CabinZero Classic 28L Review: Ryanair Personal Item Tested

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When you travel with just a personal item backpack, there’s one thing you do not want to hear at the boarding gate: “Can you put your bag in the sizer, please?”

That’s exactly what happened to me on my recent 8 night Ireland trip with the CabinZero Classic 28L backpack.

Technically, the backpack is slightly bigger than Ryanair’s personal item allowance, but after properly squeezing it into the sizer, it fit just fine and I avoided the baggage fee.

Now, to be fully transparent, I did receive this backpack for free from CabinZero. But this is still going to be a very honest review because while there are things I genuinely loved about this backpack, there are also a few things that frustrated me during the trip.

summary

Pros

Fits in the Ryanair personal item sizer despite technically being slightly oversized
Surprisingly spacious for a personal item backpack
Lightweight and comfortable for city travel
Fun color options
Simple, minimalist design
CabinZero supports 1% for the Planet

Cons

No outside water bottle pocket
Limited organization compartments
Front pocket does not feel very secure in crowded places
Looks bigger than it actually is which can attract attention at the airport
Bottom inside pocket is awkward to access when the bag is full
No sternum straps

Check prices and available colors here!

Use the CabinZero discount code VEGANDERLUST to get 15% off!

Table of Contents

Does the CabinZero 28L Fit Ryanair?

Bright yellow backpack placed inside an airline cabin bag size checker at an airport check in counter. Signs above the bag compare “PRIORITY” and “NON PRIORITY” boarding allowances and show that priority passengers can bring both a small bag and cabin bag while non priority passengers can only bring a small bag. Text on the size checker reads “YOU CAN’T BRING ON BOARD IF CABIN BAG WON’T FIT IN SIZER” and “MAX 1x PRIORITY BAG 55 x 40 x 20CM.”

On my flight to Ireland, I tested it in the Ryanair sizer at the airport and it fit without any issues.

But when a staff member asked me to put the backpack into the sizer on the way back to Vienna I was still nervous.

And honestly, I get why they pulled me out to test the size. The backpack does look quite large for a personal item bag, especially when it’s fully packed.

At that point, my bag was even fuller than before because I had bought some decaf black tea in Ireland to bring home. I definitely had to properly squeeze the backpack into the sizer, but it fit and I didn’t have to pay any extra baggage fees.

Interestingly, the guy in front of me had a backpack that actually looked smaller than mine, but he only kind of dropped it loosely into the sizer instead of properly pushing it in. It didn’t fit immediately and he ended up having to pay for his bag.

That experience really showed me how important a soft travel backpack is. If the backpack is flexible, you can squeeze it into the sizer a bit. It does not need to slide in perfectly on its own like a hard suitcase would.

For minimalist travel and budget airlines, that makes a huge difference.

🎒 Buy your personal item backpack here and save 15% with the CabinZero code VEGANDERLUST

What I Love About This Backpack

Tina wearing a bright yellow backpack while waiting in line to board a plane using outdoor airport stairs. Several passengers with backpacks and carry on bags stand ahead of her on the staircase under a blue evening sky.

I LOVE The Color Options

One of the main reasons I was interested in this backpack in the first place was the color selection.

I got the yellow version and I absolutely love traveling with colorful backpacks. So many travel bags only come in black, grey, or dark blue, and personally I just find that a bit boring.

I really like that CabinZero offers more fun color options because minimalist travel does not have to mean everything is neutral or plain.

🌈 Check their colour options here

Surprisingly Spacious

For a personal item backpack, the CabinZero Classic 28L fits a lot more than I expected.

I used it for an 8 night trip to Ireland, where part of the trip was a road trip and part was attending a wedding, so I had to pack a lot of different gear and clothes, and I still had space left for a few things I bought during the trip.

As someone who travels with just one bag, I was genuinely impressed by how much I could fit inside without the backpack becoming uncomfortable to carry.

Open bright yellow backpack lying on a wooden floor with the main compartment unzipped to show the interior storage space. The bag has a large mesh zippered divider pocket and a padded sleeve pocket inside.

Lightweight and Simple

Another thing I liked is how lightweight the backpack feels. It only weighs 600 g (1 lb 5 oz), which is perfect if you want to keep the weight of your packed backpack low.

The simple design also makes packing very straightforward and it’s great if you use packing cubes for organisation anyway.

I Appreciate Their Sustainability Efforts

I also like that CabinZero seems to genuinely care about sustainability.

They donate 1% of sales to environmental causes, support ocean plastic cleanup projects, and focus on making long lasting products instead of fast fashion style travel gear.

