If you already know you want a Picotin, the size decision is actually pretty simple. The Picotin 18 is the sharper, more compact essentials-plus bag. The Picotin 22 is the size where the same shape stops behaving like a minimalist luxury piece and starts behaving like a real daily bag. The centimeter difference is small. The capacity difference is not.
Both sizes share the same core build: open bucket top, leather cord tie with padlock, hand or forearm carry, no interior pockets, and a soft unlined leather that slouches with use. Neither is a shoulder bag in the way Hermès describes them, and neither is a secure commuter bag. The right answer mostly comes down to how much you carry — and whether you want a bag that flatters a minimalist kit or a bag that swallows real-life essentials. For the full family context, see the complete Picotin guide; for the 18-only deep dive, see the Picotin 18 guide.
The Short Verdict
Buy the Picotin 18 if you travel light, want the chicest proportions, want the better day-to-night size, are petite or simply prefer smaller bags, and care about the lower retail price plus the stronger collector demand story.
Buy the Picotin 22 if you want a real daily bag, regularly carry a full wallet, pouches, a glasses case, a Kindle, or a small bottle, and would rather have a little extra room than constantly repack.
Skip both if you need a zipper, a true shoulder bag, or commuter-safe security. Both Picotins are officially hand-carried, both use the same open-top tie-and-lock system, and both are weaker on security than a Lindy, Evelyne, or Mini Kelly.
The shortest honest answer: the 18 is the prettier object, the 22 is the easier life.
Dimensions and Carry Differences
Current official references put the Picotin 18 at about 18 × 19 × 13 cm and the Picotin 22 at 22 × 21 × 17 cm. On paper that does not look enormous, but in practice the 22 is much more forgiving — the extra width and depth change what the bag can swallow, not just how it looks.
Officially, both are hand-carried bags. That matters because many shoppers assume the 22 becomes a true shoulder bag. It does not. Sotheby's individual listings put the 22's handle drop at about 15 cm (5.91 in) and the 18 at about 11.5 cm (4.53 in), and some owners can get the 22 onto the shoulder in lighter clothing — but the bag is still fundamentally designed for hand or forearm carry, not hands-free wear.
| Spec | Picotin 18 | Picotin 22 |
|---|---|---|
| Official dimensions | 18 × 19 × 13 cm (~7.1 × 7.5 × 5.1 in) | 22 × 21 × 17 cm (~8.7 × 8.3 × 6.7 in) |
| Width × depth jump | Baseline | Roughly +22% width, +30% depth — the reason it fits more |
| Handle drop (Sotheby's listing) | About 11.5 cm / 4.53 in | About 15 cm / 5.91 in |
| Carry mode (Hermès language) | Hand or crook of arm | Hand or forearm; occasional shoulder for some bodies |
| Closure | Leather cord tie + padlock | Leather cord tie + padlock |
| Interior | Open bucket, no pockets, unlined leather | Open bucket, no pockets, unlined leather |
| Best-fit body scale | Petite to average; minimalists at any height | Average to taller; bigger daily kits at any height |
What Fits in Each
The 18 is not tiny — it is selective. Recent owners report fitting two phones, a wallet, a cosmetics case, sanitizer, keys, a mirror, a Kindle, and a sunglasses case while still feeling comfortable to carry. Another owner reports phone, card case, keys, sunglasses, mints, lip products, and sanitizer with no struggle. The right way to think about the 18 is large phone plus real essentials, not "mini bag."
The 22 is where the Picotin starts making sense as an actual daily bag. Owners report half wallets, two glasses cases, two makeup pouches, phone, keys, Kindle, and a small 16 oz bottle that peeks above the opening. Another owner says a full-size wallet, makeup pouch, and Kindle left the interior feeling roomy. Multiple owner posts also support iPad mini fit in the 22.
Picotin 18 fits comfortably
- Large modern phone (Pro Max included)
- Compact wallet or cardholder
- Keys or key pouch
- AirPods, lipstick, sanitizer
- Sunglasses in a soft case or pouch
- Passport, small extras
- Kindle-sized reader for some owners
Pack carefully: full-size long wallet, soft sunglasses pouch, slim power bank, very compact makeup pouch.
Skip: standard iPad, work files, hard rectangular items, regular water bottle.
