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Think traveling with just an underseat carry on is impossible? To get you started, we’ve rounded up a list of the best under seat luggage and we’re showing you how to pack strategically to make the most of low-priced airfares. Find out how!
Packing cubes are the secret to traveling carry-on only. Watch this video to learn why!
Best Under Seat Luggage
Table Of Contents
Airlines are constantly downsizing their offerings, and in the latest move to offer basic economy fares, some airlines now charge for carryons making use of the overhead compartments.
Before you worry, let me clarify. Several US-based airlines have now added new basic economy fares with competitive pricing but without luggage options. While this move has received much criticism, this isn’t necessarily a negative.
I spoke to a representative from a major US airline carrier and they explained their decision to offer this new basic fare.
To summarize, the major airline carriers in the US want to offer budget-friendly airfares similar to the low-budget carriers such as Southwest, Jet Blue, and Spirit. These low budget carriers charge a minimal fee for a seat but make their money upselling other items such as luggage space and food.
Europe’s budget airlines, RyainAir and EasyJet, have done this for years and now American based airlines are catching up. Savvy travelers can benefit from these fare wars and see this an opportunity for more budget travel options within the US; which has been expensive to travel domestically compared to Europe.
Let me show you how you can downsize your belongings to take advantage of these fares and travel only with a “personal item” such as the underseat luggage featured below.
Choosing the Best Under Seat Luggage
In order to travel just with a personal item you need to first choose the perfect underseat carry on. This bag has to fit perfectly under the seat of domestic airlines all while providing you ample room for everything you need to bring.
To be honest, an underseat carry on isn’t drastically smaller than a regular carry on. However, it is important to note that the dimensions of the bags and the space under the airplane seats will vary between airlines. Visit the website for the airlines you travel most frequently in order to choose the most versatile option.
Tip: the middle seat has the most space and it’s usually the least expensive! Keep this in mind when booking your flight.
Wheeled Under Seat Carryon vs Shoulder Bag
Traditional “underseat luggage” features wheels, which many find more convenient than a regular shoulder bag or backpack. For the sake of this article, we’ve focused specifically on wheeled underseat carryon styles but you can also visit this post for ideas on weekender bags.
One of the biggest challenges with trying to find the best under seat luggage is that the majority of styles are designed for business travel. Consequently, this limits the space available for clothing and shoes.
Rest assured, the underseat luggage we’ve featured in this post offers the most spacious interior maximizing the space available for your belongings!
Best Under Seat Luggage Review
Travelpro Luggage Maxlite 5 Rolling Tote
Travelpro Maxlite 5
At TFG, we’re big fans of Travelpro and their Maxlite bags. The latest version, the Maxlite 5, is one of the best underseaters for flights. The bag’s best feature is the wide open space. We like the fact that it does not include a compartment for a laptop or business documents because that means that’s it’s much more functional as a carry-on bag.
A half pound lighter than the maxlite 4 version, this ultra lightweight, rolling carry on tote is ideal for every trip. Buy it here!
Samsonite Wheeled Underseater
Samsonite is on our list of the top luggage brands and this wheeled underseater makes this list, too. This durable luggage is built to handle the harshest of travel elements thanks to its polyester and nylon fabrics featuring excellent wear properties. Your luggage will look as great on the 100th trip as it did on the first.
The zippered compartment allows you to separately pack damp or soiled items, while the removable 3-1-1 pouch and removable, hanging organizer pouch make it easy to organize all of your essentials. Buy it here!
Nomad Lane Bento Underseat Bag
Nomad Lane Bento Under Seat Bag
This is the ultimate under seat bag at only 2.9 lbs! The Nomad Lane Bento bag opens up like a suitcase and has several organizational pockets. Not only can it organize things like pens, and electronic accessories, you can pack for a weekend easily, such as one to two outfits, shoes, a small bag of toiletries, and still fit your 15” laptop.
Editor-in-chief Alex with her Bento bag and packing cubes
It fits under many standard US airline seats and also has a trolley sleeve and shoulder strap attachment! Made of nylon and vegan leather, the bag measures 17” x 8” x 10”. Buy it here!
