Briggs & Riley - Convertible Duffle Backpack vs. Nordace Urban Max
Two carry-on travel backpacks, compared spec for spec.
Briggs & Riley - Convertible Duffle Backpack
| Capacity | 39 L |
| Weight | 1.8 kg |
| Dimensions | 54×34×21 cm |
| Airline fit | 70% |
| Price | $149 |
Feature by feature
| Briggs & Riley - Convertible Duffle Backpack | Feature | Nordace Urban Max |
|---|---|---|
| Storage | ||
| N | Compression | N |
| None | Expanded Capacity | None |
| 1 | Opening | 1 |
| Y | Passport | Y |
| Y | Passthrough | Y |
| Carry | ||
| Y | Backpack | Y |
| N | Hip Belt | N |
| N | Sternum Strap | N |
| Inside | ||
| 15in | Laptop | 15in |
| 3 | Main Compartments | 1 |
| N | Organizer | Y |
| Outside | ||
| × | Hard Shell | × |
| N | Rain-fly | N |
| N | Water Bottle Holder | N |
| N | Water Resistant | Y |
| Material | |
| 1680D ballistic nylon | 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 - Convertible Duffle Backpack and Nordace Urban Max
- Main compartments: 3 on the Briggs & Riley - Convertible Duffle Backpack; 1 on the Nordace Urban Max.
- Built-in organizer: No on the Briggs & Riley - Convertible Duffle Backpack; Yes on the Nordace Urban Max.
- Water resistant: No on the Briggs & Riley - Convertible Duffle Backpack; Yes on the Nordace Urban Max.
Both have: passport pocket, luggage passthrough, backpack straps, laptop sleeve.
Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on
We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 133 accept both. 0 accept only the Briggs & Riley - Convertible Duffle Backpack, and 47 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, American Eagle, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, easyJet, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Etihad Airways, flybe, Gulf Air, Icelandair, InselAir, Juneyao Airlines, Luxair, Meridiana Fly, Nordwind Airlines, Oman Air, Qatar Airways, Ravn Alaska, Regional Express, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, 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, WestJet, Xiamen.
Briggs & Riley - Convertible Duffle Backpack vs. Nordace Urban Max: which should you pack?
The Briggs & Riley - Convertible Duffle Backpack carries 19L more than the Nordace Urban Max (39L vs. 20L), while the Nordace Urban Max is the lighter pack at 1.05kg (vs. 1.8kg). 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 - Convertible Duffle Backpack; if you want to travel lighter, the Nordace Urban Max is the better call.