One of the things I am asked about most often is my Away Carry-On suitcase, which is why I’ve reviewed it twice (most recently here) and shared my packing strategy. Today I’ll be sharing my honest, unbiased opinion of my first accessory purchase from the company: The Insider Packing Cubes.
[Update: I'm giving away a set of these packing cubes! Enter over here, now through July 12, 2019]
This post is not sponsored, but for the sake of full transparency, these packing cubes were partially purchased using credit generated by my referral link.
This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission (at no cost to you!) if you make a purchase after clicking one of these links. This helps me continue to run this site without ads, so thank you!
My general philosophy on packing cubes is that they are not necessarily essential travel items. Your clothing and other items can be folded and placed into your suitcase just fine without them, and packing cubes are yet another thing to be stored away once you return home.
That being said, they can definitely make your life easier while you’re on the road, particularly when you are staying in lodging with few places to store and sort your clothes or when you are staying in multiple locations over a few short days. Plus, I find that they help condense and corral my garments better than packing my clothes directly into my suitcase. I also like having an extra layer of protection between my clothes and the outside world – free from prying eyes (like skeevy TSA agents).
The Insider Packing Cubes can be purchased in a set of four (intended for the Carry-On and the Bigger Carry-On) or six (ideal for the Medium and Large suitcases) in a range of colorways. I chose the set of four in black to match and fit my black suitcase.
They arrived just a few days later, and I was surprised by how light they felt – at first touch, they certainly felt a little flimsier than my Eagle Creek cubes, but more substantial than my IKEA ones. In fact, I was a bit nervous about their potential durability, and how they would hold up to being stuffed in my bag and toted around the world.
Thankfully upon closer examination, I found tightly woven nylon and sturdy, smooth-rolling zippers. After mulling it over, I believe the packing cubes’ lightness is a good thing, considering that airlines are more strictly enforcing hand luggage weight limits.
Each of the four packing cubes is a slightly different size and shape; Away titles them “Small Wide,” “Medium Slim,” “Medium Wide” and “Large Slim.” It took a little practice to decide what would best work in each cube (and even then, I adjust the categories of garments that go in each cube based on what I’m bringing for that trip). The two medium cubes and single small cube fit together on one side of the case, and the single large cube travels on its own on the other side of the case, leaving about a quarter of the suitcase empty – perfect for shoes and coats.
On their own, the packing cubes are pretty shapeless; it can be a little challenging to get the first few garments to stand up KonMari style in the cubes. But once the cubes are mostly full the corners square off nicely, which makes them fit together perfectly.
As I mentioned, I do slightly adjust how I pack each cube based on my destination, however, the adjustments are relatively minor. My underwear, bras, socks, and tights generally go in the Small Wide cube. The Medium Slim cube usually gets my dresses and pajamas, and sometimes my workout clothes. The Medium Wide case always holds my tees and tops, generally stacked horizontally, though I tend to place bulky sweaters and tops flat along the bottom of the cube. That leaves the Large Slim cube, which holds my jeans, pants, and skirts, and sometimes light outerwear.
The packing cubes also make it easier to share suitcase space when traveling with just one bag on budget airlines (though not my preferred way to travel, low-cost airlines like Spirit and Frontier are often the only ways to find a last-minute deal). Divvying up space becomes much easier when there are smaller bags to corral things in for each person sharing the suitcase.
So, should you buy Away’s The Insider Packing Cubes?
I find it’s easiest to weigh these decisions with a handy list of pros and cons:
Pros:
The cubes fit perfectly in the Carry-On. The corners are squared off nicely, which makes them perfect for this specific suitcase. Other packing cubes I own fit awkwardly in Away’s bag.
The packing cubes have two zippers. I love this feature for longer trips when I need to fit more in each cube. Having two zippers means that one side of the packing cube can be slightly fuller than the other, and the bag will still zip. As a precaution, I always slip my finger behind the zipper when I’m closing the cube to ensure it doesn’t get caught on any of my clothing.
The bags are waterproof. I haven’t needed these yet for warm, wet, summer travel, but it will be nice to have a waterproof way to store things. I also haven’t needed to wash my cubes yet, but when I do I’ll be sure to do so on a gentle cycle and air dry.
