8 Best Packing Cubes for Avid Travelers

Key Specs

• Material: Abrasion and water-resistant nylon
• Size: 12.5 x 6.9 x 6.9 in. or 12.5 x 12.5 x 6.9 in. (small)
• Number of Cubes: Available as single or sets of up to 8

California-based Peak Design makes some extremely clever travel gear, especially for electronics and cameras. But the brand’s packing cubes prove that it can do general travel gear just as well. The cubes come in sets or as individual items and have smart features we haven’t seen in other cubes, like a second zippered pocket for dirty clothes. The cubes also unzip nearly all the way to make packing easy, and they can be unzipped with one hand in case you’re trying to quickly dig out an item in the middle of an airport terminal. The compression is effective and easy to tighten, and the cubes are water-resistant. There’s not much to dislike, especially with new colors coming out in early February.

Key Specs

• Material: Nylon
• Size: 14.17 x 10.04 x 3.15 in.
• Number of Cubes: 1

If you’ve got your packing strategy dialed in and just need one cube for organizing items that don’t fold or stack well, consider the single cube from Eagle Creek. The nylon material is durable and abrasion-resistant, but it comes with a lifetime guarantee just in case. A mesh section makes it easy to see which cube has shorts and which is stuffed with socks, and while it’s not technically a compression cube, the sturdy zippers should help squish whatever you’ve stuffed inside. You can buy a full set, but if you just need one, the “medium” is a useful option for around $12.