How we test

Why this page exists

Anyone can write “we tested these thoroughly.” It means nothing unless you say what you actually did. This page is our working method, published so you can judge whether our verdicts are worth anything — and so you can tell us when we’ve got it wrong.

If a faceoff on this site ever contradicts what’s written here, this page wins. Tell us and we’ll fix the article.

Step 1 — Choosing the two contenders

A faceoff is only useful if it’s the comparison you’re actually stuck on. We pick pairs where:

• Both products are genuinely plausible buys — no straw men, no obvious loser padded in to make the other look good.
• They’re close enough in price and purpose that the choice is real.
• People are actually torn between them — from search data, forums, and reader requests.

We never pick a pairing because one product pays better commission. If two products earn us different amounts, that fact plays no part in the selection or the result.

Step 2 — Getting hold of both products

We test physical products in hand. No verdict on this site is written from a spec sheet, a press release, or someone else’s review.

Each product is one of three things, and we say which in every article:

• Bought. We paid for it, at retail, like you would. This is our default.
• Borrowed. Owned by us, a friend, or family — used and tested the same way.
• Supplied. Sent free by a brand or retailer. If this happens, we label it clearly at the top of the article. It buys coverage, never a verdict, and the product is tested to exactly the same protocol — and returned or disclosed as kept.

Step 3 — The tests

Both products face identical tests, in the same conditions, back to back. Whatever we do to one, we do to the other.

For cabin bags, that means:

Round 1 — Does it actually fit?
We measure each bag packed, not empty, at its widest point — including handles, wheels, and any bulge. This is the single most common way reviews mislead people: a soft bag that measures 40×30×20 cm empty can measure well over that once it’s full, and the bag gauge at the gate doesn’t care what the label said. We then test it in a sizer at each airline’s stated free-bag dimensions:

• Ryanair — free underseat bag: 40×30×20 cm
• easyJet — free underseat bag: 45×36×20 cm
• Wizz Air — free underseat bag: 40×30×20 cm
• Jet2 — free personal item: 40×30×20 cm (plus a full cabin bag)

A bag that clears 40×30×20 cm packed is safe on all four. That’s the bar we hold every bag to, and we report the packed measurement, not the marketing one.

Round 2 — How much does it hold?
Capacity claims in litres are close to meaningless across different shapes. So we pack every bag with the same standard load and report what actually goes in:

• StandardPacking List : 7 T Shirts, 7 Shorts, 3 pairs of shoes & 7 sets of underwear and Socks, along with 1 wash bag

Then we note what else fitted, or what had to come out.

Round 3 — Weight
We weigh each bag empty on a digital luggage scale, because every gram of bag is a gram of your allowance. On airlines with a weight limit, we also check the packed bag against it.

Round 4 — Carrying it
Straps, handles, balance, and how it feels loaded on a real walk through an airport rather than lifted across a room.

Round 5 — Living with it
Access, pockets, whether you can get your laptop and liquids out at security without unpacking the lot, and how the build holds up.

Step 4 — How we score

Each round is scored out of 10 for both products, and we publish every score — not just the total. If a round is a tie, we say so.

Rounds aren’t weighted equally, because they don’t matter equally. For cabin bags, fitting the sizer matters more than pocket layout — a beautiful bag that gets stopped at the gate has failed at the only job that counts. We state the weighting in each article so you can disagree with it and still use our numbers.

Step 5 — The verdict

Every faceoff ends with one named winner. Not “it depends,” not a tie.

But we always add the two lines that actually help you decide:

• Choose the winner if… — who it’s right for.
• Choose the loser if… — because the loser is often the better buy for someone. Losing a faceoff doesn’t mean it’s a bad product.

Where a result is close, we say it’s close. Where we’re not confident, we say that too. A verdict we’ve dressed up as more certain than it is would be worth nothing to you.

What we don’t do

• We don’t review products we haven’t handled.
• We don’t let commission influence a pick, a score, or a winner.
• We don’t accept payment for a favourable verdict. Ever, at any price.
• We don’t republish manufacturer claims as findings. If we’re quoting a spec rather than measuring it, we say so.
• We don’t quietly delete mistakes.

Keeping it current

Every article shows when it was last updated. This matters more in our launch category than most: airline baggage rules change, and they change without much notice — Ryanair’s free bag allowance changed in 2025, and an EU minimum size rule is due from 2027.

We re-check the airline rules in our articles every six months, and whenever an airline announces a change against the airlines’ own official pages, and update the date when we do. We link to the airline’s page so you can verify it yourself.

Airlines are the final authority on their own policies. Always confirm the current rules with your airline before you fly — we’re here to help you choose a bag, not to override the carrier you booked with.

Corrections

We will get things wrong. When we do, we fix the article and note what changed at the bottom of it, rather than editing quietly and pretending otherwise.

Found an error, an out-of-date figure, or a result you think is wrong? Tell us — corrections from readers who’ve actually flown with these bags are some of the most useful feedback we get.

Who does the testing

Every test on this site is carried out by myself or my wife

More about The Clash Test →