Exped Core 25 vs. Exped Cascade 25
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Feature by feature
| Exped Core 25 | Feature | Exped Cascade 25 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 3 | Opening | 4 |
| N | Passport | N |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| removable | Hip Belt | removable |
| Y | Sternum Strap | Y |
| Inside | ||
| N | Laptop | 15in |
| 1 | Main Compartments | 1 |
| N | Organizer | N |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| N | Water Bottle Holder | N |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 1680 D Ballistic nylon, PU coated, 1'500 mm water column | 420 D Oxford nylon, TPU film laminate, >10'000 mm water column |
Key differences between the Exped Core 25 and Exped Cascade 25
- Opening: Top flap on the Exped Core 25; Top zip on the Exped Cascade 25.
- Laptop sleeve: No on the Exped Core 25; 15in on the Exped Cascade 25.
Both have: backpack straps, hip belt, sternum strap, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 133 accept both. 34 accept only the Exped Core 25, and 5 accept only the Exped Cascade 25.
Only the Exped Core 25 fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, flybe, Great Lakes Airlines, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Ryanair, S7, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Volotea, Xiamen.
Only the Exped Cascade 25 fits
Etihad Airways, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Royal Jordanian, WestJet.
Exped Core 25 vs. Exped Cascade 25: which should you pack?
The Exped Core 25 carries the same capacity as the Exped Cascade 25 (25L vs. 25L), while the Exped Core 25 is the lighter pack at 0.1kg (vs. 0.9kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Exped Core 25 fits 88% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Exped Core 25; if you want to travel lighter, the Exped Core 25 is the better call.