Patagonia Tres Backpack 25L vs. Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L

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

Patagonia Tres Backpack 25L

Front facing view of the Patagonia Tres Backpack 25L
Capacity25 L
Weight0.9 kg
Dimensions48×31×17 cm
Airline fit92%
Price$129

Feature by feature

Patagonia Tres Backpack 25LFeaturePatagonia Tres MLC® 45L
Storage
N Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
1 Opening 1
N Passport N
Y Passthrough Y
Carry
hideable Backpack hideable
N Hip Belt N
Y Sternum Strap Y
Inside
15in Laptop 15in
1 Main Compartments 1
Y Organizer Y
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
N Water Bottle Holder N
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
630-denier 100% nylon, 200-denier 100% recycled polyester630-denier nylon, 200-denier 100% recycled polyeste

Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L

Front facing view of the Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L
Capacity45 L
Weight1.5 kg
Dimensions54×41×18 cm
Airline fit26%
Price$179

Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on

We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 49 accept both. 125 accept only the Patagonia Tres Backpack 25L, and 0 accept only the Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L.

Only the Patagonia Tres Backpack 25L fits

Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air Macau, Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Belavia, Biman Bangladesh, Blue Air, Boliviana de Aviacion, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Cambodia Angkor Air, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Croatia Air, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Flair Air, flybe, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Icelandair, Indigo, InselAir, Interjet, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Juneyao Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Kulula, 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, Pakistan International, Peach, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Qatar Airways, Regional Express, Republic Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, SAS Scandinavian, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sky Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Express, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, Trans States, TUI, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International, United Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Atlantic, Virgin Australia, Volotea, WestJet, Xiamen.

Patagonia Tres Backpack 25L vs. Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L: which should you pack?

The Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L carries 20L more than the Patagonia Tres Backpack 25L (25L vs. 45L), while the Patagonia Tres Backpack 25L is the lighter pack at 0.9kg (vs. 1.5kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Patagonia Tres Backpack 25L fits 92% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L; if you want to travel lighter, the Patagonia Tres Backpack 25L is the better call.