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Living Out of Suitcases With Two Kids: Our Honest LEVEL8 Voyageur Review
It was 11am in Penang, and for once we weren't racing the sunrise. Our flight wasn't until 5pm, so we'd had a slow morning with breakfast, a final sweep of the room and a few spare minutes. Even so, I found myself standing in the doorway counting bags for the third time. Two boys, 4 backpacks, 2 suitcases and one family trying to look calm while the driver waited outside.
I remember thinking: this is the part nobody puts in the highlight reel.
The part of full time travel nobody warns you about
When we left the UK in January 2024, I spent weeks planning the big things. Where we'd go, how we'd worldschool, how I'd keep the business running from a laptop. I spent almost no time thinking about suitcases. They were just the things that held our stuff.
Then real life kicked in. Our whole life lives in those bags: clothes, laptops, chargers, the boys' favourite toy, their school work. Every few weeks we pack it all up, move it and unpack it somewhere new. We always opted for the cheaper suitcases and within 1 or 2 flights the inside zip would break (from me trying to squeeze our life inside) and the wheels would bust.
That's when it clicked. When your luggage is your home on wheels, it stops being a small detail.
When the LEVEL8 boxes arrived
When LEVEL8 offered to send us their Voyageur suitcases, I was curious but cautious. I've seen plenty of beautiful suitcases that fall apart at the first airport. I’ve never seen value in owning a good suitcase because travelling south east Asia you can pick them up for next to nothing! But I was intrigued to see… could my mind be changed.
They were delivered o my in-laws in the UK as it aligned with my husband taking a solo trip back home (if you follow me on socials you’ll know the fun that was) So I got him to open them on FaceTime. The inside was completely flat. No handle bars sticking up into the packing space, which is the wide handle design doing its job.
The first job for these suitcases was could they bring me an entire Tesco haul back to a British girl missing some home comforts… and bring them to me intact!
The travel day that won me over
The real test was our moving day from Penang in Malaysia to our new destination (although arguably our second home) Thailand. Early starts, tired kids, the usual chaos.
We rolled the suitcases across Penang and I noticed something strange. It was quiet. The wheels just glided.
Then came the part I always dread: lifting them into hire car. They're light, which I put down to the German-made Makrolon polycarbonate shell, and I could do it without asking for help. Although in true Thai style there was no lifting them myself haha!
By the time we got to Hua Hin, I realised I hadn't thought about the suitcases once. For a family travelling full time, that's about the best review I can give.
The little things I only noticed later
Some features I didn't appreciate until we'd lived with them. The wet and dry pocket earned its place, when a damp swimsuit and towel went in and nothing else got wet. The built-in TSA lock meant one less padlock to lose. The mismatched sizes on the large suitcase, on side is larger than the other which meant we could transport my 4 year olds SCOOTER!! yes we are now scooters in the luggage people.
And they've taken some knocks. Especially with the lighter colour on the suitcase, the scuffs from the place were noticeable but they wiped off effortlessly. The lifetime warranty is what makes me relax about all of that. With two boys and a life on the road, our luggage is never going to have an easy time, so knowing the brand stands behind it matters.
What I'd tell another family
If you're a family planning a long trip, or just tired of wrestling a noisy, awkward suitcase through airports, the Voyageur is a good one to look at. It's light, quiet, easy to pack and nice to look at.
Where to find them
If you'd like to take a look, here's the LEVEL8 Voyageur. You can use my code L8BF26 for 20% off site wide in their Black Friday sale!
Where we are now
We're still on the road, still packing and unpacking every few weeks, and still learning as we go. But travel days feel a little less like a battle than they used to, and I'm grateful for that.
If you're dreaming about a life like this for your own family, I hope our story helps you take the first step.
Lauren x
Follow along on Instagram / YouTube / TikTok @lifealongsidelauren for more of the journey.