IS there anything nicer than bagging a bargain holiday or flight to the sun? It has to be one of the most satisfying deals you can get – then of course, you look at the baggage costs and suddenly your cut-price ticket is not such a bargain after all.
To maintain your joy therefore, we’ve reviewed a selection of the best under-seat bags available. These are currently free of charge to transport with major airlines, including budget carriers (though who knows how long that will last).
You’re allowed one under-seat bag per person and honestly, if you pack lightly you can squeeze in enough to last several days. I was surprised just how much I could fit in, for example in the bags below I managed to pack:
- One pair of lightweight trousers
- One dress
- One pair of shorts
- One swimsuit
- A sarong
- Three sun tops
- Underwear
- PJs
- Flip flops
- Flat sandals
And there was still a bit of room left over for sunscreen.
Obviously the thicker and heavier the clothes the less you’re going to fit in the bag, but if you’re packing for a week in the sun you’re probably going to spend most of your days in swimwear or shorts anyway so you don’t need much.
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The best under-seat bags come with lots of different pockets and sections, so you can easily find what you’re looking for. There’s also a great selection available for all different budgets, so you’ll definitely discover something suitable with a bit of research.
Read on for our reviews of the best under-seat bags in the UK right now make sure your flight is stress-free.
Happy holidays!
Best underseat luggage at a glance
- Best overall: Tripp Retro Pewter Underseat Cabin Suitcase
- Best value: Ecohub Ryanair Cabin Bag
- Best mid-range: Rock Kensington Holdall
- Best premium: Away The Everywhere Bag
Away The Everywhere Bag
Away The Everywhere Bag, £155
Pros: Separate section for laptop, lots of pockets, detachable shoulder strap, trolley sleeve to fit over cabin case handle
Cons: None
Rating: 5/5
This bag has been designed for maximum efficiency when it comes to packing the essentials.
I think you could easily pack a day or two’s clothing in here if you were going away on a business trip. There’s also a separate padded section for your laptop, which includes one pocket, as well as five pockets in the main section, the largest of which is zipped, and a pocket on the outside.
The main compartment features an extended zip so you can open the bag almost fully for packing, which is a useful touch. It also has a detachable key clip for convenience and the laptop section has a magnetic zip fastening.
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I love this bag. It sits happily on top of your case thanks to the trolley sleeve and remains secure, even if you end up running – for the train in my case.
Size: 41.4 x 25.9 x 18.5cm, Weight: 1.25kg with shoulder strap (1kg without), Capacity: 20L, Lock: No, Guarantee: one-year warranty
Rock Kensington Holdall
Rock Kensington Holdall, £34.99
Pros: Lots of storage space, several pockets, great price, lightweight
Cons: No separate laptop section
Rating: 4/5
The Kensington Holdall from Rock is a lot of bag for a great price and I easily packed enough clothes in here for several days. Inside, there’s three pockets, the largest of which is zipped. There’s a small pocket on the outer front and a further large, zipped pocket across the integral trolley sleeve, so there was plenty of room for my essentials.
The bag is incredibly lightweight and the polyester material looks robust. There’s also a detachable shoulder strap and I found the padding made carrying the bag full, very comfortable.
I received the bag in black, but it’s also available in purple, navy, charcoal and khaki.
Size: 40 x 25 x 20cm, Weight: 0.7kg, Capacity: 20L, Lock: No, Guarantee: one-year warranty
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Tripp Retro Pewter Underseat Cabin Suitcase
Tripp Retro Pewter Underseat Cabin Suitcase, £39.50
Pros: Good capacity, has the features you’d expect from a larger suitcase
Cons: No pockets
Rating: 4.5/5
This is a sturdy little case with all of the attributes of its bigger cousins. It is hard shell ABS, has a very long extending handle, a grab handle on the side and it has spinner wheels for easy manoeuvrability (albeit just four of them).
