3 things you should never pack in hand luggage — Ryanair, easyJet, TUI & BA travellers warned
Airlines have tightened cabin bag rules across the board for 2026 — and travel experts are now warning passengers on Ryanair, easyJet, TUI and British Airways to leave three specific items at home if they want to breeze through the airport without extra fees or a stressful bag repack at security.
We pulled together the airline rules, security guidance and packing-expert advice into one quick guide, plus the cabin bag setup that actually works in 2026.
The 3 things you should stop packing
1. Hairdryers
A full-size hairdryer eats up a huge amount of space and adds up to 500 g to your bag — which matters a lot when Ryanair, easyJet and TUI all enforce underseat weight and size limits at the gate.
Reality check: almost every hotel, Airbnb and rental across Europe already supplies a hairdryer. If yours doesn't, ask before you leave — 30 seconds saves you a bulky item you'll use for 5 minutes on holiday.
2. Towels
Rolling a towel into your bag is one of the fastest ways to eat 3 to 4 litres of internal volume. And unless you're camping, you almost never need one.
- Hotels supply them.
- Airbnbs supply them (double-check the listing).
- Beach clubs and resort pools rent them for €2–5.
If you do need something (long-haul red-eye, gym-heavy trip), pack a micro-fibre travel towel — they fold to the size of a paperback and dry in an hour.
3. Full-size toiletries
This is the #1 reason people get their bag pulled at security. Under EU and UK rules, all liquids over 100 ml in a cabin bag get confiscated — even if the bottle is only half full, if it says "200 ml" on the label, it's binned.
Even the airports rolling out new C3 scanners (Heathrow, Edinburgh, Birmingham) are still keeping the 100 ml limit in place in 2026 while the systems are being validated.
What to do instead:
- Decant shampoos and creams into 100 ml silicone travel bottles.
- Buy toothpaste, deodorant and sunscreen at the destination.
- Use solid alternatives (shampoo bars, solid perfume) — no liquid rules apply.
The bigger issue: overpacking your underseat
The three items above are the classic culprits, but the deeper problem is that most passengers are trying to squeeze a 3-night trip into a bag that airlines only sized for a work laptop and a jumper.
Here are the 2026 underseat allowances for the four airlines in question:
| Airline | Free underseat (personal item) | Weight limit |
|---|---|---|
| Ryanair | 40 × 20 × 25 cm | No official limit (must fit) |
| easyJet | 45 × 36 × 20 cm | 15 kg |
| TUI (from 1 May) | 40 × 30 × 20 cm | 10 kg |
| British Airways | 40 × 30 × 15 cm (+ 56×45×25 overhead) | 23 kg |
Ryanair is still the strictest — and TUI has now aligned itself with the low-cost model. If your bag doesn't fit, it goes in the hold at £30+ each way, no exceptions.
What to actually pack for a weekend away
Here's the packing list that fits a proper 40 × 20 × 25 cm underseat backpack for a 3-night city break:
- 3 T-shirts, 1 jumper, 2 shorts/trousers (rolled, not folded)
- 4 pairs of underwear, 4 pairs of socks
- 1 pair of trainers (worn) + 1 pair of flip-flops or sandals in the bag
- Toiletries: 100 ml shampoo, 100 ml conditioner, toothbrush, solid deodorant
- Laptop / tablet + charger + universal adapter
- Reusable water bottle (empty through security, fill after)
- Passport, boarding pass, sunglasses
Wear the bulky items (coat, hoodie, jeans, biggest shoes) on the plane — airlines can't charge you for what's on your body.
The bag that actually works
Our most popular 40 × 20 × 25 cm underseat backpack is built exactly to Ryanair's strictest limit — which means it also passes easyJet, Wizz Air, TUI and BA's personal-item allowance. Padded laptop sleeve, ripstop shell, luggage strap for the top of your rolling case.
Shop the 40×20×25 underseat range →
Or use our free cabin bag compatibility checker to pick the right size for your specific airline before you book.
FAQ
Q: Can I really not bring my own hairdryer at all? A: You can, but it counts against your weight and volume allowance. On Ryanair's 40 × 20 × 25 cm underseat, a hairdryer typically takes 15–20% of the space. Not worth it.
Q: What if the hotel doesn't provide toiletries? A: Every major supermarket chain across Europe (Mercadona in Spain, Continente in Portugal, Carrefour in France, Lidl everywhere) sells travel-size toiletries for €1–3. Cheaper than the security bin.
Q: Are the 100 ml liquid rules changing in 2026? A: Not yet. Some UK airports (Edinburgh, Birmingham, Teesside) removed the limit briefly in 2024 with new C3 scanners, but it was reinstated across the network while the technology is validated. Assume 100 ml is still in force for every flight you take in 2026.
Q: Which airline is easiest for hand luggage in 2026? A: British Airways — you get both a personal item AND a 56×45×25 cm cabin bag free with every fare. The trade-off is a pricier ticket.
Bottom line: if you strip out the hairdryer, the towel and the full-size toiletries, you free up roughly 6–8 litres of space — often the difference between a clean gate-check and a €60 excess baggage fee.
Ready to travel lighter? Grab a proper 40×20×25 underseat bag that´s built for Europe's strictest airline rules — one purchase that pays for itself on the very first flight.