Guide to Luggage Size

Start with the basics

Luggage should fit the way you travel. Before you choose a suitcase, think about trip length, how much you pack, and whether you want to keep everything with you or check a larger bag.

For travelling light, there are compact travel totes, weekenders, and carry-on bags. Check-in luggage also comes in a variety of styles and shapes, including suitcases of various sizes with hard shells or softsides, some expandable and some not. Maybe a rolling duffle bag is better for your needs, or a garment bag. There is a lot to consider before you get to the colour selection.

Canadian airline basics

For most Canadian travellers, the key rules are simple: one standard carry-on bag, one personal item, and checked-bag limits measured in both dimensions and weight.

Frequently asked questions

These are the questions travellers ask most often when they’re choosing a bag.

CATSA carry-on basics

At Canadian airport security, liquids, aerosols, and gels in carry-on bags must be 100 ml or less per container and packed in one clear, resealable 1 L bag.

How to measure your bag

Airlines publish size limits for both carry-on and checked baggage, but the exact limits can vary by airline, route, and fare class. Some airlines list measurements in inches by height, width and depth, while others combine the three measurements into a single linear dimension. To measure a bag accurately, place it upright with the wheels on the bottom and the extension handle on top, but don’t extend it.

• Set the bag upright with the wheels on the floor and the handle unextended.
• Measure height from the floor to the tallest point, usually the top of the handle.
• Measure width side to side at the widest point. Hard shell bags are generally more symmetrical and the width doesn’t vary as much from bottom to top.
• Measure depth from front to back without expanding the bag. This measurement can change when your bag is packed, especially if you have a softside bag and tend to overpack it.

Carry-ons and personal items

Carry-on luggage is sized to fit in the overhead bins on an airplane and fits in most car trunks with ease as well. The most common type of carry-on bags are rolling suitcases, but they can also be duffel bags, garment bags and other types of luggage that fit within an airline’s carry-on size restrictions. Soft-sided carry-ons stretch and compress better than hardshell suitcases, making them a bit easier to squeeze into overhead compartments when they push the size limits.

Carry-ons are a strong choice for short to medium trips. Personal items such as purses, totes, and small backpacks usually do not count toward the carry-on allowance, but size rules still vary by airline.

Carry-on size and benefits

Checked baggage

Check-in luggage is anything you are taking but not carrying into the cabin with you. Sports equipment and instruments that don’t meet carry-on size restrictions all qualify as checked luggage. As such, these items will be placed in the cargo hold and inaccessible to you during flight.

In general, checked bags can be larger than carry-ons, but they still have airline size and weight limits. Across major Canadian carriers, 158 cm and 23 kg are common reference points, though fare and route rules can change those limits.

Medium-sized check-in luggage measures about 63 to 66 cm tall and around 46 cm wide. One medium-sized suitcase will generally hold what you need for a week-long getaway. Large check-in luggage is great for longer trips, lots of gear or multiple people. Large suitcases, including trunks and large duffel bags, are typically 66 cm and taller, giving you more packing space.