Checked August 2026

Sun Country Airlines bag sizes: what actually fits

Sun Country Airlines allows a personal item of 17 × 13 × 9 inches and a carry-on of 24 × 16 × 11 inches. Both measurements include wheels and handles, which is where most people get caught out.

A coral hard-shell cabin bag wedged into an aircraft overhead bin beside a soft grey holdall
Carry-on costs extra on these
Sun Country Airlines
Checked August 2026
Under the seat
17 × 13 × 9 in
Wheels, handles and straps all count — the outside of the bag is what gets measured.
Published by Sun Countrychecked August 2026
Cost
Free Free on every fare.
Overhead bin
24 × 16 × 11 in
Wheels and handles included.
Published by Sun Countrychecked August 2026
Cost
Costs extra on every fare — the overhead bin is never included in the base fare.
Price
$25–40 at booking · around $50 after · $55 plus a $10 gate fee at the airport
Weight
35 lb

Got a bag already? Let’s check it.

Measure the outside, wheels and handles included — that’s what they measure at the gate.

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Bags that fit Sun Country

Every measurement comes from the manufacturer — none of it is guessed.
14 of 25 fit Sun Country Airlines’s under-seat limit of 17 × 13 × 9 in — 13 with room to spare, 1 borderline.

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bag vs limit
3.5" to spare

Topo Designs Rover Pack Mini

13.5 × 8.5 × 3.75 in
Backpack·10L

Enormous margin against every limit here, and it looks like a normal bag rather than travel gear. Ten litres is a daybag though, not a travel bag.

bag vs limit
2.6" to spare

Pacsafe GO 15L Anti-Theft Backpack

14.4 × 9.8 × 5.1 in
Backpack·15L·1.18 lb

The anti-theft option that actually fits — slash-resistant panels, locking zips, RFID pocket, and a 13-inch laptop sleeve, all inside United’s width.

Read this first

Pacsafe’s own site is JavaScript-gated, so this comes from a retailer spec rather than the brand. The 0.2 inches of width margin rests on that number.

bag vs limit
1.5" to spareFits every US airline

Dagne Dover Landon Carryall, Medium

14.5 × 9 × 7.5 in
Duffel·18L·2.5 lb

The most margin of anything here — comfortably inside United’s brutal 17 × 10 × 9 and inside the budget carriers’ 18 × 14 × 8 too. Structured neoprene that holds its shape instead of sagging.

Read this first

Buy the MEDIUM. The Large is 16.5 × 11 × 9 and fails United on width.

bag vs limit
1.1" to spareBest budget pick

Cabin Max Metz Stowaway 20L

15.75 × 9.84 × 7.87 in
Backpack·20L·1.1 lb

The cheapest bag here we can fully stand behind. Cabin Max publishes 40 × 25 × 20 cm as the external size, and 40 × 25 × 20 works out to exactly the 20 litres they claim — when the arithmetic agrees with the marketing, the numbers are usually real. No wheels, so the usual “does that include the wheels” ambiguity doesn’t apply. Three-year warranty.

Read this first

9.84 inches against United’s 10-inch limit is about a sixth of an inch of margin. It’s a soft bag and it will bulge — pack it full and it may not gauge.

bag vs limit
1.1" to spareBudget pick for United

COSCOOA Personal Item Backpack 20L

15.7 × 9.8 × 7.9 in
Backpack·20L·0.77 lb

Sold as a “17x10x9” bag but the manufacturer’s own spec is 40 × 25 × 20 cm — meaningfully smaller than the limit, which is exactly what you want. Clears United and the budget carriers both, for under thirty dollars.

Read this first

At 0.77 lb this is a thin packable, not a structured daypack. Treat it as a very good backup bag rather than your only one.

bag vs limit
1.1" to spare

COSCOOA Expandable Travel Backpack 20–30L

15.7 × 9.8 × 7.9 in
Backpack, expandable·20–30L·0.88 lb

A rare expandable that stays legal even when expanded — 5.9 inches deep collapsed, 7.9 expanded, and still inside United’s limit either way.

Read this first

Don’t confuse this with COSCOOA’s expandable tote, which grows to 13 inches wide and busts United.

See all 14 bags that fit Sun Country’s personal item limit →

Narrower questions: Sun Country personal item size · Sun Country carry-on size · best Sun Country carry-on bags. Flying with camera gear? 26 camera bags fit Sun Country — see the camera bag guide.

Worth knowing about Sun Country

The gotchas that catch people out at the gate.

Common questions

What is Sun Country Airlines’ personal item size limit?

Sun Country Airlines allows a personal item up to 17 × 13 × 9 inches, and that measurement includes wheels, handles and straps. It has to fit fully under the seat in front of you. 14 of the bags we track fit it.

What is Sun Country Airlines’ carry-on size limit?

Sun Country Airlines allows a carry-on up to 24 × 16 × 11 inches including wheels and handles. There is a 35 lb weight limit. 16 of the bags we track fit it.

Does Sun Country Airlines charge for carry-on bags?

Yes. Costs extra on every fare — the overhead bin is never included in the base fare. Pricing runs $25–40 at booking , around $50 after , $55 plus a $10 gate fee at the airport. The personal item is always free.

Do wheels and handles count toward Sun Country Airlines’ size limit?

Yes. Sun Country Airlines measures the outside of the bag, so wheels, handles, straps and external pockets all count. This is why a suitcase sold as a "20-inch carry-on" is often 22 inches overall and can still fail a sizer.

What happens if my bag is too big on Sun Country Airlines?

You will be asked to pay at the gate, which is the most expensive point to buy. Buying a carry-on at booking is always cheaper.

How we measure

Manufacturers publish dimensions inconsistently, and a “20-inch” spinner is almost never 20 inches once you count the wheels. Where a brand states dimensions including wheels and handles, that’s the number we use. Where it only publishes the case, we say so on the card. Airlines measure the outside of your bag — wheels, handles, straps and all. Anything marked borderline is down to the gate agent, and remember that a soft bag squashes into a sizer while a hard shell won’t.

Affiliate disclosure

As an Amazon Associate we earn from qualifying purchases. Product links on this page are affiliate links and cost you nothing extra.

Sources

Limits verified August 2026 against each carrier’s published policy. Airlines change these without notice — always confirm before you fly. Spirit Airlines ceased operations on 2 May 2026 and is no longer listed.

Airline Bag Size Checker v1.0.15 · last updated 2026-08-12