Checked on Ryanair's own help centre on 16 September 2026. Airlines change these numbers without much notice, so treat this as a snapshot and check your airline on the day you fly.
The rule, in Ryanair's words
Ryanair's help centre says: "All fares include one small personal bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm) that must fit under the seat." If you pay for Priority & 2 Cabin Bags you can also bring a 10kg bag of 55 × 40 × 20cm for the overhead locker.
So there are two Ryanair sizes that matter:
- 40 × 30 × 20cm — free, under the seat, every fare.
- 55 × 40 × 20cm — the paid 10kg cabin bag.
For years the free size was smaller (40 × 20 × 25cm). A lot of advice online, and until this week some of our own product pages, still quote the old number. We have corrected ours.
Our bags that are exactly 40 × 30 × 20cm
These match Ryanair's free bag to the centimetre. That cuts both ways: they fit, and there is no margin, so an overpacked bag can still fail the sizer. Pack them, don't stuff them.
- Kono Cabin Backpack 40×30×20cm with 15.6" laptop sleeve — 24L, 0.5kg, clamshell opening, six colours. £20.99 launch price until 31 October 2026, then £24.99.
- Kono Cabin Travel Duffel 40×30×20cm — 24L, 0.53kg, twin-zip top, six colours. £15.99 launch price until 31 October 2026, then £18.99.
- Kono Anti-Theft Cabin Backpack 40×30×20cm — 24L, 0.79kg, hidden pockets, wet/dry divider.
- Kono Colour-Block Cabin Backpack 40×30×20cm — 0.62kg, 15-inch laptop sleeve.
- Kono 24L Cabin Travel Bag 40×30×20cm — 0.74kg, hand or shoulder carry.
- Kono 24L Compact Cabin Backpack — 0.63kg, 15.6-inch laptop sleeve.
- Kono Expandable Cabin Travel Bag 40×30×20cm — fits unexpanded. Unzip it to 42cm high and it no longer does, so expand it on board, not at the gate.
Our bags that fit with room to spare
Smaller on one side than the gauge, which is the margin a soft bag actually wants.
- Kono 20L Foldable Under-Seat Duffel — 40 × 25 × 20cm, 0.37kg. Five centimetres to spare, and it folds flat when empty.
- Kono 20L Cabin Backpack with Contrast Trim — 40 × 25 × 20cm, 0.52kg, 15.6-inch laptop sleeve.
Our bags that do NOT fit Ryanair's free bag
We would rather tell you here than have you find out at the gate.
- Kono 32L Large Cabin Backpack (17.3-inch laptop) — 45 × 36 × 20cm. Too big for the free bag; needs Ryanair's paid 10kg cabin bag, which it sits inside. It matches easyJet's free under-seat size exactly.
- Kono 16-inch Under-Seat Suitcase — 45 × 36 × 20cm hard shell. Same: needs the paid Ryanair bag; matches easyJet's free size exactly, and a hard shell does not squeeze.
- 20-inch Cabin Suitcase — 55 × 40 × 20cm. This is Ryanair's paid 10kg cabin size, not the free one. The manufacturer states it fits British Airways, easyJet and Jet2 cabin allowances.
- Kono Nylon Gym and Weekend Bag — 48 × 25 × 21cm. Too long. It is a gym bag.
- Kono 55L Folding Trolley Bag — 55 × 30 × 35cm. A hold bag.
easyJet, for comparison
easyJet's free under-seat bag is larger, at 45 × 36 × 20cm, with a paid large cabin bag of 56 × 45 × 25cm (Which?, July 2026). Every bag in the first two lists above is inside easyJet's free size, and the two 45 × 36 × 20cm items match it exactly. Our easyJet packing guide shows how to fit a weekend into that size.
Jet2 includes a 56 × 45 × 25cm cabin bag in the fare; sources disagree on the exact size of its small under-seat bag, so check Jet2 directly for that one.
Three things worth knowing before you buy any cabin bag
- A size match is not a guarantee. Sizers are rigid; bags bulge. A bag that matches 40 × 30 × 20cm fits only while it is packed flat.
- Empty weight matters more than people think. Ryanair's free bag has no stated weight limit, but the 10kg cabin bag does, and a 2.6kg suitcase leaves you 7.4kg.
- Our measurements are the manufacturer's. We say so on every page. If a bag arrives and does not match the size on the page, tell us — that is a mistake we want to fix, not an argument we want to have.
All of the above is dispatched from a UK warehouse to England, Wales and Scotland. Standard delivery £4.99, free over £50. NAMLO10 takes 10% off a first order until 31 October 2026.