Matador Freefly16 vs. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest

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

Matador Freefly16

Front facing view of the Matador Freefly16
Capacity16 L
Weight0.2 kg
Dimensions48×25×15 cm
Airline fit93%
Price$80

Feature by feature

Matador Freefly16FeatureHyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest
Storage
2 Compression 5
None Expanded Capacity None
0 Opening 2
Passport
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack Y
N Hip Belt Y
removable Sternum Strap removable
Inside
N Laptop N
2 Main Compartments 1
N Organizer N
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
2, side Water Bottle Holder 2, side
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
70D Robic nylon with UHMWPE ripstop, PFAS freeDyneema® 200-denier

Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest

Front facing view of the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest
Capacity40 L
Weight0.8 kg
Dimensions70×28×17 cm
Airline fit12%
Price$380

Key differences between the Matador Freefly16 and Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest

Both have: backpack straps, sternum strap, water bottle pockets, water resistant.

Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on

We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 23 accept both. 153 accept only the Matador Freefly16, and 0 accept only the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest.

Only the Matador Freefly16 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, Caribbean Airlines, Cathay Pacific, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Croatia Air, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, EL AL, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Finnair, Flair Air, flybe, Frontier Airlines, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Great Lakes Airlines, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Iberia, Icelandair, Indigo, InselAir, Interjet, Iran Air, Iran Aseman Air, Island 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, PenAir, 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, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Country, 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, Virgin Australia, Volotea, WestJet, WOW Airlines, Xiamen.

Matador Freefly16 vs. Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest: which should you pack?

The Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest carries 24L more than the Matador Freefly16 (16L vs. 40L), while the Matador Freefly16 is the lighter pack at 0.2kg (vs. 0.8kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Matador Freefly16 fits 93% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Hyperlite Mountain Gear Southwest; if you want to travel lighter, the Matador Freefly16 is the better call.