7 Best Packing Cubes in 2023

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Featuring brands like Patagonia, Cotopaxi, Peak Design, and more.

THERE'S NO doubt packing cubes can take the messiest traveler and make them look like a certified packing guru. If you've tried packing cubes in the past, then you know the potential these simple organizational tools can bring. If you haven't tried packing cubes, get ready, because your travel routine is about to start running much smoother.

The Men's Health team is constantly traveling for assignments, which allows us to test the very best travel products in real life. We put to the test 10 different sets of packing cubes and determined 7 of them are absolutely worth highlighting. The one set of packing cubes we recommend every traveler try? That would be the TravelWise Luggage Packing Organization Cubes, as we found it offers multiple sizes, a clean design, a quality construction, and, best of all, a phenomenal price point.

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Our editors and writers evaluated packing cubes based on their design, material, durability, and price point. We also considered unique features on each packing cube—what each bag does exceptionally well that other packing cubes do not. From neatly organizing your luggage for a week-long vacation to keeping your travel backpack lean on a weekend getaway, there's bound to be a packing cube below for every type of traveler. Let's get to the list.

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This TravelWise set is the Goldilocks of packing cubes. You get 5 total cubes of different sizes (1 small, 2 medium, and 2 large), allowing you to fit all your clothes inside each bag and get them configured nicely in your suitcase. When testing, we loved how you could fit thick garments like jeans and oxford shirts in the large compartments and small garments like underwear in the small compartment. The mesh opening at the top was helpful when spotting the clothes inside the cube, thus eliminating the chances of opening one cube only to discover your favorite shirt is in another.

Some of the other packing cubes on this list will have better fabric and zipper construction, and so the opportunity to choose a bag that's stronger and more suitable for adventure travel can be found elsewhere. However the nylon material and zippers on the TravelWise are up to par on what you want on a packing cube. We had zero problems yanking and tugging on the cubes when shoving our clothes in each one.

One last note: it's true you can find sets like this on Amazon with either the same price point or even cheaper. What makes the TravelWise set better than all the rest is they come in a ton of colors and there's zero branding on the cubes. If you don't care about having a brand badge on your packing cubes then you can turn to other products at an even lower price (like the highly popular Amazon Basics set), but we like to curate our travel gear with consideration of style; and the TravelWise set has a much better style over the cheaper sets while still coming in at an awesome price just under $40.

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Peak Design's packing cubes would compete for the top spot on our list if they had more offerings on buying in sets (you unfortunately can't buy the small and medium cube together in a 2-pack). Alas, these packing cubes are definitely worth buying in singles, especially if you tend to overpack.

The cubes are made with 100% recycled 70D nylon and poly shell that's water-resistant, so you won't have to worry if your have these in a backpack and your water bottle leaks onto them. The material is also a bit stretchy, which provides a small level of give that's super helpful when packing these bad boys full. What makes the packing cubes stand out even more is the zipper construction: they have an added compression zipper that helps squeeze the cube down to save space, plus a tear-away opening zipper to grab an item without having to open the entire compartment. Lastly, we found the Peak Design packing cubes are great at storing tech, like chargers and external memory.

Read more: Best Travel Gadgets

For those looking for packing cubes made to handle off-road adventures, like camping, the Hydraulic Packing Cubes from Sea to Summit are the toughest bags you can buy. In terms of strength, each packing cube covers all the bases: a water-resistant and dust-resistant TPU laminated 70D ripstop material, a water-resistant RF welded seam, and a streamlined Hypalon grab handle for handling outside of your preferred luggage of choice. The cubes also have a translucent window that makes it visible to see the contents inside.

The price point is a little bit higher on these bags due to all their added features, but we're still happy to see you can get a set (XS, S, M) for under $100. One last favorite note we had was how easy the cubes are to clean; all you have to do is wipe each one down with a wet rag or cleaning wipe if they get mud or dust on them.