And while the backpacks are produced in China, the manufacturing partners undergo an ethical audit to ensure fair labour and safe working conditions. They also offer a limited lifetime warranty against manufacturing defects.

🎒 Check out the CabinZero shop here and use the discount code VEGANDERLUST to get 15% off!

Downsides of the CabinZero Classic

No Water Bottle Pocket

My biggest frustration with this backpack is definitely the lack of an outside water bottle pocket.

I always travel with a reusable water bottle, and having to store it inside the main compartment takes up quite a lot of space. It also just feels less convenient during travel days when you want quick access to your water bottle.

Not Enough Compartments

Before using this backpack, I always thought I did not really care about organization compartments since I use packing cubes anyway.

But after traveling with the CabinZero Classic, I realized I actually do want a few more compartments for smaller travel items.

The backpack only has one large front pocket in addition to the main compartment, and personally I found it a bit awkward for organizing smaller essentials.

Close up of a bright yellow backpack on a wooden floor with a hand sliding into a hidden zippered pocket near the back panel. Orange straps and mint green buckles are visible on the outside of the bag.

The Front Pocket Does Not Feel Very Secure

The front pocket is large, which is useful, but I would not store valuables there in crowded places.

Because the zipper goes quite far down the front of the backpack, it feels like one of the easiest areas for someone else to access in busy tourist areas or public transport.

The Bottom Inside Pocket Is Hard To Reach

Inside the backpack there are two zip pockets, but I almost never used the lower one.

Once the backpack is packed, it becomes really awkward to access. I think it works best for documents or things you want to store safely but do not need during the trip.

Laptop Storage

I chose the Classic version of the CabinZero backpack, which means it does not have a separate laptop compartment.

There is still a simple laptop sleeve inside the backpack at the back, but it is part of the main compartment.

Personally, that was completely fine for my Ireland trip because I was not traveling with a laptop anyway.

But if you travel frequently with a laptop and want easier access at airports, the CabinZero Tech version might make more sense for you because it has a separate laptop compartment. Otherwise it looks very much the same as the Classic backpack.

Side view of a bright yellow backpack showing the padded grab handle on the top of the bag. A hand holds the handle while orange compression straps and mint green buckles wrap around the backpack.

Technical Details

You’ve probably already checked the technical details on the official website. But in case you still want them, here they are:

Capacity: 28L
Weight: 600 g (1 lb 5 oz)
Dimensions: 39 x 29.5 x 20 cm (15.4 x 11.6 x 7.9 in)
Laptop sleeve inside the main compartment
Multiple color options
Limited lifetime warranty

CabinZero also offers a Tech version of this backpack with a separate laptop compartment if that is important for your travel style.

Alternatives to the CabinZero Classic

The CabinZero Classic reminded me quite a lot of the Bagsmart backpack I reviewed before because both work well as personal item backpacks for minimalist travel.

The biggest difference for me is that the Bagsmart backpack has more compartments and organization, while the CabinZero Classic keeps things much simpler.

Personally, I realized during this trip that I actually prefer having a few more compartments for smaller travel essentials. But if you like a simple lightweight backpack with one large main compartment, you might actually prefer the CabinZero approach.

You can also check out my guide to the best minimalist backpacks for more options depending on your travel style.

Tina in a bright pink jacket standing beside a blue car with a yellow backpack on her shoulders in a grassy countryside landscape. Rolling green hills and rocky slopes stretch across the background under a clear blue sky.

So, Is the CabinZero Classic 28L Worth It?

Overall, I genuinely enjoyed traveling with the CabinZero Classic 28L and I was especially impressed that it fit as a Ryanair personal item despite looking quite big.

It is lightweight, spacious, and great for minimalist travel, especially if you prefer a simple backpack design without too many compartments.

That said, the lack of a water bottle pocket and the limited organization did frustrate me a bit during the trip. So personally, I realized that I do actually prefer backpacks with a few more compartments.

If you want a lightweight personal item backpack that fits more than you would expect, the CabinZero Classic 28L is definitely worth checking out.

💸 Don’t forget to use the discount code VEGANDERLUST to get 15% off!

And if you are still comparing options, you can also read my guide to the best sustainable travel backpacks for minimalist travel to find the right backpack for your travel style.

Tina Riegelnegg

Tina Riegelnegg is the founder of Veganderlust. She's a vegan with wanderlust, who shares tips and stories from her travels to 31 countries as a vegan minimalist. After 2.5 years of full-time travel with just a personal item-sized bag, she’s now based in Vienna, helping fellow travelers explore the world with ease and compassion.