Cabin Max Metz 24L vs Manhattan 24L: which wins

Key takeaways

• Both bags are 40×30×20cm — Ryanair’s free under-seat size since August 2025, plus the free allowance on Wizz Air, Vueling and Volotea, and they fit inside easyJet’s larger 45×36×20cm free bag.
• The Manhattan 24L has a padded rear compartment for a 13-inch laptop; the Metz 24L has no dedicated laptop sleeve, only a flat front organiser.
• Cabin Max lists the Manhattan at 0.5kg and the Metz at 0.6kg — a 100g difference that matters on airlines with a 10kg cabin-bag weight cap.
• Direct pricing on 22 July 2026: Metz £29.95 (marked down 14% from £35), Manhattan £35. On Amazon UK both often fall to about £28.
• Amazon UK ratings (checked 22 July 2026): the Manhattan sits at 4.6/5 across roughly 16,000 pooled variant ratings; the Metz’s 40×30×20cm listing shows 4.6/5 from about 1,400 ratings.
• Cabin Max holds a TrustScore of 4/5 from about 2,800 Trustpilot reviews — but at least one owner reported a £68 excess-bag fee at a Wizz Air gate, the risk every soft cabin bag carries.

At a glance

How we compared these two

This is a research-led comparison, and it’s worth being straight about what that means: we have not physically tested either bag. There’s no in-hand impression here, no packing test, no walk through an airport. Everything below is built from evidence you can check yourself.

That evidence is Cabin Max’s own specification sheets for both bags; each product’s Amazon UK listing (about 1,400 ratings for the Metz, roughly 16,000 pooled ratings for the Manhattan); Cabin Max’s roughly 2,800 Trustpilot reviews; and four independent hands-on reviews and owner forum threads. Prices and ratings were checked on 22 July 2026.

One honest limit: the exact 24-litre versions of these bags have thin dedicated coverage, so some hands-on reviews we drew on cover sibling sizes — the Metz 30L and the older 44L, and the Manhattan Stowaway XL — rather than the precise 40×30×20cm models. Cabin Max keeps the same design language across a size line, so those reviews read across for structure, fabric and comfort, but we’ve flagged where a finding comes from a relative rather than the bag itself. Where the evidence for a point is genuinely thin, we say so instead of guessing.

Cabin Max Metz 24L vs Manhattan 24L: the specs side by side

A note on the Metz name: Cabin Max confusingly uses “Metz 24L” for two different bags. This review is the 40×30×20cm version — the Wizz Air and Ryanair free-bag size. There’s also a larger 45×36×20cm bag sold as the “Metz 24L”, cut for easyJet’s bigger free allowance, plus a separate 40×20×25cm Metz — the older, narrower Ryanair size that’s sometimes labelled “20L”. Check the dimensions, not the litre label, before you buy.

The Clash Test: round by round

Round 1 — Does it actually fly free?

This is the only question most buyers really have: will it get me on the plane without a fee? Both bags are built to exactly 40×30×20cm, which since August 2025 is Ryanair’s free personal-bag size, and it’s also the free allowance for Wizz Air, Vueling and Volotea, and it slots inside easyJet’s roomier 45×36×20cm bag. On paper, both pass everywhere that matters.

The Metz’s advantage is a physical one: four external compression straps let you cinch a stuffed bag back towards a rectangular, sizer-friendly shape. A hands-on Metz review at Between England & Everywhere leaned on exactly that trick with packing cubes to hold the airport shape — while also noting that once the front pocket was full, even a compressed Metz sat just over the easyJet sizer.

The Manhattan has no external compression straps; it relies on internal packing ribbons and a firmer twill or faux-suede build to hold its form. That’s a fair approach, but it gives you less to grab when the bag is bulging. And the gate is unforgiving: Ryanair fees run to £70–75 in 2026, enforcement tightened in late 2025, and one Cabin Max owner on Trustpilot described paying £68 in excess at a Wizz Air gate when a soft bag wasn’t accepted underseat. Neither bag is immune — but the Metz gives you one more tool to stay legal.

Round score: Metz 8/10, Manhattan 7/10. Winner: Metz — its four compression straps are a genuine tool for holding the 20cm depth that the Manhattan doesn’t offer.

Round 2 — Carrying it through the airport

No wheels on either bag, so the straps do all the work — and for a full cabin bag that’s a real consideration, not a footnote. On the Manhattan, an owner posting on Mumsnet who flies five or six times a year with Ryanair and easyJet rated its shoulder straps as wide, padded and trouble-free, with a long strap as backup. That’s the most directly relevant comfort report we found for the current bag.

It’s not a clean sweep, though. A separate Manhattan model, the Stowaway XL, was reviewed by Pack Hacker and criticised for comfort: its stow-away straps sit on a thin fabric flap that lets a heavy bag pull away from your back. The 24L Manhattan uses the same pack-away strap idea, so heavy loads may strain it in the same way, even if lighter loads sit fine.

The Metz fares slightly worse when full. Independent reviews describe it as a “soft brick” once loaded, with curved straps that help only so much and padding that’s adequate rather than plush; comfort is fine at a moderate load and less so at a heavy one. Both are backpacks you’ll be glad to set down after a long terminal walk — but the Manhattan’s owner reports edge it for everyday carry.

