ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada vs. Tom Bihn Synik 30

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

ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada

Front facing view of the ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada
Capacity22 L
Weight0.8 kg
Dimensions46×28×13 cm
Airline fit95%
Price$350

Feature by feature

ULA Equipment Ultra CicadaFeatureTom Bihn Synik 30
Storage
N Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
1 Opening 1
top Passport front
Y Passthrough Y
Carry
Y Backpack Y
optional Hip Belt removable
removable Sternum Strap removable
Inside
15in Laptop 15in
4 Main Compartments 6
Y Organizer Y
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
2, side, internal Water Bottle Holder 1, front
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
ULTRA 400TXUltralight 400d Halcyon/420d nylon ripstop

Tom Bihn Synik 30

Front facing view of the Tom Bihn Synik 30
Capacity30 L
Weight1.3 kg
Dimensions51×34×28 cm
Airline fit14%
Price$345

Key differences between the ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada and Tom Bihn Synik 30

Both have: luggage passthrough, backpack straps, sternum strap, laptop sleeve, built-in organizer, water resistant.

Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on

We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 26 accept both. 153 accept only the ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada, and 0 accept only the Tom Bihn Synik 30.

Only the ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada 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, American Eagle, 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, Cayman Airways, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Croatia Air, Czech Airlines, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, easyJet, 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, 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, Ravn Alaska, 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 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.

ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada vs. Tom Bihn Synik 30: which should you pack?

The Tom Bihn Synik 30 carries 8L more than the ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada (22L vs. 30L), while the ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada is the lighter pack at 0.8kg (vs. 1.3kg). For carry-on flexibility, the ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada fits 95% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Tom Bihn Synik 30; if you want to travel lighter, the ULA Equipment Ultra Cicada is the better call.