Read my full review on the Nomad Lane Bento Bag to find out why TFG readers and I have become such great fans of this bag!
Away Everywhere UnderSeat Tote
Away Underseat Tote
Away everywhere underseat tote couldn’t be left off our list. While it has various organizational pockets, it still has a roomy main compartment, which is enough to pack clothing and a pair of shoes. As a plus, it’s also available in two pretty colors!
One user says “I love my everywhere bag, recently travelled with it on a domestic flight and it was so convenient to place the bag under the seat, The best part of the bag is the zippers that go down to the lower portion of the bag, which when opened gives easy access and visibility to all the contents.” Buy it here!
Briggs & Riley Underseat Luggage
Briggs & Riley Underseat Luggage
Travel in style with the Briggs and Riley underseat luggage featuring a trendy nylon design. Along with its good looks, it’s compact in size, offering useful storage space, a telescoping handle, and smooth rolling wheels.
The bag has a roomy main compartment, several interior pockets, and a handy front organizer so everything has a space for easy access. Whether you’re headed on an overnight business trip or a weekend getaway, this durable and high-quality underseat luggage makes traveling a breeze. Buy it here!
ECOSUSI Weekender Underseat Duffle Bag
At only 1.8 lbs and a price tag that’s under $40, the ECOSUSI duffle bag is economical and has enough space to organize your belongings. There’s a main compartment to add packing cubes and toiletries, while another pocket is for a laptop or tablet, and two slip pockets can hold smaller items. It also has a handy trolley sleeve.
With an adjustable padded shoulder strap and a water-resistant outer coating, this bag is ideal for shorter jaunts and fits under the seat nicely! Buy it here!
Find out why the ECOSUSI duffle bag is one of the most popular under-the-seat trolley bags!
Vera Bradley Cotton Compact Under Seat Travel Bag
Vera Bradley Weekender UnderSeat Carryon
Our readers love Vera Bradley travel bags as their best under seat luggage, and so many recommended the Twill Performance Weekender bag.
One reader says, “Vera Bradley is very lightweight with a bunch of pockets. I got the large backpack because it was easy to carry on and off trains. It has a place on the back to fit on your suitcase. The weekender bag is wonderful also and is bigger than the backpack.”
Another reader adds, “I have a small Vera Bradley weekender that I use under the seat for when I go home to see my parents. Can easily fit 5 days worth of stuff in there.”
The minimalist, clean design with spaciousness is exactly what we want in a small carry on! Big points for the wide open space! Buy it here!
Delsey Chatelet Underseat Luggage
Delsey Chatelet Wheeled Underseat
Delsey is one of our readers’ favorite brands and their Wheeled Underseat Bag is equally stellar. It weighs 6 pounds and gets rave reviews, with many saying it’s “sturdy and lightweight.”
The bag’s best features include a hidden front pocket to grab items while on the go and a plush interior with zippered pockets, sturdy straps, and handy shoe pockets. Buy it here!
TPRC Underseater Luggage with USB Port
TPRC Underseater
TPRC has some of the highest rated wheeled underseat bags at 4.7 out of 5. This 15” is made of a durable travel-ready polyester. It has three zipper pockets on the front, one on one side, a regular pocket on the other with the USB port to charge devices, a velcro loop on the back to attach to other luggage, wheels that are inline and steady, a long handle that goes all the way down, and fabric handles if you simply want to carry it.
The interior has multiple transparent pockets to see exactly what you packed and a pocket on one side where you connect the USB port to the battery, and a zipper in the back for storage. Impressive amount of organization weighing only 6 lb. Buy it here!
Bagsmart 17 Inch Non Wheeled Underseat Carry On Bag
17″ Underseater by Bagsmart
Another reader favorite, this under seat bag by Bagsmart is a good buy. Its roomy main compartment has enough space for a couple of packing cubes and maybe even a thin pair of shoes such as ballet flats or sandals.
One traveler packed a pair of shoes, iPad, rain jacket, a pair of pants, 3 shirts, a skirt, two socks, a few undies, and a small Ziploc bag with toiletries. We’re impressed!
