What To Look For In Packing Cubes

Whether you're going on a slow cruise or hopping a jet for work, you'll be dragging luggage with you. Packing cubes make hauling your stuff easier by turning your suitcase into a little portable dresser. So which cubes are the best fit, literally and metaphorically?

When buying cubes, look for cubes with sizes that fit both your needs and your suitcase. Sets of cubes can range from equally sized to a wide variety, so lay out what you normally pack and ask yourself what it would fit into. If you just need to keep t-shirts with t-shirts and pants with pants, you'll have different needs than the business trip where you've got three suits and matching undies to go with them.

Consider your laundry situation before buying. If you go on the kind of trip where you come back looking like you took a sweat shower, you'll probably want cubes that are easy to wash and have ventilation to keep the funk from concentrating. But if you're just relaxing by the pool, you shouldn't have to worry about stanky luggage quite as much.

Finally, consider any extras. For example, some packing cubes double as compression bags, perfect for when you've got a lot to haul, and not a lot of luggage to haul it in. Others are expandable, or can be converted to a carry-on, so you can pop out a cube and leave everything else organized in your luggage.