back. Several dents. Scratches on every side. My polished, shiny, expensive-looking suitcase looked like it had been in a fight!

I had read beforehand that aluminum luggage tends to dent and scratch more visibly, and many aluminum luggage fans describe this as a “patina” that tells the story of your travels.

Maybe if I were trekking through jungles with Indiana Jones, I would find that romantic. But my travel style is more boutique hotels, chandeliers, museums, cappuccinos, and poolside cocktails. So personally? I wasn’t thrilled.

But Then I Saw the Stickers

While I was in the wallow phase about the dents, I came across a GQ piece showing how celebrities decorate their aluminum suitcases with travel stickers. National parks. Hotel logos. Airport codes. The whole well-loved trunk aesthetic. I could absolutely see myself doing this, and actually am pretty excited about the idea!

Picture it: a polished aluminum carry-on slowly collecting evidence of every place it has been. Caesar's Palace gets a sticker. Carpinteria gets a sticker. Barcelona gets a sticker. Suddenly the dents aren’t a problem. They inspire a reason to buy stickers to very cool-ly remember my wonderful travels!

If you want you can cheat to catch up on places you've already been… buy this bargain sticker set! Don't tell anyone, but I just ordered these!

There is something cool about the traveler with a well-used trunk covered in souvenirs of where it has been. I am not Indiana Jones. But I can be a slightly more glamorous, latte-drinking version of that energy.

Final Thoughts on the Level 8 Gibraltar

What I Loved

• Outstanding wheels
• Extremely sturdy construction
• Excellent security
• Beautiful, unique appearance
• Luxurious feel
• Easy to spot instantly

What Gave Me Pause

• Heavy
• Limited packing flexibility
• Scratches and dents easily
• Not ideal for overpackers
• Tough for souvenir shopping

I think this suitcase makes the most sense for travelers who:

• pack minimally
• travel with expensive gear
• prioritize durability and security
• want a stylish statement piece
• frequently navigate rough terrain or cobblestones

For me personally, because I travel with a CPAP machine, makeup, hair tools, and all my usual “just in case” items, the space felt a little restrictive for even a weekend trip.

That said, if you pack lighter than I do, it would work beautifully!

And those wheels? I'm genuinely impressed!

Use Code “Sojourn” to save 10% off your own Gibraltar Suitcase!

Check out my video review of the Gibraltar