Last Updated on November 4, 2026 by Daniel Globe
Southwest still gives every passenger one free carry-on and one free personal item, even on Basic fares. The hard part is not the size limit; it is knowing what you can pack inside. This guide covers Southwest’s bag size rules plus the items people most often ask about, from razors and face creams to skateboards, hiking poles and power banks.
Southwest sets the bag allowance and some item rules (such as its 2026 power-bank limit), while the TSA decides what passes the security checkpoint. Both are covered here, with current figures as of November 2026.
Quick Answer
Southwest allows one free carry-on up to 24 x 16 x 10 inches, wheels and handles included, plus one personal item that fits under the seat. Liquids and creams must be 3.4 oz or less in one quart-size bag. Disposable razors are allowed; loose blades, most knives and tools over 7 inches are not. Each passenger may carry only one power bank.
Key Takeaways
- Carry-on maximum: 24 x 16 x 10 inches, including wheels, handles and attachments. Southwest publishes no carry-on weight limit.
- Personal item: a purse, laptop bag, backpack or similar that fits under the seat; Southwest lists no separate numeric size.
- Since April 20, 2026, each passenger may bring one power bank of up to 100 Wh, stored under the seat, not in the overhead bin.
- Creams, gels and liquids follow TSA’s 3.4 oz (100 ml) quart-bag rule; disposable and electric razors are fine.
- Skateboards can ride in the cabin if they fit; blunt-tipped hiking poles pass TSA screening but still need to fit your allowance.
Southwest Carry-On Size Limits and Allowance
Southwest’s policy is short: you may bring one carry-on bag and one personal item onboard. Your carry-on goes in the overhead bin and cannot exceed 24 inches long, 16 inches wide and 10 inches high. Wheels, handles and any attachments count toward those dimensions, so measure your bag after packing it, when pockets bulge.
| Item | Southwest rule | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Carry-on bag | One bag up to 24 x 16 x 10 in (about 61 x 41 x 25 cm), including wheels, handles and attachments | Overhead bin |
| Personal item | One smaller item, such as a purse, briefcase, laptop case, backpack, blanket or small camera; no published numeric size | Under the seat in front of you |
| Neck pillow | Does not count toward the carry-on limit | With you |
| Weight | No published carry-on weight limit; you must be able to stow it safely | – |
| Cost | Free on every fare, including Basic | – |
If your bag is too large, or you bring more than one carry-on or personal item, Southwest asks you to check the extra item at the ticket counter before heading to the gate. A pet carrier counts as either your carry-on or your personal item, and an FAA-approved car seat used onboard for a ticketed child does not count toward the limit.
Personal Item Rules
Southwest describes the personal item by examples rather than measurements: a purse (including crossbody bags), briefcase, laptop case, backpack, pillow, blanket or small camera. It must fit under the seat in front of you. Because under-seat space varies by row and aircraft, a soft-sided bag that can flex is the safest choice. Pack anything you will need during the flight, including medication, documents, chargers and valuables, in this bag in case your larger bag has to be gate-checked.
Our dedicated guide to the Southwest personal item and carry-on limit covers edge cases such as instruments and extra items in more detail.
Liquids, Creams and Razors in a Southwest Carry-On
The single most common question is whether Southwest allows razors and creams in carry-on luggage. Yes, with limits set by the TSA. Liquids, aerosols, gels, creams and pastes must be in travel-size containers of 3.4 ounces (100 milliliters) or less, all packed in one quart-size bag per passenger. Anything larger goes in a checked bag.
| Item | In your Southwest carry-on? | Key rule |
|---|---|---|
| Creams, lotions, gels, toothpaste, shampoo | Yes, 3.4 oz (100 ml) or less per container | All containers must fit in one quart-size bag; larger sizes go in checked bags |
| Aerosols (deodorant, hairspray) | Yes, 3.4 oz or less | Part of the same quart-size bag |
| Disposable razors and cartridge razors | Yes | Allowed in carry-on and checked bags |
| Electric razors | Yes | Allowed in carry-on and checked bags |
| Safety razor | Only with the blade removed | Loose blades must go in checked bags |
| Loose razor blades, box cutters | No | Pack in checked bags, sheathed or wrapped |
| Scissors | Yes if blades are under 4 in from the pivot | Longer scissors go in checked bags |
| Powders over 12 oz (350 ml) | Yes, but screened separately | May need extra screening; TSA suggests checking non-essential large powders |
| Medications, including liquid | Yes | Exempt from the 3.4 oz limit; tell the TSA officer |
| Baby formula, breast milk, child nourishment | Yes | Exempt from the 3.4 oz limit |
Duty-free liquids over 3.4 ounces can be carried on when you arrive in the United States from abroad and connect, if they are in a sealed, tamper-evident bag with a receipt from within 48 hours. Any liquid that alarms during screening needs extra screening, and the TSA officer makes the final call.
