Cabin Max Metz vs Narwey: which cabin bag wins
Last updated: 28 July 2026
This review contains affiliate links, including Amazon. If you buy through them we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you — it never changes our verdict.
The Cabin Max Metz 24L wins on points, but the Narwey Foldable Cabin Bag makes it close. The £30 Metz is a structured, warrantied backpack that’s comfier and tougher; the £13 Narwey is a third of the price, weighs about 300g and folds flat. Buy the Metz to fly often; buy the Narwey for occasional trips or a packable spare.
Key takeaways
- Both fit Ryanair’s free 40×30×20cm under-seat allowance (in place since August 2025); the Narwey’s smaller 40×20×25cm, 20-litre footprint leaves more margin at a strict gate, while the Metz fills the limit at 24 litres.
- The Narwey weighs about 300g and folds into its own pouch; the Cabin Max Metz 24L weighs 600g, holds its shape, but doesn’t pack flat.
- Price gap: the Narwey sells for roughly £10–£17 on Amazon UK — often under £10 on deal, and it’s Amazon’s number-one bestselling luggage item — versus £29.95 for the Metz direct.
- The Metz is a structured backpack with padded straps and four compression straps; the Narwey’s bestseller is a foldable duffel with a single shoulder strap owners find uncomfortable when it’s packed full.
- Amazon UK ratings: the Metz sits at 4.6/5 from about 1,400 ratings (checked 28 July 2026); the Narwey was rated 4.3/5 with more than 5,000 five-star reviews when regional press covered it in January 2024.
- Warranty gap: the Metz carries a 3-year Cabin Max warranty with UK customer service (4/5 on Trustpilot); the Narwey has no published warranty beyond Amazon’s standard returns.
At a glance
Product A
Cabin Max Metz 24L
The structured pick. A 40×30×20cm backpack in tough 600D fabric, with padded straps, four compression straps, a front organiser and a 3-year warranty. Heavier and pricier, but built for regular flying.
Best for: people who fly often and want a comfortable, durable backpack that lasts.
Price band: about £28–£35 (checked 28 July 2026); £29.95 direct from Cabin Max.
Amazon UK: 4.6/5 from about 1,400 ratings (checked 28 July 2026).
Product B
Narwey Foldable Cabin Bag 20L
The budget pick. A soft, water-resistant 40×20×25cm bag that weighs about 300g and folds into its own pouch. A single shoulder strap, inner zip pocket and two mesh pockets. No laptop sleeve, no warranty.
Best for: occasional trips, tight budgets, or a packable spare that lives in your case.
Price band: about £10–£17 (checked 28 July 2026); often under £10 on deal.
Amazon UK: 4.3/5, 5,000+ five-star reviews (regional press, Jan 2024); Amazon’s #1 bestselling luggage item.
How we compared these two
This is a research-led comparison, and it’s worth being clear what that means: we have not physically handled either bag. There’s no packing test here and no walk through a terminal. Everything below comes from evidence you can check.
That evidence is Cabin Max’s and Narwey’s own specifications; both bags’ Amazon UK listings (about 1,400 ratings for the Metz, several thousand for the Narwey); Cabin Max’s roughly 2,800 Trustpilot reviews; UK regional-press coverage of the Narwey; and a spread of owner reviews on Amazon and the brands’ own sites. Prices and ratings were checked on 28 July 2026.
Two honest limits. Narwey is an Amazon-first brand that sells dozens of near-identical bags under model codes like T3201 and NW3302, with no Trustpilot presence and no independent lab tests, so its evidence base is Amazon reviews and press rather than hands-on gear testing — we flag where that thins the picture. And the two bags aren’t the same shape: the Metz is a structured 40×30×20cm backpack, the Narwey a soft, foldable 40×20×25cm bag. That difference is much of the story, so we’ve scored each round on what actually matters to a buyer rather than pretending they’re identical.
