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"Airline approved" is not a size. The sizer box is.
United, American, Delta and Alaska all publish the same carry-on limit: 22 x 14 x 9 inches, wheels and handle included. Of the 6 full-size carry-ons on this site, only 1 has a listed overall size that fits it, even though four of the six listings say "airline approved", "carry-on approved" or name airlines the bag meets. Check your bag against the airlines you fly.
Carry-on size checker
Airlines to check:
Limits copied from each airline's own page on September 19, 2026. The rule we use: sort the bag's three sides and the limit's three sides from longest to shortest and compare each pair. Airlines that publish inches are converted to cm at 2.54. A bag that fits on paper can still be refused at the gate.
Check a bag against your airlines See the 7 picks
Guides
Start here
- The 7 best carry-on suitcases, by the size that counts at the gate
Seven carry-ons from Samsonite, Travelpro, Wrangler, LEVEL8 and Amazon Basics, compared by the with-wheels size on each listing, empty weight and airline fit.
- Will your carry-on fit your airline?
Pick your airlines and a bag. See if it fits unexpanded and expanded, and how much weight room is left, using limits copied from 12 airlines' own pages.
Reading the listing
- Why "airline approved" carry-ons can fail the 22 x 14 x 9 sizer
Listings put the case size in the title and the with-wheels size in a bullet. On the picks here, wheels and handle add 2 to 3 inches.
- Expandable carry-ons: does it still fit when you unzip it?
An expansion zipper adds depth, and depth is where carry-ons fail first. What expanding does to the size on the picks here, and what airlines say.
- Carry-on weight limits: how much room does the empty bag leave?
Big US airlines give no carry-on weight limit. Emirates and Qantas economy allow 7 kg. See how much packing weight each empty suitcase leaves you.
At the airport
- Basic economy and personal items: what size actually fits
Some basic fares allow only a personal item. Here are the personal item sizes from six airline pages, and why an underseat roller can still be too big.
- Gate-checked carry-on: what to pull out before you hand it over
If your carry-on is too big or the bins are full, it may be checked at the gate. What to remove first, from FAA and DOT guidance.
Choosing
- Hardside vs softside carry-on: weight, locks and warranty
Hardside or softside carry-on? What the listings show on weight and depth, what TSA says about locks, and which warranty covers airline damage.