Southwest carry-on size: will your bag fit?
Enter your bag's measurements and see instantly whether it flies as Southwest Airlines hand luggage — free, for a fee, or not at all — against the official limits.
Your bag's measurements
The order doesn't matter — we test every orientation. Measure the widest points, including wheels, handles and packed pockets.
Southwest Airlines — official cabin limits
| Allowance | Max dimensions (inches — the airline's own figure) Second line: our conversion | Max weight |
|---|---|---|
| Free personal item | No dimensions published | Not stated |
| Carry-on | 24 × 16 × 10 in ≈ 60.9 × 40.6 × 25.4 cm | Not stated |
How to read these numbers — Southwest Airlines publishes these limits in inches — the unit its airport sizers are built to. The centimetre figures are our own conversion, always rounded down. 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
Southwest allows the biggest carry-on of any major US airline: 24 × 16 × 10 in (≈ 60.9 × 40.6 × 25.4 cm), with wheels, handles and attachments included — plus one personal item that fits under the seat, both free on every fare, Basic included. Southwest publishes no weight limit; the only limit it states is size.
Soft bag vs hard case
With the most generous limit in the US market, rigidity matters less on Southwest than anywhere else — most travel backpacks and even mid-size rollers fit with room to spare. Where softness still pays is the personal item: Southwest publishes no dimensions for it, so 'fits under the seat' is the whole rule, and a soft bag passes that test.
Boarding tips
- The 24 × 16 × 10 in limit is measured with wheels, handles and attachments included.
- Southwest publishes no weight limit for the cabin bag; the dimensions above are the only rule it states.
- The personal item has no published dimensions — it just has to fit under the seat in front of you. Neck pillows don't count against your allowance.
- Both bags are free on every fare, Basic included — on United's Basic Economy you get the personal item only.