Ray Okonkwo

Gear Editor · Gear Verdicts

Covers checked bags and sets. Flies a regional route most weeks and has opinions about gate-check tags.

What Ray covers

• checked
• sets
• wheels

4 pieces on Gear Verdicts

• Level8 vs Rimowa: Carry-On for People Who Fly Every Week 2026-07-10
  Level8 wins on price and interior organization, costing roughly a fifth of a Rimowa Essential while offering multiple zip pockets, compression straps, and a front-opening laptop compartment. Its zipper pulls are prone to breaking, and some models swell beyond carrier carry-on limits when packed full. Frequent flyers who check bags internationally and want a five-year warranty should choose Rimowa instead.
• Best Softside Luggage Without Overpaying 2026-07-08
  The Travelpro Maxlite 5 Carry-On 21" is the best softside luggage without overpaying, at around $180, with a light weight, a wobble-free telescoping handle, and quiet-rolling wheels. Frequent flyers who hate surprises should pick it over the cheaper Level8 Grace, which measures 22 by 14.5 by 10 inches, oversized for American, Delta, and United's carry-on limits.
• Samsonite Omni PC Set Review 2026-06-29
  The Samsonite Omni PC carry-on is the piece worth buying, staying quiet, handling gate-checking well, and never jamming across four round-trips. The medium case cracked along one corner after light use, a known complaint on this line. Buy the carry-on alone rather than the full three-piece set if durability on the larger pieces concerns you.
• Best Luggage For Photographers: Picks That Actually Hold Up 2026-05-24
  The Briggs & Riley Carry-On is the best luggage pick for photographers, with front-opening access and real structure to the shell and no sizing controversy. At around $449 it costs more than the alternatives, so photographers on a budget who don't fly American, Delta, or United should consider the Level8 Grace Carry-On instead, since it's cheaper but oversized for those three airlines' carry-on sizers.

How we work

• We buy every bag we write about with our own money. We do not accept review samples, loaners, gifted product or paid placement, and we keep the receipts.
• Use periods and trip counts are real. If a review says a bag went through nine flights and a season of airport tile, that is what happened.

Full method: How we review. Corrections and questions: editors@outdoorgearverdicts.com.