From long-haul flights to hour-long trips, having your travel essentials (think: snacks, books and headphones) right at your feet is a major convenience. Beyond that, your onboard personal item can even hold a few days’ worth of clothes, potentially eliminating your need for a carry-on. The best underseat luggage easily slides into tight spaces, while still fitting all of the demands of modern air travel. For instance, our top pick, the Thule Subterra Boarding Bag, is designed with helpful features like a laptop compartment and a trolley sleeve for attaching to your rolling luggage.
When it comes to underseat luggage, functionality and durability are the two most important qualities to prioritize. Look for bags with rip-resistant fabrics (or crack-resistant shells), strategically placed pockets and, with certain styles, comfy shoulder straps. During our research, we consulted with Forbes Vetted’s senior travel editor and globetrotter Astrid Taran to select the best underseat luggage available right now, from travel backpacks to duffel bags and beyond.
Best Underseat Luggage Overall: Thule Subterra 23L Boarding Bag
Best Underseat Luggage With Wheels: Travelpro Maxlite 5 Underseat Bag
Best Underseat Duffel Bag: Troubadour Embark Compact Duffel
Best Underseat Tote Bag: Cuyana System 13-Inch Tote
Best Underseat Backpack: Troubadour Compact Apex Backpack
Best Underseat Hardshell Luggage: Calpak Hue Mini Carry-On Luggage
Most Spacious Underseat Luggage: Briggs and Riley Underseat Duffle
Best Underseat Luggage For Business Travel : Dagne Dover Berlin Travel Brief
Thule Subterra 23L Boarding Bag
Dimensions (LxWxH): 12.2 x 7.9 x 17.3 inches | Weight: 2.1 pounds | Colors: 2 total, including Black and Ember
There’s a lot to like about the Thule Subterra 23L boarding bag. It has a clean, functional design and comes in two dark color options (great for hiding stains). The best part? It’s wrapped in a durable, 800D nylon that will undoubtedly stand up to underseat air travel. The Subterra’s roomy interior has enough space for necessary tech essentials plus extraneous gear to get through a layover or a longer direct flight. It also has designated storage for a 15-inch laptop, as well as a trolley sleeve for attaching to rolling luggage. Beyond that, Thule bags are simply built tough—you can count on them to last for years.
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Dimensions (LxWxH): 17.5 x 8.5 x 14.5 inches | Weight: 5.5 pounds | Available colors: 9 total, including Midnight Blue and Orchid Pink Purple
You’ve probably seen pilot and flight attendant luggage donned with the Travelpro brand—and that’s because the company makes solid, sturdy bags air travel professionals can rely on. They also happen to be a brand of choice for professional frequent flyers. Inside, the bag has one main storage area and a lining made from 100% post-consumer recycled plastic bottles. Travelers can rely on a well-built set of wheels and a cemented handle that can maneuver around tight spaces on-plane with ease. Outside, a stain- and water-resistant fabric makes this a definite winner.
Troubadour Embark Compact Duffel
Dimensions (LxWxH): 18 x 7.5 x 11 inches | Weight: 2.9 pounds | Colors: 2 total, including Black and Navy
For the traveler who needs just as much style as function in their underseat luggage, this bag from Troubador is a great choice. The dedicated shoe pocket (with air circulation) is a nice touch, especially for overnights where a second pair is required. In the main pocket, there’s tidy essential storage, with varied pocket sizes for all of your necessary gear. Plus, it’s a handsome bag draped in a recycled polyester fabric and vegan leather trim that adds a touch of class to a workhorse piece.
Dimensions (HxWxD): 10 x 13.25 x 5 inches | Weight: 1.9 pounds | Colors: 6 total, including Caramel and Stone
If you’re already bringing a carry-on or checked bag on your trip, you may prefer to carry a simple tote bag onto your flight in lieu of more traditional luggage. This 13-inch leather bag from Cuyana earned the top spot on our list of the best travel totes; it has a designated laptop sleeve and an internal pouch for smaller items like your wallet, passport and phone. It comes in versatile neutral hues that complement any outfit, so you can head straight from the airport to your dinner reservation with ease. There’s also the option to add gold foil monogramming for a personalized touch.
