5 Packing Cubes That Will Save You from the Struggle of Closing Your Suitcase (No More Sitting on It!)

I’m not trying to be dramatic when I say that packing cubes changed my life. Maybe not drastically, but in a small, incredibly helpful way I thank my lucky stars for them every time I have to pack a suitcase. Though I’d known about them for years, I only bought my first set of my own packing cubes a couple of summers ago when I went on a cruise for the first time. I needed to pack smart and light, and I wanted to stay organized — I knew my typical “let me clothes explode all over the room” wouldn’t work well in the small cabin I’d be staying in. 

My packing cubes instantly made my packing process so much more organized, since I could bundle up my tops and pants in their own little compartments. They also came in handy when I got to my destination, making unpacking and picking outfits so much easier, as I didn’t have to dig through my entire suitcase. It also saved me the stress of wondering whether I’d forgotten anything, since I could know pretty much at a glance what was inside each cube, or unzip it to check. The cubes also really helped me not to overpack. 

Ever since that trip, I’ve used packing cubes religiously, whether I’m going away for a long weekend (I’ll usually just bring a couple in that case) or heading home for the holidays. I only wish I’d known about these when I studied abroad for a year in college — between maximizing my checked bag, packing light for weekend trips, and separating out laundry while traveling, I would’ve used the heck out of them. If you haven’t converted to the packing cube life yet, this is truly your sign. To help you get started, here are five of the best packing cubes you can buy. Thank me later!

If your goal is to stuff as much clothing as you can into your bag, these are some of the best compression packing cubes for the job. Multiple editors swear by this Bagsmart set, including Apartment Therapy Senior Shopping Editor Britt Franklin, who explains, “Compression packing cubes work like vacuum-sealed bags, but without the suction. You pack each one in its expanded size, then use the compression zipper to squeeze the cube and all of its contents as much as possible.” These Bagsmart ones are great because they have a mesh top that lets the clothes breathe and lets you see what’s inside. Plus, Britt writes, “The set also comes with a stack of labels that you can slide into the clear pocket on the front of each cube.” So handy.

The Clear Cosmetic Case from Calpak is one of my all-time favorite toiletry bags (and its Weekender Duffel is one of the best I’ve ever carried!). Needless to say, I’m a fan of the brand’s quality, which is why I’m itching to try out their packing cubes. They have a 4.9-star rating from over 1,000 reviews at the time of writing, many of which hit on the same positive notes: how durable they are, how great the variety of sizes is (it’s a 5-piece set), and how much people love the designs. There are currently 18 different patterns and colors available, from cheetah or cherries to polka dots or multicolored speckles. Why not have some fun with packing?

These Amazon Basics packing cubes have racked up over 48,000 reviews and a 4.6-star average rating at the time of writing — impressive, especially for a product that’s currently on sale for $12! These are great because you have the option of choosing the sizes you buy, whether that’s a four-pack including one large cube, one medium, one small, and one slim; two large and two medium; or four of all just one size. Depending on your packing needs, you might not need a slim or large bag, for instance, so it’s helpful to customize a packing cube set you’ll actually use. Though they don’t come in a ton of fun colors (black, green, and red), they have a mesh top that lets you see inside and double zippers that reviewers say are nice and sturdy. 

This was the first nonsponsored result I found when searching for the best packing cubes on Amazon a couple of years ago, which is exactly what led me to buy them — well, that and, the 40,000-plus good reviews. I love that the set comes with eight bags of different sizes (an extra-large, large, and medium clothing cubes; a shoe bag; a cosmetic bag; an underwear bag; accessories bag; and a drawstring bag). I haven’t used all of the bags equally, but I do use them all in different ways. The extra-large bag acts as under-bed storage for my off-season clothing most of the time, and I use the drawstring bag to contain chargers and other random cords. But I use the medium, large, and shoe bags pretty much every time I pack a suitcase, and I feel so much more organized for it. Overall, these are some of the best-priced packing cubes for the variety of sizes, and they also come in lots of cute colors, too, from bright blue or purple to striped or floral.

I gave these as a gift to my friend, The Kitchn Senior Editor Quinn Fish, and she loves using them to organize her carry-on: She’ll stash everything from headphones, an eye mask, makeup, chargers, her Kindle, passport, and snacks in them, and it makes it so much easier to grab what she needs when she’s belted in her seat rather than having to go to the overhead compartment each time she wants something. This set only comes with a pair of packing cubes — a small (6.5″ tall × 10″ wide × 4″ deep) and a large (10″ tall × 13″ wide × 4″ deep) — so it may not be enough to organize a big checked bag unless you buy two sets. But, of course, Baggu also has some of the cutest designs in the game, and they’re always dropping new ones. I love the Star Plaid and Fancy Animals patterns personally.