Why We Love Packing Cubes for Family Travel

November 27, 2016

Have you heard about packing cubes for family travel? They're an absolute must-have on our vacation packing list! We use them all the time, whether we're doing short trips or long trips.

Now, I'm not one to buy into what's trendy. When it comes to most things, I go with either what is enjoyable or what is useful to me. This applies to my clothes, food, books, gadgets, and even travel.

A look at my possessions will show you that most of the things I own have some sort of utilitarian purpose, and may not always be the most stylish or trendy item. But every once in awhile, I make an exception.

This post was updated on April 19, 2020.


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Traveling to Singapore with our kids (January 2020)

Using packing cubes for family travel

In the past few years, I've been hearing a lot about packing cubes, also known as packing cells. They're all the rage in the travel world. And since I'm not one to jump onto the latest trend, I had tried to resist the urge to buy a set.

I had tried those compression travel bags when they were oh-so-trendy years ago. They turned out to be quite cumbersome to pack! I already knew the technique of rolling my clothes to maximize space, and often used ziploc bags to keep my things separated. Why would I need to spend money on one more travel gadget?

Then, my husband gave me a set of packing cubes for my birthday, and my world was forever changed. Why didn't I discover these before? We used my new set of packing cubes for family travel on a recent trip to Spokane, WA. It made packing and traveling so much easier. Now I can't get enough of them. And all I want to do is share with the world the benefits of packing cubes!

My jet-setting kids (September 2015)

Why we love using packing cubes for family travel

Whether shopping for a gift, or stocking up on travel essentials, what could be better than getting your favorite person a set of packing cubes for their travels? We use packing cubes for our long term family travel trip around the world.

There are a number of packing cube brands available on the market. For our own travels, we use packing cubes by Travelwise and Bagail. They come in sets of multiple sizes.

If you're on the fence about using packing cubes on your next trip, here are five reasons why we love packing cubes for family travel.

Various sized empty packing cubes for family travel
Packing cubes for family travel (November 2016)

They're affordable

One of the reasons why I tend to stay away from trendy travel gadgets is because they're often quite pricey. But packing cubes are quite the opposite. A decent set can range from $15 to $40.

Some travelers will say that you can get by with buying gallon size ziploc bags and using them for travel instead. But if you travel often, it's worth spending money on something that's a bit more durable. Also, the larger packing cubes can fit more than a gallon, which is helpful for your bigger articles of clothing, such as pants or sweaters.

Packing cubes for family travel
Packing cubes for our around the world trip (May 2018)

They keep your things organized

When you're talking about families, the most important word is organization. This applies as well to family travel. Trying to manage travel for a large group of people requires quite a lot of organization, and the last thing you want to worry about on a trip is the packing.

One of the benefits of packing cubes is that you can buy them by the set. My set of packing cubes comes with five cubes of varying sizes, which coincidentally, is just enough for each member of my family to have a cube for their clothes, with one extra cube for miscellaneous family items. With each family member's clothes organized into their own respective cubes, I no longer have to go searching through the whole suitcase trying to figure out where I packed my daughter's skirt. I can simply open up her packing cube and pull out her skirt!

Multiple sized packing cubes for family travel
Packing cubes for travel (November 2016)

They make packing easy

Since each family member has their own cube, it makes it a lot easier to pack the suitcase. This is one of my favorite benefits of packing cubes. We just fill up each cube, and throw them in the suitcase. My daughter even helps me pack her own cube!

I remember when I used to use the compression travel bags, they would always compress into weird shapes that didn't always stack so well in my bag. The packing cubes, on the other hand, are all roughly the same shape, even though they may be different sizes. And they stack really easily in my suitcase, which makes packing a breeze. Plus, since they're made of cloth, they are also quite flexible, and squishable, if need be.

Packing cubes and other travel items (May 2019)

They're lightweight

Another important thing about travel, especially family travel, is that you want to minimize weight as much as you can. When you've got a two year old who's too tired to walk through the airport, you don't want to be carrying him in one arm and lugging a suitcase filled with heavy travel gadgets on the other arm.

Fortunately for you, using packing cubes for family travel makes your luggage quite light. Packing cubes don't add much extra weight to your bag. Plus, they compact pretty small, for easy storage when you're not using them.

My backpack, which can fit a packing cube (June 2018)

They're stylish

Unlike me, most people prefer to have a bit of style in their lives. There's something sleek and sophisticated about a suitcase packed with cute and stylish packing cells.

They come in a variety of colors, which makes it easy to stay coordinated, or if you prefer to mix and match, you can also do that too. The sets I have are from TravelWise and Bagail, but I have also heard good things about eBags and Eagle Creek. All four of these brands are available on Amazon.

Packing cubes for family travel
All my clothes for a weekend trip in one cube! (November 2016)

Spreading the love of packing cubes for family travel

I have to say, I'm absolutely in love with my packing cubes. And I think all the above reasons I've given to love packing cubes for family travel will have you convinced too! If you're only going to buy one travel gadget for this year, go and buy a set of packing cubes now.

Have you tried packing cubes for family travel? Let me know your experiences with them in the comments below.

Why We Love Packing Cubes For Family Travel | The Wandering Daughter

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