Why Is It So Hard to Find a Carry-On That Fits Every Airline?

If you've ever shopped for a carry-on, you've probably noticed. Every bag claims to be carry-on size, but once you get to the airport, you start to wonder, is it actually going to fit? The truth is, every airline has different size rules, thin sizers at the gate don't always match their websites, and enforcement, or lack thereof, is all over the place. So finding one bag that works everywhere can feel impossible. And to make it more confusing, some bags are technically a little too big, maybe by a few centimeters over in one direction, but they still end up fitting in real sizers just fine. That's why sometimes you really can't just go by the measurements alone. It's actually helpful to see how a bag fits in a real sizer at the airport. That's why I've tested my collection of carry-on bags in real airport sizers across 64 airlines. And in this video, I'm showing you the ones that actually fit and get the stamp of approval. I'll walk you through what fits where, which airlines use the same measurements, and help you find a carry-on that you can feel confident bringing on board. And not to worry, if your bag or airline isn't in this video, I've made a free spreadsheet that has over 70 airlines and it lists their carry-on sizes as well as a listing of specific bags that will fit. I'm starting with the smallest airline sizers and working my way up to the bigger ones. So if a bag fits early on in the video, it'll also fit the sizers that come later. I haven't been able to test every single airline sizer in person, but many airlines use the same measurements. So if you see a bag fit in one sizer, it'll also fit in any other airline that uses those same dimensions. So in this video, you'll see that I physically tested 29 different airline sizer bins that fits across 64 different airlines. In this video, I'll be testing eight carry-on bags I've personally traveled with. The Monos carry-on, the Travelpro Maxlite 5 International Spinner, the 19-inch with four wheels, and the 20-inch with the two wheels. The Brixx X Travel Spinner, LePeau Plume by Samsonite, although I think they've updated this bag and called it something else, but it's basically the same. The Flipside carry-on, the Bass small carry-on roller, and this hardshell suitcase by Antler. I'm also showing the Antler soft-sided version since it's the exact same measurements, but it's a little lighter at 1.9 kilograms. So anywhere this blue case fits, the soft-sided version will fit too. Also, this video is not sponsored and I've tested all of these bags on real trips, so everything you see is coming from personal experience. Here are the specs for each bag. I know you want me to get to the meat of the video, so these slides are going to go by fast. Just pause the video if you'd like to read more about each piece of luggage. I also put together a blog post which summarizes this video and has links to everything mentioned. So first up is the 55 by 35 by 25 centimeter group. These are some of the smallest and most restrictive sizes out there. I was able to physically test the sizers for Air France, KLM, and Singapore Airlines. The bags that fit perfectly are the Antler hardshell, the Monos carry-on, the brick spinner, and the flip side luggage. So if a bag fits here, it's a safe bet for all the other airlines that use the same dimensions. That includes airlines like Avianca, Copa, LATAM, and a few others. So if your airline uses this size and you saw one of these bags fit, you can feel confident it'll work for your flight too. And even if your bag wasn't shown but the size is the same, it should fit the same way as long as you're including the wheels and handles in the measurement. And if a bag fits here, it's definitely going to fit the bigger sizes coming up later on in the video. I think that fits really good, right? Okay, now we are here at the sizer for Condor Airlines. They have a limit of 55 by 40 by 20, which is one of the most common sizes for some of the low-cost European airlines like Ryanair, Icelandair, and Vueling, but also these airlines. The bags that fit perfectly are the TravelPro Maxlite 5s, both the 19-inch international carry-on that's with four wheels and the 20-inch two-wheel carry-on. In the Ryanair sizer, the Antler hardshell fit really well, as does the Monos carry-on, which I tested in different airports on different trips. The brick soft-sided bag also fits great. Here I had the front pocket stuffed with a jacket, so if someone was being a stickler, you could just take it out and it would fit fine. Since Condor shares the same sizer dimensions, the TravelPro bags would also fit too. Now we're moving into a size that's a little more common at 55 by 40 by 23 centimeters. It's