Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsSettling the Overhead Bin Debate & Comparing the Two Sizes
Reviewed in the United States on November 23, 2017
Settling the Overhead Bin Debate
If you are like I was before purchasing this bag, you weren't sure how to settle the debate in these reviews about whether the bag fits in the overhead bin on an airline. Most reviews say that it will fit, but some say that it won't. To complicate matters, the bag comes in two sizes, and the S/M is one inch shorter than the M/L. Does the S/M fit and the M/L not fit?
I own the larger size, labeled "M/L."
I can say definitively that the M/L size DOES fit in the overhead bins on both Southwest and Alaska. It fits perfectly, with no need to mash or mangle it. The attached picture is from an Alaska Airlines flight. My bag is the one on the far left. To be clear, I removed the front day pack before placing the bag into the bin. I think that you would need to if your bag is full. You could get away with having it attached if not.
Your mileage may vary with other airlines.
UPDATE:
I have also flown internationally with this bag (the M/L) as a carryon, in China Eastern’s and Delta’s widebody 767. In both cases the bag would not fit (barely!) put into the bin perpendicular, like in my attached picture. But it did fit sideways into the drop-down bin above the center seats. The flight attendants did not care in either case, but I can see how they might.
For this reason I have now purchased the S/M size. It’s the black one in the other picture and will unequivocally fit in every bin. I think it’s 1-2 inches shorter, and the front daypack seems the same size. By selecting the smaller size, you lose 180 cubic inches of space. That sounds like a lot but it is the equivalent of a cube with sides that are about 5 and a half inches long. That’s about three pairs of socks, which to me is worth giving up to make sure that I can always carry the bag on.
