A Photographer’s Perspective on The Level8 Hegent Carry-On

Level8 team gifted me this bag for review purposes, but it has actually become a travel staple for me, and they did NOT have any influence on what you’ll read here. All opinions are my own. Additionally, this post contains Amazon affiliate links. If you make a purchase through these links, I may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you.

The team at Level8 recently reached out and offered a chance to integrate their Hegent carry-on bag into my upcoming travels, and I took them up on it, as I was curious to see if it would align well with my approach to packing.

Since, I’ve brought the bag on multiple flights, and even a few road trips. In this post, I want to share my honest thoughts on the Level8 Hegent Carry-On, hoping to help you decide whether or not it would be a good fit for your travel needs.

Whenever I go on a photography trip, my approach to packing both my gear and personal items ends up being pretty meticulous and strategic. In general, my camera gear is always on me physically throughout a flight, usually in a backpack or sling bag (that I bring on a flight as a “personal item”). My carry on bag is usually full of all my other stuff - clothes, toiletries, etc.—everything I need to stay comfortable on the go.

On a lot of my recent flights, attendants have unfortunately decided that I was lucky contestant number one—I have had to check my carry on lately. I do try my best to avoid checking my carry-on when I can, but with the Level8 Hegent Carry-On Bag, I found I’m not as stressed about this. The bag itself has a hard-shell design, which from my perspective, makes it feel pretty durable overall. Couple this with the TSA-approved lock system, keeping unwanted hands out of it, I feel pretty safe letting it be checked if needed.

In general, let’s talk a little more about some of the features and functions of the bag

First Impressions: Clean, Professional Design With Actually Useful Features

Level8 logo imprinted on the front of the hard-shell.

The Level8 Hegent Carry-On comes off professional with its clean, matte-finish hard shell. The outside of is scratch resistant (so they claim, and so far, seems to be true), and has a polished look that makes it a good fit for both adventurous travel settings or professional environments.

More importantly for me, however, this bag doesn’t just have clean aesthetics - the bag is built with function in mind.

How It Fits Into My Photographer’s Travel Routine

Flat lay view of the interior of the Level8 Hegent Carry-On bag, which has dual compartment design (right and left).

While my camera gear never leaves my personal backpack (a non-negotiable for me), the Level8 Hegent Carry-On holds the rest of my travel necessities, everything from clothing to toiletries, hats and jackets, accessories, extra photo/video equipment (e.g. a travel light) and even my laptop (which I trust is safe, even if checked). With the compartmental design, the bag is actually pretty easy to organize in my opinion.

How I use it, and things I like about it:

Lean Into The Internal Design - Compartments Keep Everything In Place
The design is basically divided into two compartments on either side of the bag when you open it up and lay it flat. The dual-compartment design has one side that features a compression strap (the Y strap system pictured here) for neatly packed clothes (e.g. I usually put a jacket & nicer shirts on this side) while the other has a bigger, zippered compartment, with additional dividers a top that to keep smaller items secure.
When packing for a week or two, I will say I definitely can fill this thing up pretty easily, but this dual-compartment design is definitely a game changer for maxing out the amount of volume I can get into this bag.
I’ve also used the bag for a shorter, weekend shoot, where I packed just three days worth of clothes on the right dompartment, using the Y-strap system to secure it, and filled the other side with props like film rolls, a portable light, chargers, and some other misc. items.
The sections keep everything neat and tidy, making it super easy to unpack and find what I need, especially on these shorter trips where my itinerary is tight.
I Don’t Care If It Gets Checked
I know above I mentioned that I prefer to avoid checking my carry-on when I can, but sometimes they force you to check it. This did already happen to me with this bag on a recent flight, but the hard-shell design and TSA-approved lock system of the Level8 Hegent Carry-On kept me sane and feeling safe allowing it to go under the plane.
In previous cases, I have had bags with a similar outer shell that had to get checked, but the lock system of those bags was weaker, or non-existent, and I have in fact had problems where the bag was opened, my belongings spilled out of it, or things were lost. No good.
Knowing my stuff is safe, even when out of sight, has been a confidence boost in a checked-bag scenario for certain.
Smooth Mobility In Any Setting (Airport or Street…)
This was a function where I was also pretty impressed with.
The wheels are super smooth when rolling on just about any surface, and I’ll be honest, this is a must for me. If a bag with this shape can’t roll, I’d rather just bring a duffle bag or something.
The main handle used for rolling comes out in several stages, so depending on your height, you can adjust to the level that suits you best. Other bags just have two stages typically, either closed, or pulled out to the full length, which may not be a good fit depending on your personal height.
Now, if I do need to pick it up or for some reason I cannot roll it in a specific situation (e.g. out of respect for someone’s home, grass, etc.), I can pick it up and grab it by both the top and side handles for easy carrying.
The Perfect Size for Overhead Bins
At 20 inches, the Hegent fits perfectly in the overhead bins on a plane. It’s also pretty light (lighter than expected when you consider the hard-shell build), so it’s not an issue to lift up above your head and into those bins, even when its packed full.
I will say, I wouldn’t recommend trying to squeeze this under your feet - it’s definitely a little too big for that.

Pros and Cons Quick List:

What I Loved:

Durable hard-shell design meaning I can pack not just clothing but also actual photography gear if needed.
TSA-approved lock system offers better security than most bags, for peace of mind if it gets checked for a flight.
Dual-compartment design internally provides plenty of space and keeps my belongings neatly organized.
Small enough to be a carry-on, and easily slide right into an overhead bin.

What Could Be Improved:

There are no external pockets for quick access. Would be nice to have a pocket for my wallet, passport, etc., and even better if those pockets also had some version of a lock system too.
Price point: it’s definitely pretty pricey compared to others on the market, but I will say, after a few travel experiences with it, I’m pretty confident this bag will last me a while, so it is arguably worth it.

Why The Level8 Hegent Carry-On Bag Is A Good Fit For Photographers

As a photographer, security and durability are of top priority for me when travelling. So far, the Level8 Hegent Carry-On fits seamlessly into my workflow, carrying all my essentials (minus my camera gear, again, always in my personal) easily. If I ever need to check my bag, the shell and lock system keep me feeling confident, and I don’t worry about anything happening to my belongings.

Final Thoughts

If you’re a frequent traveler and you have the budget for a bag like this, I would recommend this bag, especially if you’re someone that flies frequently enough to encounter bag-check situations.

I will probably do a longer term review on the bag in the future, as I plan to use it as my main carry-on for the foreseeable travel plans I have.

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