Packing cube recommendations

[flamingos]

Pros, cons? Recommendations of brands?  Thanks!

[zoepipes]

Amazon has a good selection.  These are what we got:

 

 https://www.amazon.com/Shacke-Pak-Packing-Organizers-Laundry/dp/B07C7WGDQZ/ref=sxin_29_slsr_d_i_fs4star_fa_cue_0_B07C7WGDQZ?content-id=amzn1.sym.11dc6b69-2f0a-4f51-804c-02fafab65f97%3Aamzn1.sym.11dc6b69-2f0a-4f51-804c-02fafab65f97&cv_ct_cx=packing+cube&keywords=packing+cube&pd_rd_i=B07C7WGDQZ&pd_rd_r=2a8cd093-4791-42a3-af2b-0548403ae548&pd_rd_w=x9yfV&pd_rd_wg=jMiJd&pf_rd_p=11dc6b69-2f0a-4f51-804c-02fafab65f97&pf_rd_r=JEZCF4RS7SEBHP9MY846&psc=1&qid=1655305127&sr=1-1-e34beff1-162a-4ed3-9956-05d0830a3cd7

 

I like them because I can move them from my suitcase to the ships drawers without unpacking (except for those things I want to hang) - everything is easy access.  My husband and I each have our own color set (actually we have 2 sets each - LOL).  Once you master the rolling, you would be amazed at the amount of things you can pack in your suitcase!  I don't have any cons.  

 

Edited June 15, 2022 by zoepipes

[woodinville cruisers]

We have Shacke Pak organizers and we've used them for years.

[OCSC Mike]

My wife loves them, I can't stand them.

[firefly333]

1 hour ago, flamingos said:

Pros, cons? Recommendations of brands?  Thanks!

Just dont. I bring a overflow bag as I'm female and know I'll shop and have more going home than I came with.

 

I bring pringles and things I get rid of to make extra space going home. A bottle of aged tequila and a crystal block added weight to all the stuff I bought.

 

I think they are a bad idea lol. 

[EatonDoolittle]

I am a convert to the soft sided ones - more compression bags than "cubes". They seem to hold endless stuff.

I like the organization, but I do unpack them into drawers or closet when I board.  

 

I really like using them for packing to go home.

I sort the used stuff into the appropriate wash load (i.e. all swimwear and other delicates into one bag) , and once home, dump each bag into a pile in my laundry room to be dealt with as I get time.  

 

I got a couple different sets on QVC - watch for sales.

Amazon has quite a few options as well. 

[ARandomTraveler]

Eagle creek clean-dirty cubes. They're double sided so you can re-pack the dirty clothes on the other side. The divider between the 2 sides is water and smell proof. Being double sided also makes them deeper (because you're basically getting 2 packing cubes in one, so you can stuff double the clothes in one side if the other side is empty).
 

I love packing cubes. It makes it so much easier to grab clothes without having to reach under a pile and risk un-folding and making a mess of your other clothes. Clothes are easy to find, and I just like the organization of it. Now that I use them, whenever I see a suitcase packed without them it just looks like a mess.
 

I keep my shirts in one, pants in another, pjs in one, swimsuits in one, undergarments in another. 
 

I've tried the eagle creek, Amazon brand, Ebags, and I've tried all the different sizes and shapes. Eagle creek double sided is definitely my favorite because of the double sided option and also because they hold their shape a bit better than the other 2 brands. 

 

Ebags would be my next favorite because of all the color options. 

[barbienj]

I have used ebags cubes for years. Love them!

[LGW59]

1 hour ago, OCSC Mike said:

My wife loves them, I can't stand them.

Agree, they take up more room than just regular old fashioned normal packing does.

[brillohead]

I don't use them for packing space but rather for overall organization. Originally everyone touted how you could "pack so much more in the same space" and that just didn't make sense to me, so I avoided them for a long time.  But once I used them, I realized that they made sense for me from an organizational standpoint.

I group items together -- all my t-shirts in one cube, pants in another, undies in another, socks in another, swimwear in another, etc.  I also pack my embarkation day outfit all in one cube on top of my suitcase, so I don't have to go through my whole suitcase at the hotel -- my outfit all put together in one place.

When it's time to unpack, I just remove a cube, unzip it, and place it in the designated spot (shelf in closet, drawer in vanity).  I'm completely unpacked in minutes.  Throughout the week, I put dirty clothes in the empty suitcase under the bed.  If I get laundry done or hand-wash some items, I put them back in the applicable packing cube (shelf/drawer). 

When it's time to pack to go home or to my next ship, I can pack in minutes -- I just have to zip each cube and drop it in the suitcase.  Anything not in a cube needs to be laundered; anything in a cube can be worn or put away when I get home.

I don't think it really matters what brand you get, as long as you don't go super-cheap (you want a quality zipper).  If you need to create space in your luggage, the compression bags are handy.

 

[MrsKMB]

Oh my word! My daughter just packed all my clothes for 12 days in two cubes! I'm still using a big-@ass suitcase though. A girl's gotta shop! 😂

[ilovetotravel1977]

I have two sets of these from LUG:

 

https://www.amazon.ca/Lug-5-Piece-Packing-Purple-Marigold/dp/B00BRZZ642/ref=sr_1_5?crid=21IQV2X3JU8G&keywords=LUG+packing+cubes&qid=1655318807&sprefix=lug+packing+cubes%2Caps%2C68&sr=8-5

 

They hold A LOT!

[iancal]

Never used them.

 

We have both been doing international carry on for 12 years. Seven days or seven weeks..makes no difference.

