A carry-on measuring 21.7 x 14.4 x 9 inches and one measuring 22 x 14 x 9 look like the same bag in a spec table. One of them slides into the metal frame at the gate and the other catches on it, and the whole difference is four tenths of an inch on a single side.
We built this page because none of our own comparison articles showed you how big either bag actually is. You can read our Samsonite and Travelpro comparison or our American Tourister piece end to end and never see the two cases drawn next to each other. So here they are, at true scale, against a gate sizer frame and a person of 5 ft 7 in.
Nothing here is a ruling on whether an airline will wave your bag through. That question belongs to the airline size chart, which carries the published limit for every carrier we track. This page answers the quieter one underneath it: how big is that, really.
Draw two bags at actual size
Pick a bag for each slot, or choose Custom size and type your own three measurements. The drawing, the numbers and the fit verdicts all move together.
Actual size
Two bags, one scale
Pick two bags we have measured, or type your own numbers. Everything on the drawing shares a single pixels-per-inch figure, including the person.
Updated · 49 bags measured
Bag ABag B22 x 14 x 9 frameThe tall shape is the face you show a gate sizer. The narrow panel beside it is that bag’s depth, drawn at the same scale.
Away The Carry-On (22 inch)
21.7 × 14.4 × 9 in
45.1 linear inches
- 22 x 14 x 9 inToo big
- 21 x 15 x 10 inToo big
- 62 linear inchesUnder
Compiled Aug 21, 2026 · Our coverage
Solgaard Carry On Closet
20.8 × 13.4 × 9 in
43.2 linear inches
- 22 x 14 x 9 inFits
- 21 x 15 x 10 inFits
- 62 linear inchesUnder
Compiled Aug 21, 2026 · Our coverage
B is 0.9 in shorter and 1 in narrower than A. Its three sides add up to 1.9 in less.
How to read the drawing
Every shape on the canvas comes off one scale factor. The person, the frame and both bags are drawn from the same pixels-per-inch number, so nothing has been nudged to fit the space. If bag B looks a third taller than bag A, it is a third taller.
Each bag is drawn twice, side by side. The tall shape is the face you present to a gate sizer, height by width. The narrow panel next to it is the depth, at the same scale, because depth is the measurement that quietly decides whether a case goes in. A bag that is 2 inches short and 2 inches fat fails the frame just as hard as one that is too tall.
Why we sort the three numbers
Brands publish their axes in whatever order suits the page. The DELSEY Chatelet arrives in our source as 15 x 10 x 22.75, which is the same case as 22.75 x 15 x 10 read from a different corner. Before we draw anything we sort a bag’s three measurements and stand the longest one up, which is how a sizer meets it and how a fit test has to compare it. Our measurement method has the longer version.
The person never changes
The silhouette is fixed at 5 ft 7 in, which sits between the average American man and the average American woman. It is not a model of you. It is a ruler that happens to be shaped like a person, and it stays the same height in every comparison so your eye has something constant to measure against.
The frame at the gate is not the airline’s published limit
22 x 14 x 9 inches is the legacy US carry-on box, and it is what most of the metal sizers bolted to airport gates are built to. It is not a rule every airline publishes. Some carriers print exactly 22 x 14 x 9, some print 21.7 x 15.7 x 9.1, some print more. The frame in this drawing is a physical object you may be asked to prove your bag against, not a policy. For the policy, read the size chart.
The second box we test against, 21 x 15 x 10, is not an airline rule either. We carry it because it catches a different shape of bag: short and deep rather than tall and thin. Three bags in our set clear 22 x 14 x 9 and fail 21 x 15 x 10. Five do the reverse. If you only ever check one box, you’ll be surprised by the other.
For checked bags the number that matters is the sum of all three sides. We keep the 62 inch ceiling in the readout for that reason, and the linear inches page explains where the 62 comes from and which airlines charge past it. If you want the arithmetic on its own, how to calculate linear inches walks through it.
Every bag we have measured
Two of the fifteen bags in our carry-on list clear 22 x 14 x 9 on their published outside measurements, and one of those two only clears it with the expander zipped shut. That is not a scandal, it is what happens when a category name and a physical frame stop agreeing. The table below is the full set, with the fit test applied the same way to every row.
