Packing cube sets for all your traveling needs

Photo collage of packing cubes and images of people using packing cubes

Packing cubes help organize your belongings so you can easily find what you're looking for once you reach your destination

(Image credit: Illustration by Julia Wytrazek / Getty Images)

By Catherine Garcia, The Week US

published 12 March 2024

Do Future You a favor and use packing cubes for your next trip. They organize and separate clothes, shoes and accessories inside your luggage, making it much easier to find your belongings once you arrive at your destination. Whether you are embarking on a short road trip or an epic around-the-world adventure, these seven sets will help you go the distance.

Calpack packing cubes set

With Calpak's packing cubes set, there is room for just about anything you might want to bring on vacation. The durable mesh fabric lets your items breathe (a welcome relief toward the end of your trip when your clothes could use some airing out) and each cube has a clear window so you can slide in a label, taking your organization to the next level. Sets come with five cubes — a large, a medium, two small and an envelope for tech or toiletries — and there are some fun patterns to choose from, including the limited edition green checkerboard and classic cheetah print.

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Compression packing cubes ensure you have even more room in your luggage for the essentials. Travel + Leisure praised the "no-frills" Gonex compression packing cubes for their "simple and functional design" and strong double zippers (the key to keeping air out of the compressed bag). The lightweight cubes come four to a set (small, medium, large and extra large) and are made of water-resistant ripstop, with handles so they are easy to grab on the go.

The sturdy Eagle Creek Pack-It Isolate compression cubes save space while also saving the planet. Eagle Creek uses recycled materials and repairs any of its bags that break, keeping them out of landfills. Lightweight and made from a water-resistant translucent poly fabric, the Isolate cubes are designed to block odors and moisture. They come in a set of three: extra small fits underwear, the small holds t-shirts and the medium has room for jeans and sweaters.

Every Cotopaxi Cubos travel cube is a surprise, thanks to the company's innovative recycling process. Leftover material from other Cotopaxi products is repurposed to create the cubes, giving each one its own unique color-blocked look. The cubes have mesh side panels for ventilation and handles so you can quickly pull them out of your bag. If you ordinarily pack light, skip the bundle and just order one of the single cubes.

Béis' set offers the perfect mix of two large compression cubes and two small standard cubes. Put your soft stuff in the compression cubes (go ahead, squish those socks) and keep your nicer items safe in the roomy standard ones. Color options include classy staples like black, beige, olive green and atlas pink. If four cubes is not going to cut it, go for the six-piece set, which gives you two extra large compression cubes and four standard.

Going on a long journey? This lightweight seven-piece set includes four compression cubes that can hold two weeks' worth of clothing, a shoe pouch, a laundry bag and a versatile tube cube that will fit everything from hair tools to bathing suits. Families can easily split up the cubes so everyone gets one, but the set is also a good investment for an ambitious solo traveler. Colors choices include white, teal, dusty pink and the fun national park variety pack, with illustrations of Yosemite, Yellowstone, Arches, the Grand Canyon and the Tetons.

If you are a committed shoe addict hoping to bring everything from stilettos to hiking boots on your trip, these are the bags for you. They are made of waterproof nylon and come in two sizes with either a zipper or drawstring closure — the large can hold sneakers and dress shoes and the standard is great for high heels. While shoes fit perfectly, "reviewers also love the bags for toiletries, towels and other small items," Good Housekeeping said.

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Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.