I recently traveled on Spirit Airlines for the first time. I you’ve never traveled on Spirit or are considering flying with this budget airline, you might want to check out my review. One important thing to note about Spirit is that it charges for everything. I mean everything.
So if you want to bring anything more than one personal item measuring no more than 18x14x8 inches, you’ll need to pay some hefty baggage fees. (The same bag regulations apply to Frontier Airlines.)
I wanted my $89 ticket to be that- a cheap flight. So, I took full advantage of my hubby who was traveling a few days ahead of me for work, and agreed to take my formal wear and dresses with him, so I didn’t have to wrinkle it all up in my small bag. (Thanks, Babe!)
I knew I’d still have quite a few things I couldn’t send with him, like my hair and makeup stuff, laptop, purse, sandals, swimwear, etc. So, I needed a decent-sized bag to fit all my junk and could be stowed under the airplane seat in front of me.
So, to Amazon I went and began my search for an 18x14x8 underseat personal item size bag. I was honestly surprised by all the options and the huge range of prices. After ordering a few bags and backpacks and finally settling on one to take with me, I wanted to share my list of the best 18x14x8 underseat Spirit personal item-size bags.
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How strict is Spirit Airlines on personal item size?
I was really worried they’d want to measure everyone’s bag at the gate, but on all 3 flights, I went on, no one even looked twice at my personal bag.
Bag dimensions are required to be no larger than 18x14x8 inches, including handles and wheels. When you go to check in, you can double-check that your Spirit personal item bag meets specifications with their handy dandy bag size checker. If you can make it fit, you should be good.
I have read a few stories of strict Spirit employees who will double-check your bag size, so highly recommend doing your best to make sure your bag fits the requirements. Some suggestions by other flyers were to use a backpack as your carry-on, as they tend to look smaller and attract less attention. Also, soft-sided bags like a duffle are easier to squish and make to fit, whereas a harder-sided roller with wheels might attract more attention.
If you’re worried about fitting everything in a personal item-size bag, check out our personal item packing guide!
Best 18x14x8 Underseat Spirit Personal Item Backpacks
A backpack is a great option for a personal bag. You can evenly disperse the weight of your luggage on your back, cutting down on neck and shoulder pain. Backpacks also can give an illusion of being smaller making it less likely there will be a problem with the size of your bag. You might consider one of these for your next flight on Spirit Airlines.
Best Personal Item Backpack for Recreation Travel
So, I’ve actually had this backpack for years. It is my go-to, bag for practically every trip. I’ve stowed it under many an airplane seat. It is durable, roomy, and stylish.
It measures at 18.1 x 12.6 x 7.8 inches and can fit a 17″ laptop. It has a secret anti-theft pocket, plus two side pockets and a front pocket. The inside of the bag is very spacious and has two smaller compartments, as well.
I can easily fit a pair of shoes, a laptop, my makeup, and a flat iron, plus a couple of outfits in here. It’s also great for when you get to a destination, and need a casual backpack to carry around items for you or the family. It’s an awesome bag for travel, and my favorite backpack ever.
Best Personal Item Backpack for Business Travel
If you’ll be traveling with a laptop, you’ll love this backpack that opens 180 degrees like a suitcase. It’s a padded, water-resistant backpack with awesome features, including room for a 17″ laptop, a USB charging port (charging block required), a wet pocket, a hidden anti-theft pocket, a mesh water bottle holder, plus a large inner compartment to give you optimal space.
It’s perfect for students or business travelers who are just making a one or two-day trip. It could also work for a four or five-day trip if you pack light.
It is the perfect size for Spirit Airlines, measuring 18 x 14 x 8 inches, so you don’t have to worry about it not fitting in the luggage checker.
Best Personal Item Backpack for Extended Travel
If you’re looking for a backpack that works more like a suitcase, you’ll love this one. The large back compartment opens up like a suitcase. Included with the backpack are travel cubes, to help you pack light and stay organized. If you want to make the most of this compartment, you might want to invest in some compression packing cubes that fit several days’ worth of clothing.
The middle zipper opens up to reveal a laptop sleeve and pocket for a tablet or book. There’s also a front pocket for small items and a water bottle pocket.
