Regardless of which airline you travel on, or what type of ticket you buy, using the best personal item can be a great way to maximize the limited amount of packing space you’ll have. The personal item, which is meant to fit under the seat in front of you, is often described as a laptop bag, camera bag, purse, or diaper bag. However, if you don’t specifically need one of these types of bags, there are other options for a carry-on bag that can be used as a personal item.
Here’s our pick for the best personal item bag for airlines, including our favorite and three other great options. If you have a favorite bag we didn’t list, leave us a comment below!
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Before packing one of these bags, check with your airline to see what dimension limits they have for carry-on bags. Keep in mind that some seats may have less room than others.
For instance, the middle seat typically has less under-seat space on JetBlue Airlines. In addition, if you are in a bulkhead set, the flight attendants will ask you to place these bags in the overhead compartment until after takeoff and before landing.
Best Personal Item Bag for Airlines (4 Great Options)
What to Look For in a Personal Item
Before making a purchase, you’ll want to think about what type of features you want in a bag. Some of the things I look for include:
- Trolley sleeve to fit over the luggage handles of your rolling luggage
- A padded laptop sleeve if you travel with a computer
- Comfortable shoulder straps if you have to carry it that way
- A front pocket or side pocket for easy access to travel documents
- A sturdy build to keep things secure, especially if your bag has to go in the overhead bin
- Water bottle pockets
Nomad Lane Bento Bag
My favorite personal item is the Nomad Lane Bento Bag. This bag holds an amazing amount of stuff in several very organized compartments.
The Bento Bag opens down the middle and has two big compartments, like a suitcase. I use these compartments to put clothes and toiletries in. You can fit a lot within these two pockets. When I packed it, I fit in several outfits, toiletries, makeup, and electronics.
It also has a laptop sleeve in the center. Two smaller pockets at the top are great for things you may need easy access to. These pockets go into the main area of the bag, though, so they take up some space.
Finally, this bag has a front pocket with room for pens, small items, IDs, credit cards, etc. I like having this type of pocket to stuff my ID and boarding pass as I go through security.
The Nomad Lane Bento Bag has a trolley sleeve and a detachable crossbody strap. If it’s fully packed, this bag can get quite heavy. I find that it’s best to attach the trolley sleeve to the top of a rolling suitcase.
A newer version of this bag was recently released with some improvements, including an external water bottle pocket. That version can be purchased on the Nomad Lane website, while the previous version is offered on Amazon. It comes in several colors, including the plum color that I have.
Monos Metro Duffel
The Monos Metro Duffel is a more traditional-style duffel bag with one large interior pocket at the top. It comes in several different colors, in both water-resistant vegan leather and nylon. Since they sell out frequently, they are often sold as pre-sales.
Inside the main pocket, there are several separate compartments. This includes two side pockets for water bottles/umbrellas, a laptop pouch, and a zip pocket.
There are also several exterior pockets, one of which unzips at the bottom to serve as a trolley sleeve. Again, this can be a heavy bag when filled, so you’ll want to use that sleeve to attach it to a roller suitcase when walking around the airport.
One of the Monos Metro Duffel’s most innovative features is the QuickSnap™ Modular Kit System. The Metro Duffel comes with a Classic Kit, but a larger Metro Folio Kit can be purchased separately.
With the modular system, you can attach one of these kits to the exterior of the bag with a snap. Then, when you board the plan, you can have essentials from the kit at your fingertips.
As a modular kit, you can also use the Classic Kit and Metro Folio Kit in other Monos bags, like the Metro Backpack. Keep all your essentials in the kit, and then you can swap it out when you change bags.
The Metro Folio Kit has handles at the top and a detachable shoulder strap. It’s a bit heavy even empty, so as you add items, it will likely be very heavy.
Expect to fit a computer, water bottle umbrella, several changes of clothes, toiletries, and more. This bag has a lot of room, especially with the separate classic and metro kits.
Beis Mini Weekender Bag
Of all the personal item bags I’ve traveled with, my Beis Mini Weekender Bag gets the most attention. The Weekender Bag comes in several sizes, but the mini is the only one sized appropriately for a personal item. It also comes in a regular and a convertible style.
With the convertible bag, the zippered shoe pocket at the bottom zips completely off. I like this one because it turns the travel bag into more of a tote bag, which can be used at your destination. It comes in several neutral colors for the convertible version and a greater selection of colors for the standard.
My favorite feature of the Beis Mini Weekender Bag is the wide opening at the top. This opening makes it so easy to pack up. The interior has a laptop sleeve, a key fob, and a zip pocket on the exterior (perfect for your ID and boarding pass).
Like the other bags mentioned here, this bag includes a trolley sleeve. Fully packed, it gets very heavy so you’ll want to use this trolley sleeve. There is a crossbody strap, however.
On a recent flight, I took on a small commuter plane, both the flight attendant and I were impressed at how it miraculously fit under the seat in front of me. It was a pretty small space, but it did fit.
On this trip, I packed my laptop, charging cords, two pairs of shoes, toiletries, makeup, and three changes of clothes.
If you get the convertible version and don’t need the bottom for a pair of shoes, I’d recommend removing it. It does add some extra space to the bag, and you’ll be able to fit it in more spaces without the bottom.
Beis The Expandable Backpack
I wanted to include one backpack on this list because a backpack can be essential at your destination. Once you arrive, you may want to use a backpack as your day bag, so you’ll want one that is lightweight and can hold many things.
Beis’ The Expandable Backpack fits the bill and is the best personal item backpack, in my opinion. It has a relatively narrow profile when the expandable pocket is zipped close, but it can be unzipped to a larger size.
It’s made of recycled plastic water bottles and can be wiped clean, making it great for travel. There’s a key leash (I put my Airpod case on it), a water bottle pocket, a laptop sleeve, a trolley sleeve, and multiple interior pockets, including mesh pockets.
This backpack is lightweight but expands to become pretty spacious. It can hold a laptop, water bottle, change of clothes, chargers, a clutch, and more. Choosing between using it with the trolley sleeve or wearing it on your back is also nice.
It currently comes in several colors, including beige, a nice neutral that looks good paired with any suitcase.
I find this bag the most useful for a European trip. I can expand it to use as a personal item on my flight and then zip it back up to use daily. It also has two small handles on the top if you don’t want to wear it as a backpack.
