If you've searched this, you've probably already seen a dozen slightly different answers. That's because Ryanair changed its free personal bag size in 2025, and a lot of pages online still haven't caught up.
Here's the current, accurate version — and what it actually means for the bag you travel with.
Ryanair's Free Cabin Bag Size
Every Ryanair fare includes one free personal bag. As of Ryanair's own bag policy page, that bag must be 40 x 30 x 20cm and fit under the seat in front of you. No weight limit is officially stated for this bag.
That's a genuine increase from the old limit of 40 x 20 x 25cm. The change brought Ryanair in line with a new EU-wide standard for free cabin baggage, which sets a minimum of 40 x 30 x 15cm. Ryanair's version is slightly more generous than the EU minimum — 5cm deeper.
If you flew Ryanair a couple of years ago and are going by memory, this is the update you missed.
How Strict Is the Sizer, Really?
This is the part most pages skip over.
Ryanair uses a metal frame sizer at the gate. Your bag has to fit inside it without being forced. Staff don't measure every single bag on every flight — but they can, and they're more likely to pull you aside if your bag looks obviously full or bulging.
A soft-sided bag has an advantage here: it compresses slightly under pressure. A rigid case that's 1–2cm over doesn't have that flexibility, and won't go in no matter how you angle it.
The honest advice: don't buy a bag that matches 40 x 30 x 20cm exactly and assume it'll always pass. Overpack it once, and it won't. A bag with a little built-in margin is the safer bet.
Ryanair vs easyJet vs Wizz Air: Free Bag Sizes Compared
| Airline | Free personal bag size | Weight limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 40 x 30 x 20cm | Not officially stated |
| Wizz Air | 40 x 30 x 20cm | Not officially stated |
| easyJet | 45 x 36 x 20cm | 15kg |
Worth noting: easyJet's free allowance is meaningfully larger than Ryanair's and Wizz Air's. If you fly a mix of these airlines, packing to the smallest common size — Ryanair and Wizz Air's 40 x 30 x 20cm — means one bag works everywhere, with room to spare on easyJet.
Where This Leaves You
If you're booking the cheapest fare on Ryanair or Wizz Air, 40 x 30 x 20cm isn't a suggestion — it's the actual limit for what flies free. Go over it, even slightly, and you're either paying at the gate or checking it into the hold.
This is exactly the size we built the LEVARE Travel Backpack around — not because it's a trend, but because it's the one dimension that keeps a bag usable across the airlines most people actually fly. We wrote a full breakdown of what genuinely fits inside a bag this size for a real 4–5 day trip, if you want to see it before you pack.
Quick Answers
Does Ryanair weigh personal item bags? No official weight limit is stated for the free personal bag, only the size. Ryanair's larger, paid cabin bag does carry a 10kg limit.
Will a 40 x 30 x 20cm bag work on easyJet too? Yes. easyJet's free allowance is larger, so a bag built to Ryanair's size comfortably fits within it.
Can I rely on my bag being "close enough" to the size limit? Not reliably. Enforcement varies by airport and gate staff, and a bag accepted on one flight can still be checked on another. Staying slightly under the limit is safer than matching it exactly.
Read more about how we think about sizing and honesty in our About page, or check our FAQs for more on the LEVARE Travel Backpack.