The Packing Cubes That Fixed My Suitcase Chaos
“Packing cubes are nylon rectangles with zippers. The Away set costs $55 because of the brand name. The Amazon Basics set costs $19 and has 74,000 reviews. My clothes don't care which rectangles they're stuffed into.”
Away Insider Packing Cubes (Set of 4)
1,876 reviews
Pros
- +Nylon exterior, mesh top for visibility
- +Compression zipper — squishes clothes down
- +Color-coded by size
- +From the Instagram-famous luggage brand
Cons
- -$55 for four nylon bags
- -The 'compression' zipper barely compresses
- -You're paying for the Away brand name
- -They don't fold any differently than cheaper ones
Amazon Basics 4-Piece Packing Cube Set
74,321 reviews
Pros
- +Four cubes for $19 — less than the price of one Away cube
- +Mesh top panels for ventilation and visibility
- +Double zipper pulls
- +74,000 reviews — literally the most popular packing cubes on Amazon
- +They're rectangles made of nylon. How different can they really be?
Cons
- -No compression zipper
- -Nylon feels thinner than the Away version
- -Amazon Basics branding instead of Instagram clout
- -Zippers may snag after heavy use
The Story
I travel for Salesforce consulting work and for the occasional investing conference. My suitcase used to look like a clothing bomb went off inside. Shirts wrinkled, socks mixed with electronics, underwear somehow always at the bottom when you need it at the top.
Packing cubes are genuinely life-changing. That part everyone is right about. Organize by category — shirts in one, pants in one, underwear and socks in one, tech in one. Unzip the cube you need. Everything else stays organized. It's beautiful.
But I bought the Away packing cubes because I saw them on Instagram. The Away suitcase is a status symbol among the millennial travel crowd. Their packing cubes are $55 for four nylon rectangles. Fifty-five dollars. For bags that go inside another bag.
The Amazon Basics set is $19 for four cubes. Same concept. Nylon exterior, mesh top, double zippers. Seventy-four thousand reviews at 4.6 stars — higher than the Away set. The only differences are: the Away ones have a compression zipper (marginal benefit), and the Away ones say 'Away' on them (zero benefit).
I own both sets now because I lost my Away cubes in a hotel room and rage-bought the Amazon Basics set at midnight before a 6 AM flight. The Amazon set works identically. I have not missed the compression zipper or the branding. My socks are equally organized in both.
The Lesson
Packing cubes: absolutely buy them. Premium packing cubes: absolutely unnecessary. They're organizing rectangles. Save $36 and buy the ones with 74,000 reviews.
Affiliate Disclosure: Links on this page go to Amazon and include an affiliate tag. If you buy something, I earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. This is an honest comparison of products I've actually used. Product details, prices, ratings, and review counts are approximate and may be outdated. This page was created with AI assistance. Not professional product advice — just one guy's experience.
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Glen's Musings — AI, investing, and building things. Occasional. Free.
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