Best Packing Cubes
Packing Cubes
Travel packing cubes that organise your bag and save space on every trip. The Pro Packing Cubes come as a set of six — two large, two medium, and two small — so every item in your bag has a designated cube. Roll your clothes, sort by outfit or day, and keep dirty laundry separate from clean clothes. Mesh tops let you see the contents without unzipping. Lightweight compression means the cubes themselves add almost nothing to your carry weight. Packing cubes for travel are not a luxury — once you use them, packing without them feels chaotic. They fit the HOBO40, Overnighter, HOBO25, or any backpack and suitcase.
Do Packing Cubes Actually Save Space
Organisation Creates Usable Space
Packing cubes do not magically create extra room — they organise the room you already have so you use it efficiently. Without cubes, clothes shift into gaps, wrinkle, and become a jumbled pile by day two. With cubes, every item stays compressed and sorted. You can pull one cube out to grab a shirt without disturbing the rest of your bag. The real space saving comes from rolling clothes tightly inside the cubes and using the compression zippers to squeeze out air.
20 to 30 Percent More Efficient Packing
Rolled clothes inside compression cubes take up 20 to 30 percent less space than the same clothes folded loose in your bag. That translates to one or two extra outfits in the same 40L backpack, or the ability to pack the same amount of clothes into a smaller 30L bag. On a week-long trip, that efficiency is the difference between needing a checked bag and travelling carry-on only.
Clothes Arrive Unwrinkled
Clothes wrinkle when they shift and bunch during transit. Packing cubes hold each item in place so nothing moves, even when your bag gets tossed into an overhead bin, dropped on a bus floor, or squeezed between other bags in a hostel locker. Shirts and trousers come out of the cube looking the way they went in. For business travellers who need to present well after a flight, this alone justifies the purchase.
How to Use Packing Cubes
Large Cubes: Tops, Trousers, and Bulky Items
The two large cubes handle your main clothing. Roll 3 to 4 t-shirts or shirts into one large cube and 2 to 3 trousers or jeans into the other. Bulky items like a hoodie, a light jacket, or a pair of joggers also go into a large cube. These sit at the bottom of your backpack or along one side of a suitcase as the foundation of your packing layout.
Medium Cubes: Underwear, Socks, and Swimwear
The two medium cubes handle smaller clothing items. One cube for clean underwear, socks, and a swimsuit. The second medium cube starts empty and becomes your dirty laundry bag as the trip progresses. By the end of a week, all worn clothes are in one cube, completely separated from your clean items. No more sniffing clothes to figure out which pile is which.
Small Cubes: Accessories and Small Items
The two small cubes handle chargers, adapters, earphones, medication, a power bank, or any small accessories that get lost at the bottom of a bag. One small cube for tech accessories, one for personal items like a belt, sunglasses case, or a travel first aid kit. Everything has a home, and nothing rattles around loose in the main compartment.
Works with Every CarryPro Bag
HOBO40 V2.0: Full Set Fits Perfectly
All six cubes nest inside the HOBO40 with room to spare for a toiletry kit and a jacket. Two large cubes stack flat on the clothes side of the clamshell opening. Two medium cubes fill the gaps. Two small cubes tuck into the front organiser or the top pocket. The front-panel access means you see all your cubes the moment you unzip, and you pull any cube without unpacking the others.
Overnighter 30L: Four Cubes for a Weekend
A weekend trip needs two large cubes (one for clothes, one for worn items on the return) and two medium or small cubes for accessories and underwear. The Overnighter's 180-degree opening lays flat so you arrange cubes side by side like a suitcase. Four cubes keep a 2 to 3 day trip perfectly organised inside a 30L bag.
Any Backpack or Suitcase
Packing cubes are soft rectangles with no rigid frame. They fit inside any bag from any brand. The Pro Packing Cubes are sized to nest inside CarryPro backpacks without wasting space, but they work equally well in a rolling suitcase, a duffle bag, or a competitor's backpack. If you already own a travel bag and want better internal organisation, packing cubes are the simplest upgrade you can make.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are packing cubes worth buying?
