Packing Cubes Are The Secret To Packing A Suitcase More Efficiently

I’m a terrible packer. By that, I don’t mean I’m a last-minute packer or that I consistently pack the wrong things. I mean that I loathe the entire process of packing for air travel and international trips.

I obsessively check the weather at my destination to make sure I’ve planned weather-appropriate outfits and have waterproof walking shoes for my travels. I stress about all of the things I should bring on a long flight, and wonder whether Away suitcases really are worth it. I used to dread squeezing all of my makeup and liquid toiletries into tiny bags, although I eventually learned about all of the solid alternatives to them, as well as the life-changing magic of multipurpose beauty products for travel.

Still, none of that compares to the stress I feel about being a chronic over-packer and needing to make enough space for everything in my luggage. There are plenty of space-saving packing hacks — like rolling clothes instead of folding them and tucking socks and undies into shoes — but none seem to give me a significant amount of additional space.

Then, I discovered packing cubes.

The point of packing cubes is to make suitcase packing like building blocks. The modular cubes hold your clothes, toiletries and belongings, then stack neatly within your suitcases and carry-on bags. They’re naturally compressive, so you end up with more room than you’d have without them, and they keep your luggage organized while you’re on your trip, not just during takeoff.

I’m not here to tell you which packing cubes are the best, just that you need them in your jet-setting life. The ones I have are from eBags, but this six-pack of packing cubes from Amazon is way more bang for your buck. Plus, the Amazon version has more than 2,000 reviews and a nearly perfect rating.

What I particularly like about packing cubes is that I can keep my dirty clothes separate from my clean ones. Plus, everything takes up the same amount of space upon departure as it did on arrival ― that’s a miracle in and of itself.

Try these packing cubes for yourself on Amazon, where they’re $25 or under.