Ryanair allows a free personal item up to 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in, under the seat in front of you. Put your own bag's measurements in below.
| Personal item maximum | 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in (under the seat in front) |
| Is it free? | Yes — every fare includes one personal item |
| Full-size carry-on | 21.7 x 15.7 x 7.9 in (charged separately) |
| If it does not fit | Bags over the free allowance are charged at the gate. |
The 10 kg cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20 cm) is NOT included in the fare — it requires the 'Priority & 2 Cabin Bags' add-on. Only the small personal bag is free.
The small personal bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm) is free on EVERY Ryanair fare and must fit under the seat in front of you.
At 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in it holds roughly 1464 cubic inches, about 54% of the volume of Ryanair's own 21.7 x 15.7 x 7.9 in carry-on. That is larger than 9 of the 16 other airlines that publish a figure, and smaller than 6.
Worth knowing: 6 of the 23 airlines we track publish no personal-item measurement at all, so a bag chosen against Ryanair's stated 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in is being measured against a firmer rule than most carriers give you.
Common small bags measured against Ryanair's published 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in limit.
| Bag | Size | On Ryanair | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| 15-inch laptop bag | 15 × 11 × 4 in | Fits, 0.7 in spare | A slim work bag |
| Small daypack | 17 × 12 × 7 in | Too big by 1.3 in | The commonest personal item |
| Weekender tote | 20 × 13 × 9 in | Too big by 4.3 in | Often too big for under the seat |
| Compact backpack | 16 × 11 × 6 in | Too big by 0.3 in | Fits almost anywhere |
The 10 kg cabin bag (55 x 40 x 20 cm) is NOT included in the fare — it requires the 'Priority & 2 Cabin Bags' add-on. Only the small personal bag is free. That makes the personal item the whole of your free allowance, and it is why travellers who fly Ryanair regularly buy a bag sized to the under-seat limit rather than a standard carry-on they would have to pay for every flight.
Ryanair publishes a cabin weight limit of 22 lb (10 kg) — 10 kg for the large cabin bag. Weight is checked far less often than size, but it is the rule most likely to catch you on a bag full of books or camera gear.
Bags over the free allowance are charged at the gate. Because the overhead bag is charged on Ryanair, an over-large personal item is not a free upgrade to the locker — it becomes a paid bag, usually at the most expensive tier because you are buying it at the gate.
Two practical notes that apply on any airline: the under-seat space is smaller in a row with a lifejacket box or an entertainment unit beneath the seat, and a soft bag that compresses will pass where a rigid case of identical stated dimensions will not. Measure with anything strapped to the outside included.
Ryanair allows a personal item up to 15.7 x 11.8 x 7.9 in, stowed under the seat in front of you.
Yes. Every Ryanair fare includes one personal item. On Ryanair it is the ONLY free bag — the full-size carry-on is charged separately.
A purse, small backpack, laptop bag, briefcase or similar. The small personal bag (40 x 30 x 20 cm) is free on EVERY Ryanair fare and must fit under the seat in front of you.
Bags over the free allowance are charged at the gate.
The personal item goes under the seat and is free. The carry-on goes in the overhead locker and can be up to 21.7 x 15.7 x 7.9 in, and Ryanair charges for it.
Yes — Ryanair measures the whole bag, so soft bags that squash down have a real advantage under the seat.