How to measure a duffel bag for a carry on?

Are you looking for a less bulky option to act as your luggage? Then you might want to switch out your larger suitcases and backpacks for a much more lightweight and softer option instead. However, unlike proper carry cases and bags, it might be slightly trickier to accurately measure out your duffel bag.

If this is not done properly, you might find yourself paying extra for your carry on and nobody likes that! So, we have a comprehensive informational guide ahead to help aid your measuring process.

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To start with, let’s distinguish duffel bags from other kinds of luggage!

Table of Contents

What are duffel bags?

When it comes to traveling via air, you might be a frequent flier. This means that you might not necessarily need to carry along a larger suitcase or luggage source with you. After all, why should you have to pay for a heavier option when you can simply get a duffle bag that will easily fit in the overhead compartment?

A duffel bag is also known as a kit bag and this is usually made with some sort of fabric material that is usually synthetic. Earlier, they used a drawstring method to open and close but nowadays, most will have zippers attached. They have a unique shape that is best for quick and easy mobility and that’s why they are favorites for military personnel and for traveling.

What are the uses of a duffel bag?

Duffel bags are the easiest and most commonly used kind of luggage type for travel. The way they are designed and shaped means that they are perfect to place overhead in luggage compartments.

Since they have zippers that open and close end-to-end, you will find that it is much easier to access your luggage as well. All your belongings will be placed inside compactly and tighter so the organization will be easier as well.

Of course, while they cannot store as much as a traditional suitcase might, the use is entirely different! Suitcases cannot be taken onboard a plane with you but most duffle bags fall into that category with ease. You can get both regular-shaped and a rolling variety of duffle bags that have been superficially made for travel.

Are duffel bags good for travel?

In many ways, duffle bags are the ideal carry-on bags meant for air travel. This is because they are quite smaller in size as compared to bag packs. This makes them uniquely compact. They are also designed to fit into overhead compartments or under your plane seat with ease.

Another benefit of duffle bags is that they are made to be lightweight. This is because they do not have any extra bulky components as you would find in suitcases. This includes wheels that can be quite useful but if you are carrying the bag, you won’t necessarily need those!

Another major advantage of investing in duffle bags as opposed to other types of traveling luggage is that they are made to be flexible. When you pack a suitcase or even a backpack, you will notice that they have a much more defined body.

This means that you do get more security but also they are less flexible. On the other hand, duffle bags can be compressed as much as possible especially if you only have fabric and softer materials packed inside.

An important aspect to keep in mind is that you might have to pay more attention to the airline’s specific measurements and requirements. This is because while the measurements of your duffel bag won’t change, the requirements might with each airline.

For most carry-on, sizing guidelines are pretty much the same. What you need to pay attention to the total linear inches. These are the total dimensions of the height, depth, and width of your duffle bag.

How to measure a duffel bag for a carry-on?

Now that we have properly understood the main uses of duffle bags and why they’re best meant for air travel, let’s get to the main point of today’s article. So, how do you measure a duffel bag for a carry-on?

Just as with other types of bags and suitcases, for example, you will want to be positive that you are getting its dimensions from the widest sides. This is important because if you fill the duffle bag at its maximum capacity, the dimensions might be different than if it was empty.

This is also why it is smart to measure it when it is fully packed. One thing that you might want to check is the real-to-life size of your product. You might be surprised to find out is that the total measurements and dimensions that a certain duffel bag manufacturer has listed in the product specifications might not be true to size.

To make up for this, you might want to add in the total measurements that include the handles and even the zippers on either end. We certainly recommend that you add in the total height of the handles and even the bottom base in case it sticks out.

A good tip is to keep the duffle bag at your eye level’s perspective. This will ensure that there is no clinical error and you get the best measurement. Use a measuring tape for best results as these are easy to maneuver.

In conclusion, we concur that while it can be tricky to measure different duffle bags since they come in a range of different sizes. It might also be slightly easier to accomplish this if you are well aware of the requirements that your specific airline has for duffel bags.

As a carry-on item, duffle bags can be approximately 30 to 35L in size total and that means your overall dimensions should not exceed 9 inches x 14 inches x 22 inches on average.

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