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Packing cubes useful? Advice?

DonnaF

Veteran

Fashiontravelgirl swears by them. Are they worth it?

General

50 replies

Latest reply was from Firecracker (Sharan)

delurked

Veteran

I really like mine. I find different sizes helpful. I have given many sets as gifts too - the eBags three piece set and then I have a three piece slim assorted sizes set as well. Usually a couple of the slim sizes go into my carry on bag, the rest in the suitcase.

Things I like -

can organize things well before trip. Like bottoms in one bag, tops in another, socks/lingerie in a third. For the smaller ones, cords and chargers in one and other misc groupings as needed.

Can unpack into a dresser and keep things together

If traveling as a family, can have separate colors for different family members

If you are traveling to more than one place, can put things for one or two days into one bag and don't need entire suitcase. Or keep separate locations in separate bags

As time goes on during the trip, can keep clean clothes separate from dirty clothes

I would be unhappy if I had to travel without them, so I consider them to be worth the cost. Just expect to figure out your own method over a couple trips. I would imagine each person personalizes their usage a little differently.

Greyscale

Veteran

My brother gave me a set for Christmas - he travels constantly for work. I was skeptical at first, but I used them for the first time last week and I was impressed. It did seem to keep my things less wrinkled, I think in part because the largest mesh cube was a little smaller than the suitcase so I didn't try to fill every last inch.

But my favorite packing method, if wrinkles are a real issue, is to roll my clothes around other, softer clothes. I packed all my interview clothes into one careful roll, this year, and barely had to steam them when I got to the hotel.

So I'm not sure I'll use the cubes in general. Probably? And delurked, those are some great ideas I hadn't thought of, like using the mesh cube for dirty clothes. Much better than a plastic bag that can't breathe.

Jane

Veteran

I hadn't come across these before and have just googled. I will watch this thread with interest. Thank you DonnaF.

Style Fan

Veteran

I have watched the You Tube videos about packing cubes and considered buying them. We go on long road trips ( 1 month and 3 months) and small road trips. I am always looking for ways to improve my packing.
Currently I use different size zip lock bags. This system works well for me. I use giant ones for tops, bottoms and Yoga clothes. I use smaller ones for undies and socks. I have a separate compartment in my suitcase for bras. I put my footwear in cloth bags. I put a lavender sachet into each bag to keep everything fresh. I have a laundry bag that goes in a pocket at the front of my suitcase.
I roll everything, put it into the bag, squeeze the air out and zip the bag up. Warning the suitcase is very heavy!!!
I don`t put toppers in a bag.

unfrumped

Veteran

I first used them for my Ireland trip and am hooked.
I do use combinations of methods to use space in suitcase, such as stuffing shoes. But in general I put tops in one, underwear in another, pjs or exercise, etc. I still roll my knit tops for IN the cube. Also sometimes pack items together for a specific outfit.
Where it can be less useful is if too many or wrong size cubes create a " puzzle" that doesn't use the space well.
Since pants and shoes are biggest items I still roll jeans or chinos to fill the edges or
" valleys" in suitcase.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Look carefully at how people use them and think through your own needs. There are several shapes and sizes that lend themselves to different uses, so plan your purchase accordingly.

Here's my experience: I've heard so many good things about these over the years that I decided to get them during The Container Store's annual travel sale in early August. (There are lots of other brands, but I like that they carry a full line with several specialized bags, and theirs fit perfectly into the suitcases they sell there). They make a big event of the sale, switching the store around to put travel front & center, set up a table and have clothes you can practice with. So I got all excited and had the sales rep give me the full demo last year.

Early this summer, I sat down and looked at all the different ways people use them. Separating our clothing--making two stacks works fine. Laundry--I use a mesh liner from a defunct hamper. Compression was what I thought would be coolest, but then I looked closer and saw that it's basically what I do when I close my suitcase with the extra space expanded and then zip it down. Different trip segments--not the way I usually travel (this summer we had an exception, and put our things for each segment into a separate luggage piece). Pants vs tops--isn't that already obvious? The one thing that seemed to fit my needs is the packing folder for keeping shirts, etc unwrinkled. I gave one to my mom five years ago, and she's never used it. I got it back, used it for a dress & my son's shirts & pants for a wedding. It worked well. That was it.

