The 5 Ways Packing Cubes Make Packing Easier

You can’t resist packing your entire closet into a suitcase when preparing for a trip? Packing cubes offer many benefits over plastic bags — a more sustainable, stylish alternative.

You should take the best packing cubes into consideration when you’re considering traveling. Using packing cubes has always been an essential part of travel gear, but these days they are even more indispensable: Additionally to helping the environment by reducing your reliance on plastic bags, they offer protection against germs, dirt, and grime, explains Anne McAlpin, packing expert and author of “Pack It Up: How To Plan A Smart Adventure.” (who just completed an incredible 21-day experience with a kayak)

Take a look at these reasons to pack a few cubes before your next vacation-and how to reap the benefits of adding a range of shapes and sizes.

1. Packing Cubes Save Space

If you’re traveling with a checked bag or carry-on, tube cubes can maximize your space. The Pack-It Isolate Slim Cube from Eagle Creek compresses all of your socks and underwear into one compact compartment, making it easy to pack in with your luggage. When traveling for business and pleasure, a garment folder keeps your dress clothes looking presentable, even off the trails. It is a great way to keep your professional and activewear separate to place a tube cube at the bottom of your suitcase, then stack smaller cubes around it, Tetris-style.  

2. Packing Cubes Are Better For The Environment

It makes sense to carry the fabric bag attitude into your other activities, too: According to a 2017 study in the Science Advances journal (if production trends continue), 13 tons of plastic will be produced worldwide by 2050 … with the majority of it ending up in landfills or the natural environment. Eagle Creek offers a lifetime No Matter WhatTM Warranty on all products, including packing cubes! McAlpin says that plastic bags have a tendency to slide around in your bag since they aren’t structured like packing cubes.

You can easily see your belongings with Eagle Creek’s Pack-It Reveal Pro Set, which is translucent. A bonus, especially if you’re heading to the beach or on a trek where you might encounter moisture: the mesh allows items to breathe.

3. Airport Packing Cubes Save You Time

We’ve all left home with more than we need, only to discover at the airport that we have to pay to check our bags. There are some items that make your carry-on bag overweight: shoes, guidebooks, toiletries, and gifts. One of the many advantages of well-organized packing cubes is the ease of transferring items between your checked luggage, carry-on, or personal item, as needed. Along with toiletries, which are often the first items to be packed in cubes, it pays to store these items in travel cubes.

4. The Packing Cubes Defend Against Girls

Even if you don’t usually unpack your luggage in-room, putting your possessions in cubes can provide an extra level of protection against dirt and grime commonly found in hotel dresser drawers and hotels offering remote accommodations. Packing sacs and clean/dirty cubes are treated with Protx2®, an antimicrobial agent formulated to combat odor-causing bacteria. “Cubes are great for road trips, hotels, cruises, or for renting a home where you might want to keep something in a drawer and don’t want to worry about dirt or items getting lost,” McAlpin says. “They stack well on a counter as well.”