Part of the best packing tricks when traveling is using packing cubes to organize and compress your clothing in order to save more space in your luggage. While it’s one of the easy packing hints for travel, finding the best packing cubes is a bit more difficult and time-consuming.
Therefore, we decided to put our years of travel blogging experience into action and make it easier for our readers to find the best packing cubes for backpacks, carry-on and other types of luggage. Our best packing cube review includes sets of 1, 2, 3 and 5 cubes. We picked these best-rated packing cubes based on affordability, quality, and consumer reviews. They include the top packing cubes by Eagle Creek, Ebags, Samsonite, and few other top brands.
Why own a set of packing cubes for travel
Without packing cubes you might sometimes find yourself digging through your luggage to find certain items. However, using a packing cube, you will quickly find the clothes you are looking for and keep the rest nicely packed and neat, especially useful when you packing for a family trip. Not to mention that once you are at your destination, packing and unpacking is really easy.
The best packing cubes are also hygienic because they prevent your clothes from touching inside the drawer, cabinet, and closet of your hotel. Sometimes they miss and forget to clean the shelves and drawers of the hotel and that’s when you wish you had the travel luggage packing cubes with you. Plus, you never know what was laying in the drawer from previous guests.
Sometimes they keep dirty laundries in the closet and drawers and dusting off is not enough to properly clean it. Packing cubes are more like a virtual closet that keeps things organized and compressed.
Read on the best packing cube buying guide to find out which one fits better your luggage and travel style.
Must-have travel accessories, a good quality set of packing cubes is one of the most appreciated gifts for travel enthusiasts.
Packing Cube Reviews and Comparison
Shacke Pak 4 Set Packing Cubes
Shacke is proud to be the best seller of slim packing cubes sets. This set of four includes a laundry bag, weighs 1 pound and is available in several colors. The depth of their organizer bags are 4-inch and they feature the X design with double stitching to withstand the test of time.
The set includes an extra large, a large and a medium cube perfect for your clothing. There is also a small packing cube that works great for socks, belts, sleepwear, and underwear. This set of travel organizers with laundry bag features high-quality durable water-resistant nylon and top mesh materials.
While the shoe cube is not included, you can use its hamper bag to pack your shoes. The complete set of Shake travel cubes can fit in your carry-on luggage. They are also great packing cubes for travel backpacks and other luggage types.
Bago Packing Cubes For Travel Bags
This washable packing cubes set includes 2 medium and 2 large cubes in addition to 6 reusable plastic zip bags of different sizes that would fit in most baggage types.
You can use the water-resistant plastic bags to keep your food, liquids, and toiletries. The Bago black packing cubes come with 100% money back satisfaction guarantee so, you can send them back if you don’t like them.
Last but not least, they feature carrying handle, zipper with easy-to-pull cord, and the see-through mesh top. They are made of durable rip-stop honeycomb nylon fabric and are available in several colors. All four of the Bago packing cubes can fit in a carry-on or backpack at the same time.
eBags Ultralight Packing Cubes
This top-of-the-line packing system has six cubes, large, medium, small and 3 slim cubes allowing you to easily organize each category of your clothes.
Inside seams are fully finished for durability and the YKK zippers feature corded pulls for easy opening and closing. The breathable top mesh fabric makes it easy to identify your clothes.
Bottom line, the eBags Packing Cubes – 6-piece value set provides a cube for everything to use the space most efficiently. Another good feature of these packing pods is the lifetime guarantee. They are the best packing cubes for Osprey Farpoint 55 backpacks and carry-on suitcases.
Bagail 6 Set Packing Cubes
The size variety is the main selling factor of this six-cube set. So, if you have been looking for good packing cubes for carry-on, the Bagail travel luggage packing organizers are for you.
The set consists of 2 large, 2 medium and 2 slim packing cubes. Other cool features of these pro packing cubes are double zipper pulls, two-way zippered opening, mesh top panel, fully finished seams, and carry handle.
eBags Packing Cubes – 4pc Classic Plus Set
If you prefer 4-piece classic, this set of eBags packing cubes with Techlite diamond nylon is for you. They are stylish with mesh top, YKK zippers and lifetime warranty.
The set includes a large, medium, small and slim cubes and they can fit both your backpack and a carry-on suitcase. The bound fabric seam ensures a snag-free inside that never frays and the mesh tops let the air flow.
Pro packing cubes
Featuring ultra lightweight rip-stop nylon, high-quality zippers, reinforced seam and a nice design, the Pro packing cubes are backed by a lifetime guarantee.
