12 Personal Item Bags That'll Hold Everything You Need — and Still Fit Under an Airplane Seat (2024)

It’s no wonder this bag snagged our best overall category — it truly has everything. From its spacious main compartment and its abundance of pockets to its comfy, padded shoulder strap, July’s Carry All Weekender just makes travel easy. A designated protective laptop sleeve, a large front pocket, and several interior slip pockets allow for streamlined organization, while subtle cushioning on the strap and soft leather on the top handles keep things comfy no matter how you choose to carry it. The bag even boasts a trolley sleeve so travelers can easily attach it to their rolling luggage. On top of all that, it’s ultra-sleek and compact enough to fit under an airplane seat with room to spare.

Because it’s on the smaller side, we did find we could only fit a day or two’s worth of clothing in the bag during our tests. However, seeing as we’d use this as a personal item bag and not an actual carry-on, we thought that was fair. We feel it works perfectly as both a weekend trip bag and as an everyday option for remote workers.

The Details: 10.5 x 18 x 8.5 inches | 2.2 pounds | Nylon, leather

“I wouldn’t change anything about this backpack! It’s perfect!” is an actual quote from one of our editors who tried out the Solo Re:Define Backpack. It’s remarkably spacious thanks to a large main compartment with plenty of additional pockets and sleeves. No matter how much we stuffed inside, there seemed to be room for more. After packing it with a laptop, a tablet, a pair of shoes, a large toiletry bag, a shirt, a pair of pants, a quarter-zip jacket, a book, a wallet, keys, lotion, and AirPods, we still had room to spare — plus, the backpack remained lightweight and comfortable to carry. We also appreciated the anti-microbial coating during our tests, which made the backpack easy to clean with wipes. Other features we loved included padded straps, water-repellant construction, and a built-in USB port for mobile charging.

The Details: 18 x 13 x 7 inches | 1.4 pounds | PET polyester

We’re not exaggerating when we say we’ve brought this purse-tote hybrid with us everywhere. From cross-country work trips to beach days to running errands around town, the Quince Revive Nylon Large Tote has been with us through it all, making our travels lighter and smoother every step of the way. It’s both impressively spacious and packed with pockets (including a laptop sleeve), and through our tests, we felt it distributes weight well. We loved the magnetic top closure and padded sleeves, and could not get over how cleanable, durable, and sustainable the fabric is. It makes the perfect personal item for travel because it’s large enough to fit a change of clothes and a laptop, but small enough to fit under a seat and pass as a purse.

The Details: 13 x 17 x 5 inches | Recycled nylon

We brought the Le Pliage Expandable on a three-week trip to Europe, on various beach trips, on long road trips, and, of course, on a handful of flights. It fit everything on our four-day packing list with plenty of room to spare, and to no one’s surprise considering the brand’s popularity, it was a joy to bring everywhere. That’s due in part to the bag’s knack for carrying everything from multiple outfits and toiletries to water bottles and snacks. It also folds down into a small square, so you can easily pack it in your other luggage or store it when not in use. Despite its folding feature, the bag’s polyamide canvas and leather construction is quite durable — plus, it’s also expandable, so travelers can change the shape depending on what they’re carrying and where they’re stowing it. A reliable zip closure, a detachable shoulder strap, and efficient pocket space round out this lightweight underseat bag, but keep in mind that it will need to go into the overhead bin when fully expanded.

The Details: 13.8-20.5 x 17.7 x 9.1 inches | 1.5 pounds | 30-50 liters | Polyamide canvas, leather

It may be hard to believe a hardside spinner could fit under an airplane seat, but we can assure you the Calpak Hue Mini can. It’s cute and compact, yet it’s deep enough to fit the essentials and a bit more. (We easily packed two pairs of pants, a bomber jacket, flip flops, three shirts, and a laptop in a sleeve.) While the suitcase doesn’t have any exterior pockets, we appreciated the interior zip-around divider which boasts a mesh zip pocket and two sleeves, as well as two other small zip pockets on the other side of the interior. When placing the spinner underneath a plane seat, we found that it fit pretty much perfectly and additionally has some give despite its hard shell. Back in our New York City lab, we ran it through an obstacle course and loved how smoothly it sailed through due to four high-quality spinner wheels and an overall sturdy construction. Other features we enjoyed were a built-in lock, a telescoping handle, and an additional top handle.

The Details: 16 x 14 x 9 inches | 6 pounds | 31.2-liter capacity | Polycarbonate, polyester

If you’re the type of traveler who likes having a compartment for everything, you’ll love the V4 Bento Bag. Despite its small stature, we found it could easily fit everything on our packing list and more thanks to its impressive organization features. In addition to a spacious main compartment, travelers will find two zippered pockets that include two toiletry bags, as well as a bag for shoes or laundry, a laptop sleeve, and an almost overwhelming number of additional interior and exterior pockets. During testing, we were delighted to discover every single one of the zippers on this bag ran smoothly rather than sticking or snagging. We also loved that it opens clamshell-style like a suitcase, which allowed us to see all of our items at once during the packing and unpacking process. After stuffing it with travel essentials and throwing it off a counter several times, we noticed neither the bag nor its contents were damaged in the least. So you can imagine our surprise when, despite its durability and many features, it still remained lightweight and comfy to carry.