Yes. Packing cubes are the single most impactful travel accessory you can buy. They keep clothes organised, compressed, and wrinkle-free across an entire trip. You find any item in seconds without unpacking your bag. Dirty laundry stays separated from clean clothes. Once you use packing cubes on one trip, packing without them feels chaotic and slow. At the price of a single meal out, they improve every trip you take for years.
How many packing cubes do I need?
For a 2 to 3 day weekend trip, 3 to 4 cubes are enough (one large for clothes, one medium for underwear and socks, one small for accessories, one for dirty laundry). For a 5 to 7 day trip, the full set of 6 cubes gives you enough to sort every category of clothing and accessories with a dedicated dirty laundry cube. The Pro Packing Cube set of 6 covers both trip lengths because you use fewer cubes on shorter trips and the full set on longer ones.
Do packing cubes work in backpacks or only suitcases?
Packing cubes work in both. They are soft, flexible rectangles that conform to the interior shape of any bag. In a suitcase, they stack flat in rows. In a backpack, they stack vertically or nestle side by side. The Pro Packing Cubes are specifically sized to fit CarryPro backpacks (HOBO40, Overnighter 30L, HOBO25) without wasting space, but they fit any backpack or suitcase from any brand.
Should I roll or fold clothes inside packing cubes?
Roll. Rolling clothes inside packing cubes saves 20 to 30 percent more space than folding, reduces wrinkles, and lets you see each item without unrolling the entire cube. Roll each item individually (not bundled together), pack them tightly side by side inside the cube, and use the compression zipper to squeeze out excess air. Rolling works for t-shirts, trousers, underwear, and light jackets. Only fold items that crease badly when rolled, like dress shirts for business trips.
How do I keep dirty laundry separate with packing cubes?
Start the trip with one medium cube empty. As you wear clothes through the trip, transfer them from the clean cubes into the empty "dirty" cube. By the end of the trip, all worn items are isolated in one cube, completely separated from clean clothes. The mesh top lets airflow through so dirty clothes do not develop a trapped smell. At your destination, dump the entire dirty cube into a laundry bag or washing machine without sorting.
Do packing cubes add weight to my bag?
Barely. The full set of 6 Pro Packing Cubes weighs under 200 g total. That is less than a single pair of jeans. On a bag packed to the 7 kg cabin limit, packing cubes add negligible weight while making the difference between an organised bag and a chaotic one. The space and time they save across a trip far outweighs the minimal weight they add.
Can I use packing cubes for non-clothing items?
Yes. Small cubes work well for chargers, adapters, medication, first aid supplies, and small accessories. Medium cubes hold shoes (isolating dirty soles from clothes), a swim kit, or a gym outfit. Some travellers use a large cube for snacks and food items on long bus or train rides. Packing cubes are flexible organisers — use them for anything that benefits from being grouped and separated from the rest of your bag's contents.
What is the difference between regular packing cubes and compression packing cubes?
Regular packing cubes organise your clothes but do not reduce volume. Compression packing cubes have a second zipper that squeezes the cube down after you pack it, pushing out air and compressing the contents. The Pro Packing Cubes use lightweight compression that reduces volume without adding bulk to the cube itself. This means your clothes take up less space inside the cube than they would packed loose, giving you more usable room in your bag.
Do the Pro Packing Cubes fit the HOBO40 V2.0?
Yes. The six-cube set is sized to nest inside the HOBO40 perfectly. Two large cubes stack on the clothes side of the clamshell opening, two medium cubes fill the remaining space, and two small cubes tuck into the front organiser or top pocket. You use the full interior of the bag without dead space or gaps. The front-panel access on the HOBO40 means you see and reach all your cubes the moment you unzip.
Can I wash packing cubes?
Yes. Hand wash with mild soap and lukewarm water, then air dry completely before your next trip. The mesh panels dry quickly. Do not machine wash or tumble dry, as heat can damage the compression zippers and distort the lightweight fabric. A quick hand wash after every 3 to 4 trips keeps the cubes fresh and removes any odour transferred from dirty laundry.