The 14 Best Personal-Item Bags For Every Traveler, According to Popsugar Editors

There’s nothing like going on a quick weekend trip to explore other cities or taking the time to visit friends and family you haven’t seen in a while. However, the costs of flying are skyrocketing, suitcases are getting lost, and airlines are charging a pretty penny for carry-on luggage and checked bags. The hunt for cheap flights and convenient travel is an ongoing challenge. One way to keep travel costs as low as possible: utilizing the personal-item carry-on bag. The personal-item bag is a must when you fly a no-frills airline such as Frontier or Spirit Airlines, or buy a basic economy seat for domestic travel, since it’s the only bag you can bring that’s free of extra costs. And fortunately, our editors try hundreds of products each year, which means we’ve done our fair share of traveling with the best of the best travel bags that will make your long-haul flights as easy as possible.Our Favorite Personal-Item Bags to ShopThe best option for the committed Spirit Airlines flyer: Narwey Foldable Travel Duffel Bag at $14, originally $17An editor-approved travel backpack: Lululemon Wunderlust Backpack 25L at $158For a 48-hour summer road trip: Beis The Mini Weekender at $98The ultimate personal-item bag: Calpak Ambeur Mini Carry-On Luggage at $215What Qualifies as a Personal-Item Bag?
A personal-item bag can be a durable backpack, a stylish tote bag, a spacious diaper bag, a laptop or work bag, or anything small enough to fit underneath the seat in front of you. Each airline has different qualifications on sizes and proportions, so we’ve listed a few common ones below:

Spirit: 8″ depth x 14″ width x 18″ height
Frontier: 8″ depth x 18″ width x 14″ height
United: 9″ depth x 10″ width x 17″ height
Delta: 9″ depth x 13″ width x 17″ height
American: 8″ depth x 14″ width x 18″ height
Southwest: 8.5″ depth x 13.5″ width x 18.5″ height
JetBlue: 8″ depth x 13″ width x 17″ height
Allegiant: 7″ depth x 15″ width x 16″ heightHow We Test the Best Personal-Item Bags

The personal-item bags we chose for the list below combine functionality and style with long-lasting use. Here are a few things our editors consider when reviewing them:

Storage – Does it have enough room for all of your travel must haves while being able to fit under the seat?Style – Is the design flattering? Could it go with all of your airport outfits?Extra features – Does it have other compartments that can store useful products like small toiletries or a phone charger?In short, a quality personal-item bag has enough room for all your travel accessories while being compact enough to fit under the seat in front of you according to the airline guidelines, along with a few vacation outfits, an extra pair of shoes, makeup, skin-care, and maybe a reusable water bottle. Fortunately, we curated the best personal-item bags for planes that you can shop right now, like a top-rated, PS editor-approved weekender bag from Béis. Ready to hit “buy” on a new one for yourself? Ahead, a selection of the best personal carry-on bags for flying.

Update on Sept. 10, 2025 at 3:42 PM ET: Updated prices and checked stock for all products.