It has a front organizer that can holds a tablet, travel documents, or other small essentials. As a plus, it also holds a 15.6 inch laptop but this is a nicely built-in feature that doesn’t compromise space.
It makes a great choice to be used in various ways and places, suitable for travel, business trips, gym, commuting, outdoor activities, universities, offices, excursions. Buy it here!
Travelon is so trusted by our readers for their anti-theft products such as purses and money belts!
Rockland 16″ Underseat Women Luggage Carry On
Rockland Underseat
If you’re looking for a stylish under seat bag then the 16-inch Rockland with wheels is a great choice. Travel with easy and style with this cute red carry on!
You can cart this compact carry on through the airport with ease due to its 2-wheel roller system and retractable extending handle. It fits perfectly under almost any airplane seat and is airline approved by some of the most popular US airlines.
This carry on is perfect for the fashionable traveler because it’s not only stylish looking, it’s functional. We all know the importance of staying organized during your travels and this airport bag has built-in organizational pockets (the big one is perfect for using some of those fancy Compass Rose packing cubes you have), along with a padded pocket in the front for a laptop or tablet. It’s described as “the perfect size and sturdy.’ Buy it here!
Baggallini Classic Rolling Tote Bag
Baggallini Carryon Rolling Underseater
The Baggallini Carryon is another win by from this popular brand.This wheeled underseat carryon weighs 6.15 pounds. The nylon fabric is water-resistant and it’s equipped with RFID slots to protect your ID. There is also a computer pocket!
While it doesn’t have a strap to be layered over a larger suitcase, this is the ideal option for someone who strives to pack light enough to travel with only an underseat carry on or a business traveler on a 1-2 day trip for meetings. One reader says of this bag, “Fits under the seat. Taken this everywhere! Love it.” Buy it here!
Calpal Luka Soft-Sided Mini Carry-On Luggage
Calpak Luka Mini Carry On Underseater
This Calpak soft-sided mini carry on couldn’t be cuter, with its puffy, water-resistant fabric and 16” size that’ll fit in the smallest of planes! While it’s compact, it’ll fit all the essentials and is decked out with tons of pockets, as well as a padded laptop sleeve. More fabulous features included smooth spinner wheels, TSA locks, and a luggage trolley sleeve to stack on top of your suitcase!
This cutie weighs just 5.1 lbs, too! One traveler impressively says she uses it as a personal item and that it fits everything she needed for a 10-day trip to Puerto Rico! Buy it here!
Swissgear Checklite Underseat Carry On Suitcase
Swissgear Checklite Underseat Carry On
Swissgear’s Checklite Underseat Luggage is lightweight and glides around with ease, making for super smooth travels. Travelers appreciate its awesome organization, which includes two front pockets with an organizer pocket, an exterior side pouch, and interior side pockets. This underseater also offers a wet bag to store laundry or shoes, a tablet pocket, and compression straps to keep everything compact and secure.
One wearer shares that it works flawlessly, it has easily fit under every airplane seat, and she was able to strategically pack it for a 1-week trip!
Compass Rose Carryon Size Packing Cubes: Slim Size Cubes | Medium Size Cubes
Packing Your Underseat Carry On Bag
Once you’ve chosen the best under seat luggage for your trip, use packing cubes and other luggage organizers to organize and compress your clothing tightly to make the most of less space.
There are a variety of packing organizers ranging from compression sacks to packing cubes to ziplock bags. Personally, we like using these packing cubes and our readers agree. They’ve helped millions of our readers travel carryon only – learn more!
The Compass Rose Packing Cubes are offered in two sizes: slim and medium. The slim size cubes measure 13” x 5” x 2.8”, and the medium size cubes measure 2.8” x 13” x 8.5”. Both fit an international carry-on suitcase. Users say the medium size is great for bulkier items!
If you want to learn how to use packing cubes, watch the video below.
Learn our hacks with packing cubes in this video!
They’re truly the best packing cubes. Our readers rave about them! Buy them here!
