Ryanair personal item size 2026: what fits in 40 × 30 × 20 cm

Short answer: a Ryanair personal item must fit within 40 × 30 × 20 cm (the strictest axis is depth at 20 cm). The Jelkin 25 measures 25 × 17 × 14 cm on the outside, so it clears the depth limit by 6 cm and qualifies as a free under-seat bag.

Ryanair gives every passenger one free bag, and it is the narrow one: 40 × 30 × 20 cm / 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in. Most people fixate on the 40 cm length because it sounds generous, then discover at the boarding queue that the 20 cm side was the binding constraint all along. If you fly Ryanair even twice a year, it is worth doing the arithmetic once before you pack rather than in front of a sizer.

The 40 × 30 × 20 cm box, in centimetres and inches

Three numbers, no weight limit published for the free small bag, one condition: it must drop into the sizer frame at the gate and then fit under the seat in front of you. Everything you pay extra for — Priority and the 55 × 40 × 20 cm / 21.7 × 15.7 × 7.9 in bag at 10 kg — sits on top of this free allowance rather than replacing it.

The shape matters as much as the total. Ryanair's box is tall and narrow, which suits a backpack or a soft holdall far better than it suits a wide tote: a bag that is 35 cm wide and 15 cm tall can fail a box that a 25 cm tall, 17 cm wide bag passes. If you fly often, our notes on an airport day bag that survives travel pick up from there.

Does a 25 cm bag clear it? Edge by edge

Take a 25 × 17 × 14 cm / 9.8 × 6.7 × 5.5 in bag and line the sides up largest to smallest against 40, 25 and 20 cm. The best orientation is: 25 cm against the 40 cm side, which leaves 15 cm / 5.9 in of slack; 17 cm against the 20 cm side, which leaves 3 cm / 1.2 in; and 14 cm against the 25 cm side, which leaves 11 cm / 4.3 in.

Your tightest edge is therefore 3 cm / 1.2 in, on the 20 cm width. That is the number to remember, not the 15 cm of spare room on the long side. Rotate the bag so the 25 cm side sits against the 25 cm limit instead and you are down to zero margin, which is a worse idea for no benefit. Small items are what eat into that margin: how much a 25 cm bag holds in cards, keys and phone breaks down the everyday load hiding in those centimetres.

What the sizer actually rejects

The frame is unforgiving in a specific way: the bag must fall in under its own weight, with no pushing, and anything clipped to the outside counts towards it.

Rigid construction is the usual cause of failure. A hard-shell case or a bag with a reinforced base will not compress, so it either fits or it does not. Soft padded bags get a second chance: they can be pressed in and stay pressed for the two seconds that matter. On the capacity side, what really fits in a 25 cm bag lists what went in without forcing the seams.

Packing so the bag stays compressible

The trick is to remove hard objects rather than volume. A soft bag at 60 per cent capacity still compresses; the same bag with a hard glasses case and a metal bottle inside becomes a rigid block at any capacity.

• Swap the hard sunglasses case for a soft pouch — sunglasses in a case versus loose is the difference between a compressible and a non-compressible bag.
• Move dense items to your pockets. A high-capacity power bank is small and heavy — see what a large phone and its charger take up before you commit the space.
• Keep the structured opening facing up. The Jelkin 25 has a firm turn-lock opening rather than a drawstring, so it holds its shape when half empty instead of collapsing into a shape you cannot predict.

When Priority is worth paying for

Priority buys a 55 × 40 × 20 cm / 21.7 × 15.7 × 7.9 in bag up to 10 kg and earlier boarding. On a short break where you would otherwise pay for a 20 kg checked bag it is often cheaper; on a two-night trip that a 25 cm bag already covers, it is money for nothing.

The honest test: if you want the bigger bag only for the half that stays empty, skip it. If you are away four nights or more, buy it online rather than at the gate.

One habit before you reach the boarding queue

Measure the bag full, not empty, the night before. Empty, a soft bag slumps and reads smaller than it is; packed, it is 1–2 cm deeper at the middle than at the base, and the middle is what the frame measures. If your tightest edge is under 3 cm, pocket the heaviest item before you queue. The Jelkin 25 in Gris Perle suits that, with a fixed shoulder strap and a body that gives under pressure.

Allowances change with route, fare type, season and aircraft. The figures below were checked against the airline’s public baggage pages in October 2026 and are given as a guide only — always confirm on the airline’s own site before you fly, and measure your bag packed rather than empty. CloudFlirty is not affiliated with any airline mentioned here.

Frequently asked questions

What is Ryanair's free personal item size?

40 × 30 × 20 cm / 15.7 × 11.8 × 7.9 in, with no published weight limit, on every fare. It has to fit in the gate sizer and under the seat in front of you.

Does a 25 × 17 × 14 cm bag fit Ryanair's sizer?

Yes, with 3 cm / 1.2 in to spare on the tightest edge, which is the 20 cm width. The 40 cm length leaves 15 cm of slack and is not the side that will catch you out.

Is there a weight limit for the Ryanair small bag?

Ryanair does not publish a separate weight limit for the free small bag. The 10 kg figure applies to the larger Priority cabin bag, which is a paid extra.

Can I bring a handbag and a backpack?

Not for free. One small personal bag comes with the base fare; a second cabin-sized bag needs Priority or a Plus, Flexi Plus or Family Plus fare.

What does Ryanair charge at the gate?

The gate charge for a bag that should have been checked is considerably higher than the online rate and varies by route and season. Check the current figure in the app before you fly.

Check it against the others: the airline personal item size checker puts this allowance next to 18 other carriers and tells you whether a 25 × 17 × 14 cm bag passes.

Questions people ask

What is Ryanair's personal item size?

40 × 30 × 20 cm, and it must go under the seat in front of you. It is free in addition to the cabin bag on most fares, as long as it fits the sizer.

Does a 25 × 17 × 14 cm bag fit Ryanair?

Yes. At 14 cm deep it sits 6 cm inside Ryanair's 20 cm depth cap, and it is shorter and narrower than the other two axes as well, so it drops into the sizer with room to spare.

Does the limit include handles and wheels?

Yes. Where Ryanair publishes a personal-item size, the figure is the outside of the bag including handles, wheels and any fixed straps.