The measured set
Every bag behind the drawing
The same numbers the tool draws from, sorted by bag type and read tall by wide by deep. The unit switch above changes this table too.
| Bag | Size | Linear in | 22 x 14 x 9 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Away Carry-On FlexCarry-on · Measured with the expander zipped shut. | 22 × 14 × 9 in | 45 | Fits as measured |
| Away The Carry-On (22 inch)Carry-on | 21.7 × 14.4 × 9 in | 45.1 | Too big |
| Briggs & Riley Baseline 21-Inch International Carry-OnCarry-on | 21 × 15 × 9 in | 45 | Too big |
| Carl Friedrik The Carry-on (Aluminium)Carry-on | 21.7 × 15 × 9.1 in | 45.8 | Too big |
| Carl Friedrik The Carry-on (Hybrid)Carry-on | 22 × 14.6 × 9.1 in | 45.7 | Too big |
| DELSEY PARIS Chatelet Air 2.0 Carry-On Plus 20 InchCarry-on | 22.8 × 15 × 10 in | 47.8 | Too big |
| July Carry OnCarry-on · Measured inside the case, so the shell adds to every side. | 20 × 14.5 × 8.5 in | 43 | Too big |
| Monos Carry-On Pro Plus 21 InchCarry-on | 23 × 15 × 9.5 in | 47.5 | Too big |
| Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On SpinnerCarry-on | 23 × 15 × 10 in | 48 | Too big |
| Samsonite Omni PC Carry-OnCarry-on · Measured inside the case, so the shell adds to every side. | 19 × 14.5 × 9.5 in | 43 | Too big |
| Samsonite Omni PC Hardside Expandable Carry-On 20-InchCarry-on | 22 × 15 × 9.5 in | 46.5 | Too big |
| Samsonite Winfield 3 DLX Hardside Expandable Carry-OnCarry-on | 22.5 × 14.5 × 9.5 in | 46.5 | Too big |
| Solgaard Carry On ClosetCarry-on | 20.8 × 13.4 × 9 in | 43.2 | Fits |
| Travelpro Maxlite 5 Carry-On 21-Inch SpinnerCarry-on | 23 × 14.5 × 9 in | 46.5 | Too big |
| Travelpro Maxlite Air V2 Hardside Carry-On 20 inCarry-on | 23 × 14.5 × 9.5 in | 47 | Too big |
| Samsonite Freeform 24-Inch Medium Checked SpinnerChecked | 27 × 18.5 × 12 in | 57.5 | Too big |
| Travelpro Platinum Elite Softside Checked 25 inChecked | 28 × 18.5 × 11.8 in | 58.3 | Too big |
| Cotopaxi Allpa 35L Travel PackTravel backpack | 22 × 12 × 10 in | 44 | Too big |
| EVERKI Onyx Business Travel BackpackTravel backpack | 18.7 × 14.2 × 7.9 in | 40.8 | Too big |
| High Sierra Freewheel Wheeled Laptop BackpackTravel backpack | 20.5 × 13.5 × 8 in | 42 | Fits |
| MATEIN Carry on Backpack (Extra Large Expandable)Travel backpack | 19 × 13 × 8 in | 40 | Fits |
| Osprey Farpoint 40Travel backpack | 21.7 × 13.8 × 9.1 in | 44.6 | Too big |
| Osprey Farpoint 55 Travel PackTravel backpack · The source rounds this figure. | 22 × 14 × 9 in | 45 | Fits as measured |
| Osprey Sojourn Porter 46L Travel BackpackTravel backpack · The source rounds this figure. | 21 × 14 × 9 in | 44 | Fits as measured |
| Peak Design Travel Backpack 45LTravel backpack | 22 × 13 × 9.5 in | 44.5 | Too big |
| Samsonite MVS Rolling Backpack 19-InchTravel backpack | 19 × 12 × 12 in | 43 | Too big |
| Tortuga Travel Backpack Pro 40LTravel backpack | 22 × 14 × 8 in | 44 | Fits |
| Bogg Bag Original Large TotePersonal item | 19 × 14 × 9 in | 42 | Fits |
| ECOHUB Travel Backpack 18x14x8Personal item | 18 × 14 × 8 in | 40 | Fits |
| MATEIN Personal Item BackpackPersonal item | 18 × 14 × 8 in | 40 | Fits |
| Osprey Daylite Expandable 26+6 Travel PackPersonal item | 16.9 × 13 × 6.3 in | 36.2 | Fits |
| WANDF Personal Item Travel Bag 18x14x8Personal item | 18 × 14 × 8 in | 40 | Fits |
| Aer Go Pack 2Daypack | 17 × 11 × 5.5 in | 33.5 | Fits |
| BANGE Business Smart BackpackDaypack | 18.9 × 12.2 × 5.5 in | 36.6 | Fits |
| Bellroy Transit WorkpackDaypack | 20.9 × 15 × 6.3 in | 42.2 | Too big |
| KORIN ClickPack Pro Laptop BackpackDaypack | 17.7 × 11.8 × 6.3 in | 35.8 | Fits |
| Pacsafe Metrosafe LS350 DaypackDaypack | 16.5 × 11.6 × 5.1 in | 33.2 | Fits |
| SKYSPER Small Hiking Backpack 20LDaypack | 16.9 × 10.3 × 7.4 in | 34.6 | Fits |
| Sprayground Shark Central BackpackDaypack | 18 × 11.5 × 6 in | 35.5 | Fits |
| The North Face Recon BackpackDaypack | 19.3 × 11.6 × 7.5 in | 38.4 | Fits |
| Travelon Anti-Theft Courier Slim BackpackDaypack | 17 × 14 × 3 in | 34 | Fits |
| WATERFLY Small Lightweight Packable Backpack 20LDaypack | 16.9 × 11.4 × 5.5 in | 33.8 | Fits |
| Kenneth Cole REACTION Ryder SlingSling | 9 × 6.3 × 1.5 in | 16.8 | Fits |
| REEBOW GEAR Tactical SlingSling | 12 × 9.5 × 6 in | 27.5 | Fits |
| Travelon Heritage Anti-Theft CrossbodySling | 9.5 × 8 × 2.5 in | 20 | Fits |
| VADOO RFID Crossbody SlingSling | 7.9 × 5 × 2.2 in | 15.1 | Fits |
