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I was a week away from my first big trip of the year. Soon, I would be heading off to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina with my sister for the massive Carolina Country Music Festival. Of course, I’d be bringing my larger suitcase along with me to the music festival. Now, I already knew how I liked to initially pack the suitcase. However, after a day or so, it would become messy and unorganized from getting items out of it every day. I wanted to find a solution for that before the big trip.
How I found out about packing cubes
Packing a suitcase is a topic that often appears in a female travel Facebook group that I’m in. I had noticed a lot of the girls in the Facebook group kept mentioning packing cubes. They are used to basically separate and group different items in your suitcase for more efficient packing and to keep your suitcase more organized. I decided that’s just what I needed it. I hopped on Amazon, searched for packing cubes, and ended up purchasing some!
Now, you may have started to wonder and have questions about packing cubes. What kind of suitcase/luggage can you use them with? What is included when ordering them? How is the quality? How do you use each packing cube? Do they really help suitcases stay organized? And ultimately, you’re wondering if packing cubes are really necessary and worth buying.
I purchased this set so my views and opinions will be based off of the packing cubes that I personally bought.
Here’s my honest review of the packing cubes that I purchased.
What kind of suitcase/luggage can you use packing cubes with?
I use a large, hard shell suitcase from Calvin Klein that I bought a Ross Dress for Less several years ago. The packing cubes that I purchased all fit well inside of my suitcase with a bit of room to spare around each cube. There are 4 actual cubes included with the set I purchased.
If you are using a backpack or duffle bag style luggage, I think that packing cubes would still work well for keeping your items organized. However, them being more of a square shape may cause them to be less effective in luggage that isn’t also more square in shape.
What is included when ordering them?
The packing cube set that I ordered came with six separate packing organizers. Three of the organizers are square, soft, plastic containers that have mesh tops and are meant to store clothing in. One smaller square, soft plastic container that has a solid top instead of mesh is included for undergarments. One draw-string bag is included for shoe storage, although I usually use it for my toiletries, and then, one small toiletry bag is also included. All containers had zippers to keep them shut except the shoe bag, which, as mentioned above, has a draw-string closure.
So to quickly recap, this set of packing cube/organizers contains:
- 3 different size clothes storage bags (Large and two medium size
- 1 undergarments bag
- A shoe bag
- 1 toiletry bag
How is the quality?
I feel that the packing cube set that I purchased from Amazon isn’t top quality. However, none of the items included in my set have broken, torn, or ripped at all and I’ve had them for almost a year now. I say that they are not top quality because the material that the containers are made of is very thin and not waterproof.
Also, there is a quote that is printed onto one of the bags. It’s apparent that the company who made the packing cubes didn’t double check English grammar properly when trying to add an inspirational quote to their product. That, I feel, cheapens the product. Personally though, the quote doesn’t bother me and doesn’t actually affect its use.
How do you use each packing cube?
There are cubes for clothing, shoe, and toiletry storage included in the set I purchased. However, they can be used in any way you choose. As I stated above, I actually use the shoe storage bag for some of my toiletries. I found the shoe storage bag to be impractical for actual shoe storage. Unless you have a pair of really dirty shoes that need to be kept away from the other items in your suitcase, then use the shoe bag for storing other items.
Do they really help suitcases stay organized?
For me, I purchased the packing cubes because I needed more organization in my suitcase and I can honestly say that the one that I ordered have helped in that area. Now when I pack my suitcase, the cubes are already stored in my suitcase and I can immediately begin to pack my tops, bottoms, undergarments, toiletries, and anything else I may need. I know which cube each item will fit in best and where they will be located in my suitcase when I open it back up and need something from it.
I will admit, that if I don’t take the time to properly fold and place a clothing item back into its cube, my suitcase can still become a little messy but it also takes less time to reorganize my clothing now that I have the packing cubes to help me visualize and then place each item back into its proper cube or bag.
So the ultimate question: Are packing cubes worth buying?
In short, yes.
The packing cubes that I purchased from Amazon were inexpensive so I knew if they didn’t hold up well or just didn’t work for me, I wouldn’t be out of too much money. Although, I feel that they aren’t a very high quality item, I’m pleasantly surprised by how well they have held up after almost of year of using them.
I will say that I don’t use them every week or even every month though. So if you’re someone who is constantly traveling, I would suggest trying out the cheaper priced ones first. Then, if you find they help keep your suitcase organized, upgrade to higher quality packing cubes that are made from better, stronger material that can withstand the constant use.
I hope that this review of packing cubes for your suitcase has helped you make a mindful decision about how you can become more tidy and organized while traveling with a suitcase. And whether or not you need a product like packing cubes to help you solve your suitcase organization problem.
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