Packing Cubes for Maximizing Luggage Space

Packing cubes are a great way to both organize your items and maximize space when packing. But you may be wondering how to effectively use packing cubes. My tried-and-true method allows you to keep everything organized and ensures that you are using every valuable square inch of luggage space.

Using a simple method to size, roll, fold, and pack items into packing cubes allows you to maximize their benefits. Once you get the process down, packing with packing cubes becomes an easy way to prepare for a trip.

Using Packing Cubes

I discovered packing cubes several years ago, and now I never travel without them! I have some from Eagle Creek that I have had for over 10 years. They are very light-weight, breathable, and water-resistant. There is also a compression feature, which can be zipped closed to compress the cube even smaller (as long as the cube isn’t fully packed!). I use two sizes: larger ones (9″ x 14″) for clothing, and smaller ones (6″ x 9″) for underwear and other smaller items.

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Use different sized packing cubes for different types of items

Folding and Rolling Shirts and Pants

My favorite trick is to use a piece of cardboard cut to the same size as the cube as a template. The below series of pictures shows the steps I take to get a tee-shirt folded and rolled for the large packing cube:

Lay the shirt flat, with the template centered at the neckline
Fold the sides in over the template, and slide the template out
Roll the shirt as tightly as you can (but you don’t need to go crazy with this!)
The end result…a rolled shirt that is exactly the same width as the packing cube

An orange tee shirt is laid out, with a smaller rectangular piece of brown cardboard on top at the neck opening.

An orange tee shirt is laid out, folded in thirds lengthwise around a smaller rectangular piece of brown cardboard at the neck opening. A hand is pulling the cardboard out from the shirt at the bottom.

An orange tee shirt is laid out, folded in thirds lengthwise. A hand is rolling up the shirt from the bottom.

An orange tee shirt, rolled up, sits on a gray background

Use the same template and process for most everything in the cubes. For shirts with longer sleeves, fold them in lengthwise as shown below. Pants can also use the template – fold long pants or capris in half first, then tuck in any pieces that are wider than the template before rolling.

A black, blue, and cream colored pattered shirt is laid out, with the left third folded lengthwise around a smaller rectangular piece of brown cardboard at the neck opening.

A black, blue, and cream colored pattered shirt is folded lengthwise in thirds around a smaller rectangular piece of brown cardboard at the neck opening.

Large or Bulk Pieces of Clothing

For large or bulk pieces, like a dress, fold these around the template and lay these on top of the rolled items in the cubes. Bulky items will be very large when rolled, so folding them works best. This ensures you use every inch of space in the cubes. I have found that the fuller the cube is, the less likely the clothes will shift and wrinkle in transit.

A black and white patterned dress is laid out, folded in half with a smaller rectangular piece of brown cardboard on top at the neckline.

A black and white patterned dress is folded lengthwise in thirds around a smaller rectangular piece of brown cardboard at the neck opening.

A black and white patterned dress is laid out, folded in thirds vertically with a smaller rectangular piece of brown cardboard on top at the fold. Some of the dress is still visible at the top.

Filling the Cubes

As you roll each item, place it in a cube. I do not use the compression option on the larger cubes with my clothing, as that tends to wrinkle everything a bit more. By not compressing, you can typically fit two layers of rolled clothes, or a layer of rolled and a layer or two of folded, in each cube. Cubes are also a great way to group like items:

Use one large cube for day wear (t-shirts, pants, shorts, etc)
Use a different large cube for evening wear (pants, blouses, dresses, etc)
Use smaller cubes for undergarments and other smaller items (underwear, socks, swimsuits, etc)

An open, white packing cube is filled with clothes, with a black and white patterned item seen at the top.

A closed, white packing cube is filled with clothes, and is viewed from the side. A yellow index card with a handwritten list of items in the cube is lying on top of the closed packing cube.

Common Questions

Is one brand or type of packing cube better than the others?

As with anything else, you will get what you pay for. Look for packing cubes that are sturdy and well-constructed. Is it easy to zip and unzip? Do the seams appear sturdy? Is the fabric something that will stand up to some wear and tear?

Can I wash a packing cube?

Double-check the specifics for the brand you choose, but most types of packing cubes can be washed. I toss my Eagle Creek packing cubes in the washer and dryer after each trip I take, and they have stood up to more than 10 years of use with flying colors!

Do I need packing cubes with a compression option?

Not necessarily. I don’t use the compression option on my larger cubes, since I like to fill those cubes up on their own. But I do like having the option to compress my smaller cubes, as these typically carry things that are less likely to wrinkle and may not be filled completely.

Will my clothes wrinkle if I use packing cubes?

Rolling clothing and ensuring that each cube is full will definitely help reduce the amount of wrinkles in the clothes. However, this method will not completely eliminate all wrinkles – you can expect to still have a few wrinkles here and there when you unpack the cubes. Smoothing each item well and rolling and/or folding them carefully and tightly will help reduce wrinkles in transit.