Round score: Metz 6/10, Manhattan 7/10. Winner: Manhattan — a frequent-flyer owner rates its wide padded straps as comfortable, where hands-on Metz reviews flag a “soft brick” feel when packed.

Round 3 — Packing and organisation

Both open flat like a suitcase, which is the single best feature at this size and price. The difference is what happens inside. The Manhattan adds internal packing ribbons and a 3D mesh pocket, so a packed load is held in place and small items have a home. It’s a more considered interior for the same money.

The Metz keeps its main compartment largely unimpeded, which maximises raw volume but, as two independent Metz reviews note, lets your contents shift and jumble unless you pack cubes — the external compression straps hold the outside, not the inside. Its flat front organiser is genuinely good for a tablet, documents and cables, so organisation isn’t absent so much as concentrated at the front.

For pure capacity the two are level at 24 litres. For keeping a full bag tidy on the move, the Manhattan’s internal ribbons and mesh give it a modest, real edge.

Round score: Metz 7/10, Manhattan 8/10. Winner: Manhattan — internal packing ribbons and a 3D mesh pocket keep a full load in place, where the Metz’s unimpeded main lets contents jumble.

Round 4 — Materials and how they’ll wear

Here the Metz pulls ahead. It’s made from 600D polyester or a PU-coated fabric — proven, hard-wearing materials for luggage that gets thrown around — with recycled RPET versions in the same weight class. Its double zips are padlockable, and it carries Cabin Max’s 3-year manufacturing-fault warranty.

The Manhattan’s signature colourways — the Champagne, Espresso and Black & Gold finishes it’s known for — use twill polyester with faux polyester suede. That looks smart, but faux suede is a look-led fabric with less of a track record for rough travel; it can scuff and mark more readily than a plain technical weave. We found no specific owner reports of it failing, so this is a note of caution rather than a documented fault — and it comes with a caveat of its own: the Manhattan’s plainer colours are offered in RPET polyester that Cabin Max rates to the same durability as 600D, which closes the gap if you skip the suede.

Both bags lean on the same backstop, and it’s a good one. Cabin Max holds a 4/5 TrustScore across about 2,800 Trustpilot reviews, and the recurring theme in the service reviews is responsiveness — quick replies, and replacements honoured within the 3-year warranty. Whichever you pick, the after-sales side looks dependable.

Round score: Metz 8/10, Manhattan 6/10. Winner: Metz — proven 600D/PU fabric beats the Manhattan’s faux-suede fashion finish for hard travel, though its RPET colours narrow the gap.

Round 5 — Price and value

Direct from Cabin Max on 22 July 2026, the Metz is £29.95 — a 14% cut from its £35 list — while the Manhattan holds at £35. So bought at source, the Metz undercuts by about a fiver, and it’s the cheapest way onto a free-bag flight in this pair.

On Amazon UK the picture flips to near-parity: both dip to roughly £28 depending on colour and the deal of the day, at which point the Manhattan’s extra features come almost for free. ASOS lists both around £34.95. So value depends entirely on where you buy and what you need: at the same price, the Manhattan’s laptop sleeve makes it the better buy; at Cabin Max’s own prices, the Metz is the value play for anyone who doesn’t need one.

Either way, the maths that sells both bags is the same. Cabin Max points out an oversized-bag charge can hit £65, so a sub-£35 bag that reliably flies free pays for itself on the first flight it saves you.

Round score: Metz 8/10, Manhattan 7/10. Winner: Metz — £29.95 direct versus £35, though both routinely land near £28 on Amazon UK, which narrows it.

Round 6 — Laptop and everyday use

This is the round that decides it. The Manhattan has a padded rear compartment sized for a 13-inch laptop, and that one feature changes what the bag is for: it flies free at the weekend and carries your laptop to the office on Monday, helped by the faux-suede finishes that don’t look like flight kit. It’s a 40×30×20cm bag that moonlights as a work and city bag.

The Metz has no equivalent. Its front organiser will take a tablet or a thin sleeve, but there’s no padded protection for a laptop — a gap independent reviewers have flagged on the Metz line for years. As a pure travel bag that’s fine; as a daily carry for anyone with a laptop, it’s a real limitation.

If you’ll only ever use the bag for flights, this round barely matters and the two are close. If the same bag has to do double duty, the Manhattan wins it outright, and that’s the split that should drive most people’s choice.

Round score: Metz 4/10, Manhattan 8/10. Winner: Manhattan — a padded 13-inch laptop compartment and smart finishes make it a genuine work bag; the Metz has no laptop protection.

The scorecard

Read that honestly and it’s a draw that the Manhattan edges on points. The two split the rounds three apiece; the Manhattan’s margin comes almost entirely from the laptop round, where it wins by four points. If you don’t carry a laptop, the Metz genuinely wins your version of this test — it takes fly-free reliability, fabric durability and price. The higher total here is not automatically the right bag for you.

