Packing cubes - great idea or hype?

[canyouseemyhousefromhere]

I have been hearing about these packing cubes. Are they a great idea or just something to waste my money on & take up extra space in the suitcase.

Going on our first holiday since 2019 🥳 ☀️ and wondering whether I should try these.

Advice on type & size would be appreciated too (so many on Amazon!). 2 adults on a 2 week cruise (so no weight limit).

Thanks 🚢

Really good! They make a huge difference to how much you can fit in, and everything is all organised and easy to find. Definitely give them a try.

I like them. They are good as they protect thinner things, get together smaller items, you can have them in different colors for different people - easier to unpack/ find things.
I saw some in Primark if there is one near you.

I dont like them but I can see how they could be useful, they just annoy me

Game-changing as far as I am concerned, I can't recommend highly enough!

I love mine. I have a set of 2. One colour for me and one for DD. Also useful to use in drawers when not bring used to pack a case. The smaller ones get used all year round (one for medication beside my bed which can be grabbed if I ever have to go to hospital, and one has various emergency items of San pro in it in case DD runs out)

They were around £9.99 for each pack and I got them from Amazon or Ebay.

I bought some this year & loved them!
I have a real aversion to packing & they really helped me!

They are great for holidays where you are travelling around and having to pack and unpack several times. However for a cruise where you get on and unpack once I wouldn’t bother with the expense.
Alternatively haven’t you got a friend/relative with some that you can borrow and give it a try?

I got the compression ones for a trip last week, as I only had hand luggage, and I found them really good. I was able to bring a lot of clothes. You can end up with quite a heavy bag/case though.

I also have the ones from Poundland/Primark, they aren't compression bags, but I find them handy for keeping items together and sorting things by person or function. Eg all my underwear, just put the entire cube into the drawer or wardrobe in hotel

I’ve got them and only really found them useful when I went skiing. They were great for packing bulky jackets and salopettes.

We have some pricey ones from Eagle Creek which are great and some cheapo ones which are a bit shit. The fabric is flimsy and the zips don’t look like they’ll last for a long time. If nothing else I’d buy one or two good ones and use them for underwear. You can unzip them and leave them in the drawers without unpacking them.

I use them lots - great for weekends away, holidays and work trips. People use them differently - eg one outfit per pack or tops in one pack/bottoms in another etc.

Our holidays are usually road trips and packing cubes save my sanity! I wouldn't buy the expensive ones, I bought cheap sets from Amazon and they have lasted for several lengthy holidays.

I bought some and don't find them that useful really.

I pack for the 6 of us every holiday and everyone just gets a carrier bag with clothes rolled inside.

We like them but mostly use them for the kids. For my packing the main use is for small things like underwear, socks, swimwear etc. They are definitely useful if you're travelling out a suitcase and need to keep things organised, but if you're in one room the whole trip, probably less so.

I like them for multi stop trips with the kids, a cube for each of them, one for me, one for bedtime, one for swimwear. If you're the sort of person who spends ages rummaging through the suitcase hunting for things, they're great.

However if you are going to pack at home, Unpack on the ship, and pack again at the end - not worth it.

Mine were v cheap and flimsy but are holding up OK so far.

I have a set of drawstring bags in different sizes and colours which I bought at a craft fair years ago, being sold for the same purpose.

One for socks, one for underwear, one for nightwear, one for t-shirts etc.

I don't think I would prefer cubes, and if they ever wore out I would make more bags.

I've been using them for many years and I find them really useful to organise different types of clothing.

I couldn’t see the benefit…until I got some! They’re great for just being organised, as others have said, undies together in one, beach/pool wear in another, evening outfits in another. Absolute game changers,…if you do a search on here, you’ll find a huge amount of posters saying the same

I love them (and I too didn’t see the point until
i got them)
I agree they are great if you are moving around a bit. Means I can keep stuff organised and just take out what I need rather than empty my whole rucksack on the floor then have to shove it all back in again each day

I love them! They do save space and keep clothes more organised and less crease (I'm a folder not a roller though)

When I come home, I can separate the laundry. DH and I have them and in different colours so we can split across cases in case one goes missing.

For a weekend trip or just going for night I can put my clothes in them rather than just loose in a bag- so pants don't fall out when you open you bag to look for a charger on the train!

For hand luggage I pack one with an emergency clothes in case a bag gets lost.

Get a decent set I've had cheap ones from primark, Lidl and Amazon and they just don't last.

These are the best ones I've had from Amazon

amzn.eu/d/0PY9Ho7

They have different prices for differ t colours and are often Reduce to £14 ish

But why do you need to keep these things separate in your case? Presumably you get to the hotel and unpack

I feel like I am missing something. For road trips / multiple stops I can see the point though

They’re brilliant if you have small DC and you’re going on a day out somewhere. Chuck the change of clothes or whatever it is you need in the packing cube, stick that inside your normal day bag or whatever you’re bringing out with you.

I thought they were a bit ridiculous, then I tried them and I love them.
@arlott when I unpack, I open the zip, fold the top back and put the cube into a drawer/shelf so it keeps my clothes sorted and contained.

That makes more difference to how messy the dc are than I am.

I think it’s perfectly possible to live a happy and fulfilled life without them. It surprised me how much I liked them,

I usually with cabin luggage only, so it makes it a lot easier if you need to get into your bag-at security etc-if everything doesn’t spill out….I aso often on,y go for a few days and don’t unpack so it means you don’t have piles of stuff everywhere…on the odd occasion we do take hold baggage, we always mix my and dh’s stuff through the cases, so it makes it easier to sort out on arrival…honest I just didn’t see the point either…until I did 🤣