Gregory Border 25 vs. Timbuk2 Uptown

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

Gregory Border 25

Front facing view of the Gregory Border 25
Capacity25 L
Weight0.9 kg
Dimensions50×33×23 cm
Airline fit72%
Price$140

Feature by feature

Gregory Border 25FeatureTimbuk2 Uptown
Storage
N Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
0 Opening 0
top Passport top
Y Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack Y
N Hip Belt N
Y Sternum Strap removable
Inside
15in Laptop 15in
4 Main Compartments 4
Y Organizer Y
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
1, side Water Bottle Holder 2
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
PVC-Free Coated 210D High Density 66 Nylon & 100% Recycled 450D Polyester with C0 DWR: designed without PFAS

Timbuk2 Uptown

Front facing view of the Timbuk2 Uptown
Capacity30 L
Weight1.1 kg
Dimensions50×30×17 cm
Airline fit92%
Price$121

Key differences between the Gregory Border 25 and Timbuk2 Uptown

Both have: passport pocket, backpack straps, 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. 136 accept both. 0 accept only the Gregory Border 25, and 37 accept only the Timbuk2 Uptown.

Only the Timbuk2 Uptown fits

Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Niugini, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, flybe, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Liat Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Pakistan International, 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.

Gregory Border 25 vs. Timbuk2 Uptown: which should you pack?

The Timbuk2 Uptown carries 5L more than the Gregory Border 25 (25L vs. 30L), while the Gregory Border 25 is the lighter pack at 0.9kg (vs. 1.1kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Timbuk2 Uptown fits 92% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Timbuk2 Uptown; if you want to travel lighter, the Gregory Border 25 is the better call.