The 40x30x20 under-seat bag, explained

40 x 30 x 20 cm is the free under-seat bag size on Ryanair, Wizz Air and Vueling. It also fits inside easyJet's larger free allowance. If your bag is built to 40 x 30 x 20 cm, it goes under the seat in front of you at no charge, so there is no gate fee and no bag drop.

The catch is that most bags sold as "40x30x20" are soft and cave in when packed, or they creep over the limit once they are full. The bag has to hold the shape.

The free under-seat size, airline by airline

Sizes checked 2 July 2026. Airlines change these, so measure against your airline's current page before you fly.

Under-seat is not the same as carry-on

The free item on these airlines is the small bag that fits under the seat in front of you. The larger cabin bag that goes in the overhead locker is a paid add-on on Ryanair, Wizz Air and Vueling. So when you see "free bag", it means the under-seat personal item, at 40 x 30 x 20 cm. Build your trip around that size and you never pay at the gate.

The bag built to the size: BRAW Explorer 2

The Explorer 2 base is 40 x 30 x 20 cm, to the centimetre. It hits the free under-seat size on Ryanair, Wizz Air and Vueling exactly, and fits inside easyJet's. It holds that shape when full, because the shell is structured, not a sack that bulges past the limit.

• A 1050D Cordura shell with a 900D weatherproof front facing, YKK zips and Aquaguard on the front. Built to take a beating trip after trip.
• The removable BRAW ClipPod is a vacuum bag that sits in the main compartment. Pack it, draw the air out with the WEE Pump, and a full week fits in the under-seat slot.
• A padded sleeve holds up to a 15 inch laptop, loaded from the back panel.
• Odour-proof shoe compartment, hidden security pocket, flush-zip bottle holder, three handles, and a trolley pass-through.

Need more room on a trip where you are not using the free under-seat slot? The expansion opens the bag to 40 x 30 x 25 cm and cinches back with the compression straps. The extra 5 cm of depth is over the free under-seat limit on all four airlines, so save that mode for trips with paid cabin or hold allowance.

Shop the Explorer 2

Frequently asked questions

Is 40x30x20 really free on Ryanair?

Yes. Since September 2025 the Ryanair free under-seat bag is 40 x 30 x 20 cm, up from 40 x 30 x 15 cm. It has to fit under the seat in front of you, wheels and handles included.

Does the same size work on other airlines?

Wizz Air and Vueling also use 40 x 30 x 20 cm for the free under-seat bag. easyJet's free bag is larger at 45 x 36 x 20 cm, so a 40 x 30 x 20 cm bag fits with room to spare.

What is the difference between under-seat and a cabin bag?

The under-seat bag is the small one that goes under the seat in front of you, free on these airlines. The larger cabin bag for the overhead locker is a paid add-on. This page is about the free under-seat size.

Will an overpacked soft bag still count as 40x30x20?

Only if it holds the shape. A soft bag that bulges past 20 cm of depth when full can be refused or charged at the gate. A structured shell like the Explorer 2 keeps the size even when it is packed.

Can I make the Explorer 2 bigger?

Yes. It opens to 40 x 30 x 25 cm with the expansion. The 25 cm depth is over the free under-seat limit, so use it only when you are not relying on the free slot.