How to choose the best packing cubes
There are a few things to keep in mind when buying packing cubes. How often you travel is one of the main considerations. If you don't travel very often, there are lots of budget options that should suit your needs but if you travel a lot it might be worth investing in a more durable brand and spending a bit more money. It’s also worth considering how much you normally pack as that will determine how many cubes you need. Packing cubes pretty much always come in multi-pack sets with larger sets including accessories like shoe bags and flat cases for items like laptops and tablets. The longer you’re travelling, the larger the set you’ll need. The other two important considerations are whether you need to protect your possessions and how much space you need. If you’re off on a family adventure holiday and your luggage will be exposed to the elements it would be a good idea to buy waterproof packing cubes. If space is a problem and you need to fit a lot into your case, compression-style packing cubes would be a good buy.
Are packing cubes better than rolling items?
There’s no right or wrong way to pack but travel experts at Airfarewatchdog recommend bulkier items such as sweatshirts and jackets would be better in a packing cube as laying them flat will take up less space than rolling. But in general, rolled items often take up less room and can be configured to fit into otherwise wasted space (like putting rolled up socks inside your shoes).
Are compression packing cubes worth it?
As mentioned above, if you’re short on space in your bag or suitcase, compression-style packing cubes can prove invaluable. These are designed with an extra zip that, once closed, will push your possessions down into as little space as possible.
What are the best packing cubes to buy?
Our overall best buy is the Amazon Basics 4-piece Set which receives top marks across the web and on the Mumsnet forums. Not only is it a great price for four good sized cubes, it’s rated highly for durability. And when you’re done, the cubes can be stored away without taking up too much room in the cupboard.
How we chose our recommendations
We’ve thoroughly researched the best packing cubes you can buy this season including tried-and-tested experiences from a wide range of honest, trusted sources. Here’s how we narrowed it down to our top picks.
Mumsnet community
When it comes to packing cubes Mumsnetters know a trusty carrier when they see (and use) one.
We first assessed all the recommendations from the Mumsnet community, getting feedback on the best packing cubes hey have personally used, reviewed and rated, including their favourite brands and additional features, such as extendable zips and mesh windows. We also considered the reasons why Mumsnetters would avoid certain packing cubes.
Expert opinions
We know that choosing the right packing cubes takes a lot of thought and consideration, so we made sure our recommendations were well received within the bags and luggage industry, rated or recommended by travel experts and industry leaders.
Trusted consumer reviews
Finally, we scrutinised honest customer reviews on retailer sites such as Amazon and John Lewis to get wider consumer opinions on the products on our shortlist. Through this research, we were able to weigh up the top packng cubes for a variety of needs, from solo business trips to family holidays, and gain a greater understanding of the pros and cons of each.
About the author
Laura Cooke is a Content Editor at Mumsnet, with a special focus on home care content. She is a mum of two and lives in Sussex. She has worked for local newspapers and magazines across Sussex, and her work has appeared in titles, including the Daily Mirror, the i, Metro, Stylist and Happiful magazine.
Laura started writing Swears By articles for Mumsnet in 2021 and has recently taken over responsibility for floor care and laundry content. She writes buyers guides, including what to consider when buying a robot vacuum cleaner, cleaning articles and tests products, including the Henry Quick vacuum and the Beldray 60m Rotary Airer, to help Mumsnetters make informed choices when it comes to parting with their pennies.
Why you should trust us
Mumsnet has been helping parents make their lives easier since 2000 and, in those years, we’ve seen, tried and reviewed thousands of products in a wide variety of categories.
We work hard to provide honest and independent advice you can trust and we spend hours scouring the Mumsnet forums and online bestseller lists to find products that real parents rate.
Transparency is important to us and that's why we're always upfront about the research we do, and where we find our recommendations. We write about products that we feel offer the best value to most parents – the ones that our users would recommend to their own friends and family and strive to offer impartial advice across the board.