Packing Cubes

[pmdeve]

I have been looking at packing cubes for our next trip. There are so many kinds and sizes I don't know which one to buy. There are two of us going for 7 days.

Any suggestions of pros and cons of using the cubes and if you use them, what ones do you suggest.

 

[Pooh2]

We bought Pro Packing cubes on Amazon.
We each have 4 medium, which fit perfectly in our carry-on.
We do have a few small ones, which are very small to keep things like chargers/cords organized.

 

[iivye]

I started with a set from ebags that contains a few different sizes. I have bought more of slims because they are easier for me to tetris in the suitcase. I'm not a fan of the large ones because I like to separate my packing by outfit or by type (shirts in one, skirts in another).

 

[EdnaMarieMode]

I swear by mine. We have Amazon Basics ones and they have gone on many, many trips and still look/ function like brand new.

I use 2 medium sized ones each for me and DH. I can generally pack each kid into 1 medium each (or 1 medium each for day clothes and 1 medium for pajamas for all 3 together). I have a large one I use mainly for diapers. I like the mediums and smalls best because they're easier to move around in the suitcase, and they also fit easily into a carry-on bag.

Pros:
-everything is neat in the bag (less wrinkles)
-you can unpack by putting the whole cube right into a drawer
-easier to sort clothing by person or by day, whichever you prefer

Cons: everything fits so neatly, it's easier to over-pack (not necessarily a "con" but still I'm amazed at how much I'm able to neatly fit in a cube)

I don't know if it helped or not but we've had suitcases checked by TSA and everything was left neatly in cubes how we had packed it. It was as if they were able to take the cube out, see what they needed, and put it right back. It was nice to not have it all rummaged through and unfolded etc. Had we not had the notice from TSA I would have never known they went in there.

 

[pmdeve]

Thanks, I'm convinced!! I especially like taking the cubes out of the suitcase and into the drawer!! I am going to order my cubes tonight.

 

[Keacc]

Don't waste your money on packing cubes. Go out and buy some xxl zip lock bags. You can pack them and see what is in them. If you need something larger, go to Dollar Tree and get some storage bags.

 

[Dashzap]

Some good info in this older thread:https://www.disboards.com/threads/tell-me-about-packing-cubes.3678160/#post-59148749

I prefer packing cubes to ziplocks because packing cubes aren't slippery (so they aren't falling on the floor while I am filling my suitcase and when TSA opens a bag) and I've been using the same ones for years (go through the clothes washer well). I have some Eagle Creek ones and some cheap ones from TJMaxx.

I do take some ziplocks for wet swimsuits, phone protection from rain and rides, sunscreen, and snacks.

 

[SinCityMMAFan]

Love packing cubes. Not only do they keep everything neat and organized I also find that I have more room in my suitcase when using them.

I bought a pack of 7 off Ebay for around $10 or so. Great little investment.

 

[PrincessWithABlaster]

We have ebags from Amazon. I'm not at all an organized person by Nair so I was very skeptical that these would be anything other than a waste of money. Surprisingly they are one of the organization tools I actually like and find extremely useful. My suitcase or drawer (I don't always unpack) is not a mess of pawed through clothes after a few days. They don't take any longer to pack or find clothes in (less time in fact because even though you are zipping and unzipping the clothes stay neat and sorted). I don't use them for short trips to Grandma's house and usually wish I would have. I have no cons for you. I use the medium, slim medium and small (for chunky bracelets and other accessories). DH likes the large for his pants.

I still use ziplocks for the kids clothes for Disney so they can have a day's outfit all together but the days of that are numbered. It's harder to get larger clothes into a gallon ziplock with the zipper on one side instead of the ebags zipper going around 3. Also, as someone else mentioned the ziplocks slide all around and don't lay nicely in a suitcase.

 

[phins_jazy]

i got my packing cubes off of amazon as well. they come in a variety of sizes and that works great for our family. I used to be a big ziplock bag user but I agree, they are slippery and tend to fall out of the suitcase, off the bed but it was nice when the kids were littler because i could put a whole outfit in a ziplock bag and they were good to go.

