If you’ve ever opened your suitcase halfway through a holiday and wondered how everything became such a mess, packing cubes might be about to become your new favourite travel accessory.
They’re simple, lightweight zipped bags that sit inside your suitcase and help keep everything organised. Think of them as little compartments for a suitcase that doesn’t have any.
What are packing cubes?
Packing cubes usually come in sets of different sizes and can be used to separate your clothes and other items.
You might use one for tops, one for underwear, one for swimwear and another for shorts or trousers. How you organise them is entirely up to you.
They’re particularly handy if you’re sharing a suitcase, as each person can have their own cubes rather than everyone’s clothes becoming one giant suitcase jumble.
Why do I recommend them?
For me, the biggest benefit is simply being able to find things easily.
Instead of rummaging through your entire suitcase looking for one top, you know exactly which cube it should be in. It also means you can take something out without disturbing everything else you carefully packed around it.
They can make unpacking easier too. Depending on where you’re staying and what you’ve packed, you may be able to lift a cube straight from your suitcase into a drawer.
Packing cubes can also be useful when you’re travelling between several places. Rather than completely unpacking and repacking at every stop, you can keep everything organised inside your case.
Do packing cubes save space?
This is one thing worth being clear about.
Standard packing cubes are mainly about organisation, not magically creating extra suitcase space.
There are also compression packing cubes, which are designed to reduce the amount of space your clothes take up. They’re a slightly different beast though, so we’ll come back to those in another guide.
Whichever type you use, remember that making everything fit into a smaller space doesn’t make it weigh any less. Your luggage allowance still applies.
What should you look for?
You don’t need anything particularly fancy. I would look for packing cubes that are lightweight, have sturdy zips and come in a useful selection of sizes.
There are loads of different colours and designs available too, so you can keep things simple or choose something a bit more fun. Mesh panels can also be handy because you can see what’s inside without opening every cube to find the one you’re looking for.
If you fancy giving them a try, these packing cubes (paid link) are a good example of the type I mean, with a selection of different sizes to help organise your suitcase.
Are packing cubes worth it?
If you like being able to find things quickly and keep your suitcase organised, I think they’re absolutely worth trying.
They won’t transform your suitcase into Mary Poppins’ bag, but they can make packing, unpacking and finding your belongings considerably easier.
And anything that reduces the amount of time spent rummaging through a suitcase while muttering “I KNOW I packed it…” gets my vote. 😂
Continue planning your trip…
If you’re getting ready for your next holiday, you might also find The Ultimate Holiday Packing List useful.