Who should buy which

If you fly Ryanair or Wizz Air and carry a 13-inch laptop

Buy the Manhattan 24L. The padded rear compartment is the whole reason it exists over the Metz, and at Amazon UK prices you’re paying little or nothing extra for it. It’s the one bag that flies free and doubles as your work carry.

If you want the cheapest free-bag flyer and don’t need a laptop sleeve

Buy the Metz 24L. At £29.95 direct it’s the value pick, the fabric is tougher, and for clothes-and-toiletries weekend travel you lose nothing by skipping the laptop compartment.

If you always pack to the brim and fear the sizer

Lean Metz. Its four external compression straps are a real tool for squeezing the bag back within the 20cm depth at the gate — the Manhattan gives you nothing external to cinch. Neither is immune if you overstuff, so pack to the bag’s natural shape either way.

If the bag also has to look smart off the plane

Buy the Manhattan, in one of the faux-suede finishes. It reads as a city or work bag rather than flight kit, it’s 100g lighter, and the interior is tidier. Just accept the suede is a look-led fabric with less hard-travel history.

If you want maximum durability for years of rough handling

Buy the Metz for its 600D or PU fabric — or, if you prefer the Manhattan, choose one of its plain RPET colours rather than a suede finish, since Cabin Max rates that recycled fabric to the same durability as 600D.

What we’d want to test

Because we haven’t handled either bag, four questions stay open — and they’re the ones a lab or a real trip would answer:

• Whether each bag, packed with a realistic two-night load, still clears a Ryanair or Wizz Air 40×30×20cm sizer at the gate. It’s the question that matters most, and specs can’t settle it.
• How the Manhattan’s faux suede holds up against the Metz’s 600D fabric over dozens of flights — scuffing, marking and colour wear.
• Real strap comfort on the 24L Manhattan specifically under a 7–8kg load. Owner reports are positive but few, and the closest reviewed model, the Stowaway XL, was criticised for exactly this.
• Zip longevity on both over two to three years, since zips are the usual first failure point on soft cabin bags.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Cabin Max Metz or Manhattan better?

The Cabin Max Manhattan 24L is the better all-rounder, mainly because it has a padded compartment for a 13-inch laptop that the Cabin Max Metz 24L lacks, plus tidier internal packing and a 0.5kg weight versus 0.6kg. The Metz wins on price (£29.95 versus £35 direct) and on its tougher 600D fabric. Choose by whether you carry a laptop.

Do the Cabin Max Metz and Manhattan fit Ryanair’s free cabin bag?

Yes. Both measure 40x30x20cm, which is Ryanair’s free under-seat personal bag size since August 2025, as well as the free allowance for Wizz Air, Vueling and Volotea. They also fit inside easyJet’s larger 45x36x20cm free bag. Both are soft-sided, so avoid over-stuffing: a bulging bag can exceed the sizer and trigger a gate fee of around £70.

Does the Cabin Max Metz have a laptop compartment?

No. The Cabin Max Metz 24L has a flat front organiser pocket suitable for a tablet, documents and small items, but no dedicated padded laptop sleeve, a gap noted in independent Metz reviews. If you need protected laptop storage up to 13 inches, the Cabin Max Manhattan 24L includes a padded rear compartment for exactly that.

How much do the Cabin Max Metz and Manhattan cost?

As of 22 July 2026, the Cabin Max Metz 24L is £29.95 direct from Cabin Max (marked down from £35), and the Manhattan 24L is £35. On Amazon UK both often drop to about £28 depending on colour and deal. Prices change often, so check the retailer before buying. ASOS also stocks both at around £34.95.

Will a Cabin Max bag get rejected at the airport gate?

It can, if you over-pack it. Both bags fit 40x30x20cm on paper, but they are soft-sided, and airlines like Ryanair and Wizz Air measure strictly at the gate. One Cabin Max owner reported paying £68 in excess fees at a Wizz Air gate. Packing to the bag’s natural shape, and using the Metz’s compression straps, reduces the risk.

What’s the difference between the Cabin Max Metz and the Manhattan?

Both are 40x30x20cm, 24-litre underseat backpacks, but the Manhattan adds a padded 13-inch laptop sleeve, internal packing ribbons and faux-suede fashion finishes, weighs 0.5kg, and costs £35. The Metz has no laptop sleeve, uses tougher 600D or PU fabric, adds four external compression straps, weighs 0.6kg, and is cheaper at £29.95. The Metz is travel-first; the Manhattan doubles as a work bag.

Is the Cabin Max Metz 20L the same as the 24L?

No. The Metz compared here is the 40x30x20cm bag, which holds 24 litres and fits Ryanair and Wizz Air’s free size. Confusingly, Cabin Max also sells a larger 45x36x20cm “Metz 24L” for easyJet, plus a 40x20x25cm Metz that is the older, narrower Ryanair size often labelled “20L”. They are three different bags, so check the dimensions rather than the litre name before buying.

How we’re funded: The Clash Test can earn a commission from some retailer links. On this comparison we haven’t yet tested either bag in person, so the “check current price” buttons above are plain, unmonetised links straight to the retailer — no affiliate tracking. We’ll only add affiliate links to a face-off once we’ve physically tested the bags, so our testing promise always comes before the payout.