Even when you’re excited about an upcoming vacation, packing can be a stressful part of travel, especially if you’re not exactly the most organized person (hey, no judgment here!). Fortunately, packing cubes make things a lot easier, and once you try them, they’ll easily become one of your traveling essentials.
When your clothes and other packed items are neatly contained in packing cubes, it’s much easier to rearrange them for the perfect fit—like suitcase Tetris. If you check your bag and TSA inspects it, they probably won’t make a mess of your belongings, and when you arrive at your destination, you’ll be able to quickly find whatever you need.
Packing cubes come in various sizes and are typically sold in color-coordinated sets of three or more. Consider buying at least two colors, because if you’re sharing a suitcase with a traveling companion, you’ll be able to instantly identify whose stuff is whose, and when it’s time to pack to go home, you can place unworn clothes in certain colors of cubes and dirty laundry in others. (By the way, machine washing packing cubes isn’t typically recommended, but when they need freshening up, you can try hand washing them or using your washing machine’s hand-wash cycle.)
Here are the best packing cubes that are sure to up your packing game.
The best packing cubes on the market
The colorways for this set of six packing cubes in four sizes include fun brights like turquoise and purple, in addition to black and dark gray. There’s also a fun set with three dotted ones and three striped. The cubes, which have a limited lifetime warranty, are made from a Techlite poly fabric and each have a partial mesh top and a handle. The largest cube measures 17.5″ x 12.75″ x 3.25″.
One happy customer writes, “I was so impressed with how much the cubes simplified packing, unpacking, and living out of a suitcase, whether staying in a given place for only one night or a more extended period, that I got online in the middle of my trip and ordered more in different colors: ‘his,’ ‘hers,’ and ‘dirty’.”
Eagle Creek has been making travel products forever, and these packing cubes have earned more than 1,000 5-star reviews at Amazon. They’re available in the pictured bright blue as well as red and black, and the mesh top shows you what’s inside each one. The three sizes are a nice assortment for underwear, socks, and clothes, with the largest measuring 14” x 10” x 3”. Bonus: The company’s products have a lifetime warranty.
One traveler writes, “We’re buying more before our next trip and probably giving them as stocking stuffers this holiday season. These are awesome.”
This is the rare packing cubes set that has an assortment of colors in a single set—perfect for color-coding (for two people’s clothing, for example), and a little more fun, too. They are all the same size (17.5” x 12.75” x 3.25”), are water-resistant, and have mesh tops. Sets in other sizes are also available at slightly different price points.
One of the almost 3,000 5-star reviews—from a packing-cubes convert—reads, “The zippers and handles are strong, and the mesh is a great detail. The material is durable and easy to maintain. This was a new way for me to pack, and I will continue to do it this way. It was easy, and so practical!”
Besides standard packing cubes, this set includes a water-resistant shoe bag and two clear waterproof bags, one of which is a TSA-approved size for carry-on toiletries/liquids. (The larger of the two could work well for a bathing suit that hasn’t had time to dry before your trip home.) The largest of the six cubes is 17.5” x 12.5” x 4”. The six color options include black, pink, and red, and the set comes with a lifetime warranty and “100% satisfaction guarantee.”
One happy customer writes a review to say, “Sometimes my husband and I end up packing in the same bag if we’re only going away for a short time. Our clothes get tossed about trying to find what we’re looking for and half the time I think I forgot something because I can’t find it in the mess. I used these packing bags for the first time last week on a camping trip and I LOVED how neat and organized I was able to keep my clothes.”
Amazon Basics’ packing cubes come in several colors, from black to sky blue, which gives you the option of color-coding by combining two sets (for pajamas vs. daytime clothes, for example). A few nice features are the double zipper pulls, mesh tops to reveal what’s inside, and little handles on top. The largest size is 17.5” x 12.75” x 3.25”.
One review shared this praise: “Packing is so easy now; pants and sweaters go into the large cube, shirts go in the medium cube, and everything else goes in the small cube. My clothes never wrinkle in these.”
Marketed as a product to organize a diaper bag, this set of packing cubes would work just as well in a suitcase, especially if you want smaller bags (for underwear, socks, and so on). Plus, they’re cute! They’re available in black, a floral print, and two herringbone options, and the gold-tone and rose gold-tone zippers are a nice detail. Note that the cubes are machine washable, which is a rare and welcome feature.
