If you’ve ever ripped apart your luggage looking for that t-shirt or phone charger you thought you packed, you understand how critical it is to stay organized while traveling. Using a luggage organizer, such as packing cubes, can help you save time rummaging through your bags while also increasing the amount of space inside your suitcase. Here’s how to use packing cubes to ensure your success, from packing to unpacking to arriving at your destination.
What Exactly Are Packing Cubes?
Packing cubes are small bags that help you organize all of your belongings (think clothing, accessories, shoes, swimsuits, and more) while neatly stowing them inside your luggage. These cubes come in a variety of sizes and are frequently made of lightweight, durable materials (more on that later) to take up as little space as possible in your suitcase. That way, you’ll have plenty of space to store your essentials safely, securely (and neatly!).
What Are the Advantages of Packing Cubes?
There are numerous advantages to using packing cubes for travel, not the least of which is their ability to maximize suitcase space, reduce clothing wrinkles, and assist you in being a more organized traveler—all without adding weight to your luggage.
Conserving Space
Using packing cubes is one of the most effective ways to fit everything into your luggage. Travel packing cubes are useful not only for saving precious suitcase space but also for ditching the suitcase and packing only a carry-on bag.
Keeping Clothes in Good Condition
Packing cubes eliminate the need to worry about wrinkled or creased clothing. This is because the best packing cubes are designed to keep your belongings from shifting or moving around in your luggage while in transit. (As an added bonus, you won’t need a steamer or iron, allowing you to pack lighter no matter where you’re going.) Your clothes will look (almost) brand new when you unpack them.
Staying Organized
Packing cubes are especially useful for getting—and staying—organized. Packing cubes make it easy to keep your wardrobe staples neat, whether you’re taking a bucket-list trip or a mini vacation; you can easily separate them by outfit or occasion. Furthermore, packing cubes can be used to separate clean and dirty clothing, making packing and unpacking a breeze.
How to Select Packing Cubes
So you’re sold on travel packing cubes but have no idea where to begin your search. Don’t be concerned. By focusing on four key features, you can quickly narrow down products to the best of the bunch and learn how to use packing cubes.
#1. Size
Packing cubes come in a variety of sizes. Choose a set with a variety of sizes so you can mix and match depending on what you’re packing. With undergarments, for example, a small packing cube will suffice. Bulkier items, such as sweaters and jeans, will almost certainly require a larger-sized cube.
#2. Material
When looking for the best packing cubes for travel, durability is essential. No matter how many times you travel around the world, the sturdy nylon construction and quality stitching will keep you from tearing. And, no, weight and durability are not mutually exclusive. There are numerous options for lightweight and long-lasting packing cubes.
Aside from that, look for products made of high-quality materials that meet your specific requirements. So, if you’re traveling with liquids (pro tip: check the TSA liquid limit), look for packing cubes made of water-resistant materials. Similarly, if you’re packing a heavy suitcase and are concerned about overweight luggage, look for ultra-lightweight items that won’t add bulk.
Finally, choose packing cubes that are transparent (or semi-transparent) so you can see what’s inside quickly and easily. This will save you from having to unpack a bunch of similar-looking cubes while looking for a specific item.
#3. Color
If you’re tired of combing through your packing cubes, go for a multicolored set. It will make sorting, organizing, packing, and unpacking quick and easy. Simply assign a color to each category—swimsuits, pants, blouses, or anything else—and you’re done.
#4. Compression
Choose packing cubes that can be easily compressed to save valuable suitcase space. You’ll be able to make the most of your (very small) space this way.
These packing cubes are excellent for shorter trips. Both compact carry-on and under-seat luggage have limited storage space, but compression packing cubes can help you fit in more of the items you’ll need while traveling.
Are Packing Cubes Worth It?
Whether you travel frequently or only once a year, packing cubes make the most efficient use of the space inside your suitcase. They help you stay organized, protect your belongings, and may even save you money.
You’ll always know where your belongings are, eliminating the hassle of getting ready for an early business meeting or a leisurely afternoon spent lounging by the pool. (There are also cubes designed to keep damp items from soiling the rest of your clothes, just in case you can’t resist one last dip in the ocean before flying.)
