Bellroy Lite Packing Cubes Review

Bellroy’s Lite Packing Cubes offer a fresh take on organizational design and are a modern interpretation of what a packing cube should look like. Still, just because the cube is innovative doesn’t mean you’ll like using it. Let’s dive in and see what these cubes are all about!

External Components

The cubes are primarily crafted from recycled nylon with recycled polyester accents. They are durable and relatively lightweight, so they won’t add too much mass to your travel backpack or rolling luggage.

These cubes also look sleeker than most we’ve tested, which counts for something. They look more like a pouch than a packing cube, which may be something that you are looking for if you don’t like the look of a standard packing cube.

The zippers are from YKK and operate as you’d expect. They’re durable, smooth, and don’t get caught up easily. The pulls are simple, but effective. There are small fabric loops on either end of each zipper track to hold onto when opening and closing the zipper, which is handy. Additionally, you can use these loops to attach the cubes inside your pack or elsewhere, making them versatile.

At the time of this writing, the cubes are available in Black, Ash (off-white), and Clay (earthy red) colorways. The small Bellroy logo on the front is the same grey color no matter which colorway you get. It’s minimalistic and subtle, which we dig. It reminds us of the brand’s logos on its slings and travel backpacks.

Multiple sizes are available, so you can mix and match as you see fit. You can use them all at once, use two at a time, or just bring one. But what can you fit inside each cube?

Inside The Packing Cube

There are 4, 6, and 12-liter versions of the packing cubes at the time of writing.

The 4 and 6-liter cubes have similar designs—one side is mesh for breathability, and there’s a zippered compartment inside. The zippered compartment backs up to the mesh, so you could stow dirty clothing or anything you want to air out. This pocket isn’t very deep, though, so you can’t fit a ton of items here.

The 4-liter version works well for socks, underwear, thin shorts, lightweight shirts, and pajamas. Bellroy says you can also use it for toiletries, though we don’t like using it for heavier items because of how malleable the materials are. Lightweight gear, like a toothbrush, comb, or mini toothpaste container, also works well.

As mentioned, the 6-liter version has a similar design to its 4-liter sibling but is larger, so you can fit bigger clothing items inside. Pants, long-sleeve shirts, and even bulkier items, like a thin jacket, fit here.

The 12-liter version has a different design. It still has a zippered pocket inside, but it doesn’t back up to the mesh wall, because it doesn’t have one like the others. There’s a thin layer of mesh around the outside of the cube, which helps with breathability. The zippered pocket inside is large, but still flat, so you can’t stow anything large here.

This cube expands from 10 to 12 liters, so you can add extra gear if need be. It also works in reverse, as you can use the expansion zipper as a mode of compression, bringing the 12-liter cube down to 10 liters. It works well and saves a solid amount of space.

The 12-liter version works well for larger clothing—even items as large as denim jeans, oversized sweatshirts, and jackets. However, because of its rectangular shape, it won’t fit into all travel backpacks horizontally, so you may have to put it into your pack vertically, which can take up more space. Bellroy designed this cube for use with its packs, so it’ll fit many of them efficiently.

Overall, we dig how easy these cubes are to use, the extra pocket for gear storage, and the multiple available sizes. They’re on the pricier end, though we appreciate how much more professional they look than other packing and compression cubes on the market. That said, how often are you showing people your packing cubes? Well, these look so lovely that you just might have to start.