Packing Cubes Worth Buying (And Why They Changed How I Travel)

I was a packing cube skeptic for years.

Every time I saw them in travel blogs I thought the same thing: that looks like a lot of extra stuff to manage, and I already don’t have enough room. I’d been folding and cramming clothes into suitcases my whole life and it worked fine. Why add another layer of organization to something that was already a hassle?

Then I started trying to pack carry-on only for longer trips — and everything changed. Without packing cubes, carry-on only for ten days felt impossible. With them, it became something I actually look forward to figuring out.

If you’re on the fence, this is my honest take on what makes a packing cube worth buying, what I actually use, and how I pack them for real trips.

Full disclosure on the image above: it’s not a photo of my actual packing cubes. Mine are grey, perpetually a little overstuffed, and have never once looked that composed — but they work exactly the same.

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What Makes a Packing Cube Actually Worth It

Not all packing cubes are equal. I’ve tried a few versions over the years, and the difference between a good set and a mediocre one comes down to three things:

• Real compression. Some cubes are just fabric boxes that keep things tidy. Good compression cubes have a second zipper that actually squeezes the air out and reduces volume. That second zipper is the whole point if you’re trying to fit more into a smaller bag.
• Durable zippers. The compression zipper takes a lot of force. Cheap cubes split or jam after a few trips. You want something that holds under pressure — literally.
• A useful size mix. A set with only one or two sizes forces you to improvise. Look for a set that gives you large, medium, small, and ideally a flat bag or shoe bag so you have a place for everything.

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The Set I Use: BAGSMART Compression Packing Cubes

Quick note before I start gushing: this isn’t sponsored. BAGSMART has no idea who I am. I bought these with my own money, they worked, and I kept using them. That’s the entire story.

These are the ones I reach for every single time. I’ve used them for Oregon, for Scotland, and they’re coming with me on my upcoming ten-day Europe trip. They’ve held up through overhead bins, rental car trunks, and more than a few cobblestone detours.

BAGSMART Compression Packing Cubes →

What I love about them

• The compression zipper actually works. Roll your clothes, load the cube, zip the compression side, and you’ll be genuinely surprised at how flat it gets. I’ve fit what used to take a full carry-on into one large cube and a medium.
• Mesh top panel. You can see exactly what’s in each cube without opening it. This sounds minor until you’re standing in a hotel room at 6am trying not to wake anyone up and you just need to find your socks.
• The set includes a shoe bag. This is the unsung hero of the whole set. Your shoes go into their own sealed bag instead of sitting directly on top of your clean clothes, which is exactly where shoes do not belong. I never thought about it much until I had one, and now I’d be annoyed to travel without it.
• Four sizes in one set. Large, medium, small, and the shoe bag. That covers clothing, layers, underwear, socks, and shoes in one system.
• They’re lightweight. Packing cubes that weigh a lot defeat the purpose. These don’t add meaningful weight to your bag.
• The zippers have held up. Multiple trips, aggressive compression, rough handling. No issues.

Being honest about the one thing

If you’re already a very light packer traveling with just four or five items, these might feel like overkill. But if you’ve ever dumped out your entire bag on a hotel bed looking for one thing — and I have, more times than I’d like to admit — packing cubes solve that problem permanently. Everything has a place and you always know where it is.

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How I Pack Them for Carry-On Only Travel

For a ten-day Europe trip packed into a single carry-on, here’s roughly how I load each cube:

The key is rolling your clothes before loading each cube rather than folding flat. Rolling lets you compress more effectively and you get fewer wrinkles too. Once everything is in, zip the main zipper, then work the compression zipper from one end to the other. You’ll feel the difference.

I also try to pack each cube with a theme so unpacking at the destination takes about two minutes. Everything for my top half in one cube, everything for my bottom half in another. When I get to the hotel I pull out the cube I need and leave the others in my bag.

The small cube trick I use on every flight

This one has saved me more than once. I pack a single complete outfit into one of the smallest cubes and keep it in my backpack rather than my carry-on. One top, one bottom, socks, and at least two pairs of underwear — because welp, we have to be prepared.

It takes up almost no room once it’s compressed, and if my bag and I ever get separated, I still have a full change of clothes on me. It’s almost no effort for a genuinely outsized amount of peace of mind.

And the trip home

Here’s the use nobody mentions: on the way home, the cubes become dirty laundry containers. Everything I’ve worn gets zipped into one cube and compressed flat, which keeps it completely separate from whatever is still clean. No plastic bags, no mystery pile at the bottom of my suitcase, and unpacking at home means carrying one cube straight to the laundry room.

It’s the least glamorous thing they do and possibly my favorite.

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What Pairs Well With These Cubes

Packing cubes work best as part of a system. Here’s what I use alongside them:

BAGSMART Large Hanging Toiletry Bag

Your liquids and toiletries stay completely separate from your clothing cubes. This bag has a hanging hook for hotel bathrooms, holds full-sized containers, and is water-resistant inside — which matters when a shampoo bottle decides to leak at 30,000 feet. I’ve recommended this one to everyone who’s asked me what I use.

BAGSMART Large Hanging Toiletry Bag →

BAGSMART 35L Travel Backpack

This is the bag I put everything into. The cubes fit cleanly, there’s a dedicated laptop sleeve and a detachable fanny pack for day trips — which I used constantly in Oregon. The capacity is generous without being heavy, and it’s genuinely comfortable on a full travel day.

Note: I’m upgrading to the Bagsmart Blast Pro for my Europe trip and will update this post with a full comparison of both bags once I’ve used it on the ground.

BAGSMART 35L Travel Backpack →

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The Bottom Line

Packing cubes are worth it — but only if you get ones that actually compress. The BAGSMART set earns its space in my bag on every trip, and that’s the standard I hold everything to. If something isn’t genuinely making my travel easier, it doesn’t come with me.

If you’re new to carry-on only travel and not sure where to start, this is the place. Get the cubes, get the toiletry bag, and give yourself one practice pack before your trip. You’ll figure out your system faster than you think.

Shop BAGSMART Compression Packing Cubes on Amazon →

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Read Next

• New here? Start with the Start Here page — it’ll point you to exactly what you need.
• What I Packed for 2 Weeks in Europe (Carry-On Only) — coming soon
• Best Personal Item Bags for European Travel — coming soon