The Ultimate Packing Cubes Guide | How To Use & Choose The Best Packing Cubes For Travel

0:00 - Intro
0:58 - How To Use Packing Cubes
4:40 - Best Packing Cubes To Choose
8:19 - Considerations Before You Buy

When you open your bag, do you prefer a neatly organized system that’s easy to navigate or a jumbled mess of creased clothing? If you’re the former, great! We’re going to get along just fine, and you’re definitely in the right place.

First and foremost, packing cubes are used to organize the contents of your bag. But they can also help save space, as a cube will compress your clothes together. There are even specific “compression cubes” that take this a step further, which we’ll get into a bit later. The point is, when you’re cramming your life inside a carry-on sized backpack, you’ll want to save space where you can—and packing cubes are one of the best ways to do that.

And if you’re still thinking packing cubes are a waste of time, we should mention that these nifty things make packing and unpacking way easier. Whether you’re an ultra-minimalist, an “I need absolutely everything for any situation” packer, or something in-between—being able to just swap a few bags in and out of your pack is a dream.

At the end of the day, there is no “best packing cube,” but hopefully this guide will help steer you in the right direction to pick up the best packing cube for you. It all comes down to personal preference, travel style, and personal use-case. You may not get it right the first time, and that’s okay! Sometimes you need to iterate.

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[cgc]

I love this guy, he looks like an Oblivion character

[AntisepticHandwash]

What an absolutely stellar guide video. Takes you from absolute zero information, to having everything you need to start making purchases. Excellent communication, pacing, flow, and pleasant visuals too. This guide video is what I wish every guide video on YouTube could be!

[debbieguitor]

I’ve been using Ziplock freezer backs for about 30 years. Variety of sizes, clear, multiple uses while travelling, light-weight, waterproof and very inexpensive.

[cherylwest]

I've always done the "lasagna" layering method where garments are laid flat one atop another then rolled smaller items stuffed around the edges. My tour guide is always amazed how many outfits I can pack in my two carry-ons. The drawback is having to dig through and down to find an item. This video has great info about choices and I'm going to try cubes on my next trip. Maybe compare the cubes w/the layering to see which can pack more.

[justme]

i travel a LOT. I swear by packing tubes. I Love love love love them. This is a great intro to same. Well, well done !!!

[katrinapineda]

I LOVE ultra-light ones! I use them for everything. Even if it's not full, it's easy to fold and squeeze on the tiniest corner of the pack.
Compression cubes for bulky winter wear like chunky sweaters and padded jackets but I don't like them for normal packing. They're hard to stack up as you said.
I have a netted one as well which I use to bring stuff inside hostel showers or when I have damp clothes, I clip them on my bag to air out.

[travelwiththis]

Packing cubes are a no-brainer. A good one can also be used as a pillow for when you're stuck at the airport :)

[claymountain]

I have the Ikea set and what I do sometimes (works only with a very specific amount of clothing) is put all my clothing in the bigger one, and then stuff it in the smaller one. That way you still get that compression effect.

[knmplans]

I actually have the bright blue Eagle Creek cube. I use it to hold diapers, wipes, bottle of hand sanitizer, and a semi-disposable changing mat. I have two, I've been using them regularly for 6 years, and they still look brand new. I HIGHLY recommend them to anyone traveling with a child in diapers. Diapers are the one thing you should always over pack, and you can fit so darn many in one of these cubes. I've used everything from newborn diapers to S/M size GoodNites (they're pretty big). That handle on top is essential too. The bight colors and handle make it so easy to see and grab in any lighting situation. You can easily carry the bag and a kid who may or may not be compliant, and the handle makes it so you can clip it to yourself (via a small carabiner) or hang in on a changing table or bag hook. Oh, and I got mine for free when Eddie Bauer had $15 off anything coupons. But I'd 100% pay full price for them.

[csd]

Traveling to Europe with a husband and 2 young children, I packed an outfit a day in a cube, so the kids could be independent when getting ready each morning. The dirty clothes went into the cube they just emptied. It took a bit of time to pack that way, but saved time and energy on the trip.

[florvera]

Nathan, thanks a million. This is a really good and clear comparison of products. I am really glad I found your video before ordering. And the comments are educational as well.

[czntrm]

I LOVE a jumbled mess! 😄 Just kidding. I actually bought a sewing pattern to make my own packing cube knockoffs and now I can make them to match all my duffle bags and backpacks, purse, hat...yes, I'm THAT crazy lady. 😂😂😂😉

[ScottTempletonX]

You didn't mention these in the video, but I'm all about the cubes with clean & dirty sides. If done right, they don't take up any extra space and let you slowly start to migrate clean clothes to the dirty side as your trip progresses, which is awesome.

I've been loving my Acteon clean/dirty cubes! Eagle Creek makes some too, and I'm pretty sure there are others.

[paullim]

Thanks to you guys, I now use packing cubes. Thank you for explaining the benefits very well, I became a better organised person whenever I travel.

[Rinriji]

Thank you for sharing this very educational video, I've sucked at packing and would always ended up having a very bulky handcarry/bagpack as my luggage. Watching this really helped!

[highlanderes]

Thanks. Prefer handles for hanging a packing cube ex. in a foreign toilet, with dubious surfaces, like changing before or after a bus ride, flight etc. Prefer mesh and bright colours to easily see what is in there.

[RG-vhkg]

As an amateur traveller and someone eager to organize, this video brings me a lot of joy 🥲🥲🥲

[vilmasi]

I've been wanting to buy packing cubes for years. Thank you, this was very helpful!

[mialuca]

Such a well made, professional and informing Video! I love it.

[meYogii_]

Why have I never used packing cubes, I only used plastic bags. This is a fenomenal invention!