Are you trying to be a more organized traveler? Packing and unpacking can be stressful unless you have the right traveling gear like packing cubes. If you know the last time you packed, your suitcase was not neat and organized, avoid all the tumbles and aimless searching on your next trip with tidy packing cubes. You won’t have to deal with losing your items or the endless piles of clothes on the hotel room floor.
With one of the best packing cubes on your side, you can optimize your packing. A packing cube is one of the best travel accessories for long flights, road trips, and organized travel. Packing cubes are designed to separate and organize clothing, protecting them from wrinkles and offering optimum luggage organization. The organizer in you is going to love the way your clothing and accessories stay put, and you won’t be embarrassed to open your suitcase in front of someone else.
Our recommendations for packing cubes
Our favorite choices for the best travel packing cubes create space in your luggage and ensure you have everything you need right at your fingertips. If you want to travel this year, now’s the time to start planning for your next journey — and that includes traveling better. Keep reading to learn about the best options for packing and organizing.
REI Co-op Expandable Packing Cube Set: Best overall
Packing cubes make all the difference when packing for trips and this set from REI is the best set for outdoorsy travelers. This expandable set helps reduce space in your backpack or suitcase, allowing you to pack more and still stay organized. It includes a large, medium, and small cube with expandable zippers, making things easy to unload and load. The handles on the sides and tops also make quick work of opening and closing. The water-repellant ripstop material protects your clothing from accidents. With mesh on the tops, you know what is where and your stuff can breathe.
Shacke Pack: Best for long trips
These nylon packing cubes come in four different sizes, plus a laundry bag to wrangle dirty clothing. They come in a variety of colors and feature a four-inch deep design. Mesh windows make it easy to see what you have inside. The pack includes five different bags in different sizes with reinforced zipper seals for your clothing and accessories. Tightly woven nylon provides water-resistant protection and prevents tearing or fraying. It’s the perfect solution for your travel organization.
EBags Classic 3-Piece Set: Most durable
EBags uses Techlite Diamond material, an option that resists tearing and punctures. The company guarantees its zippers for life, and its interior seams are fully finished. The bags protect your clothing, and breathable soft material helps reduce odors. With 100% nylon, you’ll be able to wipe them clean easily. Self-healing zippers with corded pulls ensure that they’re secure and easy to use.
Amazon Basics 4-Pack: Best budget choice
This option gives you four different sizes for organizing your suitcase. They feature a durable polyester material with soft mesh that protects clothing. Reinforced zippers with corded pulls operate smoothly. Generous handles make them suitable for carrying alone, and the set comes in many different colors. With four different sizes of cubes, you’ll be able to separate your important pieces and prevent disorganization.
Hyperlite Mountain Gear Pods: Best waterproof
These ultra-durable and ultra-light choices help you organize without adding unnecessary weight. They’re perfect for backpacking trips in the outdoors or just reducing weight for your checked luggage. 100% waterproof Dyneema Composite Fabric is unbelievably tough, suitable for a variety of situations. It has reinforced, sealed seams with waterproof zippers. Screen printed areas allow you to label contents, and they come in small and large options with a choice of volume compression.
OEE Luggage Cubes: Best bulk set
This option gives you a cube for every part of your luggage. You get three clothing bags, one underwear bag, one shoe bag, and one toiletry bag. The set uses durable nylon material with YKK zippers. Thanks to the breathable materials, they’re lightweight and resist odors. They come in a variety of colors and are great for many different types of activities. The webbed handles are comfortable and allow you to carry any one of them alone.
Gonex Compression Set: Most modern option
With ripstop nylon and an ultra-modern design, this set compresses clothing down to save space and prevent overpacking. They use ripstop nylon to prevent punctures and tears, while heavy-duty zippers gently squeeze the air from between clothing to maximize your packing space. A generous handle makes them comfortable to carry. The set includes five different sizes and a shoe bag. Everything you have gets organized and you reduce the shifting that causes wrinkles as your luggage travels with you. If you’re taking a trip abroad, this is the perfect set to take with you.
Bagsmart 6 Piece Set: Best hardshell set
If you need more protection for your things, this hardshell set helps. You’ll have three different sizes with reinforced zippers, and a wireframe holds its shape even in long-distance travel. The mesh exterior is breathable to cut down on odors, and the sizes fit together in a standard-sized suitcase. You get one large, three medium, and two small cubes. They’re made to fit exactly, so there’s no wasted space in your suitcase. With careful organization, your clothing will arrive with fewer wrinkles thanks to reduced shifting during transit.
FAQs
Below, we’ve answered some common questions that many people have about packing cubes.
How useful are packing cubes?
You can waste a lot of space trying to toss clothing into a suitcase without any type of organization system. Cubes give your packing some direction and potentially give you more packing space as you arrange your clothing and accessories. A great set of packing cubes makes packing so much easier. They’re straightforward and ensure your clothing never tumbles out of your suitcase again. Use them to keep space to a minimum and maximize what you can take with you on your next big trip. These on the list are durable and easy to use, and you’ll wonder what you ever did without them.
Do packing cubes wrinkle clothes?
Packing cubes help protect your clothing and ensure your packing space is maximized throughout your suitcase. Does your suitcase wrinkle clothes? Cubes will avoid wrinkling them as badly. Packing cubes can help reduce the amount of movement your clothes experience. Rolling your clothing inside the cubes will further reduce wrinkles and keep clothing in place.
How do you roll clothes for packing cubes?
Rolling is the best technique to maximize space in your packing cubes. Here are a couple of methods for different garments.
Military roll (or burrito roll)
This method works well for T-shirts, long-sleeved shirts, pajamas, and even pants.
- Lay the garment flat.
- For shirts, fold the sleeves inward. You can also fold in a small section from the sides if your cube is narrow.
- Imagine you’re wrapping a burrito. Start rolling tightly from the bottom hem towards the collar.
- Once rolled, tuck the rolled end into the shirt to secure it.
Rolling pants
- Lay your pants flat with the legs aligned.
- Pinch the inseams together at the crotch.
- Fold one leg over the other, aligning the seams.
- Starting at the ankles, roll up tightly toward the waistband.
- You can tuck the rolled end into the cuff of the pants for a compact fit.
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