Picotin 22 fits comfortably
- Full-size or half wallet
- Two glasses cases or two makeup pouches
- Phone, keys, Kindle, AirPods
- Small 16 oz bottle (peeks above top)
- A5 notebook
- Compact tablet or iPad mini
Pack carefully: long Béarn wallet sits slightly tilted; larger tablets go vertically but feel awkward.
Skip: standard iPad as a daily setup, laptops, work files, secure transit carry.
iPhone Pro Max, water bottle, iPad mini
A large phone like the iPhone Pro Max is a safe yes in both sizes — owner reports of two-phone carry in the 18 make this clear. The water bottle question is where the bags split: a small 16 oz bottle works in the 22 (sticking up a little), and the 18 is best framed as an essentials bag rather than a bottle bag. The iPad mini is the cleanest split: yes in the 22, disputed in the 18.
2026 Retail Pricing
The clearest 2026 U.S. baseline is about $3,975 for a Clemence Picotin 18 and $4,275 for a Clemence Picotin 22 after the January 2026 increase. Europe-wide 2026 tracking shows €2,750 and €2,950 respectively. Official live U.K. pages accessed in May 2026 show £2,700 for a Clemence 18, £2,890 for a Clemence 22, and £3,230 for a Barenia Faubourg 22. Hermès Canada lists the Picotin 22 at CA$5,200, and Mainland China shows the same size at CN¥34,350.
| Region | Size | Leather / Variant | Observed 2026 Retail |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. | Picotin 18 | Clemence | $3,975 |
| U.S. | Picotin 22 | Clemence | $4,275 |
| U.S. | Picotin 18 | Éclat | $4,200 |
| U.S. | Picotin 18 | $4,850 | |
| U.K. | Picotin 18 | Clemence | £2,700 |
| U.K. | Picotin 22 | Clemence | £2,890 |
| U.K. | Picotin 22 | Barenia Faubourg | £3,230 |
| Europe | Picotin 18 | Clemence (France) | €2,750 |
| Europe | Picotin 22 | Clemence (Portugal/NL) | €2,950 |
| Canada | Picotin 18 | Clemence | CA$4,825 |
| Canada | Picotin 22 | Clemence | CA$5,200 |
| China | Picotin 22 | Clemence | CN¥34,350 |
Translation: the 22 is roughly $300 more than the 18 in the U.S. and about €200 more in Europe — a small premium for a meaningfully larger interior. Special variants like Cargo, Touch, and Casaque sit above the standard-leather baseline and should not be mixed into the standard size comparison.
How Each Size Looks on the Body
For petite buyers, the 18 is usually the safer choice. It tends to look intentional rather than oversized, and most owner anecdotes support that instinct. For average-height buyers, the deciding factor is what you carry, not your height — a light daily load reads fine in the 18, while bigger daily kits flatter the 22. For taller buyers, the 22 often feels more proportional, though it is not universal: at least one 5'9" owner still preferred the 18's proportions and said the 22 would have been too much.
The other body-related signal is comfort. The 18 is repeatedly described as lightweight and easy to hand-carry all day. The 22 picks up capacity but trades some carry comfort — one long-term reviewer found it irritating to hand-carry until she added a third-party strap. That is a warning, not a recommendation: more space comes with more carry awareness.
Open-Top Security and Organizer Reality
Both sizes share the same weakness: they are not especially secure. The leather tie and lock visually narrow the opening, but neither bag closes like a flap or a zipper. One owner who otherwise loves the 22 says she would never use it in a crowded area because it cannot be fully closed. That is a Picotin problem, not a 22-only problem.
Organizers help, but they help the 22 more than the 18. In the larger bag, a slim insert improves usability and controls slouch — multiple long-term 22 reviewers say organizers were the difference between "fine" and "actually easy to live with." In the 18, stiff or full-height inserts can leave pressure marks on the leather and make the top close less naturally. Use a softer, slimmer organizer in the 18 if you use one at all.
Availability and Retail Reality
The Picotin is non-quota, but that does not mean easy. Website drops are irregular and most bags sell out within seconds or minutes. The official U.K. and France pages surfaced during this research were live but marked unavailable, reinforcing that product pages often outlast inventory.
