Ryanair cabin bag size: the free bag, the 10kg bag and the rest
Amalia
The Ryanair cabin bag size for the free bag is 40 x 30 x 20 cm. Every fare includes one small personal bag of that size, such as a handbag or laptop bag, and it must fit under the seat in front of you. A second, larger bag of up to 10kg and 55 x 40 x 20 cm comes with Priority & 2 Cabin Bags and travels in the overhead locker.
That is the whole rule in two sentences. The rest of this guide covers the options in one table, what happens at the gate, and how to choose a bag that passes the sizer, including which of our Ryanair-size cabin bags and backpacks are built for it. Everything below was checked on Ryanair's help centre on 5 November 2026.
- Ryanair bag sizes at a glance
- What size is the free small bag?
- What is the 10kg cabin bag?
- Check-in bags: 10kg, 20kg and 23kg
- What happens if your bag is too big?
- Which everyday bags fit 40 x 30 x 20 cm?
- How to choose a bag for the free allowance
- Frequently asked questions
Ryanair bag sizes at a glance
Ryanair sells its baggage in layers. The small bag comes with every ticket; everything else is added to the booking. This table sums up the Ryanair cabin bag size and check-in options as the help centre describes them.
| Bag | Size | Weight | Where it goes | How you get it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Small personal bag | 40 x 30 x 20 cm | No weight given on the help page | Under the seat in front | Included in all fares |
| 10kg cabin bag | 55 x 40 x 20 cm | 10kg | Overhead locker | Priority & 2 Cabin Bags (also gives priority boarding) |
| 10kg Check-in Bag | Not given on the bag policy page | 10kg | Aircraft hold, dropped at the check-in desk before security | Added to the booking |
| 20kg Check-in Bag | Up to 80 x 120 x 120 cm | 20kg | Aircraft hold | Added to the booking, up to 3 per passenger |
| 23kg Check-in Bag | Not given on the bag policy page | 23kg | Aircraft hold | Added to the booking, 1 per passenger |
Checked 5 November 2026 on Ryanair's bag policy page and the help centre article on 20kg Check-in Bags. Rules change; check your own booking before you fly.
What size is the free small bag on Ryanair?
The free small bag on Ryanair can measure up to 40 x 30 x 20 cm. Ryanair's own examples are a handbag or a laptop bag, and the bag must fit under the seat in front of you. It is included in every fare, so this is the one bag you never pay for.
Two practical consequences follow. First, the handbag is not a bonus item: Ryanair names it as an example of the small personal bag, so a handbag and a separate backpack count as two bags. If you want both, the handbag goes inside the backpack. Second, the help centre page gives dimensions for the small bag but no weight, so the size is the thing to plan around.
You may still find an older, smaller size quoted on some pages and luggage labels. The help centre gave 40 x 30 x 20 cm when we checked, and that is the figure to measure against.
What is the Ryanair 10kg cabin bag?
The Ryanair 10kg cabin bag is the larger bag that goes in the overhead locker. It can measure up to 55 x 40 x 20 cm and weigh up to 10kg. You get it by booking Priority & 2 Cabin Bags, which allows the small personal bag under the seat plus the 10kg bag above it, and lets you board first through the Priority queue.
In practice, 55 x 40 x 20 cm is the size of a compact wheeled case or a large travel backpack. The depth of 20 cm is the figure to watch: plenty of soft cases and backpacks are 55 x 40 cm on the front but deeper than 20 cm once packed. If a backpack has expansion zips, measure it with them closed and with the bag full, since that is how it will meet the sizer.
If Priority & 2 Cabin Bags is sold out on your flight, the help centre lists other options, and for many trips the simpler alternative is a 10kg Check-in Bag in the hold.
Check-in bags: 10kg, 20kg and 23kg
Ryanair offers three check-in weights, all added to the booking and carried in the aircraft hold:
- 10kg Check-in Bag. Dropped at the airport check-in desk before security. Useful when you want more than the small bag but do not need priority boarding.
- 20kg Check-in Bag. Up to 3 per passenger, with maximum dimensions of 80 x 120 x 120 cm, according to the help centre.
- 23kg Check-in Bag. One per passenger.
Travelling with a baby changes the picture. An infant (8 days to 23 months) has no cabin bag allowance, but Ryanair allows a baby bag of up to 5kg (45 x 35 x 20 cm) and two items of baby equipment free of charge per child.
What happens if your Ryanair bag is too big?
If your small bag or 10kg cabin bag does not fit in the baggage sizers, Ryanair says it will be refused at the boarding gate or, where available, placed in the hold for a fee. The fee is set in Ryanair's Regulations rather than on the help page, and you are asked to leave the bag at the aircraft steps, in the gate bag trolley or wherever the agents direct.
A bag that measures 40 x 30 cm on the front but bulges to 24 cm deep because of a jumper on top will not pass. Three habits help:
- Measure the bag packed, not empty, with a tape measure.
- Put soft items at the bottom and keep the front pocket flat.
- Choose a structured or zipped bag that holds its shape when full.
Which everyday bags fit 40 x 30 x 20 cm?
We checked our own range against the free-bag size, using the dimensions listed on each product page on 5 November 2026. Of 239 bag models, 197 list all three dimensions. Of those, 147 have listed dimensions within 40 x 30 x 20 cm, matching the longest side to 40 cm, the next to 30 cm and the depth to 20 cm. Fourteen of the 147 also list a 15-inch laptop in what they fit.
