It’s easy for adults to take charge and do it all. But involving the kids in the packing process for a trip can make them feel a part of the adventure before it even begins. And that’s where packing cubes for kids come into play. These are the puzzle pieces guaranteed to make your communal luggage err on the side of organized over chaos as a family. Read on for some of the best packing cubes for kids to get them off and running with the packing.
1. Eagle Creek Pack-it Starter Set
While not specifically designed for kids, this set of three packing cubes of various sizes by Eagle Creek is a favorite for family travel thanks to the ultra-lightweight material and easy-to-pull zippers designed to hold up to years of being put through the wringer. Made from silnylonripstop, the same textile used in high-quality lightweight tents and backpacks, the cubes seem designed to withstand the wear and tear your kids will surely put on them—opening and closing the zippers, stuffing them with clothes and testing their water-resistant properties, too. Designed for maximum compression and therefore maximizing interior packing space, the bags have a large handle that makes them easy to carry, too.
2. eBags Travel Packing Cubes
With five packing cubes to choose from in the eBags Travel Packing Cubes collection, you can dole them out between the kids and direct them to pack varying clothing items in the different sizes (one slim size, two small and two large bags). With one side of the bag (the top) made from a durable mesh, it lets air flow more or less freely from the outside. And the cubes have a spring-loaded frame that maintains their shape when they’re empty, making them easier for kids to fill than other cubes that lay flat when empty. The coil zippers are blissfully kid-resistant, too, and have corded pulls designed to last the lifetime of the packing cubes and make them a cinch to open and close.
3. Dot&Dot Large Packing Cubes
This colorful set of four large packing cubes by Dot&Dot is perfect for a family of four (or four children) since you can dedicate one color (choose from 10 different hues) to each person to make it easy to grab what you need when you unzip the family suitcase. While these cubes aren’t meant to compress clothing, each can easily pack a week’s worth of kids’ clothes for a beach vacation inside. The top has a mesh panel, making it easy to see what’s inside when you go through airport security. And the zippers have nice long pulls that are easy for little fingers to slide open and shut.
Related: Must-Haves for Your Kids Carry-On Bag
4. PRO Packing Cubes
Here’s another nice and colorful set of six packing cubes in varying sizes by PRO Packing Cubes that are ideal to share between two kids. The smaller cubes are perfect for storing socks, underwear, leggings and the like (roll them up tight to save even more space). The brand urges users to pack the cubes to the “explosion point,” saying the sturdy YKK zippers will hold up to the challenge—and we bet that’s a challenge your kids will enjoy.
5. AWAY The Insider Packing Cubes
If you’re a fan of AWAY’s great luggage (and really, who isn’t?), consider picking up The Insider Packing Cubes that are designed to fit perfectly inside The Carry-On and The Bigger Carry-On and work with the bags’ legendary compression system. Once they’ve arranged their things Tetris-style inside, clothing spread between the four cubes, it’s hard to imagine kids more Kondo-ed for travel. Mesh panels make it easy to see what’s stashed away within each cube, too.
6. bentokō Packing Cubes
With colors like parakeet green and pineapple yellow among the choices, your kids will have fun just deciding what hue best suits their mood with these six-piece packing cube sets by bentokō. We love the two-way invisible zippers that promise not to snag on the clothes stashed inside. And extra zip pockets on the sides of the packing cubes are fun for stashing that little something extra, perhaps a pack of gum or a photocopy of their passports.
7. EzPacking Clear Packing Cubes
Picture these transparent packing cubes like clear drawers in your kids suitcase—they’ll have fun packing them, and you’ll be glad to have an easy view of what they’ve tucked inside once you arrive. The EzPacking Clear Packing Cubes hold their shape thanks to the strong but flexible vinyl material, making them easy for little ones to fill. They have a modular design, too, that lets them stack vertically in a suitcase while still allowing a view of what each has within from the top.
8. TravelWise Packing Cube System
It’s hard to get more affordable than this five-piece packing cube system by TravelWise. With one small, two medium and two large bags sold as a unit, they can easily be shared between a few kids, too. The nylon material is lightweight and durable at the same time, and the two-way zippers are built to last. It’s a pity these don’t have handles for carrying, but they do have the handy mesh window feature so many cube-lovers love.
9. Target Made by Design Packing Cube Set
Are we surprised Target has a solid contender in the packing cube category? Of course not! This straightforward set of five gray and black packing cubes of varying sizes may not scream FUN to the kids like some of the more colorful options, but they’ll serve the same purpose of involving your young travelers with the vacation planning and packing (and keeping everyone organized on the go, too, of course). Among the handiest features are the handles and mesh fronts.
Related: Roll With It: The Best Kids Rolling Luggage
10. Shacke Packing Cubes
This set of four Shacke Packing Cubes come in a variety of colors, so everyone in the family can have their own color. The four-pack comes in extra-large, large, medium and small sizes so no matter the length of your trip or the amount of clothes you need to bring, there’s a packing cube that will fit your needs. The cubes are four inches deep, allowing everyone to cram plenty of shirts and pants inside. And there’s an included laundry bag that makes it easy to separate dirty clothes. Shacke Packing Cubes are some of the highest-rated packing cubes on Amazon, so you can’t go wrong.
Longtime travel writer and adventurer Terry Ward lives in Florida with her husband and young son and daughter. She’s constantly on the lookout for the next Scandinavia Airlines Kids Fly Free deal to save money on flights to Norway, her favorite place to visit both in the winter (Northern Lights!) and summer (Midnight Sun!). A travel writer since 2001 (read: long before the kids came along), she’s written for such publications as Endless Vacation Magazine, Conde Nast Traveler and Scuba Diving Magazine, among many others. Find Terry on her website, Terry-Ward.com.
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