Ideal carry on bag for Ryanair

Tom Bihn Tri-Star

Designed like the Air Boss, only smaller, and has hidden backpack straps. The center section also has clips to accomodate some of the Tom Bihn laptop bags.

I have one and it's great. Built to last a lifetime--and it meets Ryanair's hand baggage restrictions. It will also fit into overhead bin on RJ's.

I travel with it as my only bag and I have no problem fitting in everything I need.

Other's here have the bag and can chime in.

FYI--Ryanairs cabin baggage limit is (in cm's) 55 x 40 x 20. The Tri-Star is 48 x 33 x 20.

I second the Tristar. It has two zipdown compartments that open like a book, if that makes sense, and a middle compartment that you access through a zipper across the top. Although there are clips for Tom Bihn's laptop protective carriers, I don't feel the need for them. I just put the laptop in its neoprene sleeve in the middle section and rely on my clothes in the two adjacent sections for cushioning.

It's light but built like iron and can be used as a suitcase with a shoulder strap or carried by the padded top handles, or toted like a backpack. It could well be the last bag you ever need. Seriously.

In the infrequent times I need wheels, I bring along the Samsonite micro-mover folding luggage cart and tuck it into the center compartment when I'm not using it.

Thanks guys, it does look great, it is a little expensive but after many years of travel I do understand the value of good luggage (especially since Ryanair charges 30 quid RT per checked bag).

One quick question - how would you compare it to the Red Oxx Air Boss - which does seem to be the 'golden' standard now for OneBag type travel, just wondering because I cannot compare these two visually in person.

Air Boss does seem to be somewhat bigger making me wonder if it is a problem to have it adhere to strick UK regulations regarding cabin luggage.

Or because its not a rigid bag maybe compress the Air Boss and not pack it to the full?

I do have a portable bag weight scale that I use while I pack.
Thanks!

George,

As the others have mentioned, either the Tom Bihn or Red Oxx products would probably fit the bill although I agree the Air Boss does look too large for carry-on. I have an Air Boss but haven't travelled with it yet, but I'm not anticipating any "issues" with the size.

Even with a bag of the approved size, it's important to ensure that it doesn't exceed weight limits when fully packed. I've seen a few airport sizing frames that have a built-in scale on the bottom, and I'm sure RyanAir will be adopting these so they can charge yet another fee for those that go over the limit.

Good luck in London!

Here are a few differences:

First, realize, the guy who runs the "onebag" site helped design the Air Boss which is one of the reasons he touts it.

Both bags are excellent. The Air Boss is slightly bigger but if not overpacked could pass the sizer test. It does, however, tend to bulge out if overpacked. Then it wouldn't fit the sizer.

The Tri-Star is slightly smaller but the fabric used on it doesn't bulge. It also has backpack straps for those long hikes through airport terminals or train stations.

Only you can decide which features are important to you and which aren't.

Whichever bag you choose of the two, you'll do fine as they literally will last a long time and come with lifetime warranties. Consider it an investment.

I will suggest that you get the Tom Bihn Absolute Strap no matter which bag you get. It is the most comfortable strap I've ever used and makes the bag seem lighter.

Over on "1bag1world," Brad, the guy who runs the website, has done detailed reviews of both bags. You can find them as blog entries. (Not on their forum which has been taken over by a guy who goes on and on about the intricate details of luggage and argues with anyone who disagrees with his beliefs.)

Thanks for everyone's feedback, I think I will go with the TB Tri-Star as I think I will be safer with a smaller bag traveling in Europe. It seems that the Red Oxx bag is also built to maximize the carry amount capacity however I am not the type of guy who likes to over pack.

Also, I do think that the specs and requirements that the Red Oxx was build against are geared towards the US carry-on restrictions which - as we all know - are a little bit more lenient and allow bigger than the European ones. (I always see Europeans rolling around with 16 and 19" rollerboards whereas 98% of Americans use the 22")

The fact that TB provides three different bag sizes and specifically addressthe "Heathrow" and "Jungle Jet" requirement for their products reassures me that the Tri-Star is the right product for my needs.

Also thanks on the strap i will get that one for sure once I purchase the bag.

Kind regards,

George

George,

A few additional comments....

The Tom Bihn Tri-Star is a great choice, however the zippered compartments on the back were a significant concern for me as there's no provision for securing or locking those. Be sure not to store anything of value in those compartments, especially when using it in Backpack-mode in places like Milano Centrale or the Metro in Rome.

"Also, I do think that the specs and requirements that the Red Oxx was build against are geared towards the US carry-on restrictions which - as we all know - are a little bit more lenient and allow bigger than the European ones."

Actually, I believe the Air Boss has been designed and tested to pass inspection at the toughest airport in the world, Heathrow. However as Frank II mentioned, it's important to make sure it's not overpacked to the point of "bulging" or it won't fit the sizing frame.

Of course with either the Tri-Star or Air Boss it's important to keep the weight in mind too, as European airlines especially have very stringent weight limits (and hefty charges for those exceeding these limits!).

Cheers!

It's 22 lbs. (If you Google "metric conversion" you could find that out on your own.)

How many lbs is 10 kg?