easyJet Baggage Allowance: Cabin Bag Sizes and My Experience

Every easyJet fare includes one small cabin bag up to 45 × 36 × 20 cm and 15 kg, which goes under the seat in front of you. A larger carry-on suitcase is an extra unless your booking includes it. Whether you are flying from London Gatwick, Luton, Manchester, Bristol or elsewhere in Europe, the important question is the same: which bags have you actually booked? Below are two practical tables, one for choosing your ticket and one for packing after you have paid.

I like flying with easyJet because, in my experience, baggage checks have felt more relaxed. Its free underseat bag allowance is also more generous in size than Ryanair’s or Wizz Air’s, which makes a real difference when I travel light. That is my experience, though, not a promise that an oversized bag will be accepted. I would still measure my backpack when packed, even on an easyJet flight.

easyJet baggage allowance: cabin bag sizes and weight

First, separate underseat baggage, overhead cabin baggage and hold luggage. Your small bag stays under the seat, an eligible larger cabin bag goes in the overhead locker, and a checked suitcase goes to Bag Drop before security. A shop calling a suitcase “cabin approved” does not mean your ticket includes it. It may fit the aircraft perfectly while still being too large for the free allowance.

Bag type	Size and weight	Included?
Small cabin bag / underseat bag	45 × 36 × 20 cm; up to 15 kg	One per person with every fare
Large cabin bag / overhead carry-on	56 × 45 × 25 cm; up to 15 kg	Only with the relevant extra, fare or membership benefit
Hold luggage / checked bag	Usually 15 kg or 23 kg; paid increases up to 32 kg per bag	Only if booked or included in your fare/package

Both cabin bag measurements include handles and wheels, and the 15 kg limit applies to each permitted cabin bag separately. You need to be able to carry and lift your own luggage. With a soft backpack, measure bulging pockets as well; with a suitcase, measure the whole case rather than just its shell. You can check the exact requirements in easyJet’s official cabin bag guide.

Is easyJet’s free bag bigger than Ryanair’s or Wizz Air’s?

Yes. easyJet allows 45 × 36 × 20 cm, while the free small bag limit at Ryanair and Wizz Air is 40 × 30 × 20 cm. That gives you an extra 5 cm in one dimension and 6 cm in another. If you fly out with easyJet and return with another airline, pack for the stricter allowance. My Ryanair baggage guide explains the other options if you are comparing the two airlines.

Booking a flight: which baggage option should you choose?

Before comparing fares, decide whether you need only a backpack, a suitcase in the cabin, or a checked bag. Then compare the final price of the basic ticket plus extras with the price of a bundle. Names can differ between booking channels: you may see Light or Standard, Smart+ or the older Standard Plus, and Extra or Essentials. I would always check the actual baggage listed rather than rely on the bundle name or a suitcase icon.

What you want to take	What to book	My practical tip
A backpack only	Basic Light / Standard fare without baggage extras	I fly with an Aevor Trip Pack, partly empty so it fits; see my photo below.
Backpack + cabin suitcase	Basic fare + Large cabin bag; compare with Smart+ / Standard Plus	The large cabin bag option includes Speedy Boarding.
Backpack + 15 kg checked suitcase	Basic fare + 15 kg hold bag	Drop it off before security and collect it at baggage reclaim.
Backpack + 23 kg checked suitcase	Basic fare + 23 kg hold bag; compare with Extra / Essentials	A large cabin suitcase is not automatically included.
Backpack + cabin suitcase + checked suitcase	Both baggage extras, or Smart+ plus a hold bag	Inclusive Plus may be available through a travel agent and includes 23 kg hold luggage.
A checked suitcase heavier than 23 kg	Buy additional weight, up to 32 kg per bag	Compare extra weight with another bag; the number of booked bags still matters.

Large cabin bag or hold luggage?

If you want your suitcase with you on board, look specifically for Large cabin bag. A hold bag is checked luggage and does not give you an additional overhead cabin bag. With cabin baggage only and online check-in completed, you can usually skip Bag Drop and avoid waiting at the carousel on arrival. A checked suitcase makes more sense if you need extra room or are taking items that cannot travel in the cabin.

How much does easyJet baggage cost?

There is no single cheapest combination for every flight: baggage prices depend on the flight and when you add them. I would compare the same passengers, directions and bags, including the return journey. A price for one flight is not the total for a return trip, and an extra may apply to only one traveller. Check easyJet’s fees and charges and the final booking summary before paying; buying the bag online is cheaper than leaving it until the airport.

Already booked? How to check your easyJet baggage allowance

Open your booking in the easyJet app or Manage Bookings and check the named passenger and flight. The table below explains what the fare or service means; remember to include any bags you bought separately. For example, a Light ticket with a confirmed Large cabin bag add-on allows more than just a backpack, even though the basic fare name has not changed. The confirmed baggage details are what I would use when packing.

