Ryanair allowance at a glance
| Bag | Maximum size | Maximum weight | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Carry-on | 21.7×15.7×7.9 in55x40x20 cm | 22 lb10 kg | Only included with Regular fares or the Priority and 2 Cabin Bags add-on. Basic fares do not get this bag. |
| Personal item | 15.7×11.8×7.9 in40x30x20 cm | No stated limit | Free on every fare, including Basic. No published weight limit, must fit under the seat ahead. |
| Checked bag | 80x120x120 (max combined size for the 20kg check-in bag) cm | 22, 44, or 51 lb10, 20, or 23 kg |
This page goes deeper on one part of the policy. The full record is at Ryanair Baggage Rules.
The Ryanair under seat bag dimensions are 40 x 30 x 20 cm, about 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in. That small bag is the only free bag on a Basic fare.
It has to fit under the seat in front. A bag that does not fit the sizer is refused at the gate or sent to the hold for a fee.
The Ryanair record prints the allowance table, and the Ryanair carry-on size page covers the paid 10 kg bag. This page is about the free one. What fits, what counts, what happens at the gate, and which bags on this site actually clear 20 cm.
The Ryanair under seat bag dimensions, exactly
Ryanair’s bag policy gives the small personal bag as 40 x 30 x 20 cm. It must fit under the seat in front of you.
It names a handbag or a laptop bag as examples. There is no published weight limit for it.
Those three numbers are all hard. Ryanair’s gate sizers are metal frames, and the bag goes in with whatever is inside it.
The 20 cm depth is the dimension that fails most bags. A stuffed backpack bulges past it long before it exceeds the height.
The personal item versus carry-on guide explains the general rule. On Ryanair there is no ambiguity: one small bag free, everything else paid.
What counts as the small bag
Anything that fits the frame counts, and anything that does not, does not. A handbag, a laptop bag, a small backpack or a squashable soft bag all qualify if they fit the frame.
A second item does not. A coat over the arm is not a bag, but a duty free carrier bag is, and it will be counted.
The trap for US travelers is the bag sold for the American ultra low cost carriers. Those are cut to an 18 x 14 x 8 in box, and 18 in is 45.7 cm. A bag built for Frontier or Allegiant is 5 cm too long for the Ryanair under seat bag dimensions on paper.
Which fares include what
The small bag is free on every fare, including Basic. The 10 kg cabin bag is 55 x 40 x 20 cm and goes in the overhead locker.
It comes only with Regular and higher fares or the Priority and 2 Cabin Bags add-on. Plus and Family Plus swap in checked bags instead.
The Ryanair baggage fees page works through what each add-on costs. The site’s guide to basic economy carry-on rules covers how the one free bag model works across carriers.
What happens at the gate
Ryanair’s help center is blunt. A cabin bag over the allowance is refused at the boarding gate or, where space allows, placed in the hold for a fee.
The fee is set in Ryanair’s table of fees, and the help article does not print the amount. Traveler accounts agree it runs well above the price of buying a bag in advance.
Enforcement is consistent rather than random. The frame is at the boarding desk on nearly every flight, and staff use it on bags that look close. A soft bag that can be pushed into the frame passes; a rigid one that catches on the lip does not.
The gate check and sizers guide covers what to take out before a bag goes in the hold. Batteries, medication and anything valuable come out first.
The underseat reality
Ryanair flies one aircraft family, the 737, and the underseat space is the same on every flight. The 40 x 30 x 20 cm box is sized to that space, so a bag that fits the frame fits the floor.
Aisle seats and rows near the exits can have less room because of seat supports. The frame is the rule, not the floor.
Bags that fit 40 x 30 x 20 cm
Because depth is the constraint, soft bags win. Manufacturers rarely publish stuffed dimensions.
The table gives what each bag is built for and how it behaves at the frame. Confirm with a self locking tape measure on the packed bag.
| Bag | Built for | Against 40 x 30 x 20 cm |
|---|---|---|
| WANDF foldable personal item duffel | A packable soft bag that flattens inside a suitcase | Squashes into the frame when not overpacked; the best bet for the return leg |
| Baggu Small Cloud Carry-on bag | A packable nylon bag that folds into itself | Fits when half full; no structure to catch on the frame |
| Kipling Art M tote | A light nylon tote sized as a personal item on every airline | Fits flat; the open top means it compresses to 20 cm |
| Cabin Max Metz 40L backpack | The 55 x 40 x 20 cm paid cabin bag limit | Too big for the free bag; the right pick if you buy Priority and 2 Cabin Bags |
| US bags cut to 18 x 14 x 8 in | The Frontier and Allegiant box | About 5 cm too long; expect the frame to refuse a full one |
Customer reviews of the WANDF and Baggu bags commonly mention using them on Ryanair and easyJet as the free bag. The same reviews warn that a full load pushes them past the frame. Pack them to two thirds.
The carry-on size checker takes your bag’s real measurements and shows the Ryanair result next to every other carrier on the trip.
The bottom line
The Ryanair under seat bag dimensions are 40 x 30 x 20 cm. It is free on every fare, has no weight limit, and must fit under the seat. The 20 cm depth is the number that fails bags, and the metal frame is used at the gate.
Bring a soft bag packed to two thirds. Or buy Priority and 2 Cabin Bags in advance for the 55 x 40 x 20 cm overhead bag. Do not bring a bag cut to the US 18 in box and hope; it is 5 cm too long.
Common questions
What size is the free under seat bag on Ryanair?
40 x 30 x 20 cm, about 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in. It must fit under the seat in front of you and it is free on every fare, including Basic.
Is there a weight limit for the Ryanair small bag?
No. Ryanair publishes no weight limit for the free small bag, only the 40 x 30 x 20 cm size and the requirement that it fits under the seat.
What counts as a personal item on Ryanair?
Any single bag that fits the 40 x 30 x 20 cm frame, such as a handbag, laptop bag or small backpack. A duty free carrier bag counts as a second item and is not free.
What happens if my small bag is too big at the Ryanair gate?
It is refused at the boarding gate or, where there is room, placed in the hold for a fee set in Ryanair’s table of fees. The fee is well above the price of buying a cabin bag in advance.
Does a backpack count as the free bag on Ryanair?
Yes, if it fits 40 x 30 x 20 cm packed. The 20 cm depth is the usual failure point, so a soft backpack packed to two thirds is safer than a full one.
Will a US personal item bag fit Ryanair's under seat allowance?
Usually not. Bags cut to the American 18 x 14 x 8 in box are about 45 cm long against Ryanair’s 40 cm limit, so they fail the frame on length unless they are underpacked and squashed.
Some links on this page are Amazon affiliate links. If you buy through one, Carry On Sizes may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never changes what we recommend. How this works.