Flying with Ryanair, Wizz Air or easyJet and refuse to pay a penny extra for baggage? I hear ya! Well, here’s our guide to getting the best small cabin bag that will fit all the luggage limits.
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Why is getting the best small cabin bag important?
As airlines bring in more and more tight baggage restrictions, it’s never been more important to find bags that maximise your luggage allowance.
Too small and you could be missing out on much needed space, and too big and you could end up with a fee of up to £70!
What Luggage is Included on Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air?
The key thing to remember here is that every airline has a different baggage allowance.
For low cost airlines like Ryanair, Wizz Air and easyJet, this means that only a small cabin bag is included for free which needs to be able to fit underneath the seat in front of you on the plane.
You can check out our full guide on luggage restrictions below.
Top tips for travelling with just a small cabin bag
If you’re used to travelling with a large cabin bag, packing everything into just a small cabin bag can seem quite the challenge I know, but here’s my top tips for making it work for you.
- Start off with a packing list to ensure you don’t panic pack unnecessary extras
- Write a list of exactly what you’re going to wear each and every day and only pack that
- Roll your clothes and use packing cubes and roll by hand vac bags to compress clothes
- Book accommodation with a washing machine or close to a laundrette so you can do laundry whilst you’re away on doing laundry
- Choose a fabric luggage instead of a hard case – a soft exterior is more manoeuvrable and can be more easily compressed or expanded.
- Wear your heavy-weight items, like coats and hoodies, to the airport.
- Try a viral packing hack such as packing clothes into your neck pillow or wearing a fishing vest!
The Best Small Cabin Bag for Ryanair, easyJet and Wizz Air
With so many choices to pick between, I’ve whittled it down to some of my favourite best small cabin bag options for you.
The best budget small cabin bags – under £25
The best mid-range small cabin bags – under £50
The best luxury small cabin bags – £50 and over
OK, all of these are technically a little too big but they’re all backpacks so are a classic wear-on-your-back-and-hope-for-the-best! This is what I do and I haven’t been charged extra – yet! If you’re willing to take the risk, here are some of the best bags to do it with.
What bag do I use for small cabin bag flights?
Now, if you’ve been following me for a while you may be wondering where the bag I use is on this list.
I use the Patagonia Black Hole 45L bag whose size I have never let deter me from using it as a small cabin bag!
However, they sadly discontinued the 45L some years ago and now only produce the 40L. On top of that, it’s constantly out of stock and really difficult to get your hands on. However, if you are able to find a 40 or 45L seond hand, I’d absolutely recommend it. Especially as the price has gone up from £90 to £120 over the years!!
Travel smart with the best hand luggage
Upgrade your travel game with the right luggage and smart packing. Avoid extra charges by choosing a carry-on that meets your airline’s requirements. Our list of the best hand luggage will have you saying goodbye to luggage fees and hello to stress-free travel!
