New to traveling and don’t know what size suitcase should you get? Don’t worry; We’ve all been there at some point. Learning the basic luggage size restrictions is the first step. Only then you can decide which size is perfect for you.
In this luggage size guide, we’ll explain the differences between various suitcase types and sizes. We’ll explain which ones you can carry onboard, which have to be checked in, and tell you about the most basic luggage size restrictions.
Let’s get started.
How Is Luggage Measured?
Measuring luggage is simple if you know how to do it properly. The first step is to check with the specific airline you will be using for their requirements. Next, you will want to use a measuring tape to measure your luggage’s height, width, and depth. Make sure to include the handles and wheels in the measurements. Linear inches means the total combined size, and you can calculate that by adding up the total sum of height, width, and depth.
Keep in mind that most airports also have a carry-on sizer to place your bag into to make sure it meets their requirements. But we recommend not waiting until you’re at the airport to find out!
Understanding Different Types of Luggage
On airplanes, you’re allowed to take a few different luggage types, depending on the airline and the luggage size. Some you can take for free and for some you’ll have to pay additional charges.
What Is a Personal Item?
A personal item is a backpack, a small suitcase, a tote, or a similar small item that you’re usually free to take on the flight for no additional charges. It has to fit under the front seat, and the size requirements vary from airline to airline. In general, it has to be 6-9 inches in width, 10-14 inches in height, and 17-18.5 inches in length. Some airlines also have weight restrictions for personal items.
What Is Carry-On Luggage?
A carry-on is a backpack, a large tote, a duffel, or a suitcase that you can take on the flight with you. This luggage has to fit in the overhead compartments. They’re usually 8-10 inches in width, 13-15 inches in height, and 19-23 inches in length. Some airlines also have weight restrictions for carry-ons. Sometimes you’re free to take a personal item and a carry-on, but most of the time, you’ll have to pay a 10-20$ fee for bringing a carry-on.
Editor’s tip: If you’re looking for specific airline size and weight restrictions, it’s best to check on the airline’s official website because they change the limits quite often, and other sources might show outdated information. But for a general overview, here’s a guide covering 170 different airline carry-on size and weight restrictions.
What Is Checked Luggage?
Checked luggage is a large suitcase or item that you can’t bring onto the flight. This luggage is stored at the back of the airplane. Checked bags can’t exceed 62 linear inches (height + width + length) and must be under 50-70lbs. Checked luggage comes in different sizes, and usually, the longest dimension is 23-32 inches long. If you’re flying economy, most of the time, you’ll have to pay a 20-50$ fee for checked luggage.
All Luggage Sizes Explained in Detail
Luggage isn’t only divided into three categories (personal items, carry-ons, and checked luggage.) It’s actually divided into six main categories based on size. Below, we’ll tell you about each one, so you can find out which one is best for you.
Important tip: When purchasing luggage, always ensure that the dimensions mentioned are with wheels and handles included because that’s the correct method of measurement used by airline employees. The correct measurement for your luggage is in the product description.
| Name | Size | Use | Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Personal item | <= 17 inches | Documents, electronics, valuables. | Always free |
| International carry-on | 18-20 inches | Clothes for 3-7 days. | Free or 10-20$ |
| Domestic carry-on | 21-22 inches | Clothes for 3-7 days. | Free or 10-20$ |
| Small checked luggage | 23-24 inches | Clothes for 1-2 weeks. | 20-50$ |
| Medium checked luggage | 25-27 inches | Clothes for 1-3 weeks. | 20-50$ |
| Large checked luggage | 28-32 inches | Clothes for 2-4 weeks. | 20-50$ |
Underseat Luggage/Personal Item
Longest side length: Under 17 inches
Weight restrictions: Usually, none.
Fees: None
Use: For storing electronics, documents, medicine, and valuables.
If you’re looking to get an underseat bag, make sure that it isn’t larger than 6 inches in width, 10 inches in height, and 17 inches in length. Anything over that is generally considered a carry-on. I believe the best choice for personal items is either a backpack (which I prefer over anything else), a wheeled suitcase, a tote bag, or a small duffel bag.
Most of the time, people use personal items combined with carry-ons, so I’d suggest choosing a bag with a strap on the back that fits around the carry-on’s handle. That way, you can secure your item on top of the carry-on. It makes traveling in crammed metros, trains, and buses much easier (trust me, I know.)
International Carry-on Luggage
Longest side length: 18-20 inches
Weight restrictions: 20-30 lbs
Fees: None/10-20$
Use: storing clothing for 3-7 days
Most of the time, carry-ons are differentiated by “domestic” and “international” sizes. International carry-ons will be slightly smaller (18-20 inches) because carry-on restrictions for international flights are stricter than domestic flights. If you decide to get a somewhat smaller international carry-on, you won’t have any difficulties boarding European and International flights, but the main compartment will be slightly smaller.
