PackFitter
Packing Calculator & Fit Tool
Plan. Pack. Fly.
Last updated: April 2026
Ryanair's free personal item must fit within 40 × 30 × 20 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in). This bag is included on all fares and goes under the seat in front of you. There is no published weight limit, but the bag must pass through a physical sizer box at the gate. This is a small allowance — significantly smaller than what most airlines call a "personal item." Many everyday backpacks exceed the 40 cm height limit, and many structured bags exceed the 20 cm depth limit when packed. If your bag does not fit the sizer, it will be gate-checked with a fee.
Ryanair's personal item is the only bag included free on every fare. It is not a carry-on — Ryanair reserves the term "carry-on" (or "cabin bag") for the larger overhead bag that requires paid Priority boarding. If you do not purchase Priority, the personal item is the only bag you can bring into the cabin.
Anything that does not fit the personal item sizer (40 × 30 × 20 cm) will be treated as a cabin bag. Without Priority boarding, that means it gets gate-checked — and gate-check fees are significantly higher than buying a cabin bag add-on or checked bag online in advance.
Ryanair enforces this consistently. They use a physical sizer box at the gate, and staff regularly check bags during boarding. This is not a policy that exists only on paper — expect your bag to be measured.
Two dimensions cause the most failures: height (40 cm) and depth (20 cm). Width (30 cm) is rarely the issue — most bags sit under 30 cm wide.
The 40 cm height limit is the one that eliminates the most bags. For reference, 40 cm is about 15.7 inches — shorter than a standard school backpack. Most "everyday" backpacks are 45–50 cm tall. Even many bags marketed as "small" or "compact" exceed 40 cm once you include the top handle or any lid overhang.
The 20 cm depth limit is the second constraint. That is roughly the thickness of a closed laptop plus a thin layer of clothing. Bags that look fine when empty can easily exceed 20 cm once packed with a laptop, charger, and a change of clothes.
Soft-sided bags have a slight advantage — a slim bag at 21 cm depth might compress through the sizer if it has give. Rigid or structured bags at the same measurement will not. But compression only helps by 1–2 cm at most. A bag that exceeds the limit by 3+ cm is not going to compress its way through.
The sizer box has a slightly larger internal cavity than the published dimensions (roughly 42 × 30 × 20 cm), which provides a small margin. But this is not something to rely on — enforcement varies by airport and staff, and counting on that margin means you are gambling.
Liters indicate internal capacity, not external dimensions. Ryanair measures external dimensions only. Here is how common backpack sizes map to the 40 × 30 × 20 cm personal item limit:
These are general patterns based on common bag shapes. Always check your specific bag's external dimensions against 40 × 30 × 20 cm — not its liter rating.
These bags are among the closest matches in our database for Ryanair's 40 × 30 × 20 cm personal item limit. Both have published external dimensions at or under the limit and are designed specifically for strict European airline sizers. As with any bag, overstuffing can push dimensions beyond the published measurements — pack within the bag's natural shape.
Why aren't popular bags like the Matein Travel Laptop Backpack listed here? At 45.7 × 30.5 × 19.8 cm (18 × 12 × 7.8 in), the Matein exceeds the 40 cm height limit by 5.7 cm — too far beyond the limit to realistically pass Ryanair's sizer. Most "personal item" backpacks on the market have the same problem.
If your bag exceeds the personal item limit, you will need paid Priority boarding for a cabin bag, or to check your bag. These pages cover the larger allowance and full policy:
Use the calculator to see whether your packing setup fits Ryanair's personal item size in real-world conditions.
Open packing calculator →Ryanair's free personal item must fit within 40 × 30 × 20 cm (15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in). There is no published weight limit. The bag must fit under the seat in front of you and pass through the physical sizer box at the gate.
Yes. Ryanair uses a physical sizer box at the gate and staff regularly check bags during boarding. Bags that do not fit are gate-checked with a fee that is significantly higher than buying a cabin bag add-on or checked bag online. This is one of the most strictly enforced personal item policies among major airlines.
Only very small backpacks have a realistic chance. Most everyday backpacks exceed 40 cm in height — the most common reason bags fail the sizer. Slim laptop bags and compact daypacks under about 20 liters are the most likely to pass, but always verify external dimensions rather than relying on liter ratings.
If your bag does not fit Ryanair's sizer at the gate, it will be gate-checked and you will be charged a fee. Gate-check fees are significantly higher than pre-purchasing a cabin bag add-on or checked bag online. If you think your bag may be close to the limit, it is safer to pre-purchase Priority boarding or a checked bag before arriving at the airport.
As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases.