This article is a part of CNN Underscored’s Summer Travel Week, a weeklong focus on how to travel smarter and save money during one of the busiest travel seasons of the year.
If packing is the most stressful part of traveling for you, then let us introduce you to packing cubes.
These organizers will make packing for your trip easy and painless, while also optimizing space in your suitcase so you can avoid the fee for checking in extra bags. With packing cubes, you can keep your clothes, accessories and toiletries in their own zippered compartments, making it easier to arrange them in your luggage.
Once you try packing cubes, they will become an irreplaceable part of your travel gear — trust us.
Available in nylon, mesh and many other soft materials, packing cubes are essentially zippered pouches of differing sizes that allow you to organize the contents of your suitcase. They’ve become ubiquitous for all kinds of travelers — from business tycoons to beachgoers to backpackers.
“Packing cubes keep your luggage from becoming a mass of things to root through while you’re traveling,” says Amanda Wiss, founder of New York City-based home organizing firm Urban Clarity. “Whether you are a painstaking packer planning weeks in advance or you whip it all together at the last minute, after a day or two into the trip, keeping things organized and handy becomes a struggle. That’s where packing cubes come in.”
In addition to streamlining the process of packing, the little taskmasters help keep you organized during your stay. “Not only do they sectionalize your things and keep them protected and clean,” says Wiss, but they also “help provide a ‘home’ for every item, which is key for organizing any space.”
The best part about packing cubes is that you can use them how you want. Prefer to keep your socks together? Dedicate a packing cube to them. More interested in keeping clothes of a certain color in one area? Pack a cube dedicated to your favorite green clothes, or put your packing cubes to use beyond clothes — a space for storing all of your cables or beauty favorites in one place.
Customize how you use your packing cubes to stay the most organized. When your trip is coming to a close, consider dedicating one (or more) of your cubes to your dirty clothes. That way, you can ensure that your dirties don’t touch your cleans. Some packing cube sets even come with a dedicated laundry bag.
But what packing cubes should you buy? Here’s some of our favorites.
These packing cubes help you stay organized and expand the usable space in your carry-on bag, all while staying under $15. This set of six packing cubes includes various sizes and a drawstring bag for endless ways to pack.
This value of a set includes two large cubes, which are useful for packing bigger items of clothing and for longer trips. It also has one extra-large cube and one medium cube for all of your other belongings. Plus, it’s got its own laundry bag so you can keep your dirty clothes separate from your cleans. The set comes in 13 color options to best suit your style.
This three-piece set is made from nylon fabric and has a mesh top panel, which makes it easy to see what’s inside each of your cubes. Each cube has its own handle for easy carrying while you’re on the go. We love the variety of colors and patterns these cubes come in — especially the fun leopard animal print.
Bagail Compression Packing Cubes, often on sale for less than $20, offer durability, space-saving compression and organizational benefits, making them an essential travel accessory endorsed by thousands of positive reviews.
Paravel is one of our favorite travel brands, and this packing cube set is one of the brand’s best-selling items. The four-piece set comes in six different color options, so you can find one that fits your personality. Plus, our favorite part is the customization option that’s available to put your monogram on the top of each of the cubes.
This set of six packing cubes — ranging in size from extra large to small — come in four different colors. Perhaps what makes this set so perfect for travel is that it not only comes with four traditional packing cubes, but it also has its own shoe bag and laundry bag so you can keep your dirty pieces of clothes and shoes separate from your clean clothes.
This six-piece packing cube set from travel pros Mark & Graham is as beautiful as it is practical. Included in the package, you’ll get one shoe bag, one laundry bag to keep your dirty clothes separate from the clean ones and four standard packing cubes in a variety of sizes. You can get the set in three different color options and monogramming is available for $12.50.
Gonex makes super-light cubes — they’re a favorite of Urban Clarity customers, according to Wiss — and these compress to fit even more necessities (and create more efficient storage when you’re not traveling). The three-piece set is available in three color options, and a larger four-piece set is available in eight colors.
