Cabin Zero Urban 42L vs. Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Cabin Zero Urban 42L
| Capacity | 42 L |
| Weight | 1.4 kg |
| Dimensions | 51×36×15 cm |
| Airline fit | 82% |
| Price | $155 |
Feature by feature
| Cabin Zero Urban 42L | Feature | Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 1 | Opening | 1 |
| N | Passport | side |
| N | Passthrough | N |
| Carry | ||
| hideable | Backpack | hideable |
| N | Hip Belt | removable |
| N | Sternum Strap | removable |
| Inside | ||
| N | Laptop | N |
| 1 | Main Compartments | 5 |
| Y | Organizer | N |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| N | Water Bottle Holder | N |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| Heavy Duty highly water resistant tarpaulin | 1050 denier ballistic nylon OR ultralight 400d Halcyon/420d nylon ripstop 200 denier Halcyon/nylon ripstop fabric lining |
Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L
| Capacity | 45 L |
| Weight | 1.4 kg |
| Dimensions | 56×36×23 cm |
| Airline fit | 45% |
| Price | $340 |
Key differences between the Cabin Zero Urban 42L and Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L
- Passport pocket: No on the Cabin Zero Urban 42L; Side on the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
- Hip belt: No on the Cabin Zero Urban 42L; Removable on the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
- Sternum strap: No on the Cabin Zero Urban 42L; Removable on the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
- Main compartments: 1 on the Cabin Zero Urban 42L; 5 on the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
- Built-in organizer: Yes on the Cabin Zero Urban 42L; No on the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
Both have: backpack straps, water resistant.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 85 accept both. 70 accept only the Cabin Zero Urban 42L, and 0 accept only the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L.
Only the Cabin Zero Urban 42L fits
Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aeromexico, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air China, Air Malta, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, All Nipon Airways, ANA, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Austrian, Azerbaijan Airlines, Blue Air, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Caribbean Airlines, China Eastern, Croatia Air, Czech Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, Fiji Airways, Flair Air, Gol Linhas Aereas, Iberia, Icelandair, Interjet, Iran Air, Japan Airlines, Juneyao Airlines, Liat Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Luxair, Mahan Air, Meridiana Fly, Mesa Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Pakistan International, Peach, Porter Airlines, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, SAS Scandinavian, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sun Express, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, TUI, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International, VIM Airlines (Closed), Volotea, WestJet, Xiamen.
Cabin Zero Urban 42L vs. Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L: which should you pack?
The Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L carries 3L more than the Cabin Zero Urban 42L (42L vs. 45L), while the Cabin Zero Urban 42L is the lighter pack at 1.4kg (vs. 1.4kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Cabin Zero Urban 42L fits 82% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Tom Bihn Aeronaut 45L; if you want to travel lighter, the Cabin Zero Urban 42L is the better call.