When Picotins do appear online, the listings we tracked skew heavily to the 18 — roughly three-quarters Picotin 18 to about a quarter Picotin 22 across recent observations, with the larger 26 and smaller 14/16 sizes much rarer. That is consistent with Sotheby's reading of the 18 as the most collected size.
Boutique access is also inconsistent. Recent walk-in success stories include a Picotin 18 picked up at South Coast Plaza and multiple no-prespend Picotin acquisitions in Las Vegas. A May 2026 complaint thread captures the other reality: even non-quota online drops can be painfully hard to land. APAC shoppers report more frequent online drops, though that should stay an anecdotal regional pattern rather than a policy claim.
If you are watching for online drops, alert speed in this category is measured in seconds, not minutes. Bags that hold for a full minute are the exception.
Resale Reality
The 18 is the hotter resale size by collector volume. Sotheby's market commentary says the Picotin 18 accounts for roughly 75% of its Picotin sales, with the strongest demand sitting in classic colors like Gold, Etoupe, and Black. Limited variants — Cargo, Tressage de Cuir, and exotic skins — sit above standard retail and should be treated as separate comparables.
External examples for context only: an Ebene Barenia Faubourg Picotin 18 traded at $4,650 in January 2026 on one auction house, a 2024 Cargo Picotin 18 at $4,000, and a 2022 Limoncello Clemence Picotin 22 at $3,300. These are individual examples and should not be mistaken for medians.
The practical read: the 18 usually wins on desirability and exit liquidity, but the 22 can be a smarter buy if you want more bag for the money and are less focused on resale prestige.
Buy the Picotin 18 If…
- you carry a phone, small wallet or cardholder, keys, and a few extras — not a bottle-and-tablet kit;
- you want the better day-to-evening crossover;
- you are petite or simply prefer smaller bags with less dead space;
- you want the lower retail entry point;
- you care about resale desirability and want the size with stronger collector heat.
Buy the Picotin 22 If…
- your daily carry regularly includes a full wallet, Kindle, glasses case, pouches, or a small bottle;
- you dislike constantly editing what goes into your bag;
- you are average-height to taller, or you just prefer a more substantial on-body proportion;
- you are considering an organizer anyway — the 22 benefits more clearly from one;
- you want a Picotin that behaves like an actual daily bag, not a compact luxury accessory.
When to Skip Both: Hands-Free, Secure, or Larger Alternatives
If your real problem is "I want a Picotin but wish it were hands-free," the answer is usually not to force the Picotin — it is to buy a different bag. A few clean alternatives, all backed by official Hermès product references:
Picotin 18 vs Mini Lindy
The Mini Lindy is roughly 19 × 12.5 × 9 cm with two interior pockets, two exterior pockets, a zip closure, and shoulder/crossbody-style carry. The Picotin 18 is more sculptural and visually simpler; the Mini Lindy is simply the better tool if you want security and hands-free use.
Picotin 18 vs Mini Kelly
The Mini Kelly 20 is about 20 × 12 × 6 cm with a detachable strap, far rarer and dramatically more expensive on the secondary market. The Picotin 18 is roomier in height and depth, more casual, and easier to use daily — but much less secure and much less formal.
Picotin 22 vs Garden Party 30
The Garden Party 30 is 30 × 21 × 13 cm with snap closure, canvas lining, a zipped interior pocket, and shoulder capability. Choose Garden Party 30 if you want daily capacity with more structure and organization; choose Picotin 22 if you want the softer, slouchier bucket silhouette and faster top access.
Picotin 22 vs Evelyne 29 or Lindy 26
Neo Evelyne 29 lands around 29 × 30 × 8 cm with a removable shoulder strap and snap closure; the Lindy 26 is 26 × 18 × 14 cm with a zip closure and shoulder carry. Both beat the Picotin 22 on travel convenience, transit convenience, and security. The Picotin 22 still wins if you specifically want the open, slouchy bucket look.
Picotin 18 or 22 vs Picotin 26
If you are already anxious that the 22 may be too small, the 26 is worth a look — but it changes category. Official size is 26 × 26 × 22 cm, which is dramatically larger than either the 18 or 22. It solves capacity anxiety but gives up much of the neat proportion that makes the 18 and 22 attractive in the first place.