Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L vs. Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L

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

Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L

Front facing view of the Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L
Capacity42 L
Weight1.4 kg
Dimensions54×35×20 cm
Airline fit87%
Price$184

Feature by feature

Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42LFeaturePatagonia Tres MLC® 45L
Storage
4 Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
1 Opening 1
N Passport N
Y Passthrough Y
Carry
hideable Backpack hideable
hideable Hip Belt N
Y Sternum Strap Y
Inside
15in Laptop 15in
2 Main Compartments 1
Y Organizer Y
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
1, side Water Bottle Holder N
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
600 Denier Polyester630-denier nylon, 200-denier 100% recycled polyeste

Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L

Front facing view of the Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L
Capacity45 L
Weight1.5 kg
Dimensions54×41×18 cm
Airline fit26%
Price$179

Key differences between the Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L and Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L

Both have: luggage passthrough, backpack straps, sternum strap, 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. 49 accept both. 116 accept only the Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L, and 0 accept only the Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L.

Only the Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L fits

Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Asia, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air Macau, Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, Air Wisconsin, AirAsiaX, Alaska Airlines, All Nipon Airways, Allegiant Air, American Airlines, ANA, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Austrian, Avianca , Azerbaijan Airlines, Bahamasair, Bangkok Airways, Biman Bangladesh, Blue Air, Boliviana de Aviacion, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, Cambodia Angkor Air, Cathay Pacific, Cebu Pacific, China Airlines, China Eastern, CommutAir, Conviasa, Copa Airlines, Croatia Air, Delta Airlines, Dragonair, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Eurowings, EVA Air, Fiji Airways, Flair Air, flybe, Garuda Indonesia, Gol Linhas Aereas, Hawaiian Airlines, Hong Kong Airlines, Icelandair, Indigo, InselAir, Interjet, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, jetBlue Airways, Jetstar Airways, Jetstar Asia, Juneyao Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, Kulula, LATAM , Liat Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Luxair, Mahan Air, Malaysia Airlines, Mango, Meridiana Fly, Mesa Airlines, Middle East Airlines, Monarch Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Norwegian, Pakistan International, Peach, Porter Airlines, Qantas Airways, Republic Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Ryanair, S7, SAS Scandinavian, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sky Airlines, Skywest, Inc., South African Airways, SriLankan Airlines, Sun Express, Swiss Int'l Air Lines, TAP Air Portugal, TAROM, Tianjin Airlines (A320 & E190), Tiger Airways, Trans States, TUI, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International, United Airlines, Vietnam Airlines, VIM Airlines (Closed), Virgin Atlantic, Volotea, Xiamen.

Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L vs. Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L: which should you pack?

The Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L carries 3L more than the Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L (42L vs. 45L), while the Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L is the lighter pack at 1.4kg (vs. 1.5kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L fits 87% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Patagonia Tres MLC® 45L; if you want to travel lighter, the Cabin Zero Classic Pro 42L is the better call.