Ortlieb Velocity vs. Exped Black Ice 30

Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.

Ortlieb Velocity

Front facing view of the Ortlieb Velocity
Capacity23 L
Weight0.88 kg
Dimensions50×30×16 cm
Airline fit92%
Price$135

Feature by feature

Ortlieb VelocityFeatureExped Black Ice 30
Storage
N Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
2 Opening 2
N Passport N
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack Y
removable Hip Belt removable
removable Sternum Strap Y
Inside
15in 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
PD620, PS620C400 D HD ripstop nylon, TPU film laminated, 10'000 mm water column

Exped Black Ice 30

Front facing view of the Exped Black Ice 30
Capacity30 L
Weight0.1 kg
Dimensions57×27×23 cm
Airline fit17%
Price$175

Key differences between the Ortlieb Velocity and Exped Black Ice 30

Both have: backpack straps, hip belt, water resistant.

Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on

We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 32 accept both. 141 accept only the Ortlieb Velocity, and 0 accept only the Exped Black Ice 30.

Only the Ortlieb Velocity fits

Aegean Airlines, Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Astana, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air Macau, Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Air Niugini, Air Nostrum, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Atlas Global, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Belavia, Biman Bangladesh, Blue Air, Boliviana de Aviacion, British Airways, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Cambodia Angkor Air, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, CommutAir, Copa Airlines, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, EL AL, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, flybe, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Iberia, Icelandair, Indigo, InselAir, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Jet2, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Juneyao Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Kulula, Kuwait Air, LATAM , Liat Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Luxair, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Meridiana Fly, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Onur Air, Pakistan International, Peach, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Qatar Airways, Republic Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, SAS Scandinavian, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sky Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, Spirit Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Express, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Thai Airways, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, Trans States, Travel Service Airlines, TUI, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International, United Airlines, Uzbekistan Air, Vietnam Airlines, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Atlantic, Volotea, WestJet, WOW Airlines, Xiamen.

Ortlieb Velocity vs. Exped Black Ice 30: which should you pack?

The Exped Black Ice 30 carries 7L more than the Ortlieb Velocity (23L vs. 30L), while the Exped Black Ice 30 is the lighter pack at 0.1kg (vs. 0.88kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Ortlieb Velocity fits 92% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Exped Black Ice 30; if you want to travel lighter, the Exped Black Ice 30 is the better call.