Everything you need to know about the Rynair hand luggage allowance

There are plenty of reasons why we often choose to travel only with hand luggage. You save money not paying to put a bag into the hold; you save time not waiting for your luggage to emerge on the carousel on arrival, and then there’s the obvious benefit of having less to carry.

But with so many airlines, especially the lower cost carriers like Ryanair, having such varied and strict restrictions on the size and weight of the bag you’re allowed to take with you into the cabin, how do you avoid being caught out? We take a look at the Ryanair baggage restrictions to find out what the guidelines are.

We should add that it’s important to check directly with the airline too, so that if restrictions change, you don’t miss the update. This article is correct at the time of writing, which is February 2020, and we’ll be updating the copy here as soon as we hear if things change. But please do check with Ryanair directly on their baggage allowance and policy to be on the safe side.

And of course, given that we make premium luggage and travel bags, we’ll also tell you in this article, which of our Antler bags fit the Ryanair baggage restrictions so you can travel safe in the knowledge that you’ll breeze through security. Here’s everything you need to know.

Is it possible to pay nothing for Ryanair hand luggage?

In short, yes. If you’re flying Ryanair, and you’re not paying for priority boarding, you can take a small, soft-sided bag that measures 25 x 40 x 20cm, but it must fit under the seat in front of you. Any combination of those measurements are fine, so your bag could be 40cm tall, 25cm wide, and 20cm deep. Or it could be 25cm tall, 40cm wide or 20 cm deep.

That’s not much capacity to play with if you’re going on a few days away, but if you pack light, it’s totally possible to travel for a couple of days and pay no extra charges for your Ryanair hand luggage.

Check the airline’s website here to find out more about Ryanair’s luggage cost if you want to take extra.

Can I take a cabin sized suitcase on Ryanair without paying a fee?

No, you can’t take a wheeled case with you into the cabin unless you pay extra for priority boarding (more on that below). So, you’ll have to pack extremely light to ensure it fits a small travel or lifestyle bag, like a backpack or holdall, measuring 25 x 40 x 20cm.

Which Antler bags fit this free Ryanair hand luggage allowance?

The Antler travel bag that best fits Ryanair’s hand luggage allowance is the Chelsea daypack as it measures 36cm x 26cm x 12cm. The eagle-eyed amongst you will notice that it’s 1cm too large strictly speaking, but we’ve tested it and it was fine to take on, as it’s slimline, and very easy to get under the seat in front of you. The backpack has a laptop pocket to fit a screen of up to 13” and a neat front pocket for your passport, with a key clip. There’s just room inside to pop in a small make up or wash bag, and one change of clothes.

Can you pay in advance with Ryanair to take on a cabin sized suitcase as hand luggage?

Yes, and this is included in Ryanair’s luggage cost. Priority boarding costs between £6 – £14 and it’s not refundable. This means you can take a cabin sized suitcase on board with you into the cabin but look out for Ryanair’s specific cabin bag size and weight restrictions. Also, cabin size suitcases come in different sizes so you’ll need to check your specific suitcase will fit.

What size cabin suitcase can I take if I pay for Ryanair priority boarding? 

If you pay for priority boarding, you can take a wheeled, cabin-sized suitcase with you without checking it into the hold. Ryanair’s hand luggage size must be no more than 55 x 40 x 20 cm.

There is also a weight restriction—it can’t be more than 10kg but that’s a decent amount of weight, so if you pack a cabin case sensibly then you should be fine.

Which Antler cabin cases fit this Ryanair priority boarding hand luggage allowance?

The Antler cabin luggage that fit the ‘Priority & 2 Cabin Bags’ allowance from Ryanair include:

Am I allowed to take a small bag or handbag with me as well as my cabin case?

Yes, with priority boarding you can take what Ryanair calls a ‘small personal bag’ measuring 40 x 20 x 25cm, which is the same size as the bag you could take for free (if you don’t want to pay for priority boarding). There is more information about Ryanair’s luggage cost on their website in the section called ‘Priority & 2 Cabin Bags’.

Are there any other benefits to paying for Ryanair priority boarding?

Paying for Ryanair’s priority boarding means that you’ll also be able to board via the Priority Queue, though bear in mind a large number of other passengers will be doing the same thing, so it won’t necessarily get you on first.

Shop our collection of hand luggage for flying Ryanair here