Luggage Size Calculator
Measure your bag’s outside length, width, and height (wheels and handles included), pick your airline from the list — including free under-seat vs priority cabin bags on low-cost carriers — and see whether it fits. Custom mode is there when your ticket uses different numbers.
Calculate
Calculate
Measurements convert when you switch units
Result
The formula
We compare your bag’s three outside dimensions to the selected airline (or custom) limit after sorting both largest-to-smallest, so rotating the bag in the sizer still counts as a fair fit. Linear size is L + W + H. Optional weight is checked against the rule’s kilogram (or pound) cap when you enter a packed weight.
How to measure your bag
Use a tape on the packed bag the way a sizer would see it — outside surfaces, including hardware.
- Pack as you will fly — Zip expanders closed or open to match your trip. Soft sides that bulge will change the result.
- Length, width, height — Measure the longest outside edge, then the other two perpendicular edges. Include wheels and the extended trolley handle only if it sticks beyond the shell when retracted for boarding (usually wheels + fixed handle housing).
- Weigh packed — If your airline lists a cabin or checked weight limit, weigh the packed bag on a luggage scale and enter that figure.
- If you are within about 1–2 cm of the limit, expect the metal frame to be unforgiving.
- Codeshare tickets: the operating airline’s baggage page usually controls, not the marketing brand alone.
Worked example
- Bag 55 × 40 × 23 cm → sorted 55, 40, 23
- Ryanair Priority cabin limit 55 × 40 × 20 cm → sorted 55, 40, 20
- Height 23 > 20 → oversize on the third axis (linear 118 cm)
Result: Oversize for Ryanair Priority — use a thinner cabin bag or the free under-seat size if that is all your fare includes
How luggage size is checked
Airport sizers and airline charts use outside measurements. Presets mirror widely published cabin limits for popular carriers; Custom lets you paste the numbers from your booking.
Airline presets and fare brands
Presets use published economy-style cabin sizes (including wheels/handles). Low-cost carriers often list two sizes: a free personal item under the seat, and a larger overhead bag that needs Priority, Plus, or a paid add-on. Pick the row that matches what you paid for.
British Airways lists cabin-bag dimensions (56 × 45 × 25 cm) and requires you to lift the bag yourself — the familiar 23 kg figure on BA pages is for checked bags, not the cabin piece. Air France/KLM’s 12 kg is a combined cabin + accessory total. Qantas International Economy is typically 7 kg; domestic Qantas allowances are higher.
Outside dimensions, not interior
Include wheels, side handles, and expanded zippers. Soft bags that bulge when packed can fail a rigid metal frame even if the empty shell looked fine on paper.
Orientation and sorting
We sort your three edges and the limit’s three edges from longest to shortest, then compare axis by axis. That matches how you can rotate a bag in a sizer. If an airline publishes a fixed “height must be the wheeled side” rule, use Custom and enter dimensions in their stated order — or treat a near-miss as a no.
Linear inches and checked bags
Some airlines (for example Delta) publish both per-edge maxima and a linear sum. Checked bags commonly use L + W + H ≤ 158 cm (62 in) plus a weight tier. Singapore Airlines cabin baggage is often stated as a linear centimetre total rather than three separate edges.
What we do not model
Presets are planning snapshots of published economy-style cabin rules and can lag fare changes, regional exceptions, and codeshares. The operating airline’s current baggage page always wins over this tool.
Interesting facts
No single global cabin size
IATA publishes reference figures and past voluntary guidelines, but each airline sets its own maximums. A bag that fits one carrier’s overhead rule can fail another’s sizer on the same itinerary.
IATA’s widely cited reference
IATA’s passenger baggage guidance often cites about 56 × 45 × 25 cm (22 × 18 × 10 in) including wheels and handles as a general industry reference — not a binding universal law.
Cabin OK was smaller
IATA’s 2015 “Cabin OK” optimum size was 55 × 35 × 20 cm. It was an optional branding guideline, not a forced industry maximum, and most airline ceilings stayed larger.
158 cm checked sum
A common checked allowance is L + W + H ≤ 158 cm (62 in). Oversized pieces can incur fees even when they are under the weight limit.
Weight vs size
US legacy carriers often emphasize size for carry-on more than a published weight; many international and low-cost carriers enforce both kilograms and centimetres.
Frequently asked questions
Measure the packed bag’s outside L×W×H including wheels and handles, pick your airline (or Custom), then calculate. If any sorted edge exceeds the matching limit edge — or weight exceeds the cap — assume it may be gate-checked or charged.
There is no single standard. Most large US carriers publish about 22 × 14 × 9 in (≈ 56 × 36 × 23 cm). Many European charts use 55 × 40 × 20–23 cm. Low-cost free bags are often closer to 40 × 30 × 20 cm. Use the airline list on this page, then confirm on the carrier’s site.
Use the free under-seat row if that is all your fare includes. Use the Priority / large cabin row only if you paid for overhead cabin baggage (or hold Plus membership). The larger size is not free on every ticket.
Yes. Airline limits and sizer frames almost always include all protrusions. Measuring only the hard shell understates the bag.
Linear size is length + width + height. Checked bags are frequently limited by that sum (for example 158 cm / 62 in) plus weight. Some cabin policies (Delta, Singapore Airlines) also publish a linear centimetre or inch total.
Usually yes — staff care whether the bag fits the frame, not which face is “up.” This calculator sorts edges so rotation is allowed. Follow any airline wording that forbids a particular orientation.
Personal-item limits are smaller than overhead cabin bags. Ryanair’s free bag is commonly 40 × 30 × 20 cm; easyJet’s free bag is 45 × 36 × 20 cm; several network carriers use about 40 × 30 × 15 cm. Pick the matching under-seat preset when that is your allowance.
BA’s published cabin bag size is 56 × 45 × 25 cm, and you must be able to lift it yourself. The 23 kg figure on BA baggage pages is the usual checked-bag weight, not a cabin-bag weight limit. Use the British Airways cabin preset for size, and enter a packed weight only if you want a personal check against another airline’s kg rule.
No. 55 × 40 × 20 cm is a size many airlines choose (including Ryanair’s paid cabin bag). IATA’s optional Cabin OK guideline was 55 × 35 × 20 cm; its broader reference figures are larger. Airline policy wins.
Divide centimetres by 2.54 (or use this page’s metric/imperial toggle). Example: 55 cm ≈ 21.7 in. Keep all three edges in the same unit system.
References
- Passenger baggage rules Industry reference figures for cabin baggage; airline policies still govern.
- Carry-on bags and size limits US major: 56 × 36 × 23 cm carry-on including handles and wheels.
- Carry-on baggage Per-edge maxima plus 45 linear inches / 114 cm.
- Baggage essentials Cabin bag 56 × 45 × 25 cm; 23 kg on BA pages refers to checked bags.
- Hand luggage Economy cabin 56 × 40 × 25 cm · 10 kg.
- Cabin bags Free under-seat vs paid large cabin bag split.
- Carry-on baggage rules Economy cabin 55 × 38 × 22 cm · 7 kg (class/route variants apply).
- Cabin baggage Economy: one piece ≤ 7 kg with linear dimensions ≤ 115 cm.
- Carry-on baggage allowances Overhead bag 56 × 36 × 23 cm; international Economy weight typically 7 kg.