Exped Core 25 vs. Exped Serac 25
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Feature by feature
| Exped Core 25 | Feature | Exped Serac 25 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 3 | Opening | 3 |
| N | Passport | N |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| removable | Hip Belt | removable |
| Y | Sternum Strap | Y |
| Inside | ||
| N | Laptop | N |
| 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 ripstop nylon, TPU film laminate, >10'000 mm water column |
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 131 accept both. 36 accept only the Exped Core 25, and 0 accept only the Exped Serac 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, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Liat Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Ryanair, S7, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Volotea, Xiamen.
Exped Core 25 vs. Exped Serac 25: which should you pack?
The Exped Core 25 carries the same capacity as the Exped Serac 25 (25L vs. 25L), while the Exped Core 25 is the lighter pack at 0.1kg (vs. 0.765kg). 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.