Exped Impulse 20 vs. Exped Serac 25
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Feature by feature
| Exped Impulse 20 | Feature | Exped Serac 25 |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 3 | Opening | 3 |
| Y | Passport | N |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| removable | Hip Belt | removable |
| Y | Sternum Strap | Y |
| Inside | ||
| N | Laptop | N |
| 1 | Main Compartments | 1 |
| N | Organizer | N |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| 2 | Water Bottle Holder | N |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| Body: 210 D Robic HD ripstop nylon Carbonate PU, 2500 mm water column, Oeko-Tex 100 certified, PFC-free | 420 D ripstop nylon, TPU film laminate, >10'000 mm water column |
Key differences between the Exped Impulse 20 and Exped Serac 25
- Passport pocket: Yes on the Exped Impulse 20; No on the Exped Serac 25.
- Water bottle pockets: 2 on the Exped Impulse 20; No on the Exped Serac 25.
Both have: backpack straps, hip belt, sternum strap, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 131 accept both. 37 accept only the Exped Impulse 20, and 0 accept only the Exped Serac 25.
Only the Exped Impulse 20 fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, flybe, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Liat Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Ryanair, S7, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, TUI, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Volotea, WestJet, Xiamen.
Exped Impulse 20 vs. Exped Serac 25: which should you pack?
The Exped Serac 25 carries 5L more than the Exped Impulse 20 (20L vs. 25L), while the Exped Serac 25 is the lighter pack at 0.765kg (vs. 0.88kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Exped Impulse 20 fits 89% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Exped Serac 25; if you want to travel lighter, the Exped Serac 25 is the better call.