Is 23kg Of Luggage A Lot? - Our Guide To Packing Your Suitcase

Nowadays if you decide to travel economy on your flight, whether with British Airways or Delta Airlines, you might be sad to learn that their luggage allowance is pretty limited. 

If you only get a 23kg luggage allowance for your suitcase, this typically means that you would only be able to carry your basic clothes, travel-sized toiletries and maybe a few personal items in the bag, a 23kg suitcase will typically have dimensions of 56cm x 45cm x 25cm.

So as you can learn more about what the contents of a 23kg suitcase typically look like, common airlines which stick by the 23kg allowance rule and what type of 23kg suitcase you should be looking for, we have put together a short guide below. 

Which Airline Use The 23kg Luggage Allowance? 

First of all, before we get into all the details about what to pack in your 23kg of luggage, let's discuss which airlines typically use this allowance. 

For medium and short-haul flights the 23kg allowance is very popular, and well-known airlines which we will list below tend to follow this rule.

• Air Canada. 
• American airlines. 
• British airways. 
• Etihad. 
• Delta airways. 
• Icelandair. 

It should be noted however that these weight restrictions might change according to the class you fly in, your final destination and how long your flight is.

What Size Should a 23kg Suitcase Be? 

Typically, when looking for a suitcase to hold 23kg it should have general dimensions of - 56cm x 45cm x 25cm or 22″ x 17.7″ x 9.8″. 

Dimensions of your suitcase are important so as your suitcase will not tear or break under too much weight, stuffing a suitcase full which is too small can even lead to it getting damaged during transit.

What Do The Contents Of a 23kg Suitcase Look Like? 

It is hard to determine exactly how a 23kg suitcase might look like from the inside, as what people pack varies from person to person and the kind of trip you are taking, but we have listed the idea of a general content so as you can potentially see how you can bring on your trip. 

• Two shirts. 
• Ten tops. 
• A sweater. 
• Pair of shorts. 
• Three jeans. 
• Two dresses. 
• Some travel-sized toiletries. 
• Two pairs of shoes. 
• Travel adapters. 
• Notebook. 
• Personal items. 

This will all vary however according to the weight of each item you pack.

What To Look For In The Best 23kg Luggage 

If you are trying to look for the most durable and reliable suitcase to pack your 23kg worth of luggage into then we have a couple of tips for helping you find the best types of suitcases on the market below. 

• Material - The material of your suitcase needs to be heavy-duty and hard-wearing so as it will survive multiple trips, a great material to look out for is ABS hard-shell material.
• Organisation - Multiple pockets, zips and dividers are all useful to have in your suitcase so as you can separate contents inside and keep everything more organised.
• Security - It's a good idea to check the locking mechanism your suitcase comes with, some suitcases have TSA approved code locking systems that can only be opened by airport security if need be.
• Wheels - Four wheels are great for moving your suitcase along pushing/pulling and two wheels are better for pulling, the choice is yours.
• Recognisable - We are not saying go for a neon green suitcase, but something to make it more recognisable could be great, if you buy a plain black suitcase then ensure you wrap it with some ribbon or an item to make it more identifiable.

How To Avoid Over Packing Your Luggage 

There is nothing worse when you are at check-in, only to get your luggage weighed and find you are a couple of kilos over the allowance, meaning you have to unzip your luggage in front of a queue of strangers and find where to put the excess.

We have listed a few of our best tips below to help you avoid overpacking your suitcase and abide by the 23kg allowance. 

• Don't go into survival mode - When we go on holiday, some of us get a little anxious and start thinking we need items that we typically don't even use at home, this could be from different medicines to a pair of shoes we will never wear because we think 'what if'.
• Consider the destination - Pack right for your destination, if you are going somewhere hot, just pack lightweight clothes and leave the sweater at home, vice versa for colder destinations.
• Get a weighing scale - So as you can avoid awkward conversation at the airport, it's even smarter to just have your luggage scale at home so as you can know what's what.
• Leave some room - It is highly likely you will want to bring back a few items from your trip, so leave a couple of kilos of space just in case.

Final Words 

Overall, a 23kg suitcase is enough for a good week or two trips depending on how you pack, ensure that it looks durable and is secure while making sure it is big enough to support the weight of the 23kg contents that you will pack inside. 

Always check in advance with the airline about your luggage limit before packing as you might be able to pay an excess or bump up your class for more allowance and avoid overpacking by bringing what you need and purchasing your weighing scale beforehand!