Carry less, better
Best Personal Item Bag for Airlines
Soft, 18–22 litres, empty 0.6–1.1kg, and small enough for the sizer that actually runs that week. Ryanair’s free bag is 40 × 25 × 20cm.
Updated 27 Aug 2026 · 7 min read · best personal item bag for airlines
The sizer is the spec
Airlines sell centimetres, not litres. A “20L” pack that is 45cm tall will fail a 40cm sizer. Soft bags compress 2–4cm; structured leather does not. If you fly the cheap European carriers, design around 40 × 25 × 20cm and treat everything else as a bonus.
A weekender as a personal item only works if that weekender is really a 25–32 litre soft duffel. A 45-litre canvas weekender is a carry-on you will pay for.
What to put in a personal item
The personal item is the bag you can reach in flight: passport, medication, headphones, a layer, a 13-inch if you work, water after security. Overhead is for clothes. Under the seat is not a second suitcase.
| Carrier (typical 2026) | Personal item | What fits |
|---|---|---|
| Ryanair free small bag | 40 × 25 × 20cm | 18–20L soft pack, not a 40L |
| easyJet / Wizz (check fare) | Often 45 × 36 × 20cm class | 20–22L if packed flat |
| US majors (typical) | 43 × 33 × 20cm class | 20–22L backpack |
| Mainline Europe cabin + personal | Cabin ~55 × 40 × 23 plus a small bag | Do not stuff both like suitcases |
Backpack, tote, or sling
A slim 20-litre backpack with a clamshell or a wide zip is the default — see travel personal-item backpacks. A soft tote works if it is not a structured box. A sling of 6–8 litres is a supplement, not the only bag for a week.
Skip spinning wheels, skip a bag that is already 1.8kg empty, skip open shoppers that dump at the sizer. $55 marketplace “personal item” bags are often 2kg of foam. $90–$180 from a pack brand that prints centimetres is the rational band.
Questions, answered
- Can I use a 40-litre travel pack as a personal item?
- No. It is a cabin bag, and on Ryanair it is a paid cabin bag. Personal item is the small underseat one.
- Will a 14-inch laptop fit?
- Sometimes in a 22-litre pack on US sizers. Often not in 40 × 25 × 20cm. Measure the packed bag with the laptop in the sleeve.
- Soft or hard?
- Soft. Hard cases waste the sizer and do not compress when the passenger in front reclines.
