Waterfield Air Porter vs. Nomatic Travel 30L Bag
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Waterfield Air Porter
| Capacity | 22 L |
| Weight | 1.3 kg |
| Dimensions | 42×30×18 cm |
| Airline fit | 95% |
| Price | $420 |
Feature by feature
| Waterfield Air Porter | Feature | Nomatic Travel 30L Bag |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 0 | Opening | 1 |
| top | Passport | top |
| Y | Passthrough | Y |
| Carry | ||
| hideable | Backpack | hideable |
| N | Hip Belt | removable |
| removable | Sternum Strap | Y |
| Inside | ||
| 15in | Laptop | 15in |
| 7 | Main Compartments | 7 |
| N | Organizer | N |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| 2, side | Water Bottle Holder | 1, top |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 1680 Denier black Ballistic nylon | Waterproof tarpaulin |
Nomatic Travel 30L Bag
| Capacity | 30 L |
| Weight | 1.6 kg |
| Dimensions | 48×33×23 cm |
| Airline fit | 73% |
| Price | $310 |
Key differences between the Waterfield Air Porter and Nomatic Travel 30L Bag
- Opening: Other on the Waterfield Air Porter; Clamshell on the Nomatic Travel 30L Bag.
- Hip belt: No on the Waterfield Air Porter; Removable on the Nomatic Travel 30L Bag.
- Sternum strap: Removable on the Waterfield Air Porter; Yes on the Nomatic Travel 30L Bag.
- Water bottle pockets: 2, side on the Waterfield Air Porter; 1, top on the Nomatic Travel 30L Bag.
Both have: passport pocket, luggage passthrough, backpack straps, laptop sleeve, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 138 accept both. 42 accept only the Waterfield Air Porter, and 0 accept only the Nomatic Travel 30L Bag.
Only the Waterfield Air Porter fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Niugini, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Air Tahiti, American Eagle, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, easyJet, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, flybe, Gulf Air, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Liat Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Pakistan International, Ravn Alaska, Royal Brunei Airlines, Ryanair, S7, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Volotea, Xiamen.
Waterfield Air Porter vs. Nomatic Travel 30L Bag: which should you pack?
The Nomatic Travel 30L Bag carries 8L more than the Waterfield Air Porter (22L vs. 30L), while the Waterfield Air Porter is the lighter pack at 1.3kg (vs. 1.6kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Waterfield Air Porter fits 95% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Nomatic Travel 30L Bag; if you want to travel lighter, the Waterfield Air Porter is the better call.