According to many consumers, these are the best travel cubes for family vacation, backpacking, etc. This set of 4 packing cubes by Pro includes a large, medium, small, and smallest cubes. The large cube works well for your jackets, towels, sweaters, and trousers.
Medium cube is perfect for your shirts, blouses, shorts, and documents. And the other two cubes work great for packing toiletries for travel, underwear, and socks. You can also use the smallest cube for packing medicine for travel.
YAMIU travel organizer packing cubes
This set of travel packing bags come in 7 pieces. They include 4 packing cubes, a shoe bag for packing shoes for travel and 2 clear TSA-approved size toiletry bags to carry your bottles.
Some of the features of YAMIU cubes are the water-resistant fabric, perspective grids that help to find your stuff easily, and the high-quality zipper that zip up smoothly.
All and all, it’s one of the best packing cubes for travel for this price. They fit well in the carry-on suitcases.
[easyazon_link identifier=”B076V6NH3V” locale=”US” tag=”chasingtravel-20″]Click here to check the price and to read more reviews[/easyazon_link].
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Compression packing cubes
Eagle Creek Pack-It Specter compression cube set
If you are packing a suit for travel and don’t have enough space or wanting to travel with less baggage, these Eagle Creek compression cubes are perfect for you.
They are made of ultra lightweight nylon that allows you to see your content inside the bag. The Eagle Creek travel packing cube set includes a half cube and a medium cube.
They can fit in backpack, carry-on, garment bag and pretty much any other baggage type and size. Some of the cool features of Eagle Creek compression packing cubes are the ultra-light, water-resistant and translucent fabric.
Gonex compression packing cubes
One of my most favorite compression cube sets is by Gonex. They are well-designed, stylish durable and every piece has a different size for your items.
This variety of sizes makes them perfect packing cubes for checked luggage as well as carry-on and backpacks. The materials used in these travel cubes are soft and smooth nylon and ventilate mesh cloth which allows you to see your accessories in the bag.
Gonex compression set includes a large, medium, small, extra small, and a slim cube. There is also a laundry bag so you can separate your dirty clothes from the rest.
LeanTravel compression packing cubes luggage organizers
The last but not least, in our packing cubes reviews we include a set of 3 stylish high-quality compression cubes that can save space in your luggage.
They are made of polyester fabric and available in two colors, black and an elegant shade of grey. The three cubes include 2 large and a medium bag that can easily fit your backpack.
Types of packing organizers for travel
Reading the best packing tips for travel or packing guide for travel, you will usually see the packing cubes mentioned. However, many people are not aware of the types of packing bags/cubes on the market.
Therefore, it’s handy to know about the models of cubes so you can decide which one fits your style and helps packing light for overseas travel. Keep reading below to find out which type does the minimalist packing for travel.
Regular packing cubes for travel
These are the most popular packing cubes due to their firm shape, space saving, and breathability feature. They come in sets of 3 to 6 pieces and fit most luggage bags.
They usually come with packing shoe cubes as well as slim, small, medium and large cubes for your clothes. This basic model is also considered cheap packing cubes compared to compression cubes.
Zippered compression packing cubes
If you are looking for packing cubes alternatives that allow packing more in less space, we suggest the compression cubes for travel. Compared to regular packing cubes, with zippered compression packing cubes, you can expect 30% more compression.
They are considered part of the best travel accessories that allow the best way to pack a suitcase or backpack and avoid baggage restriction. Packing cubes compression sets feature double zippers. Therefore, you have the option to use them like a basic cube or zip-up and compress them. They fit perfectly into most tote bags, carry-on/spinner suitcases, backpacks, weekender cases, and duffel bags.
Double-sided cubes
Also called Pack-It Clean Dirty cube, they are some of my favorite travel cubes for packing. They have one water resistance side for your wet and dirty clothes and one mesh side for your clean clothes.
They are perfect for separating your damp bathing suits or smelly gym clothes with your clean clothes.
Clear packing cubes
Sometimes referred to as plastic packing cubes, they are similar to regular packing cubes except they are transparent.
They are flexible and pretty durable but their selling factor is the see-through material that makes it super easy to inspect the content.
Garment Folder
Some might call them packing envelopes for travel, they are a good alternative for packing cubes, especially if you are packing a backpack for travel or a garment bag.
They can hold up to 12 items, maximize your packing space and can minimize the wrinkles of your blouses, dresses, shirts, and cardigans.
Vacuum Storage Saver Bags
If you are looking to pack suitcases for airline travel with 80% compression, the vacuum storage bags are the best packing hacks for your travel. They come with a free hand pump and work with any vacuum cleaner.
