Packing Cube Review: Sea To Summit

Now that I have progressed from newbie (to senior-newbie) when it comes to packing cubes, there is one other brand for your consideration. In my review of the eBags packing cubes I came to the same conclusion that countless travellers before me had: packing cubes are pretty useful things to have. This review will be a bit briefer and provide a bit of a comparison for those of you who may be looking to buy.

There are two primary differences in the Sea to Summit offering from the eBags packing cubes.

  • The first is the material. The Sea To Summit cubes use the extremely thin “Cordura” material – which for anyone who has seen it before is quite distinctive. It is a super thin synthetic fabric; made to be light weight, water resistant and tough. The front cover is a mesh which provides good visibility so you can easily see the contents inside. It is quick dry, so if it gets wet or you plan to use a cube for dirty laundry, it will dry quicker than most other pack cubes. Thanks to the material, it is also smaller & lighter if you are watching every spare gram or cm in your pack.
  • The second major difference is the design. As you can see in the photos, these open up lengthways or vertically if you like– with zips that run the length of the lid. I haven’t exactly encountered a scenario where the zippering has prevented me from fitting anything into a cube, but this could appeal to some users. On this trip I have found it easy to fit in 6-8 rolled up T-shirts. It has a hanging loop/ handle on the top as well.

Overall, another great quality packing cube– it folds up flat and smaller than other brands I have tried when not in use plus it is made of super quick-drying material and is a very light. Random side note; with the right contents, these make a quick & easy pillow if you are ever pillow-less or you need to improvise!

Get the Sea to Summit packing cubes on Amazon >>

eBags Packing Cubes

First off, I am pretty new to packing cubes – so this review might be most useful to people in the same shoes. For packing cube vets interested in what’s on the market, read on as we will be putting some other brands to the test in the coming weeks too. The question I hope to answer for you; would it be worthwhile to go out and grab some eBags packing cubes for your trip or holiday?

Short answer: yes.

The eBags small packing cube

For those like me who hadn’t discovered or tried using cubes, they may seem like a bit of a waste of time – a bag to pack clothes & items into before packing that into your bag. I don’t know how many times I’ve walked past them in a store and thought to myself that the whole idea seemed a little bit anal. That said, I’m not exactly neat & organised when it comes to packing (on the road or at home). I typically do my best to roll up my clothes before shoving them in my backpack the night before a trip and once I’m on the road, things really start to get messy! If it’s a longer trip, I usually have to do some kind of weekly reshuffle just to get things to fit back in my pack… Sound familiar?

So given my last-minute packing style, packing cubes actually seem to make quite a bit of sense – luckily for me, eBags sent us a set (small, medium & large). I did have a few doubts about whether the rectangular ‘cubes’ would work in different shaped bags and whether they would really save space.

I decided to use the small cube for my day-pack – which has one main compartment that gets pretty messy as soon as you open it up. I rolled up a shirt, spare socks, underpants as well as a mid-weight Icebreaker jacket and popped them in with room to spare.

There have definitely been a few situations where the day-pack cube was awesome; like with airport security (having to remove & replace my laptop) which usually messes up all the other stuff in there. Using the packing cube was also great when retrieving things like keys, maps, sunglasses or books while walking or when the pack is under your seat. Having all my clothes packed away and compact saved me time and a probably a few of those “Oh crap, where is it?!” moments – as you fish around the bottom of your bag like a lucky dip.

Other times I thought it made life easier were of course when I wanted to grab something from the cube, like a jacket or scarf when the bag was in the dark – super handy for overnight travel or in shared accommodation. Overall a pretty big success – I will be using a small or medium cube in my day pack any time I travel from now on.

I have been using the medium sized cube in my main pack – and it has proven perfect for a backpacks worst enemy – socks & underwear.

So instead of packing them straight into my backpack (and subsequently losing them), I popped my underwear in the cube- easily fitting in 7 pairs of socks, 10 pairs of boxers/ underpants and 2 singlets. I should mention that the cube probably handle another 30% or so without much effort. For the first time on a trip, it is strangely satisfying knowing that I can actually locate all of my socks & boxers and even have a place to pack them back into when they are washed. I may even use them in my drawers when I am not on the road. (No kidding!)

*Only clean underwear made it to the photo shoot

*Newbie tip: socks are one of a few items that seemed to pack better & remove easier when laid flat, not rolled.

The large cube is suitable for bigger items and for some people possibly all of their clothes. For this trip it is staying at home – I really couldn’t find a need for it since the eBags Weekender Motherlode already has some amazing compartments & features. In large 65 – 90L packs like my big macpac Utopia Hybrid backpack (that is currently on holiday with my brother), it would be ideal. I remember reaching through layers of clothes looking for a shirt or board shorts down the bottom and consequently screwing up every other folded and rolled piece of clothing I had in between!

Final thoughts: So maybe (just maybe) I was an idiot. It turns out packing cubes are actually super useful for normal people and the unorganized travelers like me- not just neat-freaks and the anally retentive!

  • eBags packing cubes are sturdy & well made with solid zippers
  • The cubes have partial mesh on the lids so you can see the contents
  • Extremely useful for grouping small items such as underwear
  • Time-saving for day packs or carry-on luggage when you have to constantly remove & replace things
  • Really handy when you want to retrieve things from your bag when it is out of sight or in the dark

Stay tuned for further packing cube reviews and news – we will definitely be looking at some other options out there in the market!

>> Purchase eBags Packing Cubes – 3pc Set on Amazon