Inside there’s a zipped, fabric divider creating two separate luggage compartments and compression straps to keep your clothes in place. There are no pockets though.
I was surprised just how much I could fit into it and pleased to see it moves easily on all types of surface, without falling over.
Size: 45 x 36 x 20cm, Weight: 2.3kg, Capacity: 27L, Lock: Yes, TSA lock, Guarantee: 5-year guarantee
Ecohub Ryanair Cabin Bag
Ecohub Ryanair Cabin Bag, £37.99
Pros: Lots of separate sections, padded shoulder straps, laptop and tablet pockets, great price
Cons: None
Rating: 5/5
This is a great little bag for plane travel and makes a useful day bag when you reach your destination. From the size of it you could be forgiven for thinking it’s made for devices and journey essentials rather than clothes, but this bag is a bit like the Tardis and will surprise you.
The main zip opens to reveal a section complete with luggage straps and two zipped pockets – you could easily fit a couple of days clothes in here.
Behind this is another zipped section that contains a padded pocket with Velcro fastening for your laptop, and two mesh pockets. There’s a small, zipped pocket on the top that is large enough for your phone and passport, as well as three more zipped pockets on the front – one is big enough for a tablet and incorporates pen holders and more pockets, the second is large enough for books, notebooks or magazines and the third is great for bits and pieces.
There’s a stretch water bottle pocket on one side, a padded grab handle on the other and a second padded grab handle on the top. The padded shoulder straps are adjustable, integral buckle fastenings on the outside add extra security and there’s even a strap for securing the bag over the handle of your suitcase.
The fabric is made from recycled plastic bottles and is water-resistant. It’s amazing how much thought has gone into designing this bag.
Size: 40 x 25 x 20cm, Weight: 0.57kg, Capacity: 20L, Lock: No, Guarantee: one-year warranty
Konos Under The Seat Holdall
Konos Under The Seat Holdall, £13.59
Pros: Cheap, good-sized packing space, adjustable shoulder strap, large outside pocket
Cons: Shoulder strap not padded, plastic strap clips and D-rings, no separate sections
Rating: 3.5/5
This is a basic bag that gives you 20L packing capacity and I managed to fit a weekend’s worth of clothes and associated items into it.
It has three small pockets inside, one of them zipped, and it is lightweight. There’s also a removable shoulder strap, but it’s not padded and the fastenings are plastic, so I’m not sure how they would hold up carrying a fully-loaded bag.
There’s a large, zipped pocket on the outside, which is useful for travel documents and your phone, and the trolley sleeve on the back secures it to your suitcase.
If you’re after advanced features then you’re not going to find them here, but for the price it’s a fair buy.
I think this would be a good bag for children as they could fit food, toys and books in it for the journey, and it folds flat for storage once you reach your destination.
The fabric doesn’t feel very substantial, though on the plus side, the bag has four feet on the bottom to help prevent damage to the material when you set it down.
It’s also available in lots of different colours.
Size: 40 x 25 x 20cm, Weight: 0.45kg, Capacity: 20L, Lock: No, Guarantee: one-year warranty
Aerolite Ryanair Cabin Bag
Aerolite Ryanair Cabin Bag, £15.99
Pros: Cheap, carry handles and shoulder strap, luggage strap, comes with a small padlock, lightweight
Cons: No inside pockets, just one outside pocket, shoulder strap not detachable
Rating: 3.5/5
If you’re looking for an under-seat bag without the bells and whistles then this one may well fit the bill – it’s lightweight and gives you 20L of packing space for less than £20.
It suits major airline requirements, not just Ryanair, and it folds down small when not in use. It also features a large, zipped pocket across the front and a strap to attach it to your suitcase at the back. I found the padding on the shoulder strap wasn’t enough when the bag’s full and I’m not convinced how long the material will last as it seems thin to me. I would have also liked pockets inside.
Nonetheless it does the job and should last a few trips if treated well.