Cabin Max Metz vs Narwey: the specs side by side
| Spec | Cabin Max Metz 24L | Narwey Foldable Cabin Bag 20L |
|---|---|---|
| External dimensions | 40×30×20cm | 40×20×25cm (listed as 40×19×25cm) |
| Stated capacity | 24 litres | 20 litres |
| Weight | 0.6kg | about 0.25kg (Narwey lists its foldables at ~200–280g) |
| Form factor | Structured backpack | Soft foldable duffel (folds into own pouch); also sold as a 2-strap backpack |
| Main fabric | 600D polyester or PU (RPET on recycled colours) | Water-resistant “nylon-like” polyester |
| Carry | Padded backpack straps + trolley strap + bottle holder | Single removable shoulder strap + grab handle + suitcase sleeve |
| Padded laptop compartment | No (front organiser) | No |
| Internal organisation | Front organiser pocket; largely unimpeded main | Inner full-zip pocket + two mesh pockets; external pocket |
| Compression straps | Yes (4 external) | No |
| Folds flat | No | Yes (into its own pouch) |
| Zips | Padlockable double zips | Double metal zips (not lockable) |
| Warranty & support | 3-year warranty; UK customer service | None published (Amazon returns only) |
| Price (28 Jul 2026) | £29.95 direct; ~£28 Amazon UK | ~£10–£17 Amazon UK (often under £10 on deal) |
| Amazon UK rating (28 Jul 2026) | 4.6/5 (~1,400) | 4.3/5, 5,000+ five-star (regional press, Jan 2024) |
A note on the Narwey: it isn’t one product but a family of near-identical foldable bags in several sizes (40×20×25cm and 40×30×20cm both exist at 20 litres) and many colours, under codes like T3201 and NW3302. The bag compared here is the 40×20×25cm 20-litre bestseller. Check the exact size and whether a shoulder strap is included, as it varies by model.
The Clash Test: round by round
Round 1 — Does it actually fly free?
The question that sells every bag in this category: will it get past the gate without a fee? Both do. The Cabin Max Metz 24L is 40×30×20cm, which since August 2025 is Ryanair’s maximum free personal-bag size, and it’s also the free allowance on Wizz Air, Vueling and Volotea. The Narwey is 40×20×25cm — smaller, so it sits comfortably inside that same limit with room to spare.
That margin is the Narwey’s edge here. Because it’s below the maximum, a strict gate agent has less to argue with, and Narwey’s own listing leans into the compliance angle hard. The trade-off is that the smaller footprint holds less. The Metz uses every centimetre of the allowance, which means more space, but a stuffed 40×30×20cm bag is closer to the edge if it bulges — though its four external compression straps let you pull it back to a rectangular, sizer-friendly shape.
Both are soft-sided, so both can be defeated by over-packing, and Ryanair gate fees reach £70–75 in 2026. But for pure peace of mind at the sizer, the smaller Narwey is the safer bet.
Round score: Metz 7/10, Narwey 8/10. Winner: Narwey — its smaller 40×20×25cm size sits inside Ryanair’s free limit with margin to spare, where the Metz fills it exactly.
Round 2 — Carrying it through the airport
This is where the two bags separate. The Metz is a proper backpack: padded shoulder straps, a padded back panel, the load spread across both shoulders. It’s not the plushest bag going, but for a walk to a distant gate it does the basic job a rucksack should.
The Narwey’s bestseller is a foldable duffel with a single, removable shoulder strap, and that’s its weak point. More than one owner has described the strap as genuinely uncomfortable once the bag is packed for a long airport walk — one recounted resorting to a courtesy buggy and wishing they’d brought a backpack instead. A structureless bag on one shoulder pulls and digs in a way a two-strap pack doesn’t. Narwey does sell a separate version with two padded backpack straps, which helps, but the bag most people buy is the single-strap one.
Round score: Metz 8/10, Narwey 4/10. Winner: Metz — a padded two-strap backpack beats a single-shoulder duffel that owners flag as uncomfortable when packed full.
Round 3 — Space and what actually fits
The Metz holds 24 litres in a 40×30×20cm box shape, and that squared-off volume is easy to pack — it swallows a few days’ clothes and keeps its form. The Narwey holds 20 litres in a narrower 40×20×25cm shape. That’s still enough for a short trip: owners report packing clothes, toiletries and shoes for two or three days.
The tell is that Narwey itself warns on the listing that 20 litres is the ceiling for a personal item and that larger needs may not be met — a rare bit of honesty from a product description. The Metz’s extra four litres and boxier shape give it the edge for anyone who packs to the limit or carries bulkier kit.
Round score: Metz 8/10, Narwey 6/10. Winner: Metz — 24 litres in a boxy 40×30×20cm shell beats the Narwey’s narrower 20 litres, which Narwey itself flags as tight.
Round 4 — Weight and packing away
Now the Narwey gets its own back, and decisively. It weighs about 300g and folds down into its own pouch, so it disappears into a suitcase or lives in a drawer between trips. That makes it brilliant as a second bag, a return-leg bag for souvenirs, or a just-in-case bag that costs you almost nothing to carry.
The Metz weighs 600g — double the Narwey — and, being a structured backpack, it doesn’t collapse flat. That structure is exactly what makes it comfier and roomier, so this isn’t a flaw so much as the other side of the same coin. But if your priority is a bag that packs to nothing and barely registers against an airline’s 10kg cabin weight limit, the Narwey is in a different league.
Round score: Metz 5/10, Narwey 9/10. Winner: Narwey — about 300g and folds into its own pouch, where the 600g Metz stays full-size.