It measures 18.5 x 12.5 x 9.5 inches, so it’s technically over the limit. However, there are many reviews that Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines customers used this bag with success. Since it’s a backpack, it seems smaller than if you were rolling it around. Also, you can compress the bag with the side adjustable strap to help reduce the depth of the bag.
Just know that you are taking a bit of a risk if you use this travel bag. But it’s such an amazing backpack and others have had great success, so I had to include it in the list.
Best 18x14x8 Spirit Personal Item Duffel Bags
A duffel bag is great when you need a spacious compartment for all your travel gear. Whether you’re traveling for business or pleasure, one of these duffel bags can get you through a few days of travel and still fit under the seat in front of you.
Best Personal Item Duffel Bag for Recreation Travel
Is this not the cutest travel bag??!! I fell in love with it when I saw it. Unfortunately, so did my daughter, so I imagine I’ll be fighting her for it on every family trip. Aside from its adorable appearance, it’s also a really functional and roomy duffel bag.
One of the first things that caught my attention was the separate zipper section on the bottom, perfect for your shoes. Inside is a wet pocket, perfect for damp bathing suits or toiletries, plus several open pockets, perfect for chargers, medicine bottles, etc. On the back is a zippered pocket that is perfect for keeping your cell phone or passport on hand. The removable padded shoulder strap makes this much more comfortable to carry around the airport.
There are two side pockets that snap and an open front pocket. You’ll find a spot for everything in this roomy duffel. And you’ll have the cutest bag on the plane.
Runner-Up Best Personal Item Duffel Bag for Recreation Travel
I was so torn about which duffel bag to choose. I love the one above because of the separate shoe compartment. But this bag is fabulous, too.
My sisters both recently used this bag on our trip to San Diego, and it looks super nice for the price and held everything they needed for a 3-day trip. So, I had to include it in the list!
The gold metal accents make the bag look much more expensive than it is. The fabric is water-resistant and easy to wipe down.
It includes a drawstring shoe bag and quart-size bag for your liquids, so you really have everything you need right here. Plus, it perfectly fits under the seat on Spirit, Frontier, and Allegiant Airlines, making it an amazing option for your personal item bag.
Best Personal Item Duffel Bag for Business Travel
This duffel bag fits the bill for a personal item bag. It measures 18.1 x 11.8 x 7.8 inches and is surprisingly roomy.
This bag fully opens like a suitcase, making it easy to pack. What you can’t tell from the outside is that there is an inner compartment perfect for business travelers, with a padded laptop sleeve, a padded sleeve for a tablet, plus pockets to hold all of your electronic accessories. Separated from this compartment is a large roomy space for all of your clothes or other travel items.
There’s also an inner waterproof pocket, perfect for toiletries and a shoe bag, to keep your clothing clean. The front pocket is perfect for keeping your passport or phone on hand. The back strap allows this stack on rolling luggage easily. It’s a fabulous bag for weekend getaways or travelers who like to travel light.
Best Personal Item Duffel Bag for Budget Travel
If you’re traveling on a budget or don’t want to drop much money on a travel bag that you’ll only use a couple of times, you’ll love this foldable travel duffel bag. For less than the cost of two lattes from Starbucks, you can get this duffel bag. It’s available in lots of different colors and prints. Choose from the carry handles only, or spend a couple more dollars and get one with a shoulder strap.
This is a no-frills duffel bag, but it’s super functional and perfect to use as a Spirt Airlines (or Frontier Airlines) personal item bag. It has a large inner compartment and a small front pocket. It also has a strap on the back to hook it onto a rolling suitcase, if you have any.
The fabric is water-resistant material and can hold up to 45 pounds, so it won’t rip on you after the first use.
Best 18x14x8 Spirit Rolling Personal Item Bags
A rolling personal item bag is ideal when you need your hands free or can’t lug around a heavy bag for extended periods of time. These mini rolling suitcases are professional-looking for business travel and well-made while meeting the specifications for a Spirit Airlines personal item.