Ranging in size from 12 inches to 17 inches, this five-piece set of packing cubes will make organizing your clothes a breeze. The cubes come in 13 different color options, including cheetah print, milk marble and moss. Plus, each packing cube is water resistant.
This three-piece set is the perfect starter kit for the packing cube convert. It has a folder, which can compress up to 12 dress shirts, as well as a full packing cube and a half packing cube. These are especially useful for backpackers or vacationers, says Wiss, as they’re soft, lightweight and water-resistant.
This may just be the ultimate packing cube set of all packing cube sets. With a massive eight pieces of storage space — some waterproof and some mesh — you’ll have space for all of your goods. The set is available in nine colors and even offers dedicated space for makeup, chargers and more.
An appealing set from a brand synonymous with quality, durability and functionality. Each packing cube, which is also available in silver, navy and lapis, is made of durable nylon fabric and weighs next to nothing, making them the perfect travel companion.
This six-piece set is available in eight different colors, perfect for matching your packing cubes to your favorite carry-on bag. The largest of this set is perfect for bulkier items like sweaters and jeans, while the smallest is perfect for organizing your power cords and other small accessories.
This three-piece set offers optimal storage for your clothes, especially if you’re a folder and stacker. The colorful set is made with repurposed materials, and each piece features a wraparound zipper. Each Cotopaxi packing cube is made by employees who have creative control over the color pattern, so expect a unique pattern.
This set of six packing cubes from the ever-chic Beis comes with four zippered pouches, perfect for storing clothes of all kinds, plus two drawstring shoe bags. If you’re a shoe fiend, this is the packing cube set for you, as you’ll have enough space to store two pairs of dirty footwear away from your clean clothes.
This set of four packing cubes from Samsonite is the perfect addition to your travel wardrobe. It comes with one large cube for bulkier clothes, one medium cube, one small cube and a small pouch, which is great for storing smaller items like electronic cords and even toiletries.
Short on space? These packing cubes from Thule are perfect because they eliminate excess air to help you maximize your packing space. They’re semitransparent, so you can see what’s in each while maintaining enough privacy. The rip-proof material is water-repellent and will last you for many trips to come.
Keep your clothes and accessories organized in this set of four compressible packing cubes from Monos. They’re designed to perfectly fit in a piece of luggage — like the Monos Carry-On — and feature anti-catch zippers and mesh top panels for easy viewing. They’re made from a tear-resistant and water-resistant twill.
This set of packing cubes from travel experts Away offers a space for every piece of your wardrobe. You’ll get six different cubes made from water-resistant nylon. Each is topped with a mesh panel for easy viewing, and each also has a zipper to keep your stuff organized.
Our favorite part of this set is the expansion zipper, which lets you store more in each of the cubes if you’re heading away on a longer trip. This durable set, made of strong nylon, is perfect for the adventurer.
DIMJ offers packing cubes in sets of six, eight and nine pieces. Plus, if it’s options you’re after, you’ll have the choice of more than 20 different colorways for the perfect travel organization set to match your style. Included in the eight-piece set are five packing cubes, one travel shoe bag, one toiletry bag and a cable case.
Briggs & Riley offers a set of packing cubes of its own. The three-piece set is made of polyester and features a mesh top so you can easily see what’s in each packing cube. They’re machine-washable, too.
This four-piece set from Amazon Basics has more than 10,000 5-star reviews — and for good reason. Each of the cubes has all the features you could want in an organizing set: zipper closures, mesh panel tops and handles. The set comes in six different color options and three different sizes.
This eight-piece organizing set will change the way you travel. Not only will you get four traditional zipped packing cubes for your clothes, but you’ll also get a dedicated toiletry bag, shoe bag, sock bag and laundry bag.
These packing cubes are another Amazon favorite. Lightweight, durable, and easy to use, the Shacke Pak offers a set of four cubes as well as a drawstring bag all for the price of $22. It also comes in multiple colors!
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