Round 5 — Durability, zips and warranty
The Metz is built from 600D polyester or a PU-coated fabric — proven, hard-wearing luggage material — with padlockable double zips and Cabin Max’s 3-year manufacturing-fault warranty behind it. Cabin Max also runs UK customer service and holds a 4 out of 5 TrustScore across about 2,800 Trustpilot reviews, where the recurring service theme is quick replies and warranty claims honoured.
The Narwey uses a water-resistant, nylon-like polyester with double metal zips, and owner verdicts split: many call it well made for the money, while others say it feels cheap or that the fabric is thinner than expected. That’s the honest range for a bag at this price. The bigger gap is the safety net: Narwey publishes no warranty and has no Trustpilot presence, so if something fails you’re relying on Amazon’s standard returns rather than a stated guarantee or a brand to email.
Round score: Metz 8/10, Narwey 5/10. Winner: Metz — tougher fabric, lockable zips and a 3-year warranty beat a bag with mixed durability reports and no published guarantee.
Round 6 — Price and value
No contest on the headline number. The Narwey sells for roughly £10–£17 on Amazon UK, dips under £10 on deal, and is the site’s number-one bestselling luggage item. The Cabin Max Metz is £29.95 direct and about £28 on Amazon — a third to a half more, or put another way, you could buy two or three Narweys for one Metz.
Value isn’t only price, though. The Metz gives you more bag: comfort, structure, durability and a warranty that a sub-£15 bag can’t match. But if the job is simply “get me and a few days’ clothes onto a Ryanair flight for free, as cheaply as possible,” the Narwey does it for the price of a couple of coffees, and that’s hard to argue with.
Round score: Metz 6/10, Narwey 9/10. Winner: Narwey — a third to a half of the Metz’s price, and Amazon UK’s best-selling luggage item.
Round 7 — Which one’s right for how you fly
The deciding question isn’t which bag is “better” in the abstract — it’s how often you fly and what you want the bag to do. Buy several flights a year, walk long terminals, pack close to the limit, and want something that lasts and is backed by a warranty? The Metz is the more complete bag, and its wins in comfort, space and durability are the ones you’ll feel every trip.
Fly once or twice a year, watch every pound, or just want a featherweight bag that folds away and covers the odd Ryanair hop? The Narwey is genuinely the smarter buy, and spending three times as much on a Metz would be money wasted. It’s also the better spare: many people own a proper backpack and a folded Narwey for overflow.
Round score: Metz 8/10, Narwey 6/10. Winner: Metz — the more complete bag for a regular flyer, though the Narwey is the right call for occasional trips and as a packable spare.
The scorecard
| Round | Metz 24L | Narwey 20L | Round winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Does it actually fly free? | 7 | 8 | Narwey |
| 2. Carrying it through the airport | 8 | 4 | Metz |
| 3. Space and what actually fits | 8 | 6 | Metz |
| 4. Weight and packing away | 5 | 9 | Narwey |
| 5. Durability, zips and warranty | 8 | 5 | Metz |
| 6. Price and value | 6 | 9 | Narwey |
| 7. Which one’s right for how you fly | 8 | 6 | Metz |
| Total | 50 | 47 | Metz |
The Metz takes it 50–47, winning four rounds to three. But look at where each one wins: the Metz on comfort, space and durability; the Narwey on gate margin, weight and — by a mile — price. This isn’t a case of one bag being good and the other bad. It’s a structured £30 backpack against a £13 bag that folds into your pocket, and the right answer depends entirely on how you travel. The higher total is not automatically the bag for you.
Who should buy which
If you fly Ryanair a few times a year on the tightest budget
Buy the Narwey. It clears the gate, holds a few days’ clothes, and costs about £13 — often under £10. For occasional short-haul, spending £30 on a Metz is more bag than you need.
If you fly often and walk long terminals
Buy the Cabin Max Metz 24L. A padded two-strap backpack is far kinder over distance than a single-shoulder duffel, and the comfort gap is the thing you’ll notice on every trip.
If you want a packable spare or a return-leg bag
Buy the Narwey. At about 300g, folding into its own pouch, it’s the ideal just-in-case bag to keep in your case for overflow or souvenirs — a job the rigid Metz can’t do.
If you want durability and a warranty
Buy the Metz. Its tougher 600D fabric, lockable zips and 3-year warranty with UK service are worth the premium if the bag has to survive years of regular use.
If you pack heavy or carry it far
Buy the Metz. The structured shape and back support handle a full load better than a soft bag on one shoulder, which owners find awkward once it’s stuffed.
What we’d want to test
Because we haven’t handled either bag, four questions stay open — the ones only a trip or a bench test would answer:
- Whether each bag, packed with a realistic two-night load, still clears a Ryanair or Wizz Air sizer at the gate.
