A backpack is great because it frees up your arms, but don’t rule out a duffel bag as a good personal item.

The spinner design is also useful when you are moving through crowded areas since you can move with the bag upright close to your body rather than dragging it behind you.King Kong has set out to design a versatile backpack that is tough enough for the gym and daily use but perfect to use as a small travel backpack when needed. Matein makes an affordable laptop backpack for both travel and daily carry that we recommend to those on a tight budget. Our testing: The Everyman Hideout 5-Way Commuter Pack can fit 20 t-shirts inside the packing compartment while staying under the 14" 18" x 8" size limit when fully packed. Plus, its weatherproof construction means you can use it as a daypack at your destination rain or shine. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below.

If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.Anyone traveling with a basic economy ticket on Frontier or Spirit Airlines will appreciate the wide open main compartment that can fit more than you think. If you usually take a full size carry on but are flying with Spirit or Frontier on a rare occasion something like this would be useful when you go back to flying with full-service carriers like American Airlines or United Airlines.

This convertible backpack allows you to also wear it as a briefcase, sling pack, clutch or messenger bag. The 16-inch Reaction is a 4 wheeled spinner personal item sized bag that is designed to fit under the seats of airplanes. The secret weapon is Db's Rib Cage Technology that gives the backpack its structured shape while keeping it lightweight. Not only do you a rear laptop compartment for easy access to your tech while flying but there are a ton of sneaky pockets sprinkled throughout the bag.

United is particularly strict but most other airlines consider a personal item to be 18 x 14 x 8 or not far away. But the real win is the ability to tuck away all straps for easier under the seat storage on planes. Our favorites are the King Kong EDGE23 for one-bag travel and the Everlane ReNew Transit backpack if you want something a bit more stylish.