Ryanair Baggage Rules
On Ryanair the bag you are allowed is decided by the fare, not the suitcase. Basic includes an under-seat bag and nothing else.
We have not tested this gear. Every figure here is compiled from published manufacturer specifications and published airline policies, and the arithmetic is public so you can check it. This page contains affiliate links — see the affiliate disclosure.
Ryanair’s Basic fare includes only a 40 × 30 × 20 cm under-seat bag — personal-item size. The 55 × 40 × 20 cm overhead bag requires paid Priority, and the cabin cap is 10 kg. The published depth of 20 cm is 7.9 in, tighter than any US carrier.
Figures from Ryanair’s own published bags page, checked 3 September 2026. Fees and fare bundles change; yours govern.
| # | Product | Published weight | Fits | Score | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler Duffel 40LA duffel that will actually pass a gate sizer | 1.81 lb | 11 of 11AA DL UA WN … | 8.9 | Check price on Amazon#ad How we earn |
| 2 | Osprey Daylite Plus 20L BackpackA personal item that is also the daypack for the whole trip | 1.31 lb | 0 carriers | 6.8 | Check price on Amazon#ad How we earn |
| 3 | LEVEL8 Road Runner Carry-On (20 in)Anyone who wants a front laptop pocket on a hard shell | 9.3 lb | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 4.7 | Check price on Amazon#ad How we earn |
| 4 | American Tourister Airconic Carry-On SpinnerHawaiian's 25 lb carry-on cap, and anyone lifting a bag overhead unaided | 4.43 lb | 4 of 11WN F9 G4 SY | 3.8 | Check price on Amazon#ad How we earn |
| 5 | Narwey Foldable Personal Item Bag (18 × 14 × 8 in)Frontier and Allegiant flyers refusing to pay for an overhead bag | Not published | 3 of 11AA F9 G4 | 2.1 | Check price on Amazon#ad How we earn |
No live price is currently verified, so every button here reads Check price on Amazon rather than a number we cannot stand behind. See how we handle prices.
The fare decides, not the bag
This is the single most important thing on the page, and it is why travelers who measured their suitcase carefully still get caught.
| Fare | What it includes | Published size | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Basic | One small under-seat bag only | 40 × 30 × 20 cm | — |
| With Priority | The under-seat bag plus an overhead cabin bag | 55 × 40 × 20 cm | 10 kg |
On the Basic fare there is no overhead bag at any size. Buying a compliant suitcase does not help; you need the fare that includes a bin. And on a cheap Ryanair ticket the Priority charge can approach or exceed the fare itself, which is a calculation worth doing at booking rather than at a gate.
20 centimeters is 7.9 inches
Both Ryanair bags are capped at 20 cm of depth. That is 7.9 in — an inch tighter than the 9 in US standard, and it is the dimension that fails a US bag.
| Standard | Depth published | In inches | Against Ryanair |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 20 cm | 7.9 in | — |
| US standard | 23 cm | 9 in | 1.1 in over |
| easyJet, British Airways | 25 cm | 9.8 in | 1.9 in over |
Read the widths as well and the pattern is clear: Ryanair permits 40 cm of width against the US 36, and 20 cm of depth against the US 23. It is more generous on width and less on depth, which means a US bag has unusable width to spare and fails on the side that counts. The conversions in full.
Exactly one bag in our ledger publishes a depth under 20 cm: the American Tourister Airconic at 7.9 in, which is 20.1 cm — a millimeter over, and effectively at the limit on a rigid shell.
10 kilograms is 22 pounds
The Priority cabin bag is capped at 10 kg, the tightest weight limit in our entire table. For a US traveler used to no cap at all, this is the figure that turns a familiar bag into a problem.
| Empty case | Published weight | Share of 10 kg | Payload left |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler 40L | 1.81 lb | 8% | 20.2 lb |
| American Tourister Airconic | 4.43 lb | 20% | 17.6 lb |
| LEVEL8 Road Runner 20 in | 9.3 lb | 42% | 12.7 lb |
Nearly eight pounds of payload separates the top and bottom rows. On the tightest cap in the table, the bag you own is most of the decision. The lightweight ranking.
The strategy that actually works
- On a short trip, fly Basic and use the under-seat bag. 40 × 30 × 20 cm is about 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in — a genuine personal-item bag, and it costs nothing extra.
- Do not buy a suitcase for Ryanair. Buy a bag for the under-seat box, which is the allowance the cheap fare actually includes. Bags built for that.
- If you need the bin, price Priority at booking and compare against the fare difference on a carrier that includes a bag.
- Weigh the bag. 10 kg is tight enough that a week of clothing in a heavy case will exceed it, and the gate fee will exceed the fare.
