How to Pack a Carry-On with Packing Cubes

Packing a carry-on doesn't have to mean sitting on your suitcase to close it. With packing cubes and a simple system, you can fit what you need, keep it organized and find anything in seconds. Here's how we do it.

1. Lay out everything first

Before anything goes in the bag, put every item you plan to bring on the bed. Group it by type: tops, bottoms, underwear and socks, sleepwear, toiletries and tech. Then take out anything you're bringing “just in case.” If you can buy it at your destination, you can probably leave it at home.

2. Give each category its own cube

This is the core of the system. One cube for tops, one for bottoms, one for underwear and socks. When every cube has a job, you always know where things are, and repacking at the hotel takes a minute instead of twenty.

• Larger cubes: tops, pants, dresses, sweaters.
• Medium cubes: underwear, socks, sleepwear, gym clothes.
• Small pouches: chargers, accessories, small items that usually get lost.

3. Roll, don't fold

Rolling t-shirts, leggings and casual pants keeps them compact and lets you line them up inside a cube, so you can see every item at a glance. Keep structured items like blazers or shirts folded flat on top.

4. Pack heavy cubes at the bottom

Put the heaviest cubes, usually bottoms and shoes, near the wheels. Lighter cubes go on top. The bag stands up better, rolls more easily and your clothes stay less wrinkled.

5. Keep toiletries and tech separate

Liquids and cables are the two things that cause the most mess. A hanging toiletry organizer keeps your bathroom essentials together and hangs on a hook at the hotel. A tech organizer stops cables from tangling and keeps chargers easy to reach.

6. Save one cube for laundry

Keep an empty cube or a foldable laundry bag for worn clothes. Clean and dirty stay apart, and unpacking at home is fast. A collapsible laundry basket folds flat in your suitcase and pops up in your hotel room.

7. Unpack in seconds

At the hotel, move each cube straight into a drawer. No digging through your bag, and repacking is just as fast on the way home.

Which packing cube set should you get?

For weekend trips and carry-on travel, the 7-piece set is usually enough. For longer trips or packing for two, the 10-piece set gives you more room to organize. See our 7-piece vs 10-piece comparison, or get everything at once with the Complete Travel Kit: 7-piece packing cubes, a toiletry organizer and a tech organizer for $89 instead of $110.

Pack smart. Travel easy.