- How the Narwey’s lightweight fabric and zips hold up over dozens of trips, since durability reports are split and there’s no warranty to fall back on.
- Real carrying comfort of each under a 7–8kg load — the Metz’s back panel versus the Narwey’s single strap, and how much the Narwey’s two-strap backpack version closes the gap.
- Whether the Narwey’s 20 litres genuinely takes a three-day pack for an average traveller, or only for a light one.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Cabin Max Metz or Narwey better?
The Cabin Max Metz 24L is the better bag overall, winning on comfort, durability and its 3-year warranty. It’s a structured backpack with padded straps, where the Narwey is a foldable duffel with a single shoulder strap owners find less comfortable when packed. But the Narwey wins on price and weight: about £10 to £17 versus £29.95, roughly 300g, and it folds into its own pouch.
Is the Narwey cabin bag any good?
Yes, for the money. The Narwey foldable cabin bag is Amazon UK’s number-one bestselling luggage item and was rated 4.3 out of 5 with more than 5,000 five-star reviews when regional press covered it in January 2024. Owners praise the price, the light 300g weight and that it folds flat. The main complaint is that the single shoulder strap gets uncomfortable when the bag is packed full.
Does the Narwey bag fit Ryanair’s free cabin bag allowance?
Yes. The Narwey measures 40x20x25cm, which sits inside Ryanair’s free under-seat personal-bag limit of 40x30x20cm (in place since August 2025) and also meets Wizz Air’s free size. Because it’s smaller than the maximum, it leaves margin at a strict gate. It’s soft-sided, so avoid over-stuffing, but its size makes a gate fee of around £70 unlikely.
How much do the Narwey cabin bag and Cabin Max Metz cost?
As of 28 July 2026, the Narwey foldable cabin bag sells for roughly £10 to £17 on Amazon UK depending on size and colour, and is often under £10 on deal. The Cabin Max Metz 24L is £29.95 direct from Cabin Max and about £28 on Amazon UK. So the Narwey is a third to a half of the Metz’s price. Prices change often, so check before buying.
Is the Narwey bag big enough for a trip?
For a short trip, yes. The Narwey holds 20 litres, and owners report fitting clothes, toiletries and shoes for a two or three-day trip. Narwey itself notes on the listing that 20 litres is the maximum personal-item size and larger needs may not be met. The Cabin Max Metz holds more at 24 litres in a 40x30x20cm shape, so it’s the roomier choice for bulkier packing.
What’s the difference between the Cabin Max Metz and the Narwey?
The Cabin Max Metz 24L is a structured 40x30x20cm backpack in tough 600D fabric, with padded straps, four compression straps and a 3-year warranty, for about £30. The Narwey is a soft, foldable 40x20x25cm 20-litre bag in water-resistant polyester, with a single shoulder strap and no published warranty, for about £13. The Metz is comfier and tougher; the Narwey is far cheaper, lighter and packs flat.
Does the Narwey cabin bag have a warranty?
No published warranty. The Narwey is an Amazon-first brand, so you’re covered by Amazon’s standard returns rather than a stated guarantee, and it has no Trustpilot presence. The Cabin Max Metz, by contrast, comes with a 3-year manufacturing-fault warranty and UK-based customer service, and Cabin Max holds a 4 out of 5 TrustScore from about 2,800 Trustpilot reviews.
Sources
All links checked 28 July 2026. Editorial sources, not affiliate links.
- Cabin Max — Metz 24L (40x30x20cm) product page: cabinmax.com (specs, weight, fabric, £29.95 price, 3-year warranty).
- Narwey — foldable cabin bag Amazon UK listing (40x20x25cm, 20L): amazon.co.uk (dimensions, fold-away pouch, materials, owner reviews).
- Narwey — brand product pages: narwey.com (foldable weights ~200–280g, shoulder-strap variants, fabric claims).
- Bedfordshire Live — £13 Narwey bestseller coverage: bedfordshirelive.co.uk (4.3/5, 5,000+ five-star reviews, £12.99, January 2024).
- NationalWorld — Narwey now Amazon’s #1 bestselling luggage item: nationalworld.com (under £10 on deal; 40x20x25cm; April 2026).
- Cabin Max on Trustpilot: uk.trustpilot.com (4/5 TrustScore, ~2,800 reviews; service and warranty themes).
- Cabin Max — airline size guidance: cabinmax.com (Ryanair free 40x30x20cm, fees up to £75).
- Between England & Everywhere — Cabin Max Metz review: betweenenglandandiowa.com (Metz structure, compression straps, comfort).
How we’re funded: The Clash Test uses affiliate links, including Amazon ones. If you buy through a “check price” button, we may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects our verdict, our scores, or which bag wins — as this comparison makes plain, we call the Metz and the Narwey as we see them. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
One Comment