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Carry-On Size for Ryanair in 2026
Free bag is 40×25×20 cm under the seat. Priority cabin is 55×40×20 cm and about 10 kg. Litres are not the rule. The sizer is.
Updated 27 Aug 2026 · 6 min read · carry on size for ryanair 2026
Two bags, two sizers, one airline that means it
Ryanair gate-checks bags that do not fit. The free small bag is a personal item: 40×25×20 cm. That is a slim backpack or a structured tote, not the Europe travel backpack you saw on a blog. Priority adds one cabin bag at 55×40×20 cm. Wheels on a 55×40×20 spinner eat interior volume; a soft 35L pack packed flat often fits where a hard 40L shell does not.
2026 numbers next to the neighbours
Always re-check the fare rules the week you fly; cheap carriers move the centimetres. The table is the typical 2026 pattern, not a contract.
| Carrier (typical 2026) | Free under-seat | Paid cabin | What actually fits free |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 40×25×20 cm | 55×40×20 cm, ~10 kg | 15–20L daypack |
| Wizz | 40×30×20 cm (check fare) | 55×40×23 cm band | Slightly fatter daypack |
| EasyJet | Varies by fare; often 45×36×20 | 56×45×25 cm band | Read the ticket, not a 2019 blog |
| BA / Lufthansa / AF | Often a proper cabin + a small bag | 55×40×23-ish, 8–12 kg | Most 35–40L packs |
How to buy for the sizer
If you will not pay for Priority, shop 20L, clamshell or at least a wide zip, laptop sleeve optional. If you will pay, shop 32–38L, hideable straps, empty weight under 1.6 kg so 10 kg remains usable. Soft sides. No expanding zipper “+2 inches” gimmick. Weigh at the hotel the morning you leave, not at the gate.
Questions, answered
- Can I bring a 40L backpack as Ryanair’s free bag?
- No. 40L is the paid cabin conversation, and only if it is packed to 55×40×20 cm.
- Is the 10 kg limit enforced?
- Often at busy gates and on connecting cheap-fare days. Pack as if it is. The sizer is enforced more consistently than the scale, but both exist.
- Does a neck pillow count as a bag?
- Worn, usually no. Strapped to a bag that already fails the sizer, you are not helping.
