It would break the positive stress to look and hope for better gear any moment, if you could get a good item at level 4 and keep it the whole game.
I also don't like the "item collection tours" so common in RPGs/MMOs, get this from x and that from y, then you get those from z and you are made. Otherwise you cannot go to A. I prefer a more random approach.
What I would like would be the possibility to keep visuals. If you like a low level armor (they frequently in games look a lot less childish than high level stuff), transfer stats of a better item found to it.