Cons:
The bags have floppy sides. Having non-sturdy sides is a positive thing when it comes to storing, but when it comes to packing it makes things a little tougher. I wish the side fabric were a little more substantial so my clothing could stand up a little more easily during the packing process.
The packing cubes don’t have handles. This complaint only comes because I’ve had packing cubes with handles before and I liked how easy it was to pick up the bags and move them around once they were out of my suitcase. A minor complaint for sure, but this is a feature I miss in Away’s packing cubes.
My final verdict:
These bags are a wonderful addition to an Away Carry-On suitcase, however, I think there are better options out there if you own a different suitcase or if you plan on carrying a larger, checked suitcase. Still, I can’t imagine returning to life with my Carry-On without The Insider Packing Cubes in tow and will be using them each time I pack my bag for the foreseeable future.
Think one of Away’s suitcases or their accompanying accessories might be for you? Take $20 off your first purchase of $125+ at Away by signing up through this link.
Enjoyed this post? You may also like:
- Updated Away Carry-On Review (+ new battery housing installation)
- First Impressions of The Carry-On by Away
- How to Pack the Away Carry-On
- A Comparison of Carry-On Luggage from Quince and Away
- Away Everywhere Bag Review + Packing Tips
- A Travel Blogger’s Review of the Solgaard Carry-On Closet
- My Travel Essentials
- Traveling Hands-Free with Parker Clay’s Nyala Foldover Clutch and Soto Belt Bag
- A Review of Cuyana’s Classic Leather Zipper Tote and Tote Organization Insert
- The One Accessory You Should Always Pack
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- Home Try-On: Three Packable Straw Hats Under $100
- All Travel Guides by Destination
- Exclusive Discount + Promo Codes
- Real-Life Packing Lists
Do you use packing cubes or any other methods to organize your items within your suitcase? Do share!
I also ended up purchasing the Away packing cubes a few months after traveling with my bigger carry-on. I agree with your pros, but one of the biggest cons for me was that there was no built-in compression. I realize that one side of the bag does that for you naturally, but I prefer the compression provided by the eagle creek compression cubes. I was able to fit 8 tops in the small-sized eagle creek compression tube and it took up less than a piece of paper for 10 days. Overall, I think there are better options out there, but these do fit in nicely in the carryon and do seem generally sturdy.
Thanks for reading along, Monica! I’ve never tried compression cubes, but after looking them up and watching a video, I am certainly intrigued. I can see how they would be more space-efficient than the ones Away designed. Thank you for sharing!
I was wondering why it was taking so long for Away to make packing cubes! It seemed like such a good business move for them, especially for people who are priced out of their carry-ons. They only had the black color every time I looked, but nice to know there are now lots of other cute colors. And this is helpful, because the images of the cubes on the website are so different from how they seems to appear in real life (less sturdy). If I decide to buy some, I’m def gonna use your link 🙂
I totally agree – I think creating accessories seemed like more of a logical next-step than creating a ton of limited edition options (but that’s the hype-market we live in these days, I think). Glad you found this helpful – and I appreciate your support of this space!
Don’t know if this is the forum for this. I’m relatively new to the idea of packing cubes. I have the Away bigger carry on and I love it. I was at a travel show this weekend and one of the products that was demoed was an Eagle Creek Garment Folder which looked like it would be great for someone like me who does a lot of business travel. When traveling on business I have three to four dress shirts that I need to fold and pack and need something that will make that easier because I legitimately suck at folding shirts.
So true! What is it about button down shirts that makes folding them so difficult? I actually just ordered Away’s centerfold garment bag to alleviate the need to fold easy-to-wrinkle items, but a garment folder is intriguing. Does it pack down pretty flat? I bet you encountered a lot of innovative things at the travel show!
I just purchased Away’s bigger carry-on and packing cubes. I am getting ready to take my first trip with my new luggage and am so excited! I follow how you utilize the packing cubes but am wondering where you put your toiletries in the suitcase if you use all 4 packing cubes? Thanks for any insight you may have!
Oh, how exciting! Great question – I usually pack my toiletries in my “personal item” (typically my tote bag) that goes under the seat. I plan on sharing a post dedicated to the personal item soonish, so stay tuned!
Where are you headed? Somewhere lovely I hope!