Compass Rose Digital Luggage Scale
Not many people are familiar with luggage scales, but they’re incredibly helpful when you’re a frequent traveler.
We recommend bringing along a lightweight luggage scale to weigh your cases before going to the airport. This will ensure you are below the weight limit and avoid extra charges.
With a compact luggage scale in hand, you’ll never have to worry about excess baggage fees!
Downsizing Clothing
The idea of packing in a packing cube may seem impossible, and it is if you don’t plan strategically. To make this a reality, use our signature capsule wardrobe framework that show you how to downsize your clothes for any trip to take only what you need to avoid overpacking.
We recommend starting with our ten-piece travel wardrobe and revolving or adding items as needed.
Need more clarification? Read our packing ebook, which reviews the capsule travel wardrobe concept on detail showing you exactly how it’s possible to pack light for every trip.
Downsizing Shoes
Once you’ve managed to downsize your clothing, the next big challenge is downsizing your shoe collection. When traveling with only one underseat carry on, you want to bring no more than two pairs of shoes and plan to wear your heaviest pair on the plane.
Make sure you follow these guidelines so that the two pairs you bring are versatile and mix and match with all your clothing.
Don’t forget that comfort is the number one priority. The wrong pair of shoes can ruin your trip!
Read our ultimate guide on how to choose travel shoes for more details!
Downsizing Toiletries
Lastly, it’s time to downsize your toiletries, hair styling tools, and makeup. Our Ultimate Guide to Travel Toiletries shows you exactly how to pack less beauty products without giving up your favorite things – plus it has a free printable toiletry list!
Next, create a capsule makeup collection so you can make the most of mess stiff without sacrificing your beauty routine. If your hair is high maintenance, consider bringing a compact multi-tool like this one.
Tip: These travel containers are my secret to decreasing my beauty products and toiletries for any trip!
What do you think is the best under seat luggage? Share in the comments below!
For more packing strategies, please read these posts:
- 10-Step Guide to Packing One Suitcase for any Trip
- How to Fit Everything in a Carryon (Video Tutorial)
- An Easy Packing Hack to Travel Carryon Only
- How to Pack for the Carry-on Crackdown
For suggested travel gear, please read:
- How to Choose the Best Luggage Organizer
- Top 10 Toiletry Bags for Travel
- Best Hanging Toiletry Bag for Women
- Anti-theft Travel Accessories
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The problem with most if not all the above listed underseat rolling bags is that they are typically 15″ across, and we always sit in aisle seats of usually a 737-800 which “seat feet” vary from the A, B, C seats — the aisle seat comes nowhere close to 15″. Therefore must always take a soft-side duffel (Lucas Luggage makes a great rolling one). Wish luggage manufacturers would take note of this.
Do you know if any of these underseat bags are designed to interlock and sit on top of a larger checked bag of the same style/brand? I’m taking an extended trip to North Africa and this combination was advised by my experienced traveling companion. Thanks.
Hi Jan, not sure but I don’t think so. If you’re looking for a luggage set, we do have more ideas here: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/best-lugagge-sets/
To get the best recommendations, I would highly recommend that you join our TFG facebook group and ask your question there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/ It’s a fabulous community of helpful female travelers that love to share their travel reviews and recommendations.
Have an amazing time!
Was wondering if anyone has tried the Biaggi brand? I like the idea of it, but don’t know if it’s as good as they say.
I don’t need laptop/file space so any suggestions on wheeled underseat bags that have the most interior room? I have the original Away everywhere bag and don’t care for it at all. I saw that they updated the bag with a larger zipper, but want to get a different personal item.
Thanks, Alex! This roundup is great. I wasn’t familiar with the Nomad brand. I love their approach to organization in this bag!
I’ve been on the hunt for years for a rolling backpack that will fit underseat as my personal item. Approximately 17x13x8in. Lockable, plus other security features such as slash resistance and RFID protection. Extras such as a water bottle holder and trolley strap would be appreciated, but I can find alternate accessories for those. If you ever come across my dream backpack, please let me know! Thanks.
I would like to see some underseat backpack options.