just a few centimeters deeper than the last group, which gives you a little more flexibility. So all the bags I've already shown will fit here too, but let's take a look at them in the different sizers. We were able to find sizers for Air Canada, Air Transat, Lufthansa, Austrian, Brussels, Swiss, and even Turkish airlines. There are also a couple other Canadian airlines called Porter and Flair, which also have the same dimensions, and the flip side bag fits great, so you know it's going to fit in the other airlines as well. This also means the bricks will fit too. They all use the same bin size. Other airlines that use the same dimensions include Fiji, Finnair, LOT, SAS, Aerobaltic, and Wizz Air. Now we're looking at 55 by 40 by 25 centimeters. It's the same height and width as the last group, just a little deeper, which means all the bags we've tested thus far will fit. But to give you an idea, this is the size for airlines like Allegiant and Tap Air Portugal, and Viva Airbus and Aer Lingus. We couldn't find that many sizers, but this is the same size for these airlines too. Next up is the most common size you'll see, which is 56 by 36 by 23, or the classic 22 by 14 by 9 inches. This is the sizing used for United, American, JetBlue, Alaska, Hawaiian, Delta, WestJet, and more. Since this bin is slightly larger than all of the previous ones, every single bag I've already shown will fit here no problem. So that includes the Travelpro bags, the Monos, Samsonite, Bricks, Antler, Base, Flipside, but also includes other popular luggage that I don't own like Away, Quince, July, Toomey, Briggs & Riley, and more, as well as some of the bigger versions of the Monos carry-on. The next size up is 56 by 45 by 25 centimeters, which is for airlines like British Airways, and EasyJet, and a few others. It's a fairly generous bin, especially with the 45 centimeter width, which means, again, that everything you've seen so far fits easily with even more wiggle room. But at the time of filming, the bags I had with me were the Samsonite, the Antler, the Monos, Base, and Bricks. Again, that also means all the bags we've been talking about, including the Travelpros, Flipside, Away, and Quince will also fit. And finally, we've reached the most generous size of bins you'll find out there, which is 61 by a little over 40 by 25 centimeters. That's about 24 by 16 by 10 inches, a lot roomier than what most other airlines allow. This is the official size used by airlines like Southwest, Frontier, and Sun Country. Spirit is a little smaller, but I'm including it in this section too. And as you'd expect, every single bag in this video fits with plenty of space to spare. So, after testing all of these carry-on bags in 29 different airline sizers that match 64 different airlines, here's the big takeaway. There is no universal size. Every airline does things a little differently, and even airlines with the same rules don't always have the same sizers at the gate. That's why seeing a bag actually fit in real life is so helpful. So, if you're looking for a carry-on that works across the most airlines, here are my top picks based on everything you've seen. And these are just ones that I personally own and have used on multiple trips and can recommend for their quality and their features. Now, the best choice I would say for international and strict airlines would be the Samsonite LePeau Cabin Spinner or the Travelpro MaxLite 5, the 19-inch version. The best all-around option for most airlines, I would probably recommend the Monos carry-on or the Antler Hardshell. And then for the best soft-sided option, it's going to be the Bricks Spinner or the Travelpro MaxLite 5, the 20-inch two-wheeler. All the bags I mentioned are linked below, or you can scan the QR code on the screen, and that will take you straight to my blog post where I've listed all the exact measurements, specs, and details for each of these bags. And if you want to explore more luggage options or check the sizing for a specific airline, check out the free spreadsheet I made. It covers over 70 airlines, including carry-on size rules, weight limits, and notes on which bags will actually fit. You don't have to enter your email to get it, just click the link and you'll be taken right there. If you find it helpful and you decide to buy one of these bags, using my links is a great way to support the channel and makes all the weird looks I get while testing bags in public feel a little more justified, and I really appreciate it. Now, I'm always curious. I'd love to hear which airlines you've tested in real life and which bag you trust to survive them all. Or let me know what bag you want to see me test next. Thanks so much for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.