What Is Not Allowed in a Southwest Carry-On
Southwest points travelers to the TSA’s prohibited-items list. These are the items that most often get people stopped at the checkpoint:
| Item | Carry-on | Checked bag |
|---|---|---|
| Knives (except plastic or round-bladed butter knives) | No | Yes, sheathed or wrapped |
| Tools longer than 7 in (such as screwdrivers) | No | Yes |
| Multi-tools with any knife blade | No | Yes |
| Axes and hatchets | No | Yes |
| Ski poles | No | Yes |
| Sharp-tipped hiking poles | No | Yes |
| Torch lighters, lighter fluid, strike-anywhere matches | No | No |
| Spare lithium batteries and power banks | Yes (Southwest limits) | No |
| E-cigarettes and vapes (max two per passenger) | Yes | No |
| Firearms | No | Only unloaded, declared and locked in a hard-sided case |
Southwest also bans butane or propane torch lighters, lighter fluid and fire starters from both carry-on and checked bags, while allowing one common lighter or one book of safety matches on your person or in your carry-on.
Warning: Bringing a prohibited item to the checkpoint can mean losing it, missing your flight or facing a civil penalty. If you are unsure about an item, check the TSA’s What Can I Bring? tool before you pack.
Power Banks, Batteries and Electronics
Southwest tightened its battery rules on April 20, 2026. Each customer may carry one power bank or portable charger, and it must:
- travel in the cabin, never in checked luggage
- be 100 watt-hours or less
- stay out of the overhead bin, ideally in your personal item under the seat (remove the battery from a smart bag before putting it in a bin)
- not be charged from the aircraft’s in-seat power
- be visible, not inside a bag, while you are using it
You may also carry up to 20 spare batteries for cameras, drones and other devices, with terminals protected, in your carry-on or on your person. E-cigarettes and vapes are carry-on only, with a maximum of two per passenger, and cannot be used or charged onboard.
Skateboards, Hiking Poles, Instruments and Other Special Items
Skateboards
The TSA allows skateboards in carry-on bags, and Southwest’s policy says a skateboard that fits under the seat does not need a bag or cover but must be stowed wheels-up. In an overhead bin it must also go wheels-up. Only manual, non-motorized skateboards and scooters are accepted as checked baggage, with standard bag fees but no oversize fee. Count the board as one of your two cabin items.
Hiking and trekking poles
TSA allows blunt-tipped hiking poles in carry-on bags but not sharp-tipped poles, and ski poles are not allowed in the cabin at all. Southwest does not publish a separate hiking-pole rule, so collapse the poles, cap the tips and pack them inside your carry-on so they fit the size limit. International rules differ by country and airline; our hiking poles on planes guide covers TSA and foreign rules.
Musical instruments
Under U.S. Department of Transportation rules, you can bring a small instrument such as a violin or guitar into the cabin as your carry-on if stowage space is available when you board, on a first-come, first-served basis. Larger instruments can fly in a purchased seat if cased and within weight limits. If checked, Southwest waives the oversize fee for instruments up to 150 linear inches.
Medication, strollers and car seats
Keep medication in your carry-on or personal item. Medication needed for a disability does not count toward bag limits if packed separately, and needles or syringes are allowed with the medication they go with. Southwest aircraft cannot refrigerate medication. Each ticketed customer traveling with a child can check one stroller and one car seat free.
Boarding, Bin Space and Gate-Checked Bags
Since January 27, 2026, all Southwest flights use assigned seats and boarding groups 1 through 8. Your group affects how early you reach the overhead bins, not where you sit. Basic fares board in Group 8, so a full-size roller is more likely to be gate-checked on a full flight. Priority Boarding ($10 to $75 per segment, sold from 24 hours before departure) is the paid way to board first. Our Southwest assigned seating guide explains how fares, seats and groups fit together.
If your bag is gate-checked, remove power banks, spare batteries, e-cigarettes, medication, passports, keys and valuables before you hand it over.
