A number a bag has · percent, or liters before and after
17
of 47 listings claim an expansion of some kind
Expansion
What it is
Expansion is a zip, usually running around the perimeter of a case, that releases a gusset and adds depth. On a soft bag it is a panel that lets the bag grow. Either way it is a second size for the same object.
Seventeen of the forty-seven listings here claim an expansion. Only a few of them attach a figure to it, and those figures come in two incompatible forms: a percentage, or a pair of capacities.
The rest simply say expandable, which tells you a zip exists and nothing at all about what happens when you use it.
Why it matters
It decides The Gate Sizer.
Because expansion is the one feature that changes the answer to the third test after you have already passed it. A case that goes into a frame closed will not necessarily go into a frame open, and the way home is where that gets discovered.
Because a listing that states an external size and an expansion is stating two sizes and printing one. The larger one is never given.
Because on a cabin bag the expanded dimension is depth, and depth is what a frame is least forgiving about. It is the axis with the least slack in it.
What gets written instead
- The single word expandable, which is by far the most common form and carries no figure whatsoever.
- A percentage such as up to 25 percent more space or up to 15 percent more space, with no statement of what it is a percentage of.
- A pair of capacities such as 35 L to 42 L, which is the most useful form and the rarest.
- A capacity plus an increment, such as 26 L expanding by 6 L, on the one backpack listing that quantifies it.
The listings that do give it
Every listing below states this figure in its own wording. The other 30 do not, and we have left those blank rather than filling them.
| Listing | Category | What it states |
|---|---|---|
| Amazon Basics 21" Hardside Carry-On | Carry-On Luggage | up to 25 percent more space |
| Samsonite Freeform Hardside Carry-On | Carry-On Luggage | expandable hard shell, no figure given |
| Sweetcrispy 20" Carry-On | Carry-On Luggage | expandable, no figure given |
| Traveler’s Choice Pagosa 22" Carry-On | Carry-On Luggage | expandable, no figure given |
| LIGHT FLIGHT 20" Expandable Carry-On | Carry-On Luggage | expandable, no figure given |
| LIGHT FLIGHT 20" Carry-On with TSA Lock | Carry-On Luggage | 20 percent more, from 35 L to 42 L |
| Travelpro Maxlite 5 Softside 21" Carry-On | Carry-On Luggage | expandable, no figure given |
| OLIXIS 20" Carry-On | Carry-On Luggage | expandable capacity, no figure given |
| Amazon Basics 30" Hardside Checked | Checked Luggage | up to 15 percent more space |
| Traveler’s Choice Pagosa 30" Checked | Checked Luggage | expandable, no figure given |
| Rockland Melbourne 28" Checked | Checked Luggage | expandable, no figure given |
| Samsonite Freeform 2-Piece Set | Checked Luggage | expandable shell, no figure given |
| Capolo Expandable Duffle, 32 L to 43 L | Travel Duffel Bags | expands from 32 L to 43 L |
| Osprey Daylite Expandable 26+6 Travel Pack | Backpacks & Travel Packs | expands by 6 L, from 26 L to 32 L |
| MATEIN Carry-On Travel Backpack, 40 L | Backpacks & Travel Packs | expandable, no figure given |
| BAGAIL Compression Packing Cubes, 4 / 6 / 8 set | Packing Organizers | expandable compression, no figure given |
| Veken Compression Packing Cubes, 9 or 11 set | Packing Organizers | compressible and expandable, no figure given |
A stated size is the size of the body. Wheels, feet and an extended telescoping handle are not usually counted inside it, and the frame at a gate counts all of them.
How to get the number yourself
- Measure the case closed, across its outermost points, with the handle down.
- Open the expansion zip fully, pack it out so the gusset is taut, and measure the depth again.
- The difference between the two depth figures is the number no listing gives you.
- Decide before you leave which of the two sizes you intend to arrive at a gate with, and pack accordingly.
Worth being careful about
- A case in its expanded state is very likely to stop matching whatever figure it was bought against.
- No listing here states the external size of the expanded bag. Not one.
- A percentage with no stated starting volume cannot be checked against anything.
- The words airline approved appear on several expandable cases. They are not a certification and they do not survive the zip being opened.