The flight fares offered by Ryanair can seem very generous, but it’s really important not to overlook baggage fees when you’re calculating the affordability of your trip. Many travellers have booked return flights for very modest fees only to find themselves paying much more once they got to the airport because their luggage didn’t meet their famously strict size rules.
Thankfully, it’s not too difficult to avoid these extra charges once you find out more about how the airline’s baggage system works. If you have access to the right bag and pack well, you can enjoy your journey without paying much more than you’d like for luggage.
If you’re ready to find out more about Ryanair’s baggage rules and how to pack smarter, this article is for you. We’ll also look at situations where it might be worth you paying for priority boarding and introduce you to some of our very best bags for keeping within Ryanair limits. We’ll tell you everything you need to know about flying with the airline without being met with a nasty surprise once you get to the gate.
Why Does Ryanair Charge So Much for Bags?
One of the reasons why Ryanair’s luggage charges can seem so high is that they built their business model around low base fares and optional extras. They’re able to keep their prices so competitive because they charge for several services separately. This can include choosing your specific seats, priority boarding and extra luggage.
If you’re the kind of person who travels light, this can work for you. However, you can easily get caught out if you don’t know about Ryanair’s strict cabin luggage rules. The company is known for encouraging its customers to travel with minimal baggage so it can keep turnarounds fast and its operational costs to a minimum.
Ryanair’s flights can seem very cheap, but it makes a great deal of its revenue from baggage fees. This is one reason why its rules are enforced so enthusiastically.
What Bag Size Can You Take for Free?
Each Ryanair passenger gets to take one free personal item on board with them no matter what kind of ticket they have. It’s essential that this bag fits under the seat in front of you, and it can’t be bigger than Ryanair bag size 40x30x20 cm.
Examples of the underseat bags you may be able to take on board with you include laptop bags, small backpacks, handbags, shoulder bags and compact holdalls.
You shouldn’t have to pay any extra if your bag fits under the seat. However, if staff think it looks too large or it won’t fit inside the measuring frame at the gate, you could be charged a fee and the bag could be put in the hold.
This is why it’s so important to make sure your bag complies with Ryanair’s limits.
Understanding Priority Boarding and Cabin Bags
If you do need extra luggage space, you can buy the Priority & 2 Cabin Bags option from Ryanair. This means you can not only carry your free personal bag but a second larger cabin bag for the overhead lockers. However, this can’t be bigger than 55cm x 40cm x 20cm.
Priority boarding will also allow you to board earlier so you can get access to overhead locker space quickly. This can work out cheaper than paying for checked luggage and can work well when you’re only going away for the weekend or 3-4 days. However, if you pack very carefully, you could save more money by simply sticking to the free bag allowance.
The Gate Fee Trap and What Happens When Bags Are Too Big
Many travellers take risks with slightly oversized luggage and hope the staff won’t notice, but reports suggest they’ve become much more vigilant recently. A large number of passengers didn’t get away with it when they thought they would. Gate agents often use metal sizing frames to check bags, and if yours doesn’t easily fit, you could be charged a large fee there and then. Charges can be much more expensive than just paying for the baggage in advance, which means it’s really not worth the risk. You can cut out all this necessary stress and avoid making a bad start to your holiday by simply making sure your bag complies with the limits.
Find the Right Bag With Cabin Max
At Cabin Max, we produce luggage products that are specifically designed to comply with the limits of airlines including Ryanair.
Here are some of our customers’ favourites.
Metz 24L Ryanair Cabin Bag 40x30x20
This 24L carry-on fits Ryanair rules and is extremely lightweight at 600 g with padded straps and a top handle. It gives you a suitcase-style opening and soft-sided flexibility for easy packing. The front organiser pocket for a tablet, documents and pens plus a quick-access front pocket have made it one of our most popular Ryanair-friendly options. It’s made from durable PU or recycled RPET and combines practicality, comfort and sustainability for stress-free travel.
Equator X 24L Underseat Ryanair Backpack 40x30x20 cm
The Equator X is a 24L underseat cabin bag (40x30x20 cm) designed for Ryanair and other airlines like Wizz Air and Vueling. It opens like a suitcase and has two compartments, packing ribbons, zipped pockets and a tech sleeve for devices up to 13 inches. The front organiser makes it easy to store essentials, while backpack straps, a sternum strap, side bottle holder, carry handle and luggage strap offer a versatile carrying experience. This big-selling bag is made from durable, lightweight RPET Cordura, it’s eco-friendly, travel-ready, and protected by a 3-year Cabin Max manufacturing fault warranty.
Vela 24L Ladies Cabin Bag Holdall
This 24L bag (40x30x20 cm) fits Ryanair, Wizz Air, and Vueling underseat hand-luggage rules to help you avoid extra fees. You can also wear it as a shoulder bag, carry it by the top handles or attach it to rolling luggage using the rear pass-through. It has laptop, tablet and Kindle storage, internal netted pockets for accessories plus external pockets for your phones and documents. The bag weighs just 0.8 kg, is made from 600D PU with vegan leather and metallic details. It also includes a 3-year manufacturing warranty.
Smart Packing Tips to Maximise Space
Even when you’re working with a smaller bag, clever packing makes a big difference. Some of the steps you can take to make your space go further including rolling your clothes, using packing cubes, wearing bulky items like jumpers instead of packing them and choosing travel-sized toiletries. Make sure you don’t overpack your bag, cause bulges, forget that duty-free purchases count as luggage or presume staff won’t check your bag size before you board the plane.
There are some situations when it can make sense to pay for extra luggage, including when you’re travelling as a family with children, heading away in the winter, have sports or specialist equipment to transport and when you’re heading on a longer break. However, the free personal bag will be fine for most short trips.
The Benefits of Underseat Travel
Travellers using budget airlines often opt for a simple underseat bag to enjoy faster boarding and exits, to avoid waiting at baggage reclaim, to prevent losing their luggage and to move through airports quicker. The chance to avoid baggage fees is one of the most popular reasons for sticking with a single underseat Ryanair bag size. If your concerned about overpacking go with a smaller 40x20x25 bag size.
Why Cabin Max?
At Cabin Max, we're very proud to have developed a strong reputation among travellers by designing luggage that matches airline cabin requirements. Our bags help passengers travel confidently with strict airlines like Ryanair.
We design our bags with practical travellers in mind. Features like organised compartments, comfortable carrying systems and designs are great for both short trips and longer adventures. Cabin Max products are widely used across Europe by travellers who want to avoid unnecessary baggage fees while still carrying everything they need.
We’re still as passionate about innovation as ever, regularly updating our designs to match changing airline rules and customer feedback. This is why we're such a popular choice for budget-conscious flyers.
Travel Smart and Keep Your Money
Your Ryanair flights don’t need to come with unwanted charges. Many passengers have been penalised just because they didn’t understand the rules or tried to push luggage limits.
When you choose the right bag, pack efficiently and know exactly what you’re allowed to take on board, you can travel cheaply without the stress.
Need Help Choosing the Right Cabin Bag?
If you’re not quite sure which bag suits your next trip, we give you plenty of options that are designed specifically for Ryanair and other airlines.
Why not check out the full Cabin Max range on our site to compare sizes and styles. Find luggage that’ll keep you within airline rules and still give you maximum packing space.
Travelling light has never been easier, and when you avoid baggage fees it means you have more money to spend on making your holiday an unforgettable one instead.
Contact Us
To find out more about choosing the right Ryanair bag for you, just use the live chat feature on our site or send a message to info@cabinmax.com. We’ll get back to you as quickly as we can.