Understanding Personal-Item Backpack Requirements
Personal item bags are bags that can fit under the seat of an airplane. This means they do not need to be stowed away in overhead compartments (like carry-on bags do). Personal item bags don’t need to be tagged, and most airlines will allow you to have one personal bag at no extra charge.
People who want to fly for less take full advantage of personal item bags to pack as many things as possible; many low-cost flyers will go on week-long vacations with all of their things packed in a single personal bag
In this guide, we cover the must-have features for any personal item bag, then give you a list of our favourites for 2025!
Size And Fit: Essential Dimensions To Clear Airline Rules
Each Canadian airline has its own rules for personal bags. They are:
Air Canada: 43 cm x 33 cm x 16 cm (17” x 13” x 6”)
WestJet: 41 cm x 33 cm x 14 cm
Flair: 43 cm x 33 cm x 15 cm
Porter: 43 cm x 33 cm x 16 cm
Your personal item bag should fit within these dimensions; ideally, it should even be a little smaller, especially if it has a soft case, as filling the bag with personal items can expand its size.
Must-Have Features For Travel Convenience
There are a few features that we consider must-haves for any personal item bag used for travel. They are:
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Multiple Compartments: To make it easy to organize your things, we especially love a bag with a laptop compartment.
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Spaciousness: Most of the bag should be dedicated to space for items, not unnecessary features.
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Lightweight: You’ll be carrying your personal item bag around airports and beyond, and you might want easy access to what’s inside at a moment’s notice; it’s got to be lightweight.
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Portability: Your personal bag should be easy to carry, with comfortable straps and handles.
Other features we love include great warranties, extra features like wheels, and collapsibility/expandability.
Material And Durability Factors
Best Fabrics For Frequent Travel
We love soft cases for personal items, because they’re easier to fit under the seat (you can squish them). For soft cases, we highly recommend easy-to-clean fabrics like nylon, canvas, and polyester; your bags will be sitting below airplane seats for hours at a time, after all - it’s not the most hygienic environment.
Organization And Storage Solutions
Internal Compartments
Internal compartments are an absolute must for organizing personal item bags. It’s common to have laptops and chargers in personal bags, so storage for both is important. You’ll also want internal storage for small items; sewn pockets and elastic bands are great for everything from medication to lipstick.
Exterior Pockets
We like a lot of external pockets on our personal item bags for easy access to essentials. We also love a place to hold a water bottle; flights get long, and let’s face it, the small cup of water they give you along with a couple of Biscoff cookies isn’t enough (the Biscoffs will dry up any moisture you got from the water, anyway).
Comfort And Ergonomic Features
Strap Design
Straps should be comfortable; we tend to prefer padded straps, because while they add some weight and size to the bag, we value comfort very highly. There are a lot of ultra-low-cost and economy tickets being sold, and the people on those trips might only be bringing a personal item; that means your bag might get pretty heavy between clothing and laptops, and that can lead to discomfort if your straps aren’t padded.
We also love bags that have straps you can feed over your carry-on luggage handle; anything to make it easier to move your personal item bag around!
Back Support
Much like a good strap design, a good personal item bag should ideally provide good back support. This can be through proper construction and storage options (which allows you to distribute weight evenly throughout the bag); it can also be by offering adjustable straps or by converting from a totebag style to a backpack style.
Our Picks For The Best 2025 Personal Item Bags You Can Buy In Canada
Patagonia Micro MLC 22L and Patagonia Mini MLC 30L
The Micro MLC 22L and Mini MLC 30L fit beautifully under the seats of most airlines. They have a number of features we absolutely love:
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TPU-film laminate for easy cleanup
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Mesh dividers and laptop pockets for better storage
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Convertible from backpack to shoulder bag to briefcase
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Webbing loop on the back panel that can be slipped over rolling luggage
As with all Patagonia products, they’re backed by the Ironclad Guarantee, making it easy to repair, replace, or refund the pack if it’s not right for you.
Osprey Daylight 26+6
The Daylight 26+6 is great for anyone who wants a personal item bag that they can convert into a carry-on if they want to
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26 litres of storage
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An expandable additional 6 litres of storage if you want to use it as a carry on
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Two expandable water bottle pockets
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Front and back pockets
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A laptop sleeve
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An organizer
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An internal tie-down strap
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Suitcase-style zip opening
Osprey’s products are backed by the All Mighty Guarantee; if your bag gets damaged on the road - even from wear and tear - Osprey will repair or replace it at no cost.
Bellroy Lite Travel Pack 30L
The Bellroy Lite Travel Pack is designed to make getting in and out of the airport a breeze, all while providing an incredible 30 litres of storage. It:
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Folds out flat for easy packing
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Has lots of pockets, including
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A quick-access top pocket for essentials
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A lower exterior pocket for books and more
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A rear zip-up laptop pocket
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Features internal mesh packing cells and dividers for organizing
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Has tuck-away shoulder straps and removable sternum straps to help it fit under airline seats
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Has a luggage-pass through
The Lite Travel Pack is covered by Bellroy’s 6-year bag warranty, covering faults in workmanship.
Briggs & Riley ZDX Convertible Backpack Duffel
The ZDX Convertible Backpack Duffel is one of our favourite bags on a list of favourite bags - it’s got a lot of features that set it apart from the competition, including:
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An impressive 24L of storage
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A slip pocket for laptops
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A large front compartment for small items
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Lockable zipper pulls
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Backpack straps that can be hidden in a zippered pocket
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Shoulder straps you can slip over wheeled luggage
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800D nylon for durability
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Clamshell opening to make packing a breeze
The ZDX Convertible Backpack is backed by the Briggs & Riley “Simple as that” lifetime guarantee - they will repair any functional aspect of your bag for life
Cotopaxi Allpa 28L Travel Pack
The Allpa 28L is one of the simpler personal item bags on our list, but it has a lot going for it. Some of the features that make it worthwhile include:
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2 pockets in the main compartment
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Padded, fleece-lined laptop sleeve
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A stretch mesh water bottle pocket
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3 grab handles: side, top, and bottom
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Roller bag pass-through strap
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Webbing loops for extra gear
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An accessory pocket with a key clip
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Durable, water-resistant fabric
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A foam back panel
Cotopaxi offers a lifetime guarantee on manufacturing defects.
Making Your Final Selection
Think about how you travel, what you bring with you, how you carry your bags, and what style and aesthetics you like best. Another thing to consider is your budget; it’s important to remember that, with bags like those offered by Briggs & Riley, higher costs are offset by robust lifetime warranties.
Once you’ve made your selection, it’s time to travel!
Looking for carry-on bags? We can help with that, too. Check out:
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Our favourite cabin bags for WestJet flights
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Our collection of the best backpacks for air travel