Exped Metro 30 vs. Ortlieb Vario

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

Exped Metro 30

Front facing view of the Exped Metro 30
Capacity28 L
Weight0.8 kg
Dimensions56×29×19 cm
Airline fit47%
Price$119

Feature by feature

Exped Metro 30FeatureOrtlieb Vario
Storage
N Compression N
None Expanded Capacity None
2 Opening 2
N Passport N
N Passthrough N
Carry
Y Backpack removable
hideable Hip Belt removable
Y Sternum Strap Y
Inside
15in Laptop 15in
1 Main Compartments 1
N Organizer Y
Outside
× Hard Shell ×
N Rain-fly N
2 Water Bottle Holder 2
Y Water Resistant Y
Material
600 D ripstop polyester, PU coated, 1'200 mm water columnPS33

Ortlieb Vario

Front facing view of the Ortlieb Vario
Capacity23 L
Weight1.3 kg
Dimensions50×28×20 cm
Airline fit92%
Price$175

Key differences between the Exped Metro 30 and Ortlieb Vario

Both have: sternum strap, laptop sleeve, water bottle pockets, water resistant.

Which airlines take each bag as a carry-on

We checked both bags against the carry-on size limits of 189 airlines. 88 accept both. 0 accept only the Exped Metro 30, and 86 accept only the Ortlieb Vario.

Only the Ortlieb Vario fits

Aer Lingus, Aeroflot, Aerolineas Argentinas, Aeromexico, Air Baltic, Air Canada, Air Caraibes, Air China, Air France, Air India, Air Malta, Air Mauritius, Air Niugini, Air Serbia, Air Seychelles, All Nipon Airways, ANA, Asiana Airlines, ATA Airlines, Austrian, Azerbaijan Airlines, Belavia, Blue Air, Boliviana de Aviacion, Brussels Airlines, Bulgaria Air, China Eastern, Czech Airlines, Emirates Airlines, Enter Air, Ethiopian Airlines, Etihad Airways, Eurowings, Fiji Airways, Flair Air, flybe, Gol Linhas Aereas, Great Lakes Airlines, Iberia, Icelandair, Indigo, InselAir, Interjet, Iran Air, Japan Airlines, Jet Airways, Juneyao Airlines, Kenya Airways, KLM, LATAM , Liat Airlines, LOT Polish, Lufthansa, Luxair, Mahan Air, Meridiana Fly, Mesa Airlines, Nordwind Airlines, Norwegian, Oman Air, Pakistan International, Peach, Porter Airlines, Qatar Airways, Royal Brunei Airlines, Royal Jordanian, Ryanair, S7, SAS Scandinavian, Scoot, Shandong Airlines, Shenzhen Airlines, Sky 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.

Exped Metro 30 vs. Ortlieb Vario: which should you pack?

The Exped Metro 30 carries 5L more than the Ortlieb Vario (28L vs. 23L), while the Exped Metro 30 is the lighter pack at 0.8kg (vs. 1.3kg). For carry-on flexibility, the Ortlieb Vario fits 92% of the airlines we track — the higher of the two. If you prioritise packing volume, choose the Exped Metro 30; if you want to travel lighter, the Exped Metro 30 is the better call.