In your travels, as in life overall, a bit of organization up front can save you time and reduce frustration down the road. Enter the packing cube: a simple bag, usually made of fabric and mesh, that tidily zips away your clutter.
Staff writer Claire Wilcox has been cramming clothing into suitcases since she was a child. For decades, she traveled without packing cubes, and she disliked packing so much she once bribed her younger sister into doing it for her. Her attitude has improved since discovering packing cubes. She has also written about car-camping tents , sleeping bags , and puffy blankets for Wirecutter. This guide builds on many years of testing and research by senior staff writer Kit Dillon, who has covered luggage and travel gear for Wirecutter for over a decade.
They remain his number one travel hack whenever people ask. Get this if: You need a set of basic packing cubes that does the job without getting in the way. The Reveal packing cubes are made of denier polyester. The higher the denier, the stronger the fabric; denier indicates a sturdy fabric made to resist tears. However, mesh lets in dust and dirt over time.
The zippers slide smoothly around corners, even when a cube is overstuffed. We find the three-cube set particularly useful when separating clothes, but you can also buy these individually. The cubes are guaranteed for life. The Reveal cubes now come in more silhouettes. These three cubes have the same shape as the Pack-It Reveal cubes, but they are somewhat water-resistant to guard against spills and weigh half as much, thanks to their lighter material.
Get this if: You need a set of lightweight packing cubes with a bit of water resistance. If you want the organizational benefits of packing cubes but also want to add the least amount of weight to your suitcase, the Isolate set is a great choice. The largest Isolate cube weighs 1. Whereas our other picks take up about the same packing volume as a balled-up pair of boxers, these bunch down to the size of a single ankle sock. Like the Reveal cubes, the Isolate bags zip open on three sides and hinge along the fourth.