What It Costs If Your Bag Must Be Checked
Carry-on bags are free, but an oversized or extra bag becomes a checked bag. Southwest’s current U.S. mainland prices are $45 for the first checked bag and $55 for the second on Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred fares. Choice Extra fares and A-List Preferred Members get two free checked bags; A-List Members and primary Rapid Rewards Credit Cardmembers get the first bag free. Bags weighing 51 to 70 pounds add $100, 71 to 100 pounds add $200, and oversized bags of 63 to 80 inches add $200.
Do the Rules Change by Airport or Route?
No. Southwest’s carry-on allowance is the same at every airport it serves, whether you fly from Long Beach, Chicago or Orlando, and TSA screening rules are national. Two exceptions matter: partner-airline itineraries may follow the partner’s bag rules, and security screening outside the United States follows the rules of the country you depart from, which can differ for liquids and sharp items. If you also fly other carriers, compare our look at how strict American Airlines is about carry-on size.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Southwest allow razors and creams in carry-on luggage?
Yes. Disposable, cartridge and electric razors are allowed in carry-on bags. Safety razors are allowed only without the blade, and loose razor blades must go in checked bags. Creams, lotions and gels must be in containers of 3.4 ounces (100 ml) or less inside one quart-size bag. Larger tubes and bottles belong in your checked luggage.
What is not allowed in a Southwest carry-on?
Knives other than plastic or round-bladed butter knives, tools longer than 7 inches, multi-tools with blades, loose razor blades, scissors over 4 inches, ski poles, sharp-tipped hiking poles, firearms and liquids over 3.4 ounces are not allowed. Southwest also limits passengers to one power bank of 100 Wh or less and bans torch lighters from all bags.
Can I bring a skateboard as a carry-on on Southwest?
Yes. TSA allows skateboards in carry-on bags, and Southwest says a skateboard that fits under the seat can travel without a bag but must be stowed wheels-up, also in the overhead bin. It counts as one of your cabin items. Only non-motorized skateboards and scooters are accepted as checked bags, with standard fees and no oversize charge.
What are Southwest’s packing guidelines?
Pack one carry-on no larger than 24 x 16 x 10 inches including wheels, and one personal item that fits under the seat. Put liquids of 3.4 ounces or less in a quart bag, keep one power bank and all spare batteries in the cabin, and pack medication, documents and valuables in your personal item in case the larger bag is gate-checked.
Are hiking poles allowed in carry-on bags, including internationally?
In the U.S., TSA allows blunt-tipped hiking poles in carry-on bags but not sharp-tipped ones, and officers make the final decision. Southwest has no separate pole rule, so collapse them and fit them in your bag. Other countries and airlines set their own rules, and some do not allow poles in the cabin, so check before an international trip.
Does Southwest include a carry-on bag in every fare?
Yes. Every Southwest fare, including Basic, includes one carry-on bag and one personal item at no charge. Checked bags are where fares differ: Basic, Choice and Choice Preferred pay $45 for the first bag and $55 for the second on U.S. mainland flights, while Choice Extra includes two free checked bags.
Are Southwest carry-on rules different at Long Beach or other airports?
No. The same Southwest carry-on allowance and the same TSA screening rules apply at Long Beach and every other U.S. airport. What can differ is the time you need: security lines and bag-drop times vary by airport, and Southwest’s checked-bag deadline is 45 minutes before domestic departures. Partner-airline and international itineraries can follow different rules.
Sources
- Southwest Airlines – Carryon and Personal Item Policy – Carry-on size, personal item examples, extra items and pet carriers.
- Southwest Airlines – Lithium Batteries, Chargers, E-Cigs and Lighters – April 20, 2026 power-bank rules, spare batteries, e-cigarettes and lighters.
- Southwest Airlines – Flying with a Skateboard or Scooter – Wheels-up stowage and checked-baggage conditions.
- Southwest Airlines – Optional Travel Charges – Free carry-on, checked-bag, overweight, oversize and instrument fees.
- TSA – Liquids, Aerosols and Gels Rule – 3.4 oz quart-bag rule, exemptions and duty-free liquids.
- TSA – Hiking Poles – Blunt versus sharp-tipped poles (razor, knife, scissors, tool, skateboard and ski-pole entries also checked in TSA’s What Can I Bring? list).
- U.S. DOT – Final rule on musical instruments – Small instruments as carry-on and larger instruments in a purchased seat.
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