The Details: 17 x 8 x 10 inches | 2.76 pounds | 24-liter capacity | Nylon, leather

This soft and squishable bag is full of pockets — our favorite one being the dedicated shoe compartment, which is non-invasive yet large enough for two pairs of shoes. Plus, the compartment is so subtle (it’s tucked into the main compartment via a separate side entrance) that you’ll barely even notice it’s there. But beyond the Luka Duffel’s special shoe storage space, we love this bag for its roominess and comfortable carry thanks to soft, malleable polyester and cushioned straps. On the exterior, you’ll find a laptop sleeve, a water bottle pocket, an additional small pocket, and a trolley sleeve, while the large interior boasts six pockets ranging from zippered mesh to slip pockets. While the bag does come with a removable shoulder strap, we feel the top handles are already long enough (and comfy enough) to use as shoulder straps. Despite its soft construction and lightweight build, the Luka sufficiently protected laptops and other fragile items during our drop tests. To top it all off, the bag comes in 20 colors ranging from pastels to metallics to neutrals.

The Details: 12 x 16 x 7 inches | 2.1 pounds | 22-liter capacity | Polyester

If boxy black bags lacking any kind of stylish charm just aren’t your thing, opt for MZ Wallace’s Nik Duffel Bag. The shiny, quilted exterior paired with leather accents and gold or silver hardware is sure to win over even the most fashionable of travelers — plus, the shape is more like an elongated semi-circle than a bulky cube. But its appearance isn’t the only winning detail: we found, through months of testing, that the bag easily fits four day’s worth of clothes and essentials thanks to its multiple pockets (seven externally, nine internally) and sizable main compartment. Our favorite pocket may just be the durable dedicated laptop pocket, though the huge exterior front pockets have come in quite handy as well. The zippers run smooth, the build is flexible, and the whole thing is surprisingly lightweight, even when stuffed to the brim. You can cop this bag in six colors including green-and-white plaid and Moondust Metallic Lacquer.

The Details: 17 x 7 x 12.2 inches | 2.1 pounds | REC Oxford, leather, nylon

Though this bag was technically designed as a carry-on, it meets the size requirements to count as a personal item, too — and that’s why we love it. It has far more built-in organization and space than the average personal item bag, having been constructed with two main compartments that were large enough for us to fit two pairs of pants, two shirts, a jacket, a toiletry bag, and a pair of shoes. It’s also full of pockets, including one exterior pocket, three interior pockets, and a laptop sleeve, so staying organized will never be an issue with this bag. Two interior zip dividers work wonders for separating wet or dirty clothes from the rest of your items, while four gliding wheels, a long telescoping handle, a smaller top handle, and a trolley sleeve provide plenty of carrying options. And, because this is Tumi, luxurious touches came as no surprise to us — though they did still impress us. A built-in USB port for on-the-go charging is subtle yet easily accessible, and a sleek logo luggage tag comes attached to the bag.

The Details: 16 x 14 x 8 inches | 6.6 pounds | 21-liter capacity | Nylon, leather

It came as no surprise to us that Caraa’s Studio Tote Leather wound up being our favorite tote — we’re long-time fans of the brand’s organizational features, after all. In addition to its spacious main section, this bag boasts a separate, exterior easy-access compartment (with its own zipper!), as well as a huge, padded laptop slot that zips shut. There are also dedicated pockets for a water bottle, passport, phone, and wallet. On top of that, there’s even a small pouch meant to house cosmetics and other small items connected to the rest of the bag by a strap.

Perhaps the feature that impressed us most, though, was the tote’s ability to convert into a backpack thanks to a pair of extra straps. We love that you can fully detach those straps when not in use (so the bag looks like a regular zippered tote), but found they actually don’t look bad when left hanging on the bag either. The multiple strap options make this a versatile pick and, despite its spaciousness, we didn’t think it looked bulky, even on a smaller frame.

The Details: 13 x 18 x 7.5 inches | 2.4 pounds | 28.8-liter capacity | Leather, nylon

The best thing about the HYC00 Travel Duffel Bag is it’s the ideal budget option, but doesn’t feel like a budget option. During our tests, we quickly noticed just how comfy the bag was to carry — both the detachable shoulder strap and the top handles are soft and padded, which allowed us to carry the bag for a considerable bit of time without feeling pain or discomfort. It’s also slightly smaller than the average duffel, meaning it fits more easily under an airplane seat. But that’s not to say it’s lacking space — the duffel boasts two exterior zip pockets (one with a zipper and one without), two interior zipper pockets, and two interior mesh pockets. The bag is additionally crafted with luxe features typical of higher end bags, like a trolley strap and a zipper that can clasp down to make the duffel more compact.

The Details: 10.63 x 21.65 x 7.09 inches | 2 pounds | 30-liter capacity | Nylon

After testing more than a dozen sling bags, The North Face’s Isabella Sling was the clear winner. Not just because it fits under the seat in front of you with room to spare, but also because, like most North Face products, it’s very well-made. The thick padding on the strap makes it super comfy, and the hardware is real metal, which keeps the zippers from sticking or rusting. We especially appreciated the pockets, especially that the interior of the front pocket is soft enough to store sunglasses without a case. We found the small pocket on the strap is perfect for keys, while the back pocket fits and protects a full-size tablet with ease. The main compartment is deep enough to fit a water bottle or toiletries and a change of clothes.

The Details: 14.5 x 9.5 x 5.5 inches | 12 ounces | 9-liter capacity | Recycled polyester, recycled nylon

Frequently Asked Questions

• What qualifies as a personal item?

  Personal items are luggage items that fit underneath the seat in front of you on a plane. This can be a tote bag, a crossbody bag, a backpack, a duffel, or even a spinner if it’s small enough to fit.

• What can I pack in my personal item bag?

  Think of your personal item bag as an extension of your carry-on bag. You’ll want to pack things you might need during your flight, like your phone, laptop or tablet, device chargers, eyeglasses, medications, wallet, a book or magazine, and perhaps even skincare products. Just keep in mind that, as with carry-ons, any liquid items you pack in your personal item bag shouldn’t exceed 3.4 fluid ounces each.
  

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