I know plenty of us say we love to travel, but are there any travelers out there who don’t get at least a little frustrated dealing with airports and planes? That especially applies to handling carry-on luggage — from figuring out size and weight requirements to the dread over your bag potentially being gate-checked at the last minute because it doesn’t fit in the appropriate compartment, there’s plenty of opportunities for logistical headaches.
Still, I’ll almost always be team carry-on only, especially for shorter trips. It’s a great way to save money and time at the airport; you just need to make sure you have the right bag. A good carry-on bag is one that fits your airline’s size requirements, but also offers you some perks to make your life easier, like a USB charging port for your devices or built-in organizers to separate your shoes or wet items.
With each airline having slightly different guidelines for the maximum size bag allowed, you might be stressed about finding the ideal carry-on, but don’t worry. I’ve looked up the size requirements for every major domestic airline in the United States — both for overhead storage and personal items — and found a useful, well-designed bag that’ll fit where it needs to fit. See our list ahead, and remember to double-check the airlines size requirements for any unforeseen changes before you travel.
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Best for: a carry-on bag via Delta, United, American, JetBlue, Alaska, Southwest, and Allegiant
Many major airlines — including Delta, United, American, JetBlue and Alaska — list 22-by-14-by-9 inches as the maximum size for a carry-on bag stored in the overhead bin (wheels and handle included). This Rockland roller bag fits those dimensions almost exactly, at 22-by-13.5-by-9 inches. The size also works for Southwest (24-by-16-by-10 inches) and Allegiant Airlines‘ (22-by-16-by-10 inches) requirements.
Made with a durable but lightweight hard shell material, this simple roller bag has multi-directional spinner wheels and an ergonomic telescoping handle, making it easy to pull along with you through the airport. There’s a mesh zip pocket on the inside and the main compartment is expandable (though expanding it could exceed the maximum allowed size, depending on the airline). It’s available in up to 13 colors.
Promising Amazon review: “Love this suitcase. Bought it for my teenage daughter who travels alot for cheerleading, flights several times a year. It’s perfect, stands up on its own perfect balance, has alot more room than I expected and fits perfect as a carry on for every airline we’ve flown (Spirit, Delta, Southwest and JetBlue). Also the hard shell casing keeps everything inside safe.” — julia gulia
Best for: a carry-on bag via Spirit
If you choose to pay extra for a carry-on bag on a Spirit flight, you’ll also be dealing with different size requirements than most airlines, with 22-by-18-by-10 inches as the limit. Though it’s technically called an “underseat” bag, this mini roller bag by Hanke actually meets the overhead requirement better, measuring about 16-by-13-by-9 inches. (For comparison, 18-by-14-by-8 inches is the largest personal item Spirit allows.)
The suitcase features 360-degree spinner wheels, a TSA lock for the zippers, a separate pocket for toiletries and another private zippered compartment, a cross strap for the main compartment and a scratch-resistant outer shell that comes in nine colors.
Promising review: “Perfect if you’re flying with spirit airlines. Didn’t get asked to measure it or anything. Went through 4 planes and I had no problems.” —Elyzabeth
Best for: a personal item via Spirit, American and Allegiant
For personal items stored under the seat in front of you on the plane, size requirements become even stricter, and for good reason — you don’t want to trip over your own or someone else’s bag when you’re exiting the row, especially not in an emergency. Spirit, American and Allegiant Airlines all cap personal item sizes at 18-by-14-by-8 inches, which perfectly matches the dimensions of this weekender tote.
You can choose between two models of this tote, one with a shoulder strap and one without. The straps are reinforced, the fabric of the bag itself is water-resistant and the outer pouch can slide over an extended suitcase handle so you can pull it with your luggage instead of having to carry it separately. It’s available in 20 colors, and is easily folded up when you’re not using it.
Promising review: “Husband and I each purchased one for Spirit airlines and it was a success. We used them as our personal bag and I was able to pack shirts, shorts, undies, and liquid 3 ounces containers , for 6 nights. No issue at all. Definitely a winner. Fit right under the seat. Great value.” — Amazon Customer
Best for: a personal item via Delta
Delta doesn’t specify a maximum personal item size because it can vary by aircraft, so this one takes some guesswork. We do know that 18-by-11-by-11 inches is their recommended maximum for pet carriers onboard that have to go under the seat. While this computer bag is just slightly over that, at 18-by-12-by-7.8 inches, multiple reviewers have successfully stored it under their seats on a Delta plane, so the airline’s estimate may be on the extra-cautious side.
This backpack can fit a 15.6-inch or smaller laptop in the designated compartment. Additional smaller pockets can hold your phone, a water bottle, pens and more, with a key fob hook also in one of the inner pockets. The outside has an external USB port, water-resistant fabric, adjustable straps and a padded back design with a luggage strap. It comes in 30 colors.
