Quick Overview:
This Away packing cubes review will cover the pros and cons of Away packing cubes, what features the Away cubes offer compared to other brands, and ideas on how to pack and use your cubes most effectively.
Packing cubes are used to fit more items into the same amount of luggage space by organizing the items in your luggage. They do this by creating smaller, more compactable spaces that fit together neatly. Think of packing cubes like small fabric drawers for storing your clothes, rather than just throwing them all in one bag together. They make it easier to find what you’re looking for and keep you from pulling out half your clothing to find that one sock that’s fallen to the bottom of your bag. Not sure whether packing cubes are right for you? Take a look at our packing cube advice page to help narrow down what you need from your set of packing cubes.
Away bag packing cubes are specifically sized and designed to work with the Away luggage system. Each set of packing cubes will fit perfectly into the pieces of luggage they’re designed for. The Set of Four cubes is designed to fit in their line of carry-on luggage and the Set of Six cubes will fit in their line of checked luggage.
Pros
- The Away packing cubes are designed to work with the Away luggage system.
- If you already own one of the Away travel suitcases you can color coordinate your packing cubes with your luggage.
- The Away suitcase packing cubes are lightweight and don’t noticeably add to your airline weight allowance.
- The packing cubes feature sturdy stitching and good quality double zippers, for durability.
- Away packing cubes are some of the nicest looking packing cubes out there. They feature a refined color palette, and Instagram-friendly levels of design.
Cons
- These packing cubes cannot be individually purchased. You’re limited to the two available sets and you cannot mix and match sizes or colors.
- The Away packing cubes are not machine washable. Away recommends hand washing only.
- They’re not made from ripstop material. If a tear develops it will likely pull across the whole packing cube.
- And finally, the largest size that comes in the set of six (large wide) is too big to be useful for most people.
Who is this Product for?
The packing cubes for Away luggage are designed for people who already own the Away Travel luggage system. They fit snugly within that brand of suitcase and take advantage of its internal compression system instead of having compression of their own. That being said, if you have luggage that’s about the same size and dimensions as the Away Luggage, these packing cubes would certainly work for you.
The Away suitcase packing cubes come in a wide variety of colors that are unavailable in other brands of packing cubes – great if you want to keep straight which packing cubes are yours and which belong to your spouse. If you’ve already invested in the Away brand, coordinating the color of your packing cubes will make your luggage positively Instagram-worthy.
What’s Included?
The Set of Four comes with four packing cubes. The small wide which is roughly the size of a hardcover book and would be a good size for rolled shirts or trousers. The medium slim runs about the size of a paperback and a half and is the perfect size for socks, underwear, or bras. The medium wide is more the size of a coffee-table book with lots of photographs and is a good size for flat packed button-up shirts or trousers. And finally the large slim, which is about the size of three paperbacks sitting next to each other. Despite the name, the large slim is smaller than the medium wide and would be a good size for stacked t-shirts. This set is designed to work with The Carry-On and The Bigger Carry-On luggage from Away Travel.
The Set of Six comes with the same cubes as the Set of Four, with an additional two cubes: the small slim and the large wide. The small slim is quite tiny – slightly smaller than a paperback book. It would possibly work for underwear or perhaps organizing cables for your electronics. In contrast, the large wide is about the size of a lap desk and really too big to be useful for most clothing. If you’re traveling in winter and need to pack several sweaters, this is the cube for you. This set is designed to fit inside The Medium checked suitcase and The Large checked suitcase.
Overview of Features
| Set of Four | Dimensions: Small Wide: 10″ x 4.1″ x 8.25″ Medium Slim: 10″ x 4.1″ x 4.3″ Medium Wide: 13″ x 4.1″ x 10″ Large Slim: 13″ x 4.1″ x 6.9″ | Weight: 0.7lbs | Luggage Set: The Carry-On The Bigger Carry-On |
| Set of Six | Dimensions: Small Slim: 6.9″ x 4.1″ x 4.3″ Small Wide : 10″ x 4.1″ x 8.25″ Medium Slim: 10″ x 4.1″ x 4.3″ Medium Wide: 13″ x 4.1″ x 10″ Large Slim: 13″ x 4.1″ x 6.9″ Large Wide: 17″ x 4.1″ x 12.8″ | Weight: 1.15lbs | Luggage Set: The Medium checked suitcase The Large checked suitcase |
- Water resistant nylon fabric keeps moisture from wicking into your clothes.
- A mesh top allows you to see which items are in the cube and lets clothing breathe.
- Dual zippers let you unzip only where you need to, instead of having to unzip the entire cube.
- Colors coordinate with your Away brand luggage.
- Designed to fit perfectly inside the Away luggage you already have.
- Away recommends that their packing cubes can be spot cleaned with soap and cool water.
How to Use Away Packing Cubes
There are two ways people generally choose to pack their cubes, either by item or by outfit. If you’re going on a shorter trip packing by outfit can be the more useful option – simply plan which items you’ll wear together and pack one cube per outfit.
For longer trips it can be more useful to pack items by type, with all shirts in one cube and all underwear in another, etc. One way to fit more clothes in your packing cubes, is to fold clothes using the KonMari method. This method folds clothes tightly and packs them edge-up instead of flat. You can then see each item through the mesh on the top of the cube and can pack far more items into a small space.
Once the cubes are packed, simply slot them into your luggage, working from largest to smallest. Since the Away packing cubes are designed to be used with their luggage you’re guaranteed that they’ll fit. If you’re using these packing cubes with a different luggage brand you’ll have to play a bit of packing cube Tetris to figure out where cubes will fit best.
Conclusion
These aren’t the cheapest packing cubes out there, and they’re not the most durable, with the lack of ripstop fabric. But these are the best packing cubes for Away luggage, especially if you want your packing cubes to match your suitcase. They’re guaranteed to fit your luggage and the cubes take advantage of the Away luggage interior compression system. Plus they are some of the most stylish packing cubes out there. Overall they’re a good set of packing cubes.
Features: ⭐⭐⭐
Away packing cubes are designed to work with Away luggage. Not having to worry if they will fit in your luggage is worth picking them up if you already have an Away brand suitcase. If you’re a professional traveler, being able to match your packing cubes to your luggage can be a bonus for social media posts. Beyond that, they’re rather average packing cubes with nothing special to recommend or avoid.
Quality: ⭐⭐⭐
Construction is, again, typical for an average packing cube with nothing special to recommend or avoid. They have a dual zipper, which is a plus. But they chose not to use a ripstop fabric, which is a negative. The seam construction looks sturdy and the zippers are high quality. Overall, they’re average.
Cost: ⭐⭐
Unfortunately, these packing cubes are overpriced for what they offer. Similar construction quality and features are widely available for half the price – though usually in more garish colors. So if style is your main motivator, you may find these packing cubes worth the added cost.
Alternatives
Don’t have the Away luggage and aren’t planning to buy it? There are better options out there. Check out our reviews to find a set of packing cubes that better fits your needs.
Need cheap cubes that just get the job done? Try these Fostak packing cubes.
Need lightweight packing cubes for backpacking? Try these Bagail Ultralight packing cubes.
Need compression packing cubes for long-term travel? Try these Gonex Compression cubes.
Did you find this Away Travel packing cubes review useful? Leave us a comment below and share your experience with using packing cubes or Away products.