Size: 40 x 25 x 20cm, Weight: 0.45kg, Capacity: 20L, Lock: Small padlock supplied, Guarantee: five-year limited warranty
Kipling Cicely Tote Bag
Kipling Cicely Tote Bag, £93
Pros: Tote bag style means you can use it daily on holiday, lightweight
Cons: Expensive
Rating: 4/5
This bag will hold everything you need for your plane journey, including a change of clothes and a laptop, thought there’s no separate section for that.
Inside, there’s one zipped pocket, two smaller pockets and two pen holders to organise your personal items. There’s also a key strap in the same fabric as the bag, which I think is a nice touch.
The two pockets on the front aren’t large but are big enough to hold my passport in one, and my phone and glasses in another.
I received the bag in navy and I like that it’s a tote bag style so it’s something I want to use as a day bag on holiday, not just for the journey. The zips are chunky, the handles comfortable and it goes great with jeans!
Size: 51.5 x 37 x 13cm, Weight: 0.44kg Capacity: 12L, Lock: No, Guarantee: two-year warranty
How we tested these products
We tested our selection of the best under-seat bags in real-life situations where possible. All were packed with a variety of clothes for summer to gauge the capacity of each. Some had more space than others, but even the under-seat bags that were designed more for work were able to hold at least a change of clothes or two, as well as essential toiletries.
We also considered how heavy the bags were to carry when they were full, as all but one were wheel-free. We looked for grab handles, luggage sleeves and padding in the shoulder straps, whether they were adjustable, how well the bag fitted when on the shoulder or back and how durable the fabric appeared.
We took into account the number of separate sections and pockets that could be used to hold individual items such as laptops, tablets and other devices, whether they were padded or soft-lined, and the quality of the zips.
Where to buy under-seat luggage
Under-seat luggage can be considered as being of two types: any small bag that will fit under an airline seat and luggage designed specifically to fit under an airline seat and so avoid airline baggage charges.
The second type is available from a variety of luggage retailers, including chain and department stores, some supermarkets and homewares stores.
Online, check out Amazon, which has a huge selection and don’t forget to look at the individual websites of the brands you’re interested in.
We found the under-seat luggage reviewed in our feature at:
- Amazon
- Away
- Kipling
- Rock
- Tripp
How much does under-seat luggage cost?
Price varies depending on what you buy. Basic bags are available for just a few pounds, but if you want more functionality – think lots of pockets, a separate section for your laptop, clothes section and compression straps – be prepared to pay more.
That said, you can buy multi-compartment backpacks for around £35 and these are great value, offering so much more in the way of features than a basic holdall for around £15.
Some under-seat bags will last longer than others and it’s fair to say that the more expensive the bag or cabin case, the greater the likely longevity.
The under-seat bags we reviewed here cost from £13.59 upwards, with the most expensive coming in at £155.
Airline allowances for under-seat luggage
Under-seat luggage requirements vary according to the individual airline and they can change without notice, but the information below is current as of April 2024.
Always check with your airline before travelling so you’re aware of the most up-to-date baggage allowances.
- EasyJet: 45 x 36 x 20cm, up to 15kg
- Ryanair: 40x20x25cm, maximum weight not stipulated on website
- Jet2: 56 x 45 x 25cm, up to 10kg and a personal item that must fit under the seat in front. No size or weight stipulated for personal item on website
- Tui: 55 x 40 x 20cm, up to 10kg (to go under the seat or in overhead storage compartments)
- British Airways: 40 x 30 x 15cm, up to 23kg
- Virgin: 56 x 36 x 22, up to 10kg to go in overhead storage lockers and a small handbag or backpack to fit under the seat in front (no size or weight stipulated on website)
- Emirates: 55 x 38 x 22cm is given as the size for cabin luggage, there is no separate size stipulated for under-seat bags on website
- Air France: 55 x 35 x 25cm, up 12kg (cabin case to go in overhead locker) and a personal item 40 x 30 x 15cm to go under the seat in front of you