Hi Kim, here are a few backpack options that might work for you, all recommended by the experts, TFG readers!
🎒 Lily & Drew Daypack: https://amzn.to/2EI6Kyb
🎒 Vera Bradley backpack: https://amzn.to/3vZOtXY
🎒 Matein Travel Laptop Backpack: https://amzn.to/38EuogF
🎒Travelpro Maxlite Backpack: https://amzn.to/3t1vaMo
Have a look at this roundup for even more reader recommended styles: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/travel-bags-with-trolley-sleeve/
Hope this helps you in your search 😃
What is the best to fit the small 9x10x16 personal item dimensions for under seat on United airlines?
Hi Michelle, I am afraid that none of the options on this article would not fit the dimensions requirements of 9x10x16. I would highly recommend that you join our TFG facebook group and post your question there about the luggage for United airlines: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/ Its a fabulous community of helpful female travelers that love to share their advice and recommendations particularly for luggage. Sorry I could not have been of more help. ?
Still confused with all these choices for under the seat luggage after reading the reviews . Some say get a two wheeler fits better underneath the seat any suggestions ? My smallest luggage is 22“Hx14”Wx 8”D.
Hi Kathy, if you are still unsure about what the best luggage to get which best suits your requirements, then I would highly recommend that you join our TFG facebook group and post any questions you have about various luggage there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/ Its a fabulous community of helpful female travelers that love to share their advice and recommendations. Hope this helps. Happy travels!
My Osprey Ozone 18” fits under the aisle seat in Southwest, the airline I usually travel on. I love it!
Hi Barbara, thank you for sharing your go-to under seat luggage with us!! Happy travels!
I love my London Fog Underseat bag!
My daughter is a young violinist who travels to lessons via air a few times a year. The trips are usually long weekends (Fri-Sun) and she takes the 13.5” Delsey Quilted Underseater for her clothing. Her violin counts as her carryon and goes in the overhead, leaving her with only a personal item for clothing if she doesn’t want to check a bag under the plane. She wears her heaviest shoes and brings another dressy pair in the carryon (black ballet flats). She’s been able to make this work for every trip. She must pack her music, metronome, recording device, chargers, toiletries, etc. in addition to her clothing in the Delsey carryon. She uses packing cubes and wears the same outfit for travel days. This underseater has been perfect – we absolutely love it!
Hi Ashley, thank you for sharing your daughter’s packing experiences with us! Sounds fantastic, and love all your daughters travel packing hacks!
Eagle creek has an under seat sized bag 13” x13” x 8.5”. It has a front pocket large enough for a large iPad, one side pocket( wish there were two), top unzips for easy access to interior. It weighs approximately 4.5 pounds. It is very durable, well made of quality material. I’ve used it on 8 out of country trips and at least 16 in state trips.
sure wish there was a smaller rolling bag out there, 12” x 12” x 6” that could be converted into a backpack, having a pocket on each side, iPad pocket and a band in back to go over suitcase handle.
I travel with an 18” in which I carry no more than 25#, want to downsize more, and my eagle creek underseat bag. Being a seasoned traveler I want to carry less so all is easily manageable for me and by me.
Hi Dona, thank you for sharing your recommendation for under the seat luggage, always enjoy hearing about our readers’ favorite brands. Happy travels!!
my main concern these days is bedbugs. i would think that the slickest surface with the fewest zippers would attract them the least but i don’t know. i would especially worry about the quilted ones..what a great place to hitch a ride. i always steam mine after i return home and have recently brought a large space saver bag to store mine in while traveling…
Hi Mary, thank you for your comment!! You may find this article about how to prevent bed bugs interesting: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/how-to-prevent-bed-bugs/ That’s great advice for steaming your luggage once you have arrived home, thank you for sharing!! 🙂
As an FYI… Bags (two) fly free on Southwest Airlines and there’s no charge for drinks (soda, water, juice) on Southwest either.
I love the eagle creek expanse as it looks like a backpack but i really like the briggs & riley baseline as it has a style that is ageless
thanks for this. keep travelling 🙂
Thanks Anjella! Glad you liked our choices 🙂