No new pieces for me. I was honestly disappointed that I don't seem to have a use for them. The video makes them look so cool, like your whole life would be in order if you just had them. https://www.containerstore.com.....ideoId=310

TL/DR: sound like a great idea, but might not fit needs.

Murph11

Veteran

My husband and I each used a 4-piece set in various sizes for a 12-day Italy trip in May, and they were awesome! We separated wardrobe items as described by Delurked (tops in one, etc). I bought the Amazon brand, as they were slightly less than eBags with great reviews.

Anonymous

YES. YES. YES. I don't know how I ever managed to pack in the past. They come in various sizes and shapes. I own large-sized ones. If I had to do it all over again, I might have picked medium size (or an assortment of the two sizes).

Janet

(website)

Veteran

Ditto to delurked. I got a set on Amazon a couple of years ago and I love them for keeping my travel wardrobe organized and easy to manage. I don't know whether this is most people's experience, but my cubes fit perfectly in my suitcase, puzzle-piece style, so they really make good use of space while keeping things sorted by type, daily outfit, etc.

I originally got two black ones ultra cheap in one of the discount stores and used them for underwear, socks, etc. But when I got a full set, I chose a bright turquoise which makes it easier to see what's in the cubes, rather than black (since many of my items are black and sort of get lost in sight in the cubes).

Ginger

Veteran

I'm following this thread with avid interest. I'm an obsessive packer - I hate any unused space - but it does mean that I spend forever on the job and tend to dread it. It's also harder to live out of a suitcase like that, since things get disarranged so quickly.

Would it be possible to add links or specific recommendations? It seems key to have different options to fit different suitcases.

delurked

Veteran

Ginger - these are the ones I use. Can usually catch a sale, with discontinued colors occasionally marked down. These fit well for my carry on luggage and accompanying shoulder bag. I like that all the sizes are different, which leads to less confusion about what I've packed in each.

https://www.ebags.com/product/.....tid=949924

https://www.ebags.com/product/.....d=10153227

Ginger

Veteran

Thank you!

Marilyn

Veteran

Yes! My daughter works in the hotel industry (corporate communications) and gave me one. Love it.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

I use the Eagle Creek ones and turned my husband (who travels much more than I do) onto them as well. I enjoy the organization and the ease of transferring my clothing into a hotel dresser, but the biggest thing for me is mitigating the mess when TSA inevitably rifles through my luggage. Because the only things in the cubes are clothes, they're able to easily set those aside, find whatever (books) might have alerted the x-ray tech and put everything back in without making a mess.

Husband uses them when he goes on quick one or two day trips, by putting his clothes in a cube and then just tucking that into his backpack with all his tech.

Anonymous

Ackk! I don't know if I could pack WITHOUT packing cubes anymore! It would certainly be anxiety provoking.
Count me another who uses them in the ways described by delurked. Also, for travel involving "event dressing" I sometimes put an entire outfit (or two) in each cube.
Donna, I started with just a couple of meduim sized cubes (large is too big for my bag, ymmv) to get the hang of how I would find the useful. Over time, I've added slims and minis and what-not to accomplish the puzzle-piece level of packing efficiency.

Anonymous

I've use the Eagle Creek ones as well. I have Eagle Creek "packing cubes" and just plain pouches in assorted sizes.

chouette22

Veteran

Huge enthusiasm for them from me as well! I wouldn't travel without them anymore. I take students to Europe every year and we usually change hotels every day or every two days. Without travel cubes, the suitcase just explodes; with them it's so easy to keep things organized and to actually find what you are looking for (and easily). Thus for me, besides all of the other points already made by others, it is a tremendous organizational tool.

unfrumped

Veteran

Oh yes another use, test of course wound not require a " cube" per se, is when I check a bag but might want emergency extra clothing if bag were lost/ delayed. So that helps organize my carry on tote.

