ULA Equipment Dragonfly Packing Cubes (36L) Review

Simple and straightforward packing cubes, such as ULA Equipment’s Dragonfly Packing Cubes (36L), can be a great option for travelers looking to cut back, but still wanting to organize their clothing. Featuring the brand’s Ultralight 210 UltraGrid fabric, these cubes are not only light, but feel adequately tough for the day-to-day abuse of being taken in and out of your luggage—not at all intimidating, but it pays to have cubes robust enough for even leisurely travel.

We’ve chosen the 36-liter bundle, with two large cubes and one shoe pouch, since we feel it represents a solid stepping stone into the world of packing cubes. So, if that sounds like you, read on and learn more about them!

External Components

Packing cubes should generally be designed not to add too much bulk to what you’re already packing (i.e., your clothing), and so the choice of fabric is crucial. Too thick, and you might have to sacrifice a top or two to make everything fit. Too thin, and it might feel like you’re packing your precious clothing in toilet paper.

ULA Equipment’s choice is their 210 UltraGrid fabric. The “210” denotes the fabric’s denier, which is fairly light and aligns with the fine texture. More to the point, a very prominent grid pattern reinforces the otherwise very thin fabric, similar to how a ripstop pattern does (though it’s not a 1:1 swap). The result is a thin and lightweight material that’s also relatively tough and durable. Dragging your packing cubes through thick bushes and gravel may not be on the agenda, but it’s nice to know this set will survive a drop or two in such environs.

In terms of hardware, ULA Equipment confirmed that the zippers are YKK, which we like to see since it’s one of the most reliable brands on the market. We always prefer quality zippers on our gear, though they’re most essential on packing cubes since the cubes are essentially useless if the zippers stop functioning. Cubes are relatively simple containers, so losing one zipper is akin to losing a wing on an airplane. In short: we’re happy they’re up to par.

Other than the cubes’ construction, there’s nothing else worth mentioning. Half their fronts are mesh (except the shoe pouch), so air can flow easily when you squeeze and pack them in your bag. However, there are no handles or fancy secondary pockets to speak of. The bundle choices are interesting, though. We’re testing the 36-liter set comprising two “large” cubes and a shoe pouch. There is also a 30-liter bundle that only includes two large cubes, but ULA Equipment also sells “small” and “medium” sized packing cubes.

The large cubes are 13 in x 11 in x 3.25 in. Meanwhile, the medium and small cubes share similar dimensions, save for the width, which is 7 inches and 3 inches, respectively. The bundles correspond to the bag the set best fits into. For example, this 36L bundle fits best in the 36L Dragonfly, while the 30L bundle fits best in the 30L Dragonfly.

Plus, they sell the smaller cubes as standalones for those who are using other backpacks or prefer to build their own adventure.

Inside The Packing Cube

The two large packing cubes that came with the set are completely identical, so it was easy for us to divide our clothing between them: tops and underwear on one and pants and thick layers on the other. In one cube, we can fit 10 tops with room to spare for rolls of underwear and socks, while the other cube could fit three pairs of pants and a large sweater.

Packing can be tricky since the cubes open in a more clamshell fashion, with a roughly 50-50 split of the interior between the top and bottom halves. Unlike a more bucket-with-a-lid design, anything you pack inside can easily flow over the sides, and you have to fit the top half over them. The good news is that ingress is super easy since the zipper goes all the way, not just to the side, but to where the halves hinge. It’s a very subtle design choice that allows the cubes’ side walls to remain upright and, therefore, easy to pack.

Meanwhile, the shoe pouch is a bit different from the packing cubes. For one, it doesn’t feature any mesh, which makes sense since you wouldn’t want your shoes’ moisture wafting over the rest of your gear. Secondly, it’s more rectangular, obviously geared more for storing footwear and, incidentally, fitting well at the bottom of most carry on luggage and travel backpacks.

In our testing, we could fit a men’s size 12 pair of hiking sneakers. Since the fabric doesn’t really stretch, nor does the pouch’s rectangular shape give much leeway, you can’t really pull crazy tricks to accommodate larger or thicker footwear, though it’ll work for most use cases around the size 12 mark.