[JDincalif]

3 hours ago, LGW59 said:

Agree, they take up more room than just regular old fashioned normal packing does.

There may not be many of us (J is the guilty one here), but for those who pack bags right up to airline baggage weight limits packing cubes can be the items that push luggage into overweight. They do make packing and unpacking easier, though. 

[LGW59]

4 minutes ago, iancal said:

Never used them.

 

We have both been doing international carry on for 12 years. Seven days or seven weeks..makes no difference.

My years of business travel and living out of a suitcase taught me very well.

[craftygrandma]

I had a problem once.  Packed all the undies in one cube and left it on the dresser at home.

 

[mom says]

I've never used packing cubes to give myself extra suitcase room, but to help organize and reduce mess (and wrinkling as a side bonus). I use clear ones, so I can see at a glance what is inside each one. Unpacking takes only a few minutes, since I just place the cubes into drawers or shelves. They also help to keep non clothing items corralled, like all the electronic paraphernalia. 

[udivegirl]

The were a game changer for me.  They keep things organized, you can cram more in, and nothing will fall out if TSA inspects your bags.  You're actually able to pack more just from the organization and compression.  

 

Samantha Brown's packing cubes are my favorite.  The walls of the cubes are sturdy enough to stand upright when empty.  (Flimsy ones are a pain to pack.)  They are also great quality, have good zippers, and also have handles.  They have a see-through plastic top so you can see what's in them and contents will be protected from liquids.  A lot of the ones I've purchased on Amazon are too flimsy.

[cruisemom42]

I've not found packing cubes to either cut down on wrinkles or give me more space (the two things that would be pluses for me).  On a cruise I would never leave my clothing in packing bags anyway. I actually hang most of my clothing. 

 

I can see where, organizationally speaking, they could be useful on land trips where you are packing/unpacking multiple times. Even then, I'm so used to my way of packing that I know where pretty much everything is -- and I am a Houdini at pulling out a t-shirt without disturbing the whole stack.

[navybankerteacher]

The material of the cubes does take up the space which could be filled by an additional two or three actually useful items. The cubes may help you organize things - but they cannot create more space.

 

I have packed enough to know how to do it - at least to my own satisfaction - without the sub-packing involved with cubes.

Edited June 16, 2022 by navybankerteacher

[crystalspin]

For land-based "If this is Wednesday" trips, I had obtained and used variously colored cheap sets of packing cubes from eBay. With some success. For certain, they added an organizational benefit when spending only 1 or max 2 nights in a place! And travelling carry-on only.

 

Then came the transAtlantics with flight legs on extremely low-budget lines that claim to restrict carry-ons by weight not just length/width/depth. I weighed the cheap packing cubes and was dismayed! I shopped around and got two sets (different colored zippers for DH and me) of Eagle Creek Specter packing cubes. These don't seem to be carried anymore. I don't know if the Isolate or the Reveal lines are lighter weight. Or you can search eBay and pick up some Specter there.

 

I weighed each and ever thing I packed and the lower weight of the cubes DID make a difference of one or two items of clothing per person. But remember it's a matter of organization; it doesn't actually get more in your suitcase any more that rolling over folding.

[2wheelin]

5 hours ago, JDincalif said:

There may not be many of us (J is the guilty one here), but for those who pack bags right up to airline baggage weight limits packing cubes can be the items that push luggage into overweight. They do make packing and unpacking easier, though. 

 

8 minutes ago, navybankerteacher said:

The material of the cubes does take up the space which could be filled by an additional two or thing actually useful items. The cubes may help you organize things - but they cannot create more space.

 

What material do you think cubes are made of? Mine are thin nylon (basically the thickness of a piece of paper) and 10 of them together weigh no more than a pound. 

They are also great for preventing wrinkles but you need to know how to do it.

[navybankerteacher]

8 minutes ago, 2wheelin said:

 

What material do you think cubes are made of? Mine are thin nylon (basically the thickness of a piece of paper) and 10 of them together weigh no more than a pound. 

They are also great for preventing wrinkles but you need to know how to do it.

That pound of additional packing material can mean a pound less of usable clothes. 
 

If an item is carefully folded and packed it can be unpacked without wrinkles whether or not it has been enclosed in a cube, 

 

Those ten cubes to which you refer still need to be shoved into a piece of luggage with finite dimensions - often resulting in dead space between them.  
 

The most efficient use of space usually involves placement of individual items - rather than pre- packed cubes.

[2wheelin]

1 hour ago, navybankerteacher said:

That pound of additional packing material can mean a pound less of usable clothes. 
 

If an item is carefully folded and packed it can be unpacked without wrinkles whether or not it has been enclosed in a cube, 

 

Those ten cubes to which you refer still need to be shoved into a piece of luggage with finite dimensions - often resulting in dead space between them.  
 

The most efficient use of space usually involves placement of individual items - rather than pre- packed cubes.

Except you would not use a whole pound of cubes in one bag so if you are that close to the limit, take out a sock.

Carefully folded until the bag moves and the clothes are not tightly packed as in cubes.

No dead space if done correctly. Quite the contrary as a properly packed cube could if necessary be shaped around other things without disturbing the packed clothing, thus again preventing mussing or wrinkles.

Efficient use of space only requires thinking ahead.

[puppycanducruise]

Packing cubes make cross packing easier. 

It's easy to put (at least) one complete outfit in a packing cube and put it in my husband's checked bag.  He puts one outfit in a packing cube in my checked bag.  If one of our bags gets lost one of us hasn't lost all our clothes.