Maeve

Yes, totally worth it. It keeps clothes organized and prevents you from having to reroll/fold and repack everything after you've inevitably rooted through your suitcase for that one shirt that you want to wear. This makes for less wrinkles in the long run, if you've done a good job of folding or rolling.

I can fit three cubes in my carry-on, one big one and two smaller ones. I put bottoms and dresses in one, tops in another, and socks/underwear in the third. This makes it easy to locate the pieces that I want to wear and easy to quickly pack on the road. I travelled for 3+ months out of a carry-on this way.

I've used two different brands of packing cubes, Eagle Creek and Rick Steves. I prefer Rick Steves' version because they stretch just a bit and have a completely mesh top. The Eagle Creek cubes that I have (they're a few years old) don't stretch and only have a small mesh window on top.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Maeve, if you're happy with what you have, great. But if you're thinking of getting more, check out the video I posted above. It's of Eagle Creek. Two of the features mentioned are the ability to see inside (one kind has mesh sides, another is translucent fabric) and stretchy material, just the two things you said you like.

Anonymous

My large-size packing cubes all have a mesh insert. I can see the contents in an instant. I don't think they would serve me as well without the mesh. They are a miracle and I can't imagine ever packing for a trip without them.

In contrast, my pouches are just "pouches." I can't see inside them, but the size of the pouch dictates what I use it for. Small pouch => makeup/chapstick/comb/mirror/ink pens/paper. The middle pouch is for the stuff I want to use in the bathroom => toothbrush/toothpaste/
soap/shampoo/deodorant/razor. I use the large pouch for whatever purpose that particular trip demands. Not being able to see inside the individual pouches has not caused me any problems whatsoever.

I think medium-sized packing cubes could come in really handy. I have this weird thing about color though. I want them all to match in color. I can't seem to find medium-sized packing cubes that exactly coordinate with what I already own. Yes. This is stupid. I can't help myself.

DonnaF

Veteran

Well, Jane and Ginger, looks like we've hit the jackpot! Thanks, delurked, Greyscale, StyleFan, unfrumpted, fashiontern, Murph11, Sterling, Janet, Marilyn, Jenn, Ryce, chouette22, and Maeve for weighing in.

Cubes seem to have a lot of fans, mostly for keeping things organized. And yes, my suitcase tends to look like it exploded shortly after I open it. Most of my stuff tends to get hung up, so then it doesn't look so bad.

The compression aspect appeals to me. But it looks like some cubes compress more than others? And does compression set wrinkles? Or the opposite?

Most of my travel heretofore has been to my MILs by car, so volume hasn't really been an issue. I really prefer a tighter capsule and fewer pieces to haul and will be doing some plane travel, so it looks like cubes will be in my future.

Anonymous

Mine do not compress. No wrinkles. I am happy.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

Donna, the compression ones are for knits, T-shirts, socks & undies, not for things you're worried about wrinkling.

Sterling, some people prefer different colors so their items are color coded.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Like Sterling, I also use the pouches, in almost the same way. The large pouches are a great size for shoes, keeping any dirt on them away from my clothes.

Anonymous

Hey Jenn -- I found I could pack my shoes in plastic shoes boxes. The plastic boxes fit perfectly in the large packing cube with lots of room left over for rolled up clothing articles. The shoes are protected. Nothing gets dirty or soiled. The shoes are corralled in a packing cube. The system works great.

Jenn

(website)

Veteran

Oh man, Sterling....a couple of those would fill my whole suitcase!

Anonymous

Laughing. When I went to Atlanta earlier this month, I overpacked. You are right. This would never work for carry-on.

Runcarla

Veteran

Another fan of packing cubes for reasons covered above. I use 3, rolling tops and bottoms for the big one, undies, socks, pjs for medium one, hair paraphernalia in the small. Shoes and other things get tucked around and between.

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