Packing cubes. Useful or waste of time?

[Toddlerteaplease]

Thought I might try them as staying in several different places this year. Are they a help or a hindrance?

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If you’re short on time, here’s a summary of the best packing cubes Mumsnetters are recommending on this thread:

➡️ ELEZAY Hanging Packing Cubes (£30)

➡️ WOWTOY 6PCS Packing Cubes Value Set (£7)

➡️ Eagle Creek Reveal Cube Set (£42)

For more recommendations, check out our guide to the best packing cubes, featuring products that have been tried and tested by Mumsnet users and editors.

MNHQ

They're great! I bought some cheap ones off Amazon a few years ago and now wouldn't be without them. Keep your clothes neat and organised, and you can fit more in too - great when I've been to the States and ended up coming back with a load more clothes. Plus I'm not embarrassed if they do a bag search!

@wildlifeobserver1 I've just ordered some of those. Fingers crossed

People who use them to pack clothes: are there any large ones out there that don't cost a fortune? I have some cheap ones from IKEA and they are sort of useful but they're mostly too small to contain many actual clothes. I don't need them for toiletries: I have sponge bags for those. Everything I've seen is either similarly small or £££. Any pointers?

I got mine from shein, a different colour each for myself, DH and 2 DCs. It makes it easier knowing whose clothes are whose, plus you can just pop them them straight in the wardrobe at the hotel, no real unpacking needed.

Love them but only ever really use the smaller ones. Cubes come out my case and into drawers at my destination.

I think they're a great idea. I actually invested in a set for each of us this year, because we are going on a family long haul and I want to have at least one set of clothes for each person, in each suitcase (on the off chance that any luggage goes missing) I think there are 4 pods per set - so one will contain that full set of clothing, and the other three will be for toiletries/underwear/clothes.

I bought some Mia Tui ones on offer a few months back, so each person has a distinctive design so we know immediately what's what.

I used these for holidays years ago and they’re a big help keeping clothes organised.

I used one in baby’s nappy bag for ages with spare clothes for both of us 😁

I have 2 sets from Hema (there is a small, medium and large one in each set) and they are brilliant. I travel a lot for work and can have one for my dresses, one for undies, one to keep sundry items together and one as a laundry bag. Makes it so much easier to live out of a suitcase!

There are many strategies depending on the kind of and length of trip. I mean I even use them in my gym bag now. We leave overseas and spend months in the U.K. and travel loads where we live. They keep your case organised, unable to get disorganised when you are looking for something quickly, all your clothes stay fresher, you can compress your packing, your can pre organise your washing etc etc etc. the benefits are almost endless.

Yes
i bought some additional recently now we have child to add packing, just amazon basics and they were good value.

I use to keep either different people stuff together if we share case, or if moving around one becomes dirty stuff.
If your travelling small handluggage also means you bag remind organised of checked at security within them rummaging through pants! And on arrival with just rucksack can just take cube of clothes out, and use bag as daybag etc.

If your staying with family or friends so no clothes storage you can also unpack bag and leave in the cubes like little baskets with say t shirts in one, underwear another. Just on guest room chest drawer top or floor etc

Love them. I use the compression ones. I also keep one in our nappy bag with a change of clothes in for each of the kids.

They compress everything so it saves a lot of space. I normally put swimming stuff in one, day dresses in another, going out stuff in another etc etc. however you want to organise it. And then it’s useful to save one for dirty clothes etc so that’s not getting muddled up. All your toiletries and things just go loose in the case or in a toiletry bag. But the way they zip closed it squishes it all down so you can fit more in. Also very handy if you’ve bought loads of souvenirs or in my case on one trip, lots of fabric for sewing with

Poundland sometimes have them if you want to try them out cheaply.

I bought a pack of different sizes (based on extensive research on Youtube) then worked out from that what ones would suit our needs. We all have a different colour so they are easy to find the right ones, they are labelled and we have a different colour for things like tech/chargers etc. Toiletries wise we have clear bags so you can you find what you are looking for easily. Incredibly useful either as complete outfits for a few days in each one or one for dresses etc. Plus no random item being left behind in a drawer somewhere. Game changing.

Another "was sceptical but now a convert" here. I'm of the rolled clothes in a cube variety - everything arrives without creases. My one go to tip is to use a medium sized one with an emergency pack - for example 1 bra/2 knickers/ a top and a bottom (or two if smaller) - packed in the carry on in case they lose your suitcase. ALso handy if you have a late night arrival and can't face the idea of opening the suitcase until after breakfast!

Just to add to the general chorus of approval - I love them.

I tend to do one big and one small each per person for a summer holiday. I do the big one with clothes and the small one with socks, pants, swim stuff and pjs. So easy when you arrive to give everyone their cubes to unpack.

On the way home I pack them with dirty stuff by colour - so one darks, one lights, one whites which is great when you get back for doing post holiday washing.

I love them!

For multiple stops, pack a cube for each stop. No more rummaging around trying to find stuff.

For longer trips, one per person. Plus one for swim stuff etc. So much easier to unpack.

I still do toiletries and make up in wash bags though, but I do use the random pouches that came with one of our (many!) sets for cables, electronics, travel adaptors etc.

They're excellent. I bought different colours so it was easy to identify whose clothes were whose as often it will be one DC's clothes and mine in one bag and the other's clothes with my husband's

Do you get compression ones? Or just normal cubes? Any recommendations on sturdy ones as I will try and fit as much in as physically possible x

I don't have compression ones - I find just zipping stuff into the cube is fine to squish it down.

My original ones were from Muji as I got them a while back before packing cubes were a big thing. They are very good quality but they were expensive. Since then I've bought this type from Amazon - https://www.amazon.co.uk/Packing-Luggage-Organiser-Compression-Suitcase/dp/B072K3XN93/ - not as good quality but still fine and I am a chronic over-packer!!

Although as I was looking on Amazon to find the ones I have, I have been sucked in by the fancier looking ones...

Just normal cheap ones in different sizes. Another convert here! Late convert, a few years ago my daughter in law dropped the baby off for a couple of days and she was so organised! I bought a set the next day from Amazon and use them for every trip.
I don’t usually unpack the cubes unless it’s stuff that creases. Just put the cubes in drawers/wardrobe.
Wish they’d been around when I had 3 boys to sort out for holidays

Total game changer

Oh you have totally levelled up. Different colours for different people…… Genius!

@HealthyBBQ highly recommend colour coding your packing cubes as it also makes it easy for the children to find their things