If you’re jetting off on a short trip with Ryanair and are looking for a compact but sturdy bag that fits within the Irish airline’s free cabin bag allowance, we’ve found a deal that could save you a hefty amount. Ryanair’s free hand luggage allowance might have increased slightly in recent weeks (now permitting passengers 40 x 30 x 20cm), but passengers can still face excess fees if their bag is found to be too big.
But the VMIKIV backpack from Amazon has been designed with Ryanair’s original luggage allowance in mind, which means you’ll be more than protected from having to shell out extra at the gate.
The VMIKIV backpack, which measures 40 x 20 x 25cm, usually retails for £24.99, but right now we’ve found a deal on the bag that means you can get it for just £14.79 in the versatile beige shade. However, as this is a flash sale, the deal won’t be around for long. Amazon says it will end at midnight tonight. Amazon Deals Day kicks off on October 7 and runs until midnight on October 8, but it’s not clear whether the VMIKIV backpack will be included in the sale.
It does come in numerous colours, including black, navy, khaki and lilac, but beige is the cheapest option. The bag is currently discounted to £16.99 in navy (£29.99 full price) and £15.99 in black (£27.99 full price). Now, it is slightly smaller than Ryanair’s new luggage allowance (which realistically only gives you an extra 10cm), but it’s a bag that our reporter Fran Winston has described as a “real workhorse” of a bag that’s ideal for shorter trips.
Our Ireland-based reporter, Fran Winston, tested the navy version of the bag on a trip between Dublin and London. “I favour a backpack over a holdall as I am generally jumping on and off the tube and trains and find it more convenient, so I was excited to try this one,” she said.
When the bag first arrived, Fran was concerned the bag wouldn’t be big enough, but she was pleasantly surprised. “My first thought was that it looked quite small, but when I opened the bag out and unzipped all the pockets, it was deceptively capacious,” she said.
In addition to the main compartment—which has straps to compress clothes like a regular suitcase—there is a section with subpockets for accessories or documents, a roomy zip pocket on the front of the bag, a laptop pocket designed to fit a 13.3″ computer, and a zipped security pocket in the back, great for smaller items like keys and passports.
Despite the affordable price, Fran was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the bag. She explained: “The fabric feels heavyweight and good quality, and the bag has sturdy-looking padded straps.”
Though the bag is small enough to fit Ryanair’s former luggage allowance, Fran said the interior was roomy. So much so, in fact, that she didn’t have to bother with any packing hacks like rolling. She did, however, use packing cubes, which is something she says she does most of the time just to stay organised. For her trip, Fran managed to pack an outfit change, pyjamas, and a hoodie, along with her toiletries, makeup, a book, a power bank, and her passport. She also hooked a travel pillow around the handles of the bag.
The only issue occurred when she tried to fit her laptop inside the designated pocket. “Mine is 15.6″, bigger than average, and like many bags, this one has a laptop pocket designed for a 13.3″ machine,” she explained. “To be fair, this is an issue I tend to encounter on all Ryanair-friendly bags…However, given that my laptop is only 38mm across, slightly less padding in the pocket would have ensured it fit.”
That said, she was able to slot her laptop into the main compartment of the bag, which didn’t cause too many problems.
Fran says the front pocket can be filled with multiple items, which originally caused a problem when overstuffed, as the bag became too big for Ryanair’s older measurements. However, given the airline has added an extra 15cm to the dimensions, it shouldn’t cause an issue as long as you’re careful about how much you put in.
Fran added: “This is a workhorse of a bag…The capacity is impressive for the size, and it’s comfortable to carry when packed. While my laptop didn’t fit in the allocated pocket, it is flagged that it is for a smaller machine, and it sat perfectly in the main compartment, so this isn’t a major gripe.”
If you’re heading on a longer trip but still want to travel with hand luggage, the good news is that Ryanair’s allowance has increased, so you do have a little bit of extra room to play with.
We’ve found a few bags that fit the new allowance perfectly.
This story originally appeared on Express.co.uk
