Last Updated on June 20, 2023
What Is A Packing Cube?
A packing cube, also known as a packing pouch or a packing square, is a small bag that’s designed to organize and compartmentalize clothes and other travel essentials inside a suitcase or backpack. Packing cubes are primarily used to compress clothing in a bid to enhance the carrying capacity of your luggage. You can look at them as mini-suitcases within your main suitcase or backpack.
Packing cubes are particularly popular with business travelers, holidaymakers, and backpackers. But besides their popularity among travelers, you can also use these cubes to organize various items in the home, ranging from clothing to linen, upholstery, and crochet supplies.
As they are mini-bags, packing cubes usually come in several pieces, ranging from as few as three to as many as eight. Though you can find them in virtually any shape today, most packing cubes are rectangular or cubic in shape. The cubes are designed to zip closed.
Also, most packing cubes are made of flexible, compressible material, making it easy to fit as many of them as possible inside your regular backpack or suitcase.
Benefits of Using Packing Cubes
The main benefit of packing cubes is that they help to maximize space. As we’ve already mentioned, most of these mini-bags are designed with a flexible material that enables you to keep your clothes more compressed. That way, you can fit more clothes into your suitcase.
Still on maximizing space, packing cubes come in building-block shapes, which makes it easy to stack as many of them as possible inside your suitcase or backpack.
The following are additional reasons why every traveler should consider investing in packing cubes.
1. Help With Organization
If you travel a lot, you understand the onslaught one has to go through trying to reach for an item that’s located at the bottom of a backpack. It’s not only inconveniencing but also wastes a great deal of time. But with packing cubes, you can easily sort and pack like items together.
For instance, you might set aside a packing cube for your tops, another one for your bottoms, some for toiletries, cosmetics, electronic cables, etc. Packing cubes make it a lot easier to find the items that you need without having to flip through piles of stuff. Some models even come in mesh panels that allow you to see whatever is inside.
2. Available in Many Shapes and Sizes
Packing cubes come in a variety of shapes and sizes to suit the various needs of different travelers.
When shopping for these cubes, you should consider the shape of your backpack or suitcase. Then, buy packing cubes that match the shape of your travel bag. That will allow you to pack a maximum number of the cubes without letting any space go to waste.
3. Keep Your Clothes Neat
Packing all your clothes in one large bag presents one major concern – wrinkling. And even if the clothes are tightly packed within the bag, you may still create wrinkles whenever you’re searching for specific items mid-trip.
Thankfully, packing cubes help to keep your clothes almost in the exact same condition that you packed them. All you have to do is ensure that each cube is filled to capacity, and the clothes are neatly folded. As long as you don’t take them out, the clothes will remain in the same place throughout your trip.
4. Store Travel Belongings
We all have those items that we only use when traveling. A classic example is a power bank. If you travel frequently, it may be difficult to track these items and put them together every time.
So, your best bet is to store them in packing cubes and tuck them safely in a less-used section of your shelves.
5. Impromptu Pillows
Lastly, packing cubes may come in handy as pillows in situations where either the pillows supplied don’t appeal to you, or there are no pillows at all.
For instance, you might be on a game drive in a remote location with poor road infrastructure. Then, it suddenly rains and you have to spend the night in the middle of nowhere.
In such cases, you’ll need to improvise a bed and bedding. As for the pillows, you’re already sorted, thanks to your packing cubes.
6 Best Packing Cubes for Travelers
1. Bagail 6-Set Packing Cubes
- Size: 15 x 12 x 2.5 inches
- Weight: 1.28 pounds
- Color Options: Black-Net, Blue, Dusk Pink, Teal, Dark Blue, Beige, Burgundy, Fuchsia, Purple, Grey, Dark Grey, Geometry Grey, and Geometry Blue.
- Material: Nylon
- Product Link: https://amzn.to/3W83HF5
Pros
• Fit into most backpacks, weekenders, carry-on suitcases, and duffel bags
• Come with a free lifetime warranty
• Fully finished interior seams enhance durability
Cons
• Cannot be used on a washing machine or tumble dryer
Product Description
The Bagail 6-set Packing Cubes, as the name suggests, comes in six pieces to help with easy organization and sorting of your travel items. The cubes are also made from high-quality nylon fabric to enhance their durability.
Bagail 6-set Packing Cubes feature mesh top panels. That not only improves the convenience and accessibility of your travel items but also keeps the contents of each cube ventilated. The mesh-top panel also eliminates the hassles of dealing with broken zippers mid-travel.
Weighing just 1.28 pounds, Bagail 6-set Packing Cubes increase your luggage carrying capacity without adding much extra weight to your suitcase.
2. OlarHike 7-Set Packing Cubes
- Size: 11.9 x 7.8 x 2.1 inches
- Weight: 1.47 pounds
- Color Options: Grey, Aqua Teal, Purple, Blue, and Black
- Material: Nylon
- Product Link: https://amzn.to/3FpNuoP
Pros
• Packing labels make it easy to locate each packing cube
• See-through mesh design enhances accessibility to items
• Fit most carry-on suitcases, duffel bags, and backpacks
Cons
• Relatively costly
Product Description
OlarHike 7-Set Packing Cubes come in seven pieces, including 2 large cubes, 2 medium cubes, 1 small cube, 1 laundry bag, and 1 toiletry bag, which ensure maximum organization. Each cube is designed for specific purposes, making it easy to sort your travel items while traveling and even in your hotel room.