Bags that fit Ryanair's Basic-fare under-seat box
Checked against Ryanair's published 40 x 30 x 20 cm under-seat limit, converted to inches, on all three sides. This is the only bag the Basic fare includes.
Nothing in our ledger publishes dimensions inside this box on all three sides. That is a finding rather than an omission — it means the limit is tighter than the bags this market actually sells.
Every pick, with the working
Each entry below shows the published inputs, the four axis scores they produce, and what you give up. The order is the computed order, not a commercial one.
1 · A duffel that will actually pass a gate sizer
Eagle Creek Cargo Hauler Duffel 40L
The only 40 L duffel here whose published dimensions fit the standard 22 × 14 × 9 in carry-on box on all three sides.
- Published size
- 22 × 12.5 × 9 in
- Weight
- 1.81 lb
- Capacity
- 40 L
- Weight per liter
- 0.05 lb/L
- Cost per covered year
- $7.45/yr
- Published list price
- $149
Warranty Limited lifetime warranty
Fits 11 of 11 US carriers: AA, DL, UA, WN, AS, B6, F9, G4, HA, MX, SY. See the limits.
What it does well
- 22 × 12.5 × 9 in clears the standard carry-on box on all three dimensions as published
- 1 lb 13 oz for 40 L, and it packs into its own end pocket
- $7.45 per covered year under a limited lifetime warranty
What you give up
- No wheels and no back panel structure — the straps are a shoulder strap, not a harness
- Ballistic panels are on the base only; the body is 600D
- A soft-sided 40 L bag only holds its published shape when it is not overpacked
The arithmetic behind the score
- Value 8.0/10 — $149 ÷ 20 yr = $7.45/yr; $149 ÷ 40 L = $3.73/L
- Airline-fit breadth 10.0/10 — Fits the published carry-on limit at 11 of 11 US carriers: AA, DL, UA, WN, AS, B6, F9, G4, HA, MX, SY
- Carry efficiency 10.0/10 — 1.81 lb ÷ 40 L = 0.045 lb/L
- Warranty & support 8.0/10 — no stated end date (6 of 6); repair published (+2); airline damage not covered (+0)
Weights and breakpoints are published on how we rank. Where an input is not published, that axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
Specs: Eagle Creek published specifications and price, compiled 3 September 2026.
2 · A personal item that is also the daypack for the whole trip
Osprey Daylite Plus 20L Backpack
The only personal-item bag here with a published weight, a published price and a warranty that names no end date — $4 per covered year is the cheapest figure on this site.
- Published size
- 19 × 11 × 9.5 in
- Weight
- 1.31 lb
- Capacity
- 20 L
- Weight per liter
- 0.07 lb/L
- Cost per covered year
- $4/yr
- Published list price
- $80
Warranty All Mighty Guarantee — any reason, any product, any era
Fits No US carrier in our table publishes a limit these dimensions satisfy. See the limits.
What it does well
- $4.00 per covered year is the lowest cost-per-year figure in this ledger
- 1.31 lb for 20 L, and it is the bag you then use every day at the destination
- 19 × 11 × 9.5 in fits the published personal-item box at American, Southwest, Frontier and Allegiant
What you give up
- Over United's published 17 × 10 × 9 in limit on all three dimensions
- 20 L is genuinely small — this is a day bag, not a week's clothes
- No lockable zippers
The arithmetic behind the score
- Value 8.3/10 — $80 ÷ 20 yr = $4/yr; $80 ÷ 20 L = $4/L
- Airline-fit breadth 0.0/10 — Fits the published personal-item limit at 0 of 8 US carriers
- Carry efficiency 9.4/10 — 1.31 lb ÷ 20 L = 0.066 lb/L
- Warranty & support 10.0/10 — no stated end date (6 of 6); repair published (+2); covers airline damage (+2)
Weights and breakpoints are published on how we rank. Where an input is not published, that axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
Specs: Osprey published specifications and price, compiled 3 September 2026.
3 · Anyone who wants a front laptop pocket on a hard shell
LEVEL8 Road Runner Carry-On (20 in)
Skip this one. Skip it for Ryanair on both counts at once. Its published 9.3 lb empty is 42% of the 10 kg cabin cap, and its 9.2 in depth is over the 20 cm (7.9 in) limit by more than an inch. On the tightest box and the tightest weight cap in our table, it is the wrong bag twice.
The only hard case here with a published height under 22 in, and it pays for that with the worst weight-per-liter figure in the ledger.
- Published size
- 21.5 × 14.4 × 9.2 in
- Weight
- 9.3 lb
- Capacity
- 35 L
- Weight per liter
- 0.27 lb/L
- Cost per covered year
- $9.50/yr
- Published list price
- $189.99
Warranty Lifetime warranty
Fits 4 of 11 US carriers: WN, F9, G4, SY. See the limits.
What it does well
- 21.5 in published height is genuinely under the 22 in standard
- Front-opening laptop pocket that takes a 15.6 in machine
- $9.50 per covered year against a lifetime warranty
What you give up
- 9.3 lb for 35 L is 0.27 lb per liter, more than double the Maxlite 5
- 14.4 in width is still a fifth of an inch over the 14 in standard
- The lightest thing in the bag will be the bag's own dead weight allowance
The arithmetic behind the score
- Value 6.6/10 — $189.99 ÷ 20 yr = $9.50/yr; $189.99 ÷ 35 L = $5.43/L
- Airline-fit breadth 3.6/10 — Fits the published carry-on limit at 4 of 11 US carriers: WN, F9, G4, SY
- Carry efficiency 1.4/10 — 9.3 lb ÷ 35 L = 0.266 lb/L
- Warranty & support 6.0/10 — no stated end date (6 of 6); no published repair route (+0); airline damage not covered (+0)
Weights and breakpoints are published on how we rank. Where an input is not published, that axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
Specs: LEVEL8 published specifications and price, compiled 3 September 2026.
4 · Hawaiian's 25 lb carry-on cap, and anyone lifting a bag overhead unaided
American Tourister Airconic Carry-On Spinner
At 4.43 lb it is the lightest hardside carry-on in this ledger by nearly a pound, which matters most on the carriers that publish a weight cap.
- Published size
- 21.7 × 15.8 × 7.9 in
- Weight
- 4.43 lb
- Capacity
- Not published
- Weight per liter
- Not published
- Cost per covered year
- Not published
- Published list price
- Not published
Warranty Limited 10 year global warranty
Fits 4 of 11 US carriers: WN, F9, G4, SY. See the limits.
What it does well
- 4.43 lb empty leaves over 20 lb of payload inside Hawaiian's 25 lb published cap
- Polypropylene flexes and returns where ABS cracks
- 7.9 in depth is the slimmest here, which is what actually decides a tight bin
What you give up
- 15.8 in width fails the 14 in limit at six US carriers
- No published price, so we cannot compute cost per covered year
- Light shells transmit more impact to what is inside them
The arithmetic behind the score
- Value not scored — No manufacturer-published price, so this axis is not scored.
- Airline-fit breadth 3.6/10 — Fits the published carry-on limit at 4 of 11 US carriers: WN, F9, G4, SY
- Carry efficiency not scored — No published capacity, so weight per liter cannot be computed.
- Warranty & support 4.0/10 — 10 yr (4 of 6); no published repair route (+0); airline damage not covered (+0)
Weights and breakpoints are published on how we rank. Where an input is not published, that axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
Specs: American Tourister published specifications, compiled 3 September 2026. American Tourister lists the Airconic on its own store but did not publish a price we could read on 3 September 2026, so the Value axis is not scored for this bag.
5 · Frontier and Allegiant flyers refusing to pay for an overhead bag
Narwey Foldable Personal Item Bag (18 × 14 × 8 in)
Built to exactly the 18 × 14 × 8 in personal-item box that American, Frontier and Allegiant publish, which is the entire point of it.
- Published size
- 18 × 14 × 8 in
- Weight
- Not published
- Capacity
- 30 L
- Weight per liter
- Not published
- Cost per covered year
- Not published
- Published list price
- Not published
Warranty No warranty term published
Fits 3 of 11 US carriers: AA, F9, G4. See the limits.
What it does well
- 18 × 14 × 8 in matches the published personal-item limit at American, Frontier and Allegiant exactly
- 30 L in a bag that folds flat when it is not the bag you need
- Sleeve strap that drops over a suitcase handle
What you give up
- Too big for United's published 17 × 10 × 9 in personal-item box
- No published weight, warranty term or price
- A soft duffel packed to 30 L stops being 8 in deep
The arithmetic behind the score
- Value not scored — No manufacturer-published price, so this axis is not scored.
- Airline-fit breadth 3.8/10 — Fits the published personal-item limit at 3 of 8 US carriers: AA, F9, G4
- Carry efficiency not scored — No published weight, so weight per liter cannot be computed.
- Warranty & support 0.0/10 — no published term (0 of 6); no published repair route (+0); airline damage not covered (+0)
Weights and breakpoints are published on how we rank. Where an input is not published, that axis is dropped and the remaining weights are re-normalized.
Specs: Narwey published product specifications, compiled 3 September 2026. Sold through retail rather than a manufacturer store with a published list price. Check the live price before buying.
No live price is currently verified, so every button here reads Check price on Amazon rather than a number we cannot stand behind. See how we handle prices.