Osprey Nebula vs. Tom Bihn Brain Bag
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Feature by feature
| Osprey Nebula | Feature | Tom Bihn Brain Bag |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| 4 | Compression | 4 |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 1 | Opening | 4 |
| top | Passport | top |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| removable | Hip Belt | removable |
| Y | Sternum Strap | removable |
| Inside | ||
| 15in | Laptop | N |
| 3 | Main Compartments | 6 |
| Y | Organizer | Y |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| 2, side | Water Bottle Holder | 1, side |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| MAIN: 420HD Nylon Packcloth BOTTOM: 420HD Nylon Packcloth | 525 Ballistic Nylon |
Tom Bihn Brain Bag
| Capacity | 36 L |
| Weight | 1.3 kg |
| Dimensions | 46×36×23 cm |
| Airline fit | 66% |
| Price | $240 |
Key differences between the Osprey Nebula and Tom Bihn Brain Bag
- Opening: Clamshell on the Osprey Nebula; Top zip on the Tom Bihn Brain Bag.
- Sternum strap: Yes on the Osprey Nebula; Removable on the Tom Bihn Brain Bag.
- Laptop sleeve: 15in on the Osprey Nebula; No on the Tom Bihn Brain Bag.
- Main compartments: 3 on the Osprey Nebula; 6 on the Tom Bihn Brain Bag.
- Water bottle pockets: 2, side on the Osprey Nebula; 1, side on the Tom Bihn Brain Bag.
Both have: compression straps, passport pocket, backpack straps, hip belt, built-in organizer, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 25 accept both. 0 accept only the Osprey Nebula, and 100 accept only the Tom Bihn Brain Bag.
Only the Tom Bihn Brain Bag fits
Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Astana, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air Macau, Air Nostrum, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Atlas Global, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Cambodia Angkor Air, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, EL AL, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, Frontier Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Iberia, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Island Air, Japan Airlines, Jet2, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Kulula, Kuwait Air, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Onur Air, Peach, PenAir, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Qatar Airways, Ravn Alaska, Republic Airways, Royal Jordanian, SAS Scandinavian, Scoot, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Country, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, Thai Airways, Tiger Airways, Trans States, Travel Service Airlines, Turkish Airlines, United Airlines, Uzbekistan Air, Vietnam Airlines, Virgin Atlantic, WestJet, WOW Airlines.
Osprey Nebula vs. Tom Bihn Brain Bag: which should you pack?
The Tom Bihn Brain Bag carries 2L more than the Osprey Nebula (34L vs. 36L), while the Osprey Nebula is the lighter pack at 1kg (vs. 1.3kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Tom Bihn Brain Bag fits 66% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Tom Bihn Brain Bag; if you want to travel lighter, the Osprey Nebula is the better call.