Can you use a backpack as a carry on

Whether you’re planning your next business trip or you’re getting ready for the vacation of a lifetime, getting everything packed is one of the most stressful aspects of a trip. You have to make sure you have everything you need, know what types of bags you can bring without getting charged extra, and divide everything up between your check bags, carry-on bags, and personal items. What a buzzkill.

If you’re anything like me, this is also when you start worrying about whether or not your favorite backpack is going to count as a personal item or if you’re going to have to check it or store it in the overhead bin while flying. And let me tell ya, nothing is worse than being stuck on an airplane with no access to your laptop, book, headphones, or anything else.

So let’s answer the question on everyone’s mind: does a backpack count as a personal item?

Personal item size limits

Unlike carry-on luggage which has standard size limits within the industry, personal items don’t have that same continuity from airline to airline. Many airlines don’t have any specific size limits at all, and some have stricter requirements than others. But one thing that remains the same no matter which airline you fly is that your personal item must fit underneath the seat in front of you.

With that in mind, you can get a decent idea about what size your personal item can be since most airlines fly the same types of airplanes and use the same general style of seats. That said, for the airlines that do have actual size limits, the maximum dimensions for a personal item will usually fall between 16” x 13” x 7” and 18” x 14” x 8”. 

To make it easier on you, most airports have luggage checkers around for various airlines where you can check the size of your carry-on and personal item. Even though a backpack might be bigger than something like a purse or a briefcase, when you use these luggage checkers you’ll see that they can usually be squeezed down to the right size even if they’re a little bigger.

Are backpacks considered personal items?

The short answer is yes, backpacks are arguably the most common personal item that you’ll see on just about any flight. Next time you fly, just look around as people are boarding or de-boarding the airplane. You’ll see backpack after backpack. They’re easy to carry, versatile enough to hold everything you need, and meet the size limits for most airlines.

When airlines give recommendations for items to bring as a personal item, you’ll rarely see any that just say backpacks. Almost all of them will say “small backpacks” because there is such a range of sizes that backpacks can. Just imagine a small backpack like a toddler might take to preschool compared to a hiking backpack that you would take with you for a 5-day excursion. 

There’s a bit of a difference there, right? This is an extreme example, but you get the point. Most backpacks will work as a personal item, but if you really try to push the limit with something too big, you may be forced to check it at the gate or store it in the overhead bin, both of which might end up costing you extra money.

So just try to stay away from extra-large backpacks and you should be fine.

Here are some good examples of backpacks that work as personal items:

The Away Front Pocket Backpack

July Carry All Backpack Series 2

L.L. Bean Travel Backpacks

Jansport Backpacks

Open Story Traveler Backpack

BANGE 35L Travel Backpack

Aokur 50L Business Backpack

Can you use a backpack as a personal item on all airlines?

I mentioned above that you shouldn’t run into any problems when it comes to using a backpack as a personal item, no matter which airline you fly. About half of the airlines don’t put a specific size limit on personal item dimensions, and the half that does have a limit are typically fairly generous. Well, at least big enough to cover the size of a backpack that is.

But if you’re really worried about using a backpack as a personal item on a specific airline, you can check out the complete guides below that we wrote on all the major airlines’ personal item policies. Even if there are size limits that your backpack is pushing, as long as it will fit under the seat in front of you, chances are good that you won’t have any problems.

Use the links below to read about the policies of each airline:

• Delta
• Southwest
• American
• United
• Spirit
• Allegiant
• JetBlue
• Frontier

Can you bring a backpack and a carry-on bag?

As long as you’re using your backpack as a personal item (i.e. it meets the requirements of the airline’s personal item policy), then you can bring a separate carry-on bag in addition to it. This is dependent on whether or not that airline allows carry-ons in the first place, which most of them do.

Major airlines like Delta, Southwest, and American Airlines allow their passengers to bring carry-ons free of charge. Some of the no-frills options like Spirit and Allegiant charge extra to bring anything besides a personal item. And one of the weird exceptions is Blue Basic passengers for JetBlue, who cannot bring a carry-on at all, not even for an extra cost.

But in most cases and for many airlines, you can bring both a backpack (as a personal item) and a carry-on bag.

Here are some carry-ons that meet industry-standard size limits:

Away Standard Carry-On

July Carry-On Luggage

Made By Design Hardside Spinner Suitcase

Samsonite Winfield 2 Hardside Carry-On

iFLY Hardside Fibertech 20” Carry-On

Is your backpack considered a carry

Can I bring a backpack on a plane as a personal item?