Promising review: “I bought this bag for use as a personal item for flying and it’s been perfect! I’ve taken it on both Delta and American Airlines flights and it’s fit perfectly under the seats for both (even on a tiny connecting flight). It holds a lot of stuff and the pockets are nicely divided. The laptop pocket is great (especially for having to take laptops out for security). I also love the clip-in spot for keys. The charging port is even more convenient than I expected, especially for layovers. And the fact that it fits over my suitcase handle was really convenient. I’m really happy with this purchase!” — Ashley
Best for: a personal item via United
While this Ecohub bag isn’t on wheels, it still strikes a nice balance between a suitcase and a backpack because the main compartment unzips on three sides (no more digging to the bottom of your backpack). And at roughly 16-by-10-by-8 inches, it fits United‘s personal item size limit of 17-by-10-by-9 inches.
This bag has back straps as well as side handles, a USB charging port and a cross strap to hold your things in place in the main compartment. As for pockets, there are two inner zipper pockets, plus pockets outside the main compartment for a water bottle, small valuables, passports and IDs and, of course, a laptop (up to 14.7 inches).
Promising review: “I took this to Europe and it was a great backpack for the ‘personal item’ on United. I like that it opens like a suitcase. It is small, but I was able to pack quite a bit between this and a carry on for a week-long trip. Not bad for a person who typically overpacks! I now use it as my gym bag. I really love the small size and all of the pockets and tie downs.” — Dawn
Best for: a personal item via Southwest
Southwest‘s personal item policy is 16.25-by-13.5-by-8 inches, and this duffle bag fits the bill at roughly 16-by-12-by-8 inches. It’s roomy and structured, with zipper pockets on the front, back and inside, plus a trolley sleeve that can slide over a suitcase handle for easy transport. The longer shoulder strap is removable, and the brand estimates that there’s enough room for clothing for a three-day trip. It comes in black or gray.
Best for: a personal item via Southwest
JetBlue has yet another slight difference in their personal item policy, with 17-by-13-by-8 inches as the maximum size. This backpack is about 17-by-12-by-8 inches, and its box structure ensures no bit of space is sacrificed. The main compartment can unzip 180 degrees like a suitcase, and the bag even has a separate shoe storage compartment on the bottom — complete with air vents, so your shoes don’t stink up all your stuff.
The outside has a trolley sleeve to attach to your luggage, a USB port to charge your devices and an anti-theft pocket. On the inside, you can find a pocket that fits 15-inch laptops, a wet bag and several little pockets for smaller items. It’s available in 43 colors.
Promising review: “I flew on JetBlue and Delta with this bag, and both times I filled it COMPLETELY and it worked perfectly as a personal item! I was able to fit 4 pairs of shoes, pajamas, earrings, toiletries, and all my wires. Great purchase!” — Ari
Best for: a carry-on via Allegiant
Allegiant‘s overhead compartments allow for carry-ons up to 22-by-16-by-10 inches, but not all overhead carry-on bags need to be roller bags if that’s not your style. This Etronik travel bag, which we previously covered for its similarity to the popular (and much more expensive) Béis Weekender bag, can be comfortably stowed away on an Allegiant flight at roughly 19-by-15-by-9 inches.
Available in 16 colorways, this bag is notable for the separate shoe compartment on the bottom, which also has air vents to let out any bad odors. There’s a PVC-lined pocket for wet items inside, adjustable handles, a detachable shoulder strap, a USB charging port and a trolley strap to attach to a suitcase handle. It also comes with an extra toiletry bag you can store inside.
Best for: a personal item via Alaska
Like Delta, Alaska Airlines doesn’t specifically name a maximum size for personal items, but based on their guidance that pet carriers not exceed 17-by-11-by-9.5 inches, we can estimate that personal items also stored under the seat should be around the same size.
If you’re planning to buy a bag and some toiletry bags for your next trip, you can knock both purchases out in one with this Hanples backpack, which is 7.48-by-11-by-16.54 inches and comes with two clear, waterproof pouches for toiletries. The backpack itself also features a laptop compartment that can fit up to a 17.3-inch screen, a charging/headphone port, a bottle holder, a wet bag, a chest strap, a trolley strap, a cross strap for the main compartment and many, many pockets. It’s available in nine colors.
Best for: a carry-on via Southwest
Southwest has the biggest carry-on size allowance on this list, with bags up to 24-by-16-by-10 inches able to be stored overhead. Both of the roller bags featured earlier on this list could fit on a Southwest flight, but if this is your main airline, it may be worth it to give yourself the little bit of extra room.
Enter: the Away Bigger Carry-On. Yes, it’s much more expensive than anything else on this list, but Away is a trusted brand lauded by testers at Business Insider, Travel + Leisure and CNN Underscored, among others. This bigger version of their classic carry-on is 22.7-by-15.4-by-9.6 inches. It has a durable polycarbonate shell, TSA lock, an underside handle to make lifting it overhead easier, four inner pockets and more. It’s available in 11 colors.
Promising review: “This was the perfect suitcase for my latest trip, a 5 day vacation. Fit everything I needed. Also fit in the overhead compartment on Southwest. This was the second piece I have purchased from this brand and this will be the only luggage I purchase going forward. Very impressed!” — Haley L.