It seems counter intuitive when you’re trying to pack less that you’d pack extra containers for your stuff. Wouldn’t you want every spare ounce to be necessities? Not necessarily. The minuscule amount of weight that packing cubes add does not come close to offsetting the benefit of using them. Kevin couldn’t understand why I was so insistent on them when we first started traveling full time. But now he is a die-hard fan, too.

Compression cubes versus packing cubes

We use compression packing cubes, sometimes known as compression cubes. These are not the same as packing cubes, which are missing an extra zipper and do not compress. Packing cubes’ main function is to compartmentalize luggage. Compression cubes usually have a two-part design: an outer compartment that allows you to pack items, and a compressing mechanism (often a zipper) that reduces the space when closed. By compressing your clothes, these cubes allow more items to fit in the same bag.

Opaque versus mesh

*Kevin loves his Nomadic compression cubes*

Kevin’s Nomadic cubes have a mesh portion that allow him to see what he’s carrying. Mine are in my favorite burgundy color, and while I don’t get to have the sneak peak of what’s inside, mine are a little more lightweight and the color brings me joy every time I take something out of my suitcase. I can tell which cube my stuff is in based on the size and weight. It’s personal preference what your priorities are for which style to choose.

So if you’re on the fence about why to consider packing cubes, here are our reasons we can’t live without them.

They function as drawers

I don't unpack my suitcase. Instead I use my packing cubes as drawers, which means that everything inside them stays tidy and I don't have to dig through an entire suitcase for what I need. We travel in three climates (spring, summer, and fall/early winter). When we're in hot weather climates, I primarily use two cubes: one for underwear and the other for sleeveless, cool clothing. My other two cubes—one for warm clothes and the other for pajamas, a scarf, and my travel dress—stay mostly packed, so I don't have to dig through them to find what I need.

Privacy

There are times when security wants to check through my suitcase. But never have they opened up my packing cubes or having to rifle through my clothes. They typically are opening the zippered compartments of my suitcase or looking between the cubes, so I have a little more privacy with my clothing. No one needs to see my underwear—pssst, they’re these Roam style merino wool from Wool&! And when security is finished, the cubes are back in order immediately.

There also are some occasions when we leave our suitcases somewhere and take only our backpacks for an overnight trip somewhere. We did this on our Nile River cruise and also when we went to Amsterdam for three days. We’ll of course also be packing a liquids bag, some electronics, and some other things and security will often want to look through our backpacks. Again, they typically set aside the packing cubes and focus on what’s in the pockets and our electronics, so having our clothes corralled makes things so much more streamlined and feels so much less invasive.

Harder to leave something behind

Because I'm packing up my cubes, it's easier to know if I'm missing something. I know exactly what goes in each one. At the end of my stay I don't have to worry if there's something I forgot. We have a FREE travel day checklist if you’re interested in making your departure days less stressful.

Easy access

The only thing that I occasionally don't put in a packing cube is my sweater when we are going between destinations. So if I need to reach into my suitcase to pull it out, it's on top and I don't have to worry about losing it among all my other clothes.

Compression

We don't overfill our suitcases (anymore), but the compression feature of our packing cubes (which actually are compression cubes) allows us to fit more into our suitcases when we need to fit in just one more thing! Our Briggs & Riley suitcases actually have a cool compression feature, so we often will leave our packing cubes uncompressed because the suitcase will compress them for us. However, we have gone on occasional day trips and leave our suitcases behind and only pack what we’ll need for an overnight into our backpacks, and on those occasions, the compression feature is everything!

Rolling versus folding

When we first started traveling, we loved rolling our clothes, but after a while we’ve found that folding our clothes works better for us. It may depend on what you’re carrying, because in the beginning I was carrying a lot of polyester blend fabrics and could more easily see what I had when items were in a tight roll. Now that our clothes are wool and the tiniest bit heftier, we find folding to be much easier.

Finally

We think that the packing/compression cubes debate is one that will be with us for a long time, as will the rollers versus the folders. Which are you? We’d love to know in the comments!

Here’s what we are packing as of November 2024!

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The Case for Packing Cubes