Also, OlarHike 7-Set packing cubes are made in designs that maximize storage space, enabling you to stack as many items as possible. Their paltry weight of 1.47 pounds makes OlarHike 7-Set the go-to packing cubes if you’re looking to avoid overweight charges at an airport.
3. TravelWise Packing Cube System
- Size: 14.7 x 10.2 x 2.6 inches
- Weight: 0.95 pounds
- Color Options: Black, Teal, Lime Green, Lavender, Pink, Silver, and Blue.
- Material: Nylon
- Product Link: https://amzn.to/3NcUXtl
Pros
• 100% satisfaction guarantee from the manufacturer
• Packing cubes can fit into most standard travel bags
Cons
• Some people may consider the color options a bit limited
Product Description
TravelWise Packing Cube System is a 5-piece travel organizer that comes with 2 large, 2 medium, and 1 small packing cubes, allowing you to sort and compartmentalize similar travel items. It’s designed with strong nylon fabric that makes it remarkably lightweight yet highly durable.
Breathable mesh design on top enables you to access specific items within your suitcase or backpack, while also keeping the items aerated. TravelWise Packing Cube System also comes with 2-way easy-pull zippers, which allow for fast opening and closing of the cubes.
4. YAMIU Packing Cubes 7-Pcs Travel Organizer
- Size: 5 x 5 x 0.7 inches
- Weight: 0.65 pounds
- Color Options: Black, Blue, Pink, Purple, Grey, and Red.
- Material: Nylon
- Product Link: https://amzn.to/3fbP4A6
Pros
• Lightweight and durable construction
• Lifetime warranty
• Waterproof cubes can hold your wet clothes
Cons
• Come with fewer color options
Product Description
YAMIU Packing Cubes 7-Pcs Travel Organizer makes traveling hassle-free by offering 7 different packing cubes to sort and stack like items. The cubes include 4 for packing your clothes, 1 for packing your shoes, 1 for use as a toiletry bag, and 1 as a TSA-approved toiletry bag.
The shoe cube is water-resistant and besides holding your shoes, you can also use it to pack dirty clothes. The TSA-approved toiletry bag is also waterproof and can be used to hold your toiletries as well as dirty or wet clothing. YAMIU Packing Cubes 7-Pcs Travel Organizer is designed with double zippers to ease access to the contents within each cube.
5. Shacke Pak – 5 Set Packing Cubes
- Size: 2.3 x 13.2 x 17.2 inches
- Weight: 1.25 pounds
- Color Options: Black, Blue, Aqua Teal, Orchid Purple, Warm Red, Precious Pink, Green Grass, and Gentleman’s Blue
- Material: Nylon
- Product Link: https://amzn.to/3Fr3qY9
Pros
• Numerous color options offer maximum flexibility while shopping
• Reinforced lid keeps your clothes in the same position
Cons
• Cannot be washed in a washing machine
• Material doesn’t agree with fabric conditioners or warm water
Product Description
Shacke Pak – 5 Set Packing Cubes are designed with high-quality, durable nylon to withstand any travel-related stress. The nylon fabric is also waterproof, allowing you to store your wet clothing safely.
The cubes come in a set of 5, including 1 extra-large, 1 large, 1 medium, and 1 small cube, as well as a laundry bag.
Shacke Pak – 5 Set Packing Cubes also feature an X design that’s reinforced with double stitching to hold your clothes in place firmly, thereby preventing wrinkling.
6. Mossio 7 Set Packing Cubes
- Size: 15.5 x 11.8 x 0.9 inches
- Weight: 0.75 pounds
- Color Options: Dark Blue, Light Blue, Rose Red, Dark Pink, Light Pink, Wine Red, Orange, and Grey
- Material: Nylon
- Product Link: https://amzn.to/3fi8xim
Pros
• Come in convenient sizes
• Customer satisfaction guaranteed through a favorable return policy
Cons
• A bit cost-inhibitive
Product Description
Mossio 7 Set Packing Cubes includes 3 packing cubes, 3 laundry bags, and 1 show bag. The cubes are designed with premium nylon quality to improve their longevity.
Weighing just 0.75 pounds, Mossio 7 Set are some of the most lightweight packing cubes out there. You can stack as many items as you can without worrying about exceeding your airline’s recommended luggage capacity.
2-way YKK zippers and stitching help to keep your clothes in the same position throughout the trip. The cubes are also foldable, which speaks to their portability and ease of storage.
Conclusion
There goes our recommendation of the top six packing cubes for travelers. Remember that when shopping for packing cubes, insist on products that come in convenient shapes and sizes. Also, the cubes must be lightweight and made of durable material. Not to mention, they must fit your budget needs.