What your booking says	What you can take	Watch out for
Light / Standard, no extras	One 45 × 36 × 20 cm underseat bag, up to 15 kg	Your handbag must fit inside. I measure my partly filled Aevor before travelling.
Smart+ / Standard Plus	Small bag + one 56 × 45 × 25 cm cabin bag, each up to 15 kg	No checked suitcase unless added separately.
Extra / Essentials or Inclusive	Small bag + one 23 kg checked bag	No automatic large cabin bag allowance.
Inclusive Plus / earlier FLEXI	Small bag + large cabin bag + one 23 kg checked bag	With Inclusive Plus, the large bag may go in the hold free if overhead space runs out.
Large cabin bag added separately	One large cabin bag in addition to your small bag; Speedy Boarding included	This does not include a checked suitcase.
15 kg / 23 kg hold bag or a higher paid allowance	Checked baggage up to the booked allowance	Your free small bag remains included; an overhead bag needs its own entitlement.
easyJet Plus membership	Small bag + the member’s large cabin bag benefit	Add the large bag using your membership number; unbooked cabin space is not guaranteed. No hold bag is included by membership alone.
Up Front / Extra Legroom seat only	The seat alone does not add a large cabin bag	Look for a separate bag entitlement or a bundle that includes it.

Standard Plus, Inclusive Plus and easyJet Plus sound similar, but they are different products: a cabin-bag bundle, a fare with checked luggage as well, and a membership. easyJet’s current travel-trade fare comparison lists Light, Extra, Smart+ and Inclusive Plus. Older names still appear in its earlier fare guide. What a travel agent offers may differ from the airline’s own booking screen, so check the inclusions attached to your ticket.

How to add baggage after booking

Choose the baggage option in your booking and distinguish the cabin bag from the checked bag before paying. Check the traveller, price and flights covered, then make sure the extra appears in your confirmed services. If you have already checked in, download your boarding pass again. Hold luggage added online applies to all flights in that booking. If you only need it one way, consider that when booking your flights rather than assuming the online add-on covers just one leg.

My easyJet backpack experience and choosing a cabin suitcase

I fly with an Aevor Trip Pack. It is larger than the free bag allowance on paper, so I do not fill it completely, and it fits beautifully, as you can see in my photo below. Its stated dimensions are 50 × 31 × 18 cm, so it does not meet easyJet’s limit at its full height. The roll-top helps me make it smaller when partly empty, but the packed bag still needs to meet the limit. A soft bag is not an exemption from the rules.

For an overhead suitcase, the Samsonite Base Boost Upright 55/20 measures 55 × 40 × 20 cm, within easyJet’s large cabin bag limit. It is not a free underseat bag, so you still need the appropriate baggage entitlement. When choosing any case, I would check the external measurements, including wheels, and its empty weight. If you switch airlines on the return flight, check that airline’s allowance too.

How strict is easyJet about hand luggage?

My own easyJet flights have been pleasant and the checks have felt calmer, but I would not turn up with an overfilled backpack expecting nobody to notice. The airline can put a bag that exceeds your allowance in the hold and charge you. That applies whether your flight leaves Gatwick, Manchester, Geneva or Milan. My photo shows what worked with my packed bag; it is not a guarantee about checks at any particular airport.

Can you take a handbag as well as a backpack?

An ordinary handbag or laptop bag is not automatically a second free item. If your ticket includes only the small cabin bag, leave enough space to put it inside your backpack before boarding. The number of pieces matters just as much as the measurements. If you have booked a large cabin bag too, your allowance is one small bag and one large bag, rather than an extra handbag on top of both.

easyJet hold luggage: 15 kg, 23 kg and sharing weight

For checked luggage, the combined length, width and height must be under 275 cm, and no individual bag may exceed 32 kg. People on the same flight and booking can share the purchased weight across their booked bags. For example, two 23 kg allowances can be split as 20 kg and 26 kg. That does not entitle you to a third unpaid suitcase. See easyJet’s hold luggage rules for details.

Flying from Gatwick, Luton and across Europe

The UK is easyJet’s largest market, and London Gatwick is its largest base. Luton, Bristol and Manchester are also useful starting points for European trips. On the continent, easyJet’s network includes airports such as Geneva, Basel, Milan Malpensa, Paris Charles de Gaulle and Amsterdam. The cabin bag dimensions do not change because you depart from a different airport: your fare and purchased extras determine what you can bring.

For a short break, I would look at Portugal, particularly Porto or Lisbon, as well as Alicante and Nice. Hamburg and Lille are also places I would consider for a long weekend. Check easyJet’s timetable for your actual departure airport and dates; these are ideas, not a claim that every airport has a direct flight to every city. Travelling with only the free backpack leaves more of the budget for the trip itself.

easyJet baggage FAQ

What luggage is free on easyJet?

One small underseat cabin bag up to 45 × 36 × 20 cm, including handles and wheels, weighing no more than 15 kg.

Can I take a backpack and a suitcase on easyJet?

Yes, if your booking includes a large cabin bag as well as the small underseat bag. A basic ticket on its own only includes the small bag.

Is a 10 kg suitcase included with easyJet?

A weight of 10 kg does not make a suitcase free. A typical overhead suitcase needs a large cabin bag entitlement, even if it weighs less than the 15 kg cabin limit.

Does Extra or Essentials include a large cabin bag?

The bundle includes the small bag and a 23 kg checked bag. You need a separate entitlement for a large overhead cabin bag.

Does an Up Front or Extra Legroom seat include a cabin suitcase?

Buying the seat alone does not add a large cabin bag. Check the baggage or bundle listed in your booking.

Can I bring a handbag for free as well?

Put an ordinary handbag inside your permitted cabin bag. It is not automatically an extra free piece.

Are the baggage rules different at Gatwick and other European airports?

The published easyJet cabin bag allowance is the same across its network. Check your booked extras, and do not rely on an airport being less strict.

Read next: Ryanair baggage · Toiletries in hand luggage · Alicante · Málaga · Rome airports