Packing cubes also serve as containers, which helps you stay organized at your destination. Dresser drawers are no longer common in many modern hotel rooms. Traveling with packing cubes allows you to stay organized while avoiding the jumbled mess that often results from living out of a suitcase.
To limit the number of bags you check in or carry, assign separate cubes to family members traveling together and then combine them into one suitcase.
How to Use Packing Cubes
Still not sure how to use packing cubes to maximize your limited luggage space? We’ve got your back. It really is as simple as 1, 2, 3, 4!
Step 1: Get Organized
Avoid haphazardly packing your travel packing cubes. Instead, start by gathering everything you’ll need to fit into your new luggage set.
This step may take some time, but trust us when we say it’s well worth it. It will not only help you get organized, but it will also keep you from overpacking.
Step 2: Categorize
Sorting your clothes will help you stay organized and, hopefully, avoid common packing mistakes. Make piles for bathing suits, tops, bottoms, shoes, undergarments, toiletries, and other items.
Step 3: Folding
To save as much space as possible inside your suitcase, fold (or roll) your clothing as carefully as possible.
When you’ve finished folding everything, start filling your packing cubes. Remember to keep similar items together, such as filling one cube with only shirts and another with only shorts.
Step 4: Assemble
It’s time to start stacking now that you’ve (neatly) filled your travel packing cubes! Because the best packing cubes for travel come in a variety of shapes and sizes, you may have to shuffle them around inside your luggage for a few minutes.
Larger, bulkier cubes should be placed at the bottom of the bag. Make sure your packing cubes are facing up if they are transparent. You’ll have easy access to your belongings and will be able to see what’s inside each cube.
That’s all there is to it! You’ve mastered the use of packing cubes and are ready to embark on an adventure.
Tips for Packing Efficiently with Travel Cubes
Do you want to know a secret? There are some packing cube tips and tricks that will help you pack more efficiently. Follow the steps below to have a fun trip (and a more organized suitcase!):
#1. Reduce it to the essentials
The first (and most important) step is to determine which items are required for your trip. Leave the extras at home and focus on the essentials. Once you’ve done this, packing will be easier, and you’ll be able to maximize the space in your suitcase (without weighing you down).
#2. Lay them flat and organize
Gather all of your travel belongings and place them in a flat, empty area (such as your bed or the floor). Then it’s time to classify! Put similar items together, such as your tops, bottoms, toiletries, shoes, and so on.
This is a great way to see if you have duplicates or excesses of certain items in your luggage. If you’re traveling with your family, you can avoid packing duplicates (or triples) of toiletries or other items that can be shared.
#3. Fold or roll (your choice!)
When packing shirts and pants into cubes for the folding camp, we like to alternate the necklines (for shirts) and seams (for pants). This helps to balance the weight so that every inch is utilized and the cube does not become lumpy.
If you’re in the opposite camp, roll each garment tightly to avoid wrinkles and creases. We enjoy rolling smaller items such as underwear, shirts, dresses, and shorts.
#4. Do not waste the available space
Fold (or roll) your clothing items now. Pack them into your cube, making use of every available space.
However, if you end up with a cube with some extra space, don’t worry! You only need to zip it up and then push the cube down. This will remove any excess air and help compress the cube, resulting in less wasted space.
Similarly, if you have empty packing cubes at the end of your trip, you can compress them so they don’t take up as much luggage space.
Do packing cubes really help?
Yes, packing cubes do save space by compressing your clothes and allowing them to fit more efficiently in a bucket-style compartment of a suitcase or backpack. Packing cubes compact your clothes, taking up less space. This holds true for any type of packing cube, not just compression cubes.
Do you roll or fold clothes in packing cubes?
Packing your clothes in packing cubes and rolling them up is an excellent way to save space in your luggage. You can roll anything that can be folded, including casual clothing like t-shirts, pants, shorts, and beach towels. Rolling allows for more space efficiency than folding. However, you should avoid rolling fragile items of clothing or items of clothing that might become too bulky after being rolled.
Do packing cubes make your luggage heavier?
In point of fact, packing cubes are constructed from lightweight materials, which means that they only add a marginal amount of additional weight to your luggage. Cube organizers won’t do much more than help you keep your belongings and clothing neatly arranged, but they will add some weight to your load.
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