Away The Insider Packing Cubes Review: Still Worth It in 2026

The Away Insider Packing Cubes are a four-piece set. Away sizes them for its own bags, but they work in any bag with a similar shape. They suit a traveler who wants tidy sorting more than a heavy squeeze.

Away The Insider Packing Cubes (Set of 4)

Our verdict:

Tidy, sized-to-fit cubes for a matched luggage system

Best for travelers who want fast sorting more than maximum compression.

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• Four sizes, from small wide to large slim
• Water-repellent nylon body with a mesh top panel
• Sizes run 10 x 4.1 x 4.3 in up to 13 x 4.1 x 10 in
• One set fits Away's Carry-On, two fit its checked case

Keep in mind: there's no dedicated compression zipper, so bulky items like a sweater take up their full size.

Product details checked September 2026

This set earns its place on a trip through speed, not raw space. It helps you find things fast when you rush to repack between cities.

What it does well

• Four sizes in one set. The Small Wide cube is 10 x 4.1 x 8.25 inches. The Medium Slim is 10 x 4.1 x 4.3 inches. The Medium Wide is 13 x 4.1 x 10 inches, and the Large Slim is 13 x 4.1 x 6.9 inches. That range covers folded shirts, rolled pants and small odds and ends.
• Water-repellent nylon shell. The fabric sheds light rain and spills. That matters when you set your bag on a wet platform between trains.
• Mesh top panel. Each cube has a see-through mesh lid. You can spot a shirt or charger without opening the cube.
• Stores flat. The cubes fold flat when empty. That helps on the trip home once souvenirs eat into your spare space.
• Sized for Away's whole range. Away says one set fits its Carry-On, two sets fit its checked suitcase, and three fit The Trunk. The cubes also work with the built-in compression system in Away's cases.

Away's listing does not give a weight for the set, so we do not quote one. Nylon cubes like these are light, but weigh your packed bag if your fare has a strict cabin weight limit.

Pros and cons

Pros

• Four sizes cover most clothing types without wasted space.
• Mesh lids make items easy to spot without unpacking.
• Clear sizing: one set for a carry-on, two for a checked case.
• Water-repellent shell handles a damp platform or a spilled bottle.

Cons

• No compression zipper, so bulky items keep their full size.
• Pack Hacker's long-term test found the mesh top can snag over weeks of use.
• The body isn't ripstop, so a small tear can spread.

Who this set suits

This set fits a traveler who wants a bag that looks and works like a matched system, especially if you already own Away luggage. It also suits someone whose main problem is a messy bag, not too much stuff. If you fold rather than stuff, the four sizes do the sorting for you.

It's a weaker match for a two-week trip squeezed into one 20-liter cabin bag on a strict budget fare. It's also weaker for a traveler who is rough on a bag, dragging it over cobblestones or onto a train rack. Weigh the thin body and mesh lids against a tougher set if you want cubes built to last for years, not just one or two trips.

The trade-off

This set has no compression zipper. The cubes hold your clothes snugly through a tight fit, not a squeeze. Say your main goal is shrinking a stuffed sweater to meet a Ryanair or easyJet cabin limit. Then look at a set built around a compression zipper instead. Our best compression packing cubes guide covers the Eagle Creek Pack-It Reveal cubes, which save more space.

How Away The Insider packing cubes fit a Europe trip

A four-city Europe trip means packing and unpacking in a rush, more than once. The mesh lids let you find a clean shirt in under a minute. That beats raw space savings when you're catching an early train. The water-repellent shell also holds up fine against damp luggage racks and rainy walks.

If you fly budget carriers from city to city, weigh your full bag before you leave home. One set fits a carry-on by Away's own sizing. Soft, bulky items like sweaters will still take up real space, since there is no zipper to shrink them.

How to pack the four cubes for a multi-city trip

The set's four sizes match clothing types, not days. That's what makes it work for a trip through several cities:

• Large Slim (13 x 4.1 x 6.9 in): tops, t-shirts and light layers rolled, not folded, so the mesh lid still closes flat.
• Medium Wide (13 x 4.1 x 10 in): bottoms, two or three pairs of pants or a skirt plus leggings.
• Small Wide (10 x 4.1 x 8.25 in): underwear, socks and a swimsuit, kept apart from outerwear.
• Medium Slim (10 x 4.1 x 4.3 in): the flex cube, a rain layer or warm mid-layer you add or drop as cities and weather change.

That split keeps you from unpacking the whole bag to find one item. It matters most when you check into a new place at 9 p.m. after a train delay and just need pajamas.

How it compares to a compression set

There is no second zipper to press air out. So this set won't shrink a bulky sweater the way a compression cube will. For a warm-weather trip with light layers, the four sizes are enough on their own.

For a shoulder-season trip, a packable puffer or rain shell takes up real room. In that case, keep this set and add one compression cube for just that bulky item. You do not need to replace the whole set.

Caring for Away The Insider packing cubes between cities

The water-repellent nylon wipes clean with a damp cloth. That's the realistic option mid-trip, since you won't find a washing machine every few days. Save a real wash for home: cold water, mild soap, air dry flat. The mesh panel can snag if it goes in a tumble dryer.

What to check before you buy

Measure the inside of the bag you already own. The two long cubes are 13 inches long, and the short ones are 10 inches. A bag with a narrow or curved inside may not fit all four flat. Check that the depth of the cubes, 4.1 inches, suits how you pack. Rolled clothes fill that depth well, while flat-folded shirts can leave gaps.

Also think about how you will find things on the road. Pick a fixed job for each cube and keep it the same for the whole trip. After two or three cities, you will reach for the right cube without looking.

The verdict

The Away Insider Packing Cubes (Set of 4) are a four-piece set in water-repellent nylon. They suit travelers who want tidy cubes and a matched bag system, more than heavy squeeze or years of rough use. Pack Hacker's long-term test flagged the mesh tops and thin body as the set's weak point over time. If you want cubes that survive years of trips without babying, weigh that against the tidy fit here. If cabin-bag space is tight, pack lighter clothes, or pick a compression set instead.

For a wider look at squeeze-first sets, see our best packing cubes roundup and our best compression packing cubes guide. For the rest of your gear, see our Europe packing list.

Questions people also ask

Do I need to own Away luggage for this set to work?

No. Away sizes the cubes for its own Carry-On, checked case and The Trunk, but they are plain rectangular cubes. They work in any soft or hard bag with a similar inside shape.

Is the mesh top panel durable for weeks of daily use?

This is the set's weak point. Pack Hacker's long-term test found loose threads after about two weeks of use and flagged that the mesh top can snag and tear. Treat the lids gently around zips and luggage racks.

What's the realistic downside of skipping compression on a Europe trip?

The main risk is a cabin bag that won't zip closed once it's full, or one that's over a strict weight limit because bulky items like a puffer jacket haven't been compressed down. Budget one compression cube alongside this set if your trip is shoulder-season and multi-climate.

How many sets do I need for a checked suitcase?

Away says one set fits its Carry-On, two sets fit its checked suitcase and three fit The Trunk. For a carry-on-only Europe trip, one set is the right amount.