Away The Zip Backpack vs. Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Away The Zip Backpack
| Capacity | 20 L |
| Weight | 1.1 kg |
| Dimensions | 45×30.5×15 cm |
| Airline fit | 95% |
| Price | $236 |
Feature by feature
| Away The Zip Backpack | Feature | Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 4 | Opening | 4 |
| Y | Passport | Y |
| Y | Passthrough | Y |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| N | Hip Belt | N |
| N | Sternum Strap | N |
| Inside | ||
| 14in | Laptop | 15in |
| 1 | Main Compartments | 1 |
| N | Organizer | Y |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| 1 | Water Bottle Holder | 1 |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| Nylon with leather | 1600D ballistic nylon outer fabric |
Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack
| Capacity | 27.3 L |
| Weight | 1.2 kg |
| Dimensions | 45.5×34.5×20.5 cm |
| Airline fit | 74% |
| Price | $329 |
Key differences between the Away The Zip Backpack and Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack
- Laptop sleeve: 14in on the Away The Zip Backpack; 15in on the Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack.
- Built-in organizer: No on the Away The Zip Backpack; Yes on the Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack.
Both have: passport pocket, luggage passthrough, backpack straps, 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. 139 accept both. 40 accept only the Away The Zip Backpack, and 0 accept only the Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack.
Only the Away The Zip Backpack fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Air Tahiti, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, Cayman Airways, China Eastern, easyJet, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, flybe, Gulf Air, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Regional Express, 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), Virgin Australia, Volotea, Xiamen.
Away The Zip Backpack vs. Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack: which should you pack?
The Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack carries 7.300000000000001L more than the Away The Zip Backpack (20L vs. 27.3L), while the Away The Zip Backpack is the lighter pack at 1.1kg (vs. 1.2kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Away The Zip Backpack fits 95% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack; if you want to travel lighter, the Away The Zip Backpack is the better call.