Are packing cubes actually worth it? I finally found out after years of messy suitcases

Packing cubes went from unnecessary extras to my suitcase essentials, keeping outfits organised and two children’s clothes properly separated. (canva.com)

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I discovered packing cubes much later than most people, and honestly, I am still wondering how I managed without them. For years, packing felt like a jigsaw puzzle I could never quite solve. I would fold, roll, rearrange, sit on the suitcase, zip it shut and then inevitably need the one thing sitting right at the bottom. To make matters worse, I married a man whose suitcases, once packed, look like a work of art. Mine looked like I had packed during a mild panic attack. My first proper encounter with packing cubes came on a cruise to Sri Lanka. I was travelling on Cordelia, and every day came with a girls’ trip dress code. There was a new outfit every few hours, which meant packing for the trip was less about simply carrying clothes and more about knowing exactly where each outfit was. That was when the cubes finally made sense to me. And, as it turns out, they were not just another travel accessory I had bought and would soon forget about.

What did I expect packing cubes to do, and what actually happened?

My first thought was fairly predictable. Aren’t these just extra bags inside my suitcase? I was also convinced they would add another step to packing. Instead of simply putting clothes into the suitcase, I now had to put clothes into a cube and then put the cube into the suitcase. Surely that was more work? My cruise trip changed my mind.

I started packing outfits according to each day, using the cubes to keep everything together. Instead of hunting through a suitcase for a particular dress, I knew exactly which cube to open. It sounds like a tiny thing, but when you are travelling with a group of girlfriends and changing outfits several times a day, it becomes surprisingly useful. I was genuinely saved from the embarrassment of pulling half my suitcase apart in front of my friends.

The other thing I noticed was how much easier it was to keep clothes contained. Once everything was rolled and packed into its cube, I had proper sections instead of one giant pile of clothes.

Why have packing cubes become part of my regular packing routine?

The biggest change for me has been organisation. I am not someone who enjoys opening a suitcase and finding clothes scattered everywhere. Packing cubes give everything a place. Tops can go together, bottoms can have their own cube, and smaller pieces can be kept separately.

On that Sri Lanka cruise, I used them almost like daily outfit boxes. It made getting ready much simpler because I knew which cube contained what I needed.

They have become even more useful now that I travel with my children. My twins often share one suitcase, which sounds sensible until you have two sets of clothes, two sets of socks, two sets of everything and absolutely no interest in playing detective every morning. My solution is simple. I use two different colours of packing cubes, one for each child. Their clothes go into their respective cubes, rolled up and kept together. At the other end, I can immediately tell whose clothes are where.

It also makes unpacking easier. Instead of taking out every single item, I can simply lift the cubes out and put them where they need to go. And yes, I have started to enjoy that tiny feeling of opening a suitcase and actually knowing where everything is.

What are the downsides of packing cubes?

They are not magic.

Packing cubes can help you use the available space better, but they cannot stop you from packing too much. In fact, I think they can make overpacking easier because suddenly everything fits and you start thinking, well, I have room for one more outfit. That is how luggage weight becomes the next problem.
There is also an extra step involved. If I need one particular T-shirt while travelling, I have to find the right cube, open it and then find the T-shirt. When clothes are loose in a suitcase, sometimes you can simply grab the first thing you see.
Packing cubes also do not solve every suitcase problem. Shoes, bulky toiletry bags and larger winter pieces still need to find their own awkward little spaces around the cubes.

So, no, they have not turned packing into a five-minute job. They have simply made the resulting suitcase far less chaotic.

Would I pack without packing cubes now?

For me, packing cubes have gone from something I was sceptical about to something I genuinely do not want to travel without.

They make the biggest difference when I am travelling with the kids, when outfits need to be organised by day or when several people are sharing one suitcase. They may be less useful for someone who travels light with a single compartment backpack and barely needs to unpack.

My biggest test, though, came recently.

My husband, the man whose suitcases have always looked infinitely better than mine, asked if he could borrow some of my packing cubes for an upcoming trip. I am calling that a win!

After years of watching him pack like he had some secret suitcase formula I had never been taught, I finally had something he wanted to borrow.

And yes, I am absolutely taking the credit!