Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack vs. Nordace Urban Max
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
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 |
Feature by feature
| Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack | Feature | Nordace Urban Max |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 4 | Opening | 1 |
| Y | Passport | Y |
| Y | Passthrough | Y |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| N | Hip Belt | N |
| N | Sternum Strap | N |
| Inside | ||
| 15in | Laptop | 15in |
| 1 | Main Compartments | 1 |
| Y | Organizer | Y |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| 1 | Water Bottle Holder | N |
| Y | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 1600D ballistic nylon outer fabric | Polyester |
Nordace Urban Max
| Capacity | 20 L |
| Weight | 1.05 kg |
| Dimensions | 43×30×18 cm |
| Airline fit | 95% |
| Price | $135 |
Key differences between the Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack and Nordace Urban Max
- Opening: Top zip on the Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack; Clamshell on the Nordace Urban Max.
- Water bottle pockets: 1 on the Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack; No on the Nordace Urban Max.
Both have: passport pocket, luggage passthrough, 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. 139 accept both. 0 accept only the Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack, and 41 accept only the Nordace Urban Max.
Only the Nordace Urban Max fits
Air Baltic, Air China, Air Malta, Air Niugini, 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.
Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack vs. Nordace Urban Max: which should you pack?
The Briggs & Riley Medium Cargo Backpack carries 7.300000000000001L more than the Nordace Urban Max (27.3L vs. 20L), while the Nordace Urban Max is the lighter pack at 1.05kg (vs. 1.2kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Nordace Urban Max 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 Nordace Urban Max is the better call.