Read more: Best Camping Essentials

Cotopaxi's Cubos Del Dia packing cubes are made with fully upcycled nylon and mesh, making them the best eco-friendly pick on this list. This set comes in three different sizes (10 L, 3 L and 2 L gear capacity) and has valuable features like mesh side panels for ventalation and visability, as well as top grab handles for getting them out of packs with ease. What's awesome is each bag is sewn to the discretion of how the worker wants to use Cotopaxi's upcycled materials, so no two bags will ever look alike.

Read more: Best Travel Bags

Weighing just 2.2-ounces all together, the Osprey Ultralight set is made for those who are trying to travel as lean and minimal as possible. The cubes are made from tear-resistant ripstop nylon and outfitted with durable YKK zippers, so you don't have to worry about the lofty build not being strong enough. The material is also translucent—they're much more see-through than the product image leads you to believe.

The only qualm we have about this set is the sizes of the cubes are a little tight. You shouldn't buy these if you tend to overpack. They're best suited for minimalist travelers.

Read more: Best Travel Pants

Patagonia's Black Hole bags match up great with travel backpacks and duffel bags, and they match perfectly with our favorite travel backpack: the Patagonia Black Hole Pack. Each bag is made from weather-resistant recycled polyester ripstop and outfitted with corrosion resistant plastic zipper sliders. The bags are available in 3-liter, 6-liter, and 10-liter sizes and are designed in a book-opening with two zippered mesh compartments on each side.

What makes the Black Hole Cube unique is it has an exterior daisy chain, so you can attach one externally to a backpack or duffel bag if space starts getting crammed inside. The downside about Patagonia's packing cubes is they are a little expensive and don't come in sets, but if you want an eco-friendly packing cube that's stylish and will last a long time, then this is a solid buy to make.

Read more: Best Patagonia Jackets

Crafted from DWR-coated ripstop nylon, these water-resistant packing cubes from REI Co-op work exceptionally well in outdoor settings. We liked packing these in a duffel bag: the first reason being their elongated shape, and the second being they expand vertically to store more gear. When expanding the cube, all you have to do open the expansion zipper and the cube will double in size. It's smart, it's durable, and it's shaped just how one would like it when taking their duffel bag camping or to a vacation resort.

Read more: Best Luggage Trackers

Packing cubes come in all sizes and designs. Here's what you need to know before buying.

There are two options you can go with when packing your clothes in a packing cube. The first is by rolling up your clothes, and the second by folding. While you can't go wrong with either, we are fans of rolling when you can—especially when you're bringing casual outfits and athleisure clothes—and then folding for some exceptions.

Rolling your clothes might feel weird if you've never done it, but it saves a ton of space and will fit in a packing cube nice and neat. Rolling your clothes also prevents wrinkles on your garments in most cases. The only time you want to consider folding your clothes is on garments with collars, like button-down shirts and polos. For that, we say fold the few pieces of those you're bringing and then stack them on top of the rolled up wardrobe you've packed into the base of your packing cube.

In order to keep up with new new innovations and product releases, the MH tech and gear team is continually testing all of the latest packing tools and accessories to make sure our recommendations reflect the top products within the travel space.

When it comes to packing cubes, we called in 10 different sets for testing and took them out assignments and vacations. We also inspected the packing cubes in office, taking an in-depth look the overall build quality and design of the packing cubes. Lastly, we considered what each packing cube does best by applying them to all the different types of luggage we test: travel backpacks, duffel bags, carry-ons, checked luggage, and more.

Our MH commerce team thoroughly researched and tested dozens of the best packing cubes, from basic sets to sets made for adventure and outdoors. We evaluated packing cubes based on their design, durability, special features, and price point. The list above represents our honest picks for the best packing cubes of 2023.

John Thompson is the Gear and Commerce Editor at Men's Health, where he covers fashion, grooming, gear, and technology. He was previously the Style & Gear Editor at BroBible.com, and a commerce writer for TheManual.com. His interests include shopping for rare vintage clothes and following his favorite baseball team, the Kansas City Royals.

As Men's Health's Deputy Editor, Commerce, Christian Gollayan oversees all shopping content on menshealth.com. He relocated back to New York by way of Portland, where he was the Associate Managing Editor at TheManual.com. Christian's work has also been featured in InStyle, Food & Wine, the New York Post, and Tatler Asia.

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