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I used packing cubes for 12 months straight. Here’s my honest verdict as a frequent traveler
Are packing cubes worth it? After using them for a year on dozens of trips, here's my honest review, including the pros, cons, and who should buy them.
You’ve heard influencers rave about packing cubes. You’ve seen perfectly organized suitcases all over Pinterest. And now you’re wondering…
Are packing cubes worth the hype?
As a frequent traveler, I had the same question floating around in my mind for months, until one day, I decided to try them out.
But I didn’t just trial them on one trip. I used them on dozens of travel adventures, from quick weekend breaks to long-haul vacations to multi-stop trips.
Here’s my honest review. No sponsorships, no brand endorsements, just my real experience after a year of traveling with packing cubes.
Why I committed to packing cubes for a full year
I first bought packing cubes while planning an extended multi-stop trip. From previous experience, I knew that constantly moving between hotels meant repeatedly unpacking and repacking my suitcase.
Packing cubes seemed like a smart solution for keeping everything organized while moving around. So I was curious if they would save me stress and time during each hotel checkout.
At first, I assumed they’d only be useful for longer, multi-stop trips. I couldn’t really see the benefit of using them on a weekend away.
But once I had them, I decided to use them on every type of trip I took, from carry-on-only weekend breaks to longer international vacations with checked luggage.
I wanted to see whether packing cubes were only useful in certain situations or if they deserved a place on every traveler’s domestic and international packing list.
What packing cubes actually did well
From the moment I started using packing cubes, I realized they had many more benefits than I first thought.
During my multi-stop trip, my suitcase felt more like a wardrobe than a messy pile of clothes. Everything had its own place, so I no longer had to root through the entire case to find one item. Instead, I could go straight to one specific cube.
That’s because packing cubes allow you to group similar items together. I put all my t-shirts in one cube, my shorts in another, underwear in another, etc. So when I needed a clean pair of socks, I could retrieve them in a few seconds flat.
Because I was no longer unpacking my entire suitcase every time I needed something, I noticed I never completely unpacked. This meant that when it came to checking out of a hotel, I didn’t have to spend hours refolding and putting away everything.
I was also pleasantly surprised to learn how easy packing cubes made it to keep my clean clothes separate from my dirty clothes.
The biggest surprise, however, was how useful packing cubes were on my shorter trips when I was traveling carry-on only. Many packing cubes have a compression feature, which squeezes out any trapped air to make the pack flatter.
I found this gave me an extra 10% to 15% more space, making it one of my top travel backpack essentials for carry-on-only travel.
The downsides of packing cubes that nobody mentions
While packing cubes have many benefits, they aren’t miracle products by any means. They can save you a lot of time when it comes to repacking, and the compression benefit is a game-changer for carry-on-only travel. However, there are also a few trade-offs.
Firstly, packing cubes do add a bit of weight to your luggage.
Because they compress to fit more in your luggage, they can encourage overpacking, putting you at risk of exceeding your weight allowance. I found that it takes a bit of trial and error to strike a balance between space-saving and overpacking.
Secondly, if not used efficiently, packing cubes can add some slight bulk.
At the end of your trip, you cannot simply stuff all your dirty laundry into one cube. For maximum space efficiency, you need to fold or roll each item, then stack them tightly inside the cube.
So while packing cubes can improve luggage organization, this only works if you organize everything properly inside each cube. Because of this, many travelers find that there is a bit of a learning curve.
After 12 months of testing out packing cubes, here’s how I found they work best for each type of trip:
| Trip type | How I used cubes | Honest verdict |
|---|---|---|
| Carry-on only | 2 slim cubes of rolled clothes | Worth it for space saving and faster security repacks |
| Long-haul checked | 4 cubes, grouping items by category | Well worth it, but be mindful of the weight increase |
| Quick weekend | 1 or 2 cubes | Not always necessary. Depends on destination and season. |
Who should actually buy packing cubes, and how to use them
Packing cubes aren’t necessarily worth it for all travelers.
Considering a set of 5+ compression packing cubes can cost up to $50, if you travel once a year or less, it is a significant extra cost.
However, for frequent travelers, the value you get in space savings, reduced packing time, and less stress quickly outweighs the initial cost.
I also found them more beneficial for long-haul flights and multi-stop trips, where you typically need to bring more clothes. Likewise, for trips like cruises, where storage is limited, packing cubes let you use your suitcase as a moving wardrobe, making them a must-have on any cruise packing list.
Packing cubes are not always beneficial on short weekend breaks. It largely depends on the season and the activities you’re planning.
For example, if you’re spending 1 or 2 nights by the beach in the summer, you likely won’t need much anyway, so packing cubes are basically redundant. But if you’re traveling in the winter or planning to hike, camp, or ski, you’ll need to bring more items, and so packing cubes could be useful.
If you do decide to try them for yourself, here are my top tips for getting the most out of packing cubes:
- Start with 2 or 3 cubes: You don’t need an 8-piece set for your first trip, start small.
- Roll, don’t fold: While you can fit about the same amount of clothes in a cube by rolling or folding them, rolling significantly reduces wrinkles.
- Pack by usage frequency: Instead of just packing similar items together, think about frequency. For example, you might want to have everything you need on the first night in one cube to avoid opening all your cubes.
Stay connected wherever your packing takes you
Packing smart is really about one thing: not wanting to think about the small stuff once you’re on the road. Your connection deserves the same treatment. A Holafly eSIM gives you unlimited data with 5G speeds and 24/7 customer support, so you can install it before you leave and land already online, no hunting for airport Wi-Fi or a local SIM.
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Hi, I'm Mika, a South Korean writer living in the US. I cover travel and live events, focusing on the practical stuff that makes your trip smoother, whether you're navigating a new city or heading to a major international event.I'm also the founder of Search SEOul, South Korea's leading SEO conference, bringing together search marketing experts and speakers from around the world.