They feature a double zip seal turbo valve to get every bit of the air out of the bag to compress and prevent mold, mildew or bacteria. Reducing the original volume by 80% is not something you can get with regular packing cubes.
Roll Up Space Saver Compression Travel Bag
Another packing advice for travel is to get yourself the travel space saver bags. They are easy to use because all you need to do is to roll and it will suck the air out and compress, they don’t require a pump or vacuum.
These compression storage and packing organizers are good both for travel and home storage. They can save up to 3x more space in your suitcase, close or backpack. These compression garment bags are transparent and protect your clothes against dirt, bugs, water spill, and odor.
Things to consider when buying a packing cube travel organizer
Packing cube set
The best packing cubes sets feature at least 3 different sizes, in addition to laundry bag for your dirty clothes. Look for the sets that have large packing cubes for pants and coats, a medium cube for your shirts and a small cube for your underwear, socks, and other travel clothing/gears. Some packing cubes for travel also include a toiletry bag and a laundry pouch, which is also ideal for the beach, yoga, camping, gym etc.
Shoe bag/cube
It can cost you $10 if you buy it separately. However, it’s included with some good packing cubes for travel bags – luggage. This way, you don’t have to buy the shoe cube separately.
Warranty and 100% satisfaction
To give yourself peace of mind, it’s always good to look for packing cubes value set with free return/refund policy and guarantee when buying packing tools for travel. Some top travel accessories brands that make tools for packing cosmetics, toiletry, and clothes for air travel, offer a lifetime warranty for their products.
Breathability
Mesh packing cubes allow ventilation and can minimize the odor. Best quality packing cubes with the mesh top panel also allow to see and inspect your clothes without unpacking.
Reinforced Sides
The best luggage packing cubes feature sturdy side structure to hold the cubes slim for easy packing and unpacking.
Material and design
The top packing cubes feature ultra-light rip-stop nylon materials with the water-resistant feature to withstand the tear and wear of traveling. Fabric quality is an important aspect, otherwise, why use packing cubes for travel if they are going to last for only a trip! Another good feature of best-rated packing cubes is the X design. It helps to keep your clothes in place and prevents the content from bunching up in the middle of the bag. The X design also offers compact packing for traveling.
Zipper
Best packing cubes for travel have a high-quality zipper with reinforced seams to zip up smoothly and go a long distance. Travel packing cubes with two-way zippers and double zipper pulls are convenient and easier to pack and unpack.
Extra zipper for compression
Packing cube system with compression zipper help to reduce the packing bag thickness and save space in your check-in and carry on luggage. Some best packing cubes feature anti-catch zipper system that makes compressing the packing cube easier. The compression feature can also help to avoid baggage restrictions.
Handle
Small packing cubes for travel with webbing handle help to conveniently carry the plastic packing cube by itself.
Foldable
When not in use some of the best packing cubes for Europe and domestic flights can be folded into flat or a block shape. These foldable packing bags for air travel are easy to store and machine wash.
Size variety
Before buying packing cubes, see if they all fit in your carry on or backpack. The best mesh packing cubes come in a variety of sizes to fit in any size suitcase, backpack, carry-on, and daypack.
Packing cube weight
Saving space and packing lite for traveling are the efficient packing tricks. Therefore, we recommend the travel packing accessories that are light. In this case, perhaps you want to look for packing cubes for luggage that weigh less than 1-lb. To avoid surprises at the airport, we suggest a handy and affordable digital luggage scale.
What are packing cubes used for?
They are used for organizing clothes, toiletries and shoes for short and long trips. The best packing cubes for carry-on luggage can help to save space and keep your clean and dirty clothes separate.
They also help to organize and divide your clothes by type. For instance, you can keep your underwear and socks in one place while keeping the trousers in a separate bag and the same for shirts, towels, etc. Packing cubes for duffel bags also protect your clothes from excessive wrinkle and keep them tidy.
Do packing cubes work?
I have seen people asking if packing cubes really save space and how packing cubes work! Yes, they are great packing aids for travel and they can help you save up to 30% space in your language. But that’s not all, packing cubes also help to keep everything tidy and organized.
The best way to use packing cubes depends on what kind of luggage bag you have and your clothing. When packing a bag for travel, depending on the fabric of your clothes, you either roll them or fold them before placing them into the packing cube.
For instance, I would roll jeans, panties, and socks but prefer to fold trousers for less wrinkle. If you need further instruction, check out YouTube, there are many videos showing how to use packing cubes for suitcases, backpack, garment bag, etc.
