Luggage Size Checker (Carry-On and Checked)

1. Measure your bag with a tape measure, including everything that sticks out: wheels, handles and external pockets all count, because airlines measure the bag exactly as it arrives at the plane. Write down the three measurements in inches (1 inch = 2.54 cm; if your data is in centimeters, divide by 2.54 before entering it).

2. Type the Length in the first field, the Width in the second and the Height in the third. The order doesn't change the result: the linear sum is the same no matter which dimension you call length, width or height.

3. Press Calculate. The tool gives you four data points: the linear total in inches, that same total in centimeters, whether it fits as carry-on luggage (45 linear-inch threshold) and whether it fits as standard checked luggage (62 linear-inch threshold).

4. Read the two verdicts. "Yes" for carry-on means your bag is within the cabin-baggage standard of most US airlines. "No" for carry-on but "Yes" for checked means you'll need to check it into the hold. "No" for both means you exceed even the standard checked-piece limit and will likely pay an oversize fee.

Worked example: a 22 × 14 × 9 inch bag. Add them up: 22 + 14 + 9 = 45 linear inches. Since 45 ≤ 45, it fits as carry-on (right at the limit); and since 45 ≤ 62, it also fits comfortably as checked. In centimeters, 45 × 2.54 = 114.3 cm. This is the textbook carry-on size of the North American market.

Tip: if you land exactly on a threshold (45 or 62 on the dot), keep in mind that soft-sided bags bulge when packed and airport sizers don't forgive extra millimeters. Always leave an inch or two of margin to avoid surprises at the counter.

The formula is always the same: linear total = length + width + height, compared with 45 inches (carry-on) and 62 inches (checked).

Let's look at three cases:

• Cabin backpack 14 × 9 × 22 in: 14 + 9 + 22 = 45 linear in (114.3 cm). Fits carry-on and checked. Right at the carry-on limit.
• Medium suitcase 27 × 21 × 14 in: 27 + 21 + 14 = 62 linear in (157.48 cm). Doesn't fit carry-on, but does as checked (right at the 62 cap).
• Large suitcase 30 × 20 × 14 in: 30 + 20 + 14 = 64 linear in (162.56 cm). Fits neither carry-on nor standard checked: it exceeds the 62 limit and falls into the oversize category.

The two references this tool uses (45 and 62 linear inches) are the US industry standard, but each airline sets its own numbers. This chart lists carry-on limits published by reference carriers (always verify before flying, as they change):

Notice the pattern: the three big US carriers all settle on 22 × 14 × 9 inches, which add up to exactly 45 linear inches — hence the tool's carry-on threshold. The 62-linear-inch standard for checked bags is just as common (for example, 27 × 21 × 14 in adds up to 62) and usually comes with a 23 kg / 50 lb weight limit that this tool does not evaluate: here we only check size.

The concept of "linear inches" solves a practical problem: a bag can take a thousand different shapes, but what matters for fitting it into a bin or a hold is its rough volume, and adding the three edges is a fast, honest way to capture that in a single number. That's why North American airlines don't publish "maximum 22 inches long": they publish a linear total, so a longer but narrower bag can compensate.

The 45-linear-inch carry-on threshold comes straight from the de facto 22 × 14 × 9 inch size adopted by American, Delta and United: 22 + 14 + 9 = 45. That number became the standard for makers of carry-on luggage, which is why almost any bag sold as "cabin size" in the US hovers around those dimensions. The 62-linear-inch checked-luggage threshold is even more universal: practically every major US airline and many international ones use it as the standard-piece limit (above it, an oversize fee). IATA, the international air transport association, has in the past recommended a slightly smaller cabin size (55 × 35 × 20 cm, around 22 × 14 × 9 in), but adoption was never mandatory and each carrier keeps its own policy.

Two important caveats. First: this tool only checks dimensions, not weight. Many carry-on fares and almost all checked fares also impose a maximum weight (typically 23 kg / 50 lb for checked in economy), and going over that weight triggers a fee even if the bag "fits." Second: the world isn't only the United States. European low-cost carriers like Ryanair or easyJet apply much smaller cabin limits, often in centimeters rather than linear inches. Use 45 and 62 as a compass for the US market and, outside it, always check your airline's specific policy before you pack.

This tool comes from a very concrete moment: you're at home with a tape measure, you've jotted down your bag's three dimensions in inches, and you need to know, before you reach the counter, whether you'll clear it without a fee. Enter the three dimensions and the checker adds up the linear total in inches, converts it to centimeters (by multiplying by 2.54) and compares it against the two industry reference thresholds used across the United States: 45 linear inches for carry-on luggage and 62 linear inches for standard checked luggage. The verdict is plain — it fits or it doesn't fit in each category — so you can decide whether to carry the bag on, check it, or swap it for a smaller one before you leave the house. Remember that every airline publishes its own limits: these two values are the North American industry standard, not a universal guarantee, so use them as a first filter and always confirm with your carrier.