How to Pack with Packing Cubes

Last Updated: January 15, 2023 References

Using packing cubes can make the packing and unpacking process much easier. These zippered fabric bags help you organize your luggage and find and access what you need much more easily. To use packing cubes to their fullest potential, choose from small, medium, or large cubes and fill them with clothes, electronics, and toiletries. Choose a packing strategy to take your suitcase organization to the next level.

Part 1

Part 1 of 3:

Choosing Packing Cubes

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Measure your luggage before you purchase a packing cube. It’s easy to estimate the size of your luggage incorrectly and end up with packing cubes that are wider than your suitcase. Use a tape measure to take the dimensions of your luggage, so you can easily compare the packing cubes’ dimensions with your luggage before you buy them. ^{[1]
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Research source} If you are a backpacker, it is critical to purchase packing cubes that will fit inside your larger backpack, even when full. For standard travel backpacks, it can be best to purchase a combination of small and medium-sized packing cubes ^{[2]
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Use smaller cubes for toiletries and accessories. Small cubes are perfect for keeping a bunch of loose items together, such as toiletries, belts, hair accessories, or electronics. These items can easily get lost when left loose in a suitcase or bag, but packing cubes keep them organized in one place and easily accessible while you travel.^{[3]
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Research source} Smaller packing cubes can also be helpful to group smaller items of clothing together such as bras, underwear, swimming gear (bathers), socks and gloves ^{[4]
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Pack medium-sized cubes with light clothing. This size is perfect for holding thin, flexible clothes that can be easily rolled up. For example, you could fill a medium cube with T-shirts, shorts, workout clothes, underwear, and socks. It also works well for small day trips that require a quick change of clothing.^{[5]
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Fill up larger cubes with bulkier clothing. Fold or roll your pants, jeans, and sweatshirts, and stack them inside larger cubes. This size also lets you fit clothing in easily and prevents wrinkles, rather than requiring you to squeeze or bunch up the fabric to get clothes to fit.^{[6]
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Use double-sided cubes for laundry storage. These cubes let you keep your dirty laundry separate from your clean clothes, reducing mess and odor within your luggage. Some double-sided cubes even have a water-resistant half for wet swimsuits and towels, making them perfect for beach trips.^{[7]
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Start by purchasing small cubes. If you’re not sure what size or how many you’ll need, start with a few smaller packing cubes. This way, they’ll fit in any suitcase and allow you to test out the organizing process.^{[8]
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Research source} Plus, having less cubes will help you avoid overpacking. For backpackers, it can be a good idea to to consider whether you'd benefit from purchasing compression packing cubes over standard packing cubes. In some instances, they can help to save even more space in your backpack ^{[9]
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- This also gives you more versatility when switching luggage. Larger packing cubes may be difficult to match with different sizes of luggage.

Part 2

Part 2 of 3:

Selecting a Packing Strategy

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Pull out all of the items you’ll be packing and sort through them. Laying everything out before you start packing will help you decide how many packing cubes you’ll need and prevent impulse packing. Group your items by general category, such as clothes, electronics, accessories, and toiletries. Once you’ve gathered everything you’ll need, you’re ready to start packing.
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Organize the packing cubes by category. This is the most straightforward packing strategy. Pack your things into the cubes based on type to keep everything organized and easy to find. For example, you would have a packing cube for shirts, as well as one for pants, one for swimsuits, and one for undergarments. This is where having access to packing cubes of different types, shapes and sizes can be extremely handy. ^{[10]
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- This works well for long-term trips that requires you to mix and match many of the same pieces.
3
Pack specific outfits for each day or activity. If you like to plan out your outfits ahead of time or you’ve planned activities that require specific kinds of clothing, you can pack a cube for each day. This method is perfect if you’ll be on the go and won’t have much time to search through each cube for what you’ll need.
- For example, if you’re going swimming one day and hiking the next, you could pack one cube with your swimsuit, goggles, cover-up, flip-flops, and a change of clothes, and another cube with a T-shirt, shorts, socks, and a light jacket for hiking.
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Purchase cubes in different colors to color-code. If you need to pack for multiple people in one suitcase or want to locate cubes more easily, color-coding may be a good option. Purchase several cubes in each color and decide how to color-code the things you’re packing.^{[11]
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- For example, you could designate a color for each person and pack their all of their things into cubes of the same color. This could be especially helpful for parents packing for their young children.
- You could also designate a color for different categories of clothing, such as dressy and casual, or clothes for warm weather and clothes for cool weather.
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Use the packing cubes as weekend bags. Some packing cubes have handles, so they can be used separately as small bags. This works especially well on shorter trips that just require toiletries and a change of clothes, such as a weekend getaway or an overnight stay.^{[12]
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Part 3

Part 3 of 3:

Packing the Cubes

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Choose the sizes and shapes you’ll need for the trip. Packing cubes come in full, half, and quarter sizes that each work best with a certain type of clothing.^{[13]
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Research source} Generally, you should bring a couple smaller quarter-sized cubes for shorter trips, and a variety of the 3 sizes for longer trips.
2
Maximize space by rolling your softer clothes before packing. Lay out any clothes made of softer material, such as underwear, T-shirts, jeans, cotton pants, and knitwear.^{[14]
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Research source} Fold them lengthwise, then roll up each folded piece into a bundle before placing them into the packing cubes. Rolling will keep your clothes compressed, letting you make the most of the space in your suitcase.^{[15]
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- This is especially helpful for extended trips that require more clothing options.
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Fold stiff or delicate clothes instead of rolling them. Rolling can damage clothing made of stiff or delicate, expensive fabrics. Fold these normally and stack them in the packing cube. To avoid wrinkles, you can also pack them in a garment bag.
- This technique works best on items like blazers, dressy pants, dressy skirts, and starched shirts.^{[16]
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Fill up the packing cubes without overfilling. Make sure that you can easily zip up the packing cubes once you’ve filled them. If they’re straining or overflowing, pull out a few items. There shouldn’t be any wasted space, but everything should still fit comfortably.^{[17]
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Stack your clothes in the cube to reduce wrinkling. Start by stacking any folded items in the bottom, then add rolled clothes on top. This will help protect the clothes from moving around too much and getting wrinkled or crumpled. Stacking will also help you get the best use of space out of the packing cubes.^{[18]
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Put all of your electronics and chargers in a small cube. Place this cube at the top of your bag to keep the electronics from being crushed. The packing cube will help you find your electronics more easily when you need them, as well as keep all of your cords from getting tangled and mixed in with the rest of your things.
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Pack a few dryer sheets into a cube to store with your laundry. If you use a packing cube as a designated laundry bag, make sure to bring some fresh dryer sheets as well. This will help control any odors and keep the cube smelling fresh.^{[19]
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- Keeping your laundry in a packing cube will help keep dirty clothes out of the way, separate from the clean clothes, and compressed so they won’t take up too much space in your bags.
- A double-sided packing cube is perfect for storing laundry.^{[20]
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Pack the cubes into your bag from largest to smallest. Start with the widest packing cube and place it in the bottom of your bag or suitcase. Fit any smaller packing cubes around it and on top of it. This way, you’ll be able to see and access each cube more easily.
- If you have trouble fitting the packing cubes into your suitcase, go for flexible ones over structured ones. This will let you fit the cubes into the contours of the suitcase more easily.

Community Q&A

Question

Does rolling your clothes really keep them from getting wrinkled?

Ashleigh Page

Community Answer

From my experience, it definitely does help to reduce the degree of wrinkling compared to folding, however it does depend how long the clothes will be stored for. The greatest benefit is that it really helps you to save space.