That is the useful number for anyone who flies for work or study: a bag that holds a 15-inch laptop and A4 documents can still be your free Ryanair bag, as long as you do not overfill it. Three examples, with their product-page measurements:
| Bag | Dimensions (cm) | Fits | Margin against 40 x 30 x 20 cm |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roma | 36 x 30 x 12 | 15-inch laptop, water bottle, A4 documents | Exactly 30 cm on one side: keep the top flat |
| Palermo | 36 x 29 x 12 | 15-inch laptop, water bottle, A4 documents | 1 cm spare on the 30 cm side |
| Siena | 40 x 28 x 11 | 15-inch laptop, water bottle, A4 documents | Exactly 40 cm long: no room on that side |
These are listed dimensions, not a promise. A soft bag packed to bursting is bigger than its label, and only the sizer at your gate decides. Measure before you leave.
The Roma zip tote
The Roma is a vegan leather tote with a top zipper, one zip pocket and one slot pocket, carried on a single shoulder strap. At 36 x 30 x 12 cm it fits a 15-inch laptop and A4 documents, and the zip keeps everything in when the bag goes on its side under the seat. Worth knowing: there is no crossbody strap, and the 30 cm side leaves no margin if you stuff the top.
The Palermo
The Palermo is a vegan leather bag with a main compartment, an exterior zipper pocket, two shoulder handles and a detachable crossbody strap. It measures 36 x 29 x 12 cm and fits a 15-inch laptop. Worth knowing: it comes in black only, which is practical for travel and less so if you wanted colour.
The Daily underseat backpack
For a weekend rather than a working day, the Daily backpack is built to the free-bag size itself. Its product page gives 40 x 30 x 20 cm, a nylon body and a capacity of 35 litres, using built-in vacuum compression, and says it carries 2 to 4 days of outfits. Worth knowing: there is no margin on any of the three sides, and a 40 x 30 x 20 cm box holds 24 litres, so the 35 litres only fit once compressed. Packed full and not compressed, it will not pass the sizer.
The The Daily - Underseat Cabin Backpack 35L
Carries 2–4 days of outfits (15+ items)
Shop the The Daily - Underseat Cabin Backpack 35LHow to choose a bag for the Ryanair free allowance
The best bag for the Ryanair free allowance is the one that holds your essentials and still measures under 40 x 30 x 20 cm when full. Four criteria matter more than the label on the bag:
- Depth when packed. 20 cm is generous for a tote and tight for a backpack. Check the third number first.
- A zip or a closing flap. The bag travels on its side or on its back under the seat. An open tote spills.
- A laptop that fits flat. A 15-inch laptop needs the 36 to 40 cm side of the bag; a 13 or 14-inch laptop leaves more margin.
- Structure. A structured bag keeps its measurements; a slouchy one grows as you fill it.
Liquids follow airport rules rather than Ryanair's, and those rules now vary between UK airports, so check your departure and return airports before you pack toiletries.
Frequently asked questions
What is the size of a small cabin bag on Ryanair?
A small cabin bag on Ryanair can measure up to 40 x 30 x 20 cm. It is included in every fare and must fit under the seat in front of you. Ryanair's help centre gives a handbag or a laptop bag as examples. Older pages sometimes quote a smaller size; the help centre gave 40 x 30 x 20 cm when we checked on 5 November 2026.
What does 55 x 40 x 20 cm mean?
55 x 40 x 20 cm is the maximum size of Ryanair's 10kg cabin bag: 55 cm high, 40 cm wide and 20 cm deep. It goes in the overhead locker and comes with Priority & 2 Cabin Bags. The depth is the measurement most bags exceed once packed, so measure your bag full, with any expansion zip closed.
Does a handbag count as hand luggage on Ryanair?
Yes. Ryanair names a handbag as an example of the small personal bag included in every fare, so a handbag is your one free bag rather than an extra item. If you also carry a backpack, put the handbag inside it, or book Priority & 2 Cabin Bags for a second, larger bag in the overhead locker.
Is there a weight limit on Ryanair's free small bag?
Ryanair's bag policy page gives dimensions for the small bag, 40 x 30 x 20 cm, but no weight. The 10kg figure applies to the larger cabin bag and to the 10kg Check-in Bag. In practice, the size limit is what decides whether the small bag is accepted, so pack to the sizer and check your booking.
What happens if my bag does not fit the Ryanair sizer?
If the small bag or 10kg cabin bag does not fit in the sizer, Ryanair says it will be refused at the gate or, where available, placed in the hold for a fee set out in its Regulations. Adding the right bag to your booking before you travel is the way to avoid that conversation at the gate.
How big can a 20kg Ryanair check-in bag be?
A 20kg Ryanair Check-in Bag can measure up to 80 x 120 x 120 cm, according to the help centre. Each passenger can buy up to three 20kg bags; the limit for 23kg bags is one. Like every check-in bag, it travels in the aircraft hold, not in the cabin.
In short
If you fly Ryanair with one bag, plan around 40 x 30 x 20 cm and measure the bag packed. If you work on the trip, a structured zip tote that fits a 15-inch laptop can be that bag. If you need more than a day's worth of clothes, Priority & 2 Cabin Bags adds a 10kg bag of 55 x 40 x 20 cm, and a 10kg Check-in Bag does the same job in the hold. For what to put inside, our holiday packing list for hand luggage goes through it in the order to pack.