| Osprey Daylite 85L Wheeled DuffelDuffel · Measured packed rather than empty. | 28 × 15.7 × 14.2 in | 57.9 | Too big |
| ibagbar Water-Resistant Messenger BagOther | 14 × 12 × 5 in | 31 | Fits |
| Travel Select Amsterdam Rolling Garment BagOther | 23 × 21 × 7 in | 51 | Too big |
All 49 rows compiled . Every row was compiled on the date above from the Travel Bag Experts article linked beside it. It is the date we built and checked this dataset, not a claim that each brand page was re-read row by row.
The bag names link to our own coverage, so you can read what we thought of a case before you decide the drawing settled it. Every row links out. The wider catalog lives in the gear database, where you can filter by type, weight and carry-on fit.
What we left out, and why
A wheels and handles toggle would be the obvious next control, and we haven’t built one. Spec sheets sometimes quote the body of the case and sometimes the whole thing including wheels, and we don’t hold both numbers for these bags. Inventing the second set would make the drawing look more capable and be less true, so instead we print what the source measured and say so on the row.
- Interior measurements are flagged, not hidden. The July Carry On and the Samsonite Omni PC are published as interior dimensions, so the shell adds to every side. Those rows show a gold ring and the words Fits as measured rather than a clean green check.
- Rounding never moves a verdict. Every fit test runs in inches on the full source figure while sizes print to one decimal place, which is why the DELSEY Chatelet reads 22.8 in the table and is tested at 22.75. Centimeters are a display conversion applied afterwards, so switching units changes what you read and never what the tool decides.
- No commission weighting. Some of these brands pay us when a reader buys. None of that touches a measurement or a verdict, and we would rather lose the sale than move a number.
Questions we get about bag dimensions
Does the drawing include wheels?
It includes whatever the source measured, which for 45 of the 49 rows is the outside of the bag as sold. Where the source measured something else, the row says so underneath the name and the verdict softens to a caution. Gate sizers measure everything, wheels and handles included, so treat any interior figure as the floor rather than the number.
Why does my bag pass one frame and fail the other?
Because the two boxes are different shapes, not different sizes. 22 x 14 x 9 is tall and shallow. 21 x 15 x 10 is shorter and deeper. A 22 inch spinner clears the first and catches on the second, and a squat 19 inch case does the opposite. The overlaid view is the fastest way to see which side of your bag is the problem.
Can I share a comparison with someone?
Send them the page link. We deliberately keep nothing in the URL, so there is no tracking string to strip and no parameter to break. Your last comparison is remembered in your own browser and goes no further than that, and the numbers under the drawing are short enough to paste into a message.
My bag is not on the list.
Choose Custom size in either slot and type the three measurements off a tape. Measure the widest points, wheels and handles included, and round up rather than down. How to measure a suitcase covers where people usually go wrong, and how to measure luggage has the same thing for soft bags and backpacks.
What about personal item size?
Personal item allowances are smaller, more varied and enforced far less consistently than carry-on ones. Load a bag from the Personal item group in the picker to see one drawn against the frame, then read our personal item guide for what actually gets waved through. If you are flying Southwest, its published carry-on box is 24 x 16 x 10 rather than the frame in this drawing, and we cover that separately.
The airline damaged my bag. What now?
Size is the wrong page for that. We keep a separate record of what each carrier has written about refusing to pay, including the ones whose own text conflicts with the federal position, at damaged luggage claim rules.
Measurements are compiled from our own reviews and buying guides, then re-tested against both frames before they ship. Ratings and measurements on Travel Bag Experts ignore commission relationships. If a figure here disagrees with the bag in your hallway, trust the tape, and read how we take ours.