How we picked
These are everyday backpacks with maker-published sizes that fit under an airline seat. We checked each one against the personal item limits of eight US airlines. Most land between 14 and 17.5 in tall, which clears even the strictest US personal item sizes.
At a glance
| Bag | Outside size | Weight | Capacity | Fits | Buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monos Metro Backpack (Nylon) | 16.5 × 11.2 × 6 in | 2.7 lb | 14 L | 4 of 5airlines | Amazon |
| Herschel Supply Co. Classic BackpackMost capacity | 16.7 × 12.2 × 6.3 in | 1.1 lb | 26 L | 4 of 5airlines | Amazon |
| Fjallraven Kanken Classic Backpack 16LLightest on this list | 14.2 × 10.8 × 4.7 in | 0.7 lb | 16 L | 4 of 5airlines | Amazon |
| Osprey Daylite Backpack 13L | 16.9 × 10.2 × 7.9 in | 1.2 lb | 13 L | 4 of 5airlines | Amazon |
| Peak Design Everyday Backpack Zip 15L | 16.5 × 11 × 7.9 in | 2.5 lb | 15 L | 4 of 5airlines | Amazon |
“Fits” tests the maker’s published outside size against the personal item limit of Delta, American, United, Southwest, JetBlue, Alaska, Frontier, Allegiant, using the same math as our bag size checker.
The picks
Monos Metro Backpack (Nylon)
16.5x11.2x6 in fits within a typical ~17x13x8 under-seat space, with a 15 in laptop compartment.
- Outside size
- 16.5 × 11.2 × 6 in42 × 28 × 15 cm
- Weight
- 2.7 lb1.2 kg
- Capacity
- 14 L
Personal item limit check
- Delta: no published size
- American: Fits
- United: Too big
- Southwest: no published size
- JetBlue: Fits
- Alaska: no published size
- Frontier: Fits
- Allegiant: Fits
Herschel Supply Co. Classic Backpack
16.73x12.21x6.3 in is under 17x13x8 and weighs just 1.1 lb.
- Outside size
- 16.7 × 12.2 × 6.3 in43 × 31 × 16 cm
- Weight
- 1.1 lb0.5 kg
- Capacity
- 26 L
Laptop sleeve is 12 x 11 in.
Personal item limit check
- Delta: no published size
- American: Fits
- United: Too big
- Southwest: no published size
- JetBlue: Tight fit
- Alaska: no published size
- Frontier: Fits
- Allegiant: Fits
Fjallraven Kanken Classic Backpack 16L
About 14-15 x 11 x 5 in, so it fits under the seat even on strict carriers. It has no padded laptop sleeve.
- Outside size
- 14.2 × 10.8 × 4.7 in36 × 28 × 12 cm
- Weight
- 0.7 lb0.3 kg
- Capacity
- 16 L
Personal item limit check
- Delta: no published size
- American: Fits
- United: Too big
- Southwest: no published size
- JetBlue: Fits
- Alaska: no published size
- Frontier: Fits
- Allegiant: Fits
Osprey Daylite Backpack 13L
16.93x10.24x7.87 in, under a 17x13x8 under-seat allowance on every side.
- Outside size
- 16.9 × 10.2 × 7.9 in43 × 26 × 20 cm
- Weight
- 1.2 lb0.6 kg
- Capacity
- 13 L
Personal item limit check
- Delta: no published size
- American: Tight fit
- United: Too big
- Southwest: no published size
- JetBlue: Tight fit
- Alaska: no published size
- Frontier: Tight fit
- Allegiant: Tight fit
Peak Design Everyday Backpack Zip 15L
16.5x11x7.9 in (42x28x20 cm) per Peak Design, under 8 in deep and narrow enough for most under-seat spaces.
- Outside size
- 16.5 × 11 × 7.9 in42 × 28 × 20 cm
- Weight
- 2.5 lb1.1 kg
- Capacity
- 15 L
Peak Design notes these are average sizes that expand and contract with load.
Personal item limit check
- Delta: no published size
- American: Tight fit
- United: Too big
- Southwest: no published size
- JetBlue: Tight fit
- Alaska: no published size
- Frontier: Tight fit
- Allegiant: Tight fit
Choosing a personal item bag
- Know your strictest airline. United and American publish smaller personal item sizes than Frontier. See the personal item chart.
- Laptop sleeve access. A side or back-panel sleeve gets you through security faster.
- Soft beats rigid. A soft bag can be squeezed under seats where the space narrows.