MOST POPULAR
Dimensions (HxWxD): 16 x 11.5 x 5.5 inches | Weight: 2 pounds | Colors: 3 total, including Navy and Obsidian Green
Troubadour makes the list a second time for this well-suited backpack that’s ideal for the business traveler. The front zipper opening offers easy access to smaller items when you’re crammed into a middle seat along with additional integration inside the bag for those who need more tech space. Outside, a sleeve strap means you can stow this on top of your rolling bag while sprinting through the airport between layovers. The recycled polyester exterior will hold its own for any unplanned spills.
Dimensions (HxWxD): 16 x 14 x 8.5 inches | Weight: 6.4 pounds | Colors: 6 total, including Hazel and Mauve
True to its name, the Hue Mini is one of the smaller pieces in Calpak’s range, but there’s still plenty of versatility to go around. With 31 liters of total space, there’s enough for an overnight stay and some change. The luxury of a symmetrical shape is that it very easily tucks into the underseat area of an airplane or that last bit of available overhead space. Plus, it’s fun and bright, ensuring it will stand out if you ever need to check it.
Dimensions (HxWxD): 10.5 x 16.5 x 11.5 inches | Weight: 2.8 pounds
There are a number of bold features built into this bag that make it an excellent candidate for underseat travel. Primarily, the number and functionality of its pockets means you can fit quite a lot into a soft frame that leaves a little space underneath your seat. The separate water bottle storage is also a nice touch, especially when you want to remove the risk of your beverage leaking on your precious tech items. Lastly, it has ample interior access, should you need to remove something to get through security at the last possible moment.
Dimensions (LxWxH): 16 x 4.5 x 12.5 inches | Weight: 2.1 pounds | Colors: 3 total, including Ash and Onyx
Dagne Dover’s Berlin Travel Brief is ideal for those who need to tote around a lot of tech—it offers space for two 16-inch laptops and two phones. In addition, padded slip pockets provide extra space for smaller work essentials such as a notebook or writing utensils, while a neoprene pouch accommodates your water bottle. A luggage sleeve allows you to slip the bag onto your rolling suitcase as you make your way to your final destination. The padded crossbody strap is removable, giving you the option to hold the bag like a traditional briefcase.
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What To Consider When Selecting Underseat Luggage
There are a few key factors you should keep in mind when picking an underseat bag. Below, we’ve broken down each one to better inform your purchasing decision.
Size
The biggest factor when considering underseat luggage is size. If the bag doesn’t fit underneath the seat, then you’ll be asked to place it above you in the overhead bin. It’s also important to make sure you don’t push the outer limits of the dimension maximums, since you also need a place to rest your feet. In our experience, it’s better to give up 2 to 3 inches of space so you don’t end up more crammed in the seat than you already are.
Durability
It’s almost a sure bet that your underseat bag will get stained, kicked around and generally pushed into the framing of the seat in front of you, so it’s crucial that it can stand up to all of that wear. Hardshell bags fare a bit better, but soft-sided bags and backpacks can move more to give your feet a bit more space. In either case, you want to find a strong nylon, polyester or leather bag that can bend, flex and fold to the demands of commercial air travel.
Additional Features
When comparing different pieces of underseat luggage, consider which features are most important to you. For those who frequently go on trips for work, a bag with a built-in laptop compartment will prove useful. Meanwhile, those who hate carrying bags on their shoulders will benefit from one with rolling wheels. If you’re traveling with additional luggage, look for a bag with a trolley sleeve—this design feature allows you to slip your bag over the handle of your wheeled suitcase.
What Is The Best Size For Underseat Luggage?
Every domestic airline has a different standard for underseat carry-on sizing. To give a good example of the range you should expect to find on your flights, American Airlines has a dimension maximum of 18 inches long, 14 inches wide and 8 inches high, while United Airlines has underseat dimensions of 17 inches long, 10 inches wide and 9 inches high.
These dimensions (and associated weight limits) are subject to regular change, so it’s critical to check with your airline before you head to the airport. Of course, international airlines will have a whole other set of dimensions and regulations to consider for underseat bags. Roomy first-class seats may have a few extra inches to spare, and the main cabin middle seat might have more room than its neighbors.
Is An Underseat Bag The Same As A Carry-On Bag?
While both carry-ons and underseat bags accompany you aboard the airplane, they fall into two separate categories of luggage. Underseat luggage is typically classified as your “personal item,” which is expected to fit underneath the seat in front of you. Carry-on luggage is larger in size and stored in the overhead bin for the duration of your flight. All U.S. airlines allow for one personal item per passenger free of charge, but some require an extra fee for carry-on bags.