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There are so many types of packing organizers it’s confusing to know which one to choose. Keep reading to learn more about each type and find out the best luggage organizer for your trip!
Best Luggage Organizer
In 2017, I launched Compass Rose Travel Accessories and my very first product was a 4-Piece Set of Slim Packing Cubes. These are the only packing cubes sized to fit the exact width of a carryon suitcase and they also have a unique color-coded and numbered system – the only kind currently available anywhere on the market.
In 2015, I also helped co-launch the Pack Gear Organizer, a hanging backpack and suitcase organizer, which has four compartments and a hanging mechanism making it easy to unpack and repack your belongings.
Several of the readers commented that these two luggage organizers were completely different. They wanted to know which method offered the best packing option. Which was the right way to pack and which was the wrong way?
The answer to this is that there are a variety of packing organizers out there but each one serves a different purpose. Not all travel types are the same and not all travelers have the same needs.
While packing cubes may work for one person, another may prefer compression bags or a hanging organizer like the one from Pack Gear.
Learn more about each type to choose the best luggage organizer for your trip:
Compass Rose Carryon Packing Cubes
PACKING CUBES
What: Packing cubes help you separate your belongings and can help you organize using the different methods shown in this Youtube series. If you use this specific packing strategy, they can also compress your belongings. This is the secret to traveling carryon only!
Who: everyone (makes carry-on travel a breeze)
Recommended product: Slim Size: Compass Rose Carryon Packing Cubes Multi-size: AmazonBasics 4-Piece Value Set
Packing cubes are the most popular option, with many claiming they are the best luggage organizer – including us!
It’s important to note that packing cubes can help you do much more than just separate your tops from your bottoms. They’re traditionally sold to help you organize your clothing. However, the unique rolling method shown in this video helps you compress to maximize your luggage space, allowing you to fit more stuff in less space!
I developed the packing strategy in 2012 and have since helped over 20 million women travel carry-on only!
To use the packing cubes for compression, choose smaller sizes like the slim or small. To use packing cubes for organization, there are a variety of sizes available including medium and large.
AmazonBasics offers a value set with four different sizes, ideal for organization and Compass Rose (my brand) offers a 4-piece set in slim size, ideal for compression, carry-on travel.
This article is going to tell you everything you need to know about packing cubes: how to use them (with video), the best ones to use, where to buy them, the best ways to pack using them, and if they’re worth it.
But, if you don’t need to pack much clothing for a trip and find that you have a half-empty packing cube, try the next organizer instead: a packing folder.
PACKING FOLDER
What: Packing folders are ideal if you travel with dress shirts or blouses. They help you organize your clothing and can minimize wrinkles, particularly beneficial for business travel.
Who: Business travelers, weekend trips, and minimalist vacations.
Recommended product: Eagle Creek Pack-it Folder
A packing folder is the best luggage organizer for people who appreciate the wrinkle-resistant benefits, especially business travelers who use dressy and button-up tops. They generally tend to be more popular with male vs female travelers.
Personally, I like to use packing folders for dressier tops on short weekend trips. They are more suitable for thin fabrics making them a better option in moderate to warm weather. Cold-weather fabrics tend to be bulkier, in which case we recommend packing cubes or compression bags mentioned in the next section.
To minimize bulky travel gear such as down jackets and thick sweaters, consider using the compression bags mentioned below.
Sea to Summit Compression Dry Sack
COMPRESSION SACKS
What: There are two types of compression organizers: stuff sacks that tightly compress bulky items and compression packing cubes, as mentioned below. Compression sacks are available in the form of a sleeping bag-type pouch or a cylinder that uses straps to minimize the bulk.
Who: Adventure travelers, hikers, camping
Recommended product: with drawstring: Sea to Summit Stuff Sack with straps: Sea to Summit Compression Dry Sack
Compression sacks are the perfect packing organizers for travelers who need to pack bulky, trekking, and activity-based clothing items.
You simply stuff your clothes into the sack and compress them, creating an easy, space-efficient, and flat packing aid. Compression sacks can be useful when packing with a top-loading backpack.
Compression sacks are definitely not to be used on clothing you want wrinkle-free. They’re also called “stuff sacks” which are just that: stuffing as much stuff and squishing it to make it fit.
Down jackets, socks, underwear, or sleeping bags would be ideal in a compression sack. They tend to be light, just bulky.
Creating an interchangeable capsule wardrobe is the key to simplified packing.
Eagle Creek Pack It Specter Set
COMPRESSION PACKING CUBES
What: Unlike compression sacks, compression packing cubes tend to have a bit more structure and are rectangular in shape. Instead of using a drawstring or straps to compress your clothing, they use a zipper.