 

[bigpinkdaisy]

Another fan of the Amazon Basics packing cubes. We bought our original sets three years ago - through multiple trips (we cruise every April, vacation for 10+ days each July and then do a beach trip in August, plus various weekend trips throughout the year) - they still look brand new! We pack for three of us (DH, myself(an admittedly heavy over packer) and our 13 year old son in two suitcases for ten days with the cubes and still have plenty of room left over for souvenirs. We love that everything stays wrinkle free and compact - and you can unpack your suitcase right into hotel room drawers - just unzip the cube and fold the top back. In fact, my mom borrowed some of ours for our cruise last month and liked them so much that she was going to order her own, but we got them for her for Mother's Day. They are a fantastic investment.

 

[emily nicole]

I have a ton of packing cubes, but I've found that I prefer to just use them for socks and underwear because it keeps them organized. It's easier to me just to fold and stick my shirts and shorts in the suitcase and the packing cube just seems like an extra step.

I got mine from eBags.

 

[maxiesmom]

I love my packing cubes! They keep everything organized, and for things like underwear I just place the cube into the drawer at my hotel.

I also have one that is referred to as a packing envelope or folder. I use it for all of my tops. It comes with a little plastic folding board, and boy, can I get a lot of tops into that thing!

 

[MomOfDisneyPrincess]

I'm not completely sold on them, but I do have some and will use them for our upcoming trip. I went with inexpensive ones from Amazon that had good reviews. I am not convinced that they actually get more things into the suitcase. I am a good packer and utilize space quite well (I got that from my Dad).

I do like to pack in one color for myself and another for DD. She is one of those people who pulls things out of the middle of the stack and leaves the neatly folded clothes in complete disarray and doesn't even notice what she has done. At least this way, my clothes are safe from her rummaging because she knows to only go into her color of cube for anything.

I also like to be able to easily unpack by just moving the cube from suitcase to drawer and back again for repacking. This year, we are staying a few resort only days at AoA and then moving over to Pop for our park vacation. I plan to pack complete outfits for the first part of the trip in certain cubes and only pull those out for AoA and leave the rest in the suitcase for Pop. Less packing and repacking for our split stay. That's the plan anyway.

 

[SaintsManiac]

I have 2 sets now. We do the KonMari style of folding and that works really well with cubes. They are also perfect for my kid's clothing, since it's all smaller stuff.

I might actually buy a 3rd set for our July trip. We are staying in 3 different places and it would be nice to separate everything.

ETA: I got mine from Amazon.

 

[GoofyCoaster]

I thought packing cubes were pointless but I read a few travel blogs that kept recommending them. So I grabbed a set by Shacke Pak off Amazon for about $25 that came with variable sizes and a shoe/laundry bag. Figured at that price it was OK if it was a bust. Ended up using the heck out of these cubes. As our family is packing, we all want to use them. I don’t know if it helps us get that much more in the suitcase, but it keeps everything organized. Without the cubes, after a couple days the suitcase is a clothes bomb of wrinkled, intermingled dirty and clean clothes. On a cruise or in a studio we unpack and put the cubes into drawers and stow the luggage under the bed. The room feels more spacious without open suitcases on every available surface. I machine wash and line dry our cubes periodically. They’ve held up well.

 

[momrek06]

I have traveled for yearrrrrrs and recently saw friends on SM mentioning "packing cubes" .... so after countless discussions with friends I decided to check them out.

I went on ebags site and then compared them (price etc) to Amazon's site and for the EXACT same ebags .... ebags site was offering a better deal.

Bought them. 6 CUBES. All different sizes. Bright orange.

Bottomline: I LOVE THEM!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[APiratesLifeForMe2]

I love mine. Each family member has their own color so it allows us to mix up bags and when we unpack them in drawers we can easily tell them apart. I think we have the Bagail brand which I got on black Friday or prime day for like half off.

 

[leahgoogle]

You guys have convinced me to try them! Just ordered some off Amazon. Our suitcases last trip drove me nuts having to dig through wrinkled mixed up clothes.

 

[SaintsManiac]

To go even further with my organization, I have the large Ziploc stand up bags for dirty clothes. Everyone has their own and so I can throw those in the suitcase and leave whatever extra clean clothes we have in the cubes. Makes unpacking super easy.