One reviewer notes, “These packing cubes are great for organizing any bag! The materials all feel super luxurious, and the zippers are high quality and slide super smoothly! Love the grab handles.”
Samsonite not only makes suitcases, but all kinds of handy travel accessories, too. This set of packing cubes has mesh tops and handles for convenience, and the largest cube measures 18” x 13” x 3”. The material is durable nylon, and the color choices are purple, turquoise, and a dark gray.
One of the many positive reviews reads, “These cubes … have taken ALL the anxiety of packing & keeping my travel bag organized! I’ve tried all kinds of packing suggestions & still seemed to spend so much time looking for looking for items/clothing, but no more! Highly recommended!”
If you’re going on a quick weekend trip and only plan to bring a couple of outfits, you might only need one or two packing cubes. This one comes in the pictured black as well as navy and gray. The outer pockets can hold flip flops, slippers, or flat sandals, and the interior has two more pockets. The packing cube is made from water- and stain-resistant ripstop material with reinforced seams.
One reviewer noted, “I packed 4 days of clothes—long pants, underwear, undershirts, polo shirts, and socks—and didn’t feel that I overstuffed the cube.”
This set of packing cubes is available in blue and an orange-y red—standard colors for these—but also a subtle geometric print in green, orange, and yellow. The ripstop nylon is water-repellant, each packing cube is expandable to 6” deep, and the tops are made from mesh. The largest cube measures 14.5” x 10.5” x 3”. Bonus: The packing cubes meet bluesign® criteria, which denotes a high safety level for consumers and more sustainable manufacturing.
Reviewers recommend them not only for suitcases to bring on the plane or in the car, but also for backpacks for hiking and camping (thanks to their sturdy material).
These packing cubes, which come in black and a pretty shade of blue, are from one of Target’s home brands, Made By Design. They have mesh tops so that you can easily identify the contents, and the largest bag is 18” x 2.62” x 12”. Bonus: They come with a 1-year limited warranty and are “100 percent satisfaction guaranteed.”
One customer shares, “I LOVE these packing cubes. I have several different brands and sizes already and these are some of the best. They are very well-made. The stitching is tight. The zipper slides easily. I will never travel again without packing cubes.”
Most packing cubes are designed to hold clothing, but this set is perfect for toiletries or small items such as charging cables, a glasses case, a hairbrush, and so on. You can instantly see everything that’s inside. The set has earned a 4.9 rating out of 5 at Amazon, and the choices for the bags’ trim are black and a gray camo.
Note that the smallest bag meets TSA guidelines for a carry-on toiletry/liquids bag.
If you’re planning a long trip or find yourself unable to pack light (at least you’ll be prepared for anything!), this set of six packing cubes is for you. It’s available in both bright and subdued colors, and the largest one measures 17.5″ x 12.75″ x 4”. Each cube has a handle as well as a mesh top to make it easy to see what’s inside. The company recommends hand washing.
One of the more than 1,700 reviews raves, “I travel frequently, and these are the BEST packing cubes! They have been on 4 plane trips and 2 road trips since I got them, so I can fairly speak to durability, effectiveness, and all-around awesomeness.”
This set of packing cubes has a nice variety of sizes, and is meant to hold more than just clothing; it includes five clothing bags, two waterproof drawstring bags, and one bag for small items such as charging cables and earbuds. They have mesh tops, and the larger ones have handy straps inside to secure your clothes.
One of the 2,800+ reviewers who gave the set five stars raves, “These packing cubes have changed how I will travel from now on! I began using the larger cubes for my clothes etc. and it was awesome how much less space everything took up. On top of that, it’s all organized! When I arrived to my destination, I just took each cube and placed it into the drawer.”
Several sizes and types of packing cubes are included in this set: extra large, large, medium, and small, along with a shoe bag and laundry bag. The largest measures 17.5” x 12.15” x 4”. The bags are water-resistant, and the ones for clothing have transparent tops and little labels with pictures of what’s packed inside (which may or may not be a welcome feature, depending on how you choose to sort things). The set even comes with a printed guide on how to fold clothes for packing!
One of the 11,000 (!) 5-star reviews reads, “Everything now has its own place and doesn’t get all jumbled up with everything else. These cubes make it easy and fast to find things also. They are lightweight and the little window helps you quickly remember what’s inside.”
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