Ryanair cabin bag size: will your bag fit?

Enter your bag's measurements and see instantly whether it flies as Ryanair hand luggage — free, for a fee, or not at all — against the official limits.

Verified data · Official source help.ryanair.com · Verified on

Your bag's measurements

cm
cm
cm

The order doesn't matter — we test every orientation. Measure the widest points, including wheels, handles and packed pockets.

Ryanair — official cabin limits

Allowance Max dimensions (cm — the airline's own figure) Second line: our conversion Max weight
Free personal item 40 × 30 × 20 cm≈ 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.8 in Not stated
Cabin bag 55 × 40 × 20 cm≈ 21.6 × 15.7 × 7.8 in 10 kg≈ 22 lb

How to read these numbers — Ryanair publishes these limits in centimetres. The inch figures are our own conversion, always rounded down, never up. Airlines that print both units often print two figures that don't agree with each other — sometimes looser, sometimes stricter. When they disagree we go by the airline's own unit and round the other one down. Packing to our number keeps you inside the real limit.

What to expect

Ryanair is the strictest major airline in Europe on cabin bags, and it's enforced at the gate with a metal sizer. Only the small under-seat bag is free; anything larger needs a paid add-on. Assume every bag will be checked and leave a margin on the dimensions.

Soft bag vs hard case

Because Ryanair actually uses the gate sizer, a soft, frameless bag has a real edge: it compresses to drop into the cage. A rigid trolley — or a backpack with a stiff foam back panel and a hard laptop sleeve — can't be squeezed, so it's refused even a centimetre over.

Boarding tips

  • On a basic fare, board early — once the cabin fills, gate staff may send even a correctly-sized bag to the hold.
  • Wear your bulkiest jacket through the gate and move heavy tech, books and chargers into its pockets before the sizer.
  • Measure the packed depth: a full backpack easily bulges past the 20 cm (7.8 in) limit.
  • You need Priority & 2 Cabin Bags for the 55×40×20 cm (≈ 21.6 × 15.7 × 7.8 in) locker bag — it isn't in the basic fare.

Common questions

Does Ryanair weigh the free small cabin bag?

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No — the free 40×30×20 cm (≈ 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.8 in) bag has no stated weight limit, but it must fit under the seat and into the gate sizer. The 10 kg (≈ 22 lb) limit applies only to the larger Priority cabin bag.

Does a backpack count as Ryanair's free personal item?

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Yes, as long as it fits within 40×30×20 cm (≈ 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.8 in) including straps and full pockets. Backpacks are often deeper than they look, so measure the packed depth.

What happens if my bag doesn't fit the gate sizer?

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It's placed in the hold and a gate bag fee applies, which is higher than adding the allowance online in advance.

Do I need Priority to bring a second bag on board?

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Yes. The 55×40×20 cm (≈ 21.6 × 15.7 × 7.8 in), 10 kg (≈ 22 lb) cabin bag only comes into the cabin with Priority & 2 Cabin Bags; otherwise only the small under-seat bag is free.

What is Vilanera?

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Vilanera designs premium backpacks, bags and accessories for the way you dress — parent-aware on demand. We built this checker because we kept doing the same maths ourselves: every airline sets its own limits, publishes them in its own units, and changes them without warning. So we read each carrier's official policy at the source, stamp it with the date we checked, and let you measure your own bag against it — free, and with no sign-up.
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