In my opinion, it’s not worth it getting two separate carry-ons for international and domestic flights. Just figure out which types of flights you’re flying more often, and depending on that, choose the correct size.
For example, I live in Europe, so to meet the strict European size restrictions, I have a 19-inch international carry-on that fits most airlines. I’m okay with a slightly smaller main compartment because I’m a minimalistic packer.
Domestic Carry-on Luggage
Longest side length: 21-22 inches
Weight restrictions: 40-50 lbs
Fees: None/10-20$
Use: storing clothing for 3-7 days
Domestic carry-ons will usually be 21-22, sometimes even 23-inches inches large. These measurements are made with the American market in mind, where the size restrictions are less strict for domestic flights (as well as most U.S.-Canada flights.) They’ll be perfect for people who mostly fly within the U.S., such as business travelers who are mostly flying to business conferences and trade shows in different states.
Most of the time, the airline employees won’t even measure your suitcase, so you’ll be able also to use the domestic carry-on on most international flights. Worst case scenario, they’ll make you check-in the bag for a 20-50$ fee.
Small Checked Luggage
Longest side length: 23-24 inches
Weight restrictions: 50-70 lbs
Fees: 20-50$
Use: storing clothing for 1-2 weeks
Essentially, checked luggage has to be under 62 linear inches in width, and most small checked suitcases will be around 50 linear inches, so there’s still a lot of room to fit the requirements. The fee for a 30-inch checked suitcase will be identical to a 23-inch suitcase, so you might want to choose a larger suitcase instead. The small checked suitcases in the 23-24 inch range will be too small for most adults but will be perfect for kids and younger teenagers.
Medium Checked Luggage
Longest side length: 25-27 inches
Weight restrictions: 50-70 lbs
Fees: 20-50$
Use: Storing clothing for 1-3 weeks
Medium-checked luggage is the most popular type of checked luggage. The 25-27 inch size is perfect for most adults – it’s not too large, but not too small. It’ll be enough for most 2-3 week trips. If you’re getting checked luggage, we’d suggest choosing something in this range.
Large Checked Luggage
Longest side length: 28-32 inches
Weight restrictions: 50-70 lbs
Fees: 20-50$
Use: storing clothing for 2-4 weeks
Some people prefer to use larger suitcases, such as those that are 28-32 inches in size. If you’re the type that packs way too much stuff, you might consider getting this type of checked luggage instead.
However, before getting one, you should make sure that it’s under 62 linear inches (width + height + length with wheels and handles included) because that’s the most common size restriction for checked luggage. Also, it would be best if you considered getting a luggage scale because when 28-32 inch suitcases are fully packed, most of the time, they’re above the 50 lbs/70 lbs weight limit.
62-Inch Checked Luggage
Longest side length: Not specified, but usually 28-32 inches
Weight restrictions: 50-70 lbs
Fees: 20-50$
Use: storing clothing for 2-4 weeks
If you’re looking to get the maximum amount of space out of checked luggage, you should get a suitcase that’s just below 62 linear inches (height + width + depth). For instance, one of the most popular checked suitcases, the Kenneth Cole Reaction Out of Bounds 28-Inch checked suitcase measures 61.75 linear inches, which is just below the maximum size. This makes it a solid choice if you’re looking to maximize the total amount of space that you can use.
Here’s What Luggage I Usually Use
I usually travel one or two weeks at a time, so a personal item (backpack) and an international carry-on are more than enough to fit in everything that I need. I rarely use checked luggage because I’m a minimalistic packer.
My favorite has become the Matein laptop backpack for a personal item, which fits perfectly under the front seat and has many neat compartments for everything that I need. It’s 18 x 12 x 7.8 inches large, but I never pack it full, so it always fits under the front seat.
And for the carry-on, I use the Travelpro Maxlite 5 International 19-inch Carry-on, which is pretty light and small enough for European luggage restrictions. It’s 21.75 x 15.75 x 7.75 inches large with wheels and handles included, so sometimes it’s a little bit above the limit, but I’ve never had any issues with it. I’ve tried squeezing it inside the measurement boxes myself, and I managed to fit it in with a tight squeeze.
My laptop backpack has a rear strap that wraps around the carry-on’s retractable handle so the strap can be secured on top of it.
It’s handy because my carry-on has spinner wheels, and it’s super easy to move around. In tight spaces, for instance, in the metro, it’s much easier to store the backpack on top of the carry-on, especially if you’re riding for more extended periods of time.
If you’re a light packer like me, I’d suggest going with a backpack and a carry-on. It’ll be enough for 1-2 week trips, but if you wash some clothes midway and don’t buy too many souvenirs, you can stretch that to three weeks. If you’re traveling longer than that or you’re an over-packer, you should also get an additional 25-27-inch medium checked suitcase.
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