You’re Probably Using Packing Cubes Wrong

Think packing cubes are just for organizing clothes in your suitcase? Then you’re missing out on properly using a product that saves time, money, and headaches.

I’ve had so many sets of packing cubes over my decades of travel, most of which have bitten the dust. However, I’ve had these Well Traveled Compression Packing Cubes for 3+ years now, and they’re still as structurally sound as the day I got them. From Thailand to Colombia and Italy, they travel the world with me.

In my travels, I’ve devised a whole system to better use my packing cubes. Every single trip runs so much smoother because of them.

In this article, I share 4 ways to better use packing cubes for travel.

Compression Packing Cubes

These compression packing cubes come in every size to accommodate both carry-on luggage and full-sized bags. They’re water-resistant and durable. They even come with accessory bags, tags for labelling, and a laundry bag.

4 Ways to Better Use Packing Cubes for Travel

Use them to travel carry-on only

Packing cubes are kind of a secret weapon when it comes to saving luggage space. The Well Traveled Cubes’ compression feature means they smush down to just half their size, so you can pack a solid amount of clothes into a carry-on that wouldn’t normally fit.

Of course, not packing a large suitcase saves money on checked baggage fees. But it also saves time at the baggage carousel and takes away the worry of your airline losing your bag. This, all without having to reduce the amount of clothes you bring.

Pack your 1st set of clothes in a carry-on packing cube

When I travel with both a carry-on and a checked bag, I always pack my first day’s clothes in my carry-on bag. I usually use a smaller compression packing cube for this, and only include a set of day clothes and pajamas.

Regardless of the airline’s reputation for misplacing checked baggage, this gives peace of mind knowing you can start your trip on a good foot.

On my recent trip to Italy, the airline lost my mom’s luggage for three days. Thankfully, she had a full set of clothes in a carry-on packing cube, so she could refresh herself once we got to Venice.

📚 Related Reading: My luggage fell apart at check-in. Here’s how packing cubes saved my trip.

Use them to pack a suitcase with a friend

When I travel with a friend, I usually pitch them on sharing a checked bag (especially if we’re not traveling for very long). Then, to keep everything super organized and separate, I pack all my things in packing cubes so I can take them out and have them easily accessible in our destination.

I do this when traveling with my partner as well. He uses our set of colorful “vistas” Well Traveled Packing Cubes, and I use the white ones. Then, when we reach our destination, we can easily reach for our things.

Use them to separate clean clothes from dirty ones

One of my favorite things about my 8-piece Well Traveled Packing Cube set is that it comes with a laundry/shoe bag. I’m not going to lie, I usually only use this bag for laundry (not shoes), and it works so well in keeping my clean clothes separate from my dirty ones. It has a drawstring and is very malleable.

In the past, I primarily used garbage bags to store my dirty laundry, but found that 1.) the garbage bag would often get stuck in my luggage zipper (not kidding & it’s such an annoying problem to have), and 2.) the laundry bag would eventually tear on a longer trip.

Plus, because I have 8 packing cubes, I designate another full cube to be my shoe cube. This keeps my shoes away from my clean clothes at all times.

Compression Packing Cubes

This set comes with small, medium, & large sized compression packing cubes, two accessory pouches, a laundry/shoe bag, and 50 luggage tags for labelling.

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Now you’re all up to speed on how to best use compression packing cubes for travel. Up next, read my full Well Traveled Packing Cubes review, after having used them for over 3 years and countless trips.