Southwest carry-on size: 24 x 16 x 10 inches
Southwest allows one carry-on up to 24 x 16 x 10 inches external, which means wheels and handles count (Southwest itself writes it 10 x 16 x 24). No weight limit, free on every fare, plus a personal item under the seat. Verified against Southwest's own pages on 2026-07-08.
The roomiest carry-on box of any major US airline
Here is the context most size charts skip: Southwest's box is a full two inches longer, two inches wider and one inch deeper than the 22 x 14 x 9 standard at American, Delta and United. That gap matters more than it sounds: of the 105 carry-ons in our luggage database, 96 fit Southwest, and 75 of those would be gate-check bait on the big three. If your suitcase was ever flagged at another airline, it probably still fits here.
| Airline | Carry-on limit (in) | Of our 105 bags, fits |
|---|---|---|
| Southwest Airlines | 24 x 16 x 10 | 96 |
| Frontier Airlines | 24 x 16 x 10 | 96 |
| Allegiant Air | 22 x 16 x 10 | 70 |
| American Airlines | 22 x 14 x 9 | 21 |
| Delta Air Lines | 22 x 14 x 9 | 21 |
| United Airlines | 22 x 14 x 9 | 21 |
Fit counts run every bag in our luggage database against each airline's published box, largest side to largest side, the same math as the live checker.
So is Southwest strict? Only at the edges
The rule is generous, but it is still a rule, and 9 bags in our catalogue break it. Every one fails the same way: not too long, but too wide or too deep. Southwest's 10 inch depth cap is the quiet constraint; several travel packs and wide-body cabin cases blow past it while staying under 23 inches long. The repeat offenders:
- American Tourister Wavebreaker Carry-On Spinner22 x 16.2 x 8.3 in, over by 0.2 in
- Osprey Daylite Carry-On Travel Pack 35L19.3 x 14.6 x 10.2 in, over by 0.2 in
- Osprey Sojourn Porter 30 Travel Pack17.3 x 14.6 x 10.6 in, over by 0.6 in
- Rimowa Essential Cabin Plus22.1 x 17.3 x 10.2 in, over by 1.3 in
- Rimowa Original Cabin Plus22.1 x 17.8 x 9.9 in, over by 1.8 in
- Samsonite UpLIFT Softside Carry-On Spinner23.5 x 15 x 10.3 in, over by 0.3 in
- SwissGear Sion Carry-On Spinner, 22.75 Inch22.75 x 14.25 x 10.25 in, over by 0.2 in
- SwissGear Sion Reserve Carry-On Spinner23.25 x 14.25 x 11 in, over by 1.0 in
- Tumi 19 Degree Aluminum Continental Carry-On22 x 16.5 x 9.1 in, over by 0.5 in
The bigger real-world risk is expansion: 29 expandable bags we track fit Southwest zipped shut but outgrow even this box with the expansion zipper open. A bag that boarded fine on the way out can fail the sizer on the overpacked trip home. Fly expandables zipped.
Check your bag against Southwest's limit
Pick your bag from 216 models or type its measurements.
Southwest Airlines cabin limit: 24 x 16 x 10 in (wheels and handles included)
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A 24 x 16 x 10 in bag just fits Southwest Airlines' carry-on, barely.
How we measured
- Your bag 24 in x 16 in x 10 in vs Southwest Airlines carry-on max 24 in x 16 in x 10 in (largest side to largest side).
- Longest side: 24 in vs 24 in allowance -> 0 in to spare.
- Middle side: 16 in vs 16 in allowance -> 0 in to spare.
- Shortest side: 10 in vs 10 in allowance -> 0 in to spare.
- Linear total: 50 in vs 50 in limit -> within limit.
- Result: within the limit, but only 0 in clearance on the tightest side. It should pass the sizer, but a full bin could get it gate-checked.
More carry-ons that fit Southwest Airlines
Sized within Southwest Airlines' 24 x 16 x 10 in carry-on limit.
Peak Design Travel Backpack 30L20.9 x 13 x 7 inAmazon 
Calpak Terra 26L Laptop Duffel Backpack18 x 12 x 7.5 inAmazon 
Away The Carry-On21.7 x 14.4 x 9 inAmazon 
Béis The Hybrid Carry-On Roller22 x 14 x 9 inAmazon As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Links are affiliate links; it costs you nothing extra.
There is no official personal-item size
Southwest allows one personal item (purse, laptop bag, small backpack) that must fit under the seat, and publishes no dimensions for it at all. Every specific number you will find online for a Southwest personal item is a forum estimate, not policy. Our practical advice: anything that fits the under-seat limits other airlines do publish, around 17 x 13 x 9 inches or smaller, has no trouble under a Southwest seat.
Bags Fly Free is over; the carry-on is the free bag now
Southwest ended its famous free-checked-bags policy on May 28, 2025. Checked bags now cost extra on Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares (Choice Extra fares and A-List Preferred members still get them included), with current amounts on Southwest's fees page. That flips the strategy: the generous 24 x 16 x 10 carry-on, still free on every fare, is the best-value bag on the airline. Maxing it out with a bag sized for this box beats paying to check.