Benefits of packing cubes
Using packing cubes, you can easily find your stuff without having to unpack the whole bag. They allow easy packing for travel and you can unpack/pack your luggage quickly because the clothes that you don’t use will stay packed throughout the trip. So, you don’t have to spend time packing every item again.
Easy to store them
They are similar to a portable wardrobe. After packing clothes for travel and arriving to your destination, you don’t need to unpack the packing cubes, you can simply store them packed on the shelf or in a drawer.
Organize better
Packing techniques for travel include organization. Small and large packing cubes allow you to pack your clothes, shoes, toiletries and other belongings neatly. You can choose a cube for your tops, bottoms, etc. You can separate your clothes by type, color or size.
Efficient for all trips
These mesh packing bags/cubes for travelers are practical for business travel, backpacking, vacations, and even daily storage of your clothes. So, you won’t spend your money to buy something that you can use only for holiday vacations once a year.
Easy to find your clothes
Using packing cubes to pack for travel, you don’t need to waste time flipping through your piles of clothes to find a pair of socks. All you need is to pull that specific small packing cubes and get exactly what you are looking for. The mesh panel on the packing cubes for travel luggage allows you to easily see what is inside each packing cube.
Minimize the wrinkle
When packing for business travel, it’s important to keep your clothes neat and in a good condition. The packing cubes for suitcases can prevent the excessive wrinkles during the trip and keep items neat when you are packing for long-term travel.
Space saving
Travel packing cubes keep your clothes compressed. So, you can fit more into your luggage when packing for overseas travel. The block shape offers smart packing for travel and allows you to use every available inch inside your bag.
Share bags
If you use packing cubes, you can share the same bag with your family members while traveling.
Easy airport check
Using the best packing cubes for carry-on airport security checks are easier, in case they want to do a TSA inspection. It’s useful especially when you are late to the airport and have a plane to catch.
What are the best packing cubes to buy?
We mentioned the best travel cubes at the top of this packing cube buying guide and below is few other top brands that you might consider. Depending on what kind of luggage you have, there are many brands that have been manufacturing packing cubes for carry-on luggage, backpack, etc.
And some of these companies stand out for their high-quality best travel packing accessories. So, buying packing cubes from these brands would guarantee you are spending on the best value cubes. See the best packing cube brands below.
eBags packing cubes
They started in 1998 with the goal to make packing for travel easier and smarter. Today eBags is one of the best travel bags and accessories retailer and manufacturer with 29 million bags sold. Now owned by Samsonite International, they are growing even more.
Some of eBags travel accessories include carry-on, checked, spinner, and rolling luggage, in addition to totes, duffel bag, travel and day hiking backpacks, toiletry and Dopp kits, as well as the eBags packing cubes. Their cube sets include 1pc to 6pc sets.
In this article, we made sure eBags packing cubes reviews are mentioned so you don’t miss on their top quality packing organizers. We also added the eBags packing cubes 3pc set review as well as the eBags ultralight packing cubes review.
Eagle Creek packing cubes
This top-of-the-line travelers accessories brand manufactures high-quality traveling gears. The Eagle Creek packing organizers include the packing cubes set, compression cubes, double-sided cubes, garment sleeve, garment folder, compression sac set, toiletry cube, and shoe bags. In this buying guide, Eagle Creek packing cube reviews are also included.
AmazonBasics packing cubes
They are a good budget-friendly choice, you can get a good quality set of 4 piece AmazonBasic packing cubes around the same price that you would pay for three-pack cubes from other brands. We included some of the AmazonBasic cubes in this travel packing cube review.
Hey packing cubes
Hey was made in the 80s with the goal to make traveling more elegant and comfortable. In addition to Hey luggage packing cubes, they also make luxurious, fashionable lightweight luggage for women, men and kids.
TravelSmith packing cubes
They have been on the market for nearly 30 years providing innovative, thoughtful travel gear designs. Some of their good products are the TravelSmith large packing cubes with mesh tops that allow travelers to organize their garment and gears like a breeze.
Travelwise packing cubes
Some of the best travel packing cubes are by Travelwise. Travelwise packing cube systems are available in 3 pieces and 5 pieces. We included some of these cubes in our best travel packing cube reviews.
Bagail packing cubes reviews
The Bagail packing cubes on Amazon have hundreds of top-rated reviews that confirm the quality of these travel organizers. Bagail packing cubes reviews are also added to this comparison buying guide. If you compare them to other packing cubes, you will see they are some of the cheapest packing cubes in 2018.