Who: Adventure travelers, leisure travelers
Recommended product: Eagle Creek Pack It Specter Set
Compression packing cubes are popular for bulkier and larger items such as jeans, trousers, or sweaters. You place all your clothing in the main compartment then use a double zipper that squeezes your clothing together minimizing the bulk.
This can help you downsize the space your clothing would normally take inside your suitcase allowing to pack more in less space.
Regular packing cubes in small or slim sizes can also compress your clothing in a similar way. However, regular packing cubes work better for smaller items such as blouses, tops, short dresses, leggings, activewear, and soft fabrics whereas compression packing cubes are ideal for jeans, structured pants, long dresses, and sweaters.
The one benefit of using regular packing cubes vs compression packing cubes is the ability to separate your clothing in a more organized manner as compression packing cubes tend to take up a wider amount of space in your suitcase. Also, some fabrics don’t compress as well as others so the double zipper compression feature may not always work.
PORTABLE CLOSET COLLAPSIBLE ORGANIZER
What: Portable closet for travel featuring four drawers and hanging hooks
Who: Backpackers (travel not hiking), tour groups, roadtrippers, cruisers, boaters
Recommended product: Pack Gear Hanging Organizer
The Pack Gear organizer conveniently removes all of your belongings from your suitcase or backpack and enables you to hang it in your hotel closet or hostel rail.
It’s so easy and simple to unpack and repack! Plus it fits a 30L bag, which means you can fit it in a carryon size bag.
The hooks and drawers help hotel hoppers unpack and repack in seconds perfect for travelers on a whirlwind trip or coach tour. Hostelers can also make use of limited dorm room space by hanging their belongings on the hostel bed rail. It’s particularly useful for toploading backpacks.
The Pack Gear is also popular with people traveling on RVs, boats, and cruises. It’s an instant closet in small spaces!
In fact, for my own long-term travels, I actually pack all my clothing inside my slim packing cubes then bring the Pack Gear organizer separately so I can use it store my clothing upon arrival.
Note: the backpack organizer works well for travelers that don’t overpack. Read my full review and video for The Pack!
Ultimately, while it’s possible to use Ziploc bags to store your clothing, actual packing organizers have several more benefits and don’t cost that much more money. Plus, you can re-use them throughout all your travels.
I can’t travel without my packing cubes and many travelers feel the same way!
As you can see from the comparison above, the best luggage organizer is based on your specific trip. Each travel experience varies and your packing should, too!
What do you think is the best luggage organizer? Share your packing strategy in the comments!
For more packing tips, please read:
- How to Use Packing Cubes: 8 Step Strategy to Travel Carry-on Only
- Packing Cubes: Are they Really Worth the Money?
- Alternate Uses for Packing Cubes Organize your Closet Space
- Random Travel Organizers: 4 Packing Cube Replacements
Thanks for reading this post on how to choose the best luggage organizer. Don’t forget to please share it with your friends on Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest. Thanks!
These packing cubes saved me on my last two trips overseas as well as being able to do carry on only domestically!
Absolutely love this advice and excited to try. Packing cubes never made sense to me until you showed me how!!! Ordered the on Amazon
My only question is where/how do I organize my makeup/toiletries and footwear.
Thank you, you are a godsend!!
Hi Marguerite, thank you for reaching out!!! So glad TFG has been able to help. ?
You might find TFG’s ultimate guide to packing toiletries a good place to start for tips for organising your toiletries: https://www.travelfashiongirl.com/toiletries/
Have a look at this video to see how to pack your suitcase with your shoes, cubes and other items: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiJK-aB9aJU
For more ideas, I would recommend that you join our TFG facebook group and post your question there: https://www.facebook.com/groups/travelfashiongirls/ Its a fabulous community of helpful female travelers that love to share their awesome advice.
Hope this helps you with your future packing!
So, what do we think about the new eBags Ultralight Packing Cubes? I realize that you probably have not had a chance to try them yet, but from the looks of it, do you think they would be worth upgrading to from the regular eBags packing cubes?
Hi Ksenia, that looks like a great new design! I’d love to try them especially because I love using packing cubes to compress not just to organize. I wonder if this would limit the abilities to compress so efficiently?
Thanks for answering my question with this article! Of the four items listed here the only one I don’t have is the compression sack. Now, knowing that the only thing that I would ever use it for would be to compress a single mid-length down coat, would that even be worth it? I feel like it might be helpful in packing down something like a sleeping bag, but not so much for a single puffy jacket…
Hi Ksenia, glad this article helped answer your question! The compression sacks I use usually come with the product such as my sleeping liner and down jacket. I suppose it would be worth getting a small one when and if needed 🙂