Best Soft-Side Rolling Personal Item Bag
Unlike most other rolling personal item bags, this one is actually small enough to meet Spirit’s requirements, even with the wheels and handle. At only 17 x 13 x 7.5 inches, it easily fits under the seat in front of you on both Spirit and Frontier Airlines planes. And at only 4 pounds, it’s lightweight and easy to lift.
The four roller wheels are easy to maneuver. Inside is a large compartment with a strap to keep your clothing in place. There’s also a padded laptop pocket for small laptops or tablets (smaller than 13.3″, plus side and front pockets for holding travel documents and other essential items.
The strap on the back makes it easy to attach to the handle of a rolling suitcase. The water-resistant material keeps all of your belongings dry. To make things even better, the manufacturer offers a three-year warranty against defects.
Best Hard-Side Rolling Personal Item Bag
Fly in style with this classy, easy-to-roll mini suitcase. It will keep all of your items clean and dry with its waterproof, hard material. The telescopic handle is well-made and sturdy, as are the roller wheels. It’s just like a regular suitcase, only in a miniature form.
It’s available in several beautiful color choices. You can also purchase larger sizes to have a matching set of luggage for when you need more room for packing.
Its dimensions are L12.4” × W8.46” × H15.59,” so while the depth is more than 8″ users have shown that it still fits in Spirit’s personal item checker. And since it is a hard suitcase, you don’t have to worry about bulges that could potentially make it too big.
Note: While Spirit Airlines Passengers had no issues, if you’re flying Frontier Airlines, you might want to forgo this roller. One user claimed that it wouldn’t fit and they were required to pay the fee for a carry-on item. Better to play it safe than end up $80 poorer at the airport.
Best Tote-Style Rolling Personal Item Bag
If you’re into bright prints, you’ll love this stylish, eco-friendly tote-style roller bag. You can roll it around the airport and then easily carry it onto the plane to stow it under the seat in front of you. And what I love the most is that it is a sustainable product, as it’s made from recycled water bottles! You can choose from several fun floral or animal prints, but this tropical vibe one is my favorite.
This cute bag opens at the top to reveal a large compartment for stowing all of your travel gear. There is a front zipper pocket for keeping travel documents or other essential items close at hand.
The two wheels are not as easy to roll as a four-wheel bag but it’s still a great alternative to carrying a bag all over the airport. When you don’t want to roll it, you can tuck the telescopic handle completely away under a zipper flap.
This travel bag’s dimensions are 15 x 15 x 9 inches, so it doesn’t quite fit Spirit’s personal bag specifications, but if it’s not overfilled, you can easily squish it in the luggage checker. Several customers have had great success using this as their personal item bag on Spirit Airlines flights.
Which bag did I choose?
So after ordering a few bags, I finally narrowed it down to two bags for my Spirit personal item. It was between my favorite, faithful brown backpack and the super cute duffel bag I hadn’t been able to bring myself to return.
I was still undecided an hour before my trip. What to do??!! I love traveling with a backpack because it’s so easy to carry around. But I loved the looks and functionality of the duffel bag.
So, I decided to be frugal and eco-conscious by using the backpack and returning the duffel. And let me tell you, I really did try to use it and had everything stuffed in it. But it just wasn’t working for me. (I promise!) My laptop was hard to pull out, my ziplock bag of toiletry items kept getting lost, and I knew it would be frustrating at security. If I had not brought a laptop, it would have been fine, but I needed to be able to access it easily, and it just wasn’t happening.
So, I dumped everything out and repacked it in the duffel bag, and voila! Everything fit perfectly, and I had a wonderful excuse to keep the adorable bag! My daughter was pretty excited I was hanging on to it, too.
I know it will get lots of use, and I can’t wait to use it for my next trip. It’s inspired me to pack lighter and see what magic I can work with it.
Wrapping-Up
If you plan to fly on a budget airline, like Spirit Airlines or Frontier Airlines, and you want to avoid the fees of a checked bag or carry-on bag, find a personal bag that will hold all of your clothes and other items and still not exceed 18 x 14 x 8 inches is a must.
We hope you’ll find a Spirit personal item from our list that is suitable for you and your next flight. Post a comment about your experience and tips for packing only a personal item bag on Spirit Airlines. We’d love to hear from you!
