Best of Travel: every backpack and packing cube we recommend, by situation

+Strengths

• 18 x 12 x 7.8 in — under the 18 x 14 x 8 limit on paper
• 1.7 lb
• Lifetime warranty on defects

−Limitations

• Soft sides bulge past 7.8 in when stuffed
• Polyester, not nylon
• Looks like every other backpack at the gate

→Good for

• a budget-airline personal item
• a laptop commuter
• one-night trips

↺Look elsewhere if

• United's 17 x 10 x 9 personal item (it is 18 in tall)
• a week of clothes

+Strengths

• Sized to the 18 x 14 x 8 limit, by the listing
• Expands when you are not flying Spirit
• 1.2 lb

−Limitations

• No manufacturer site or spec sheet
• Unbranded hardware
• 40 L claim is for the expanded bag

→Good for

• a Spirit or Frontier passenger who refuses to pay for bags
• a cheap experiment
• two or three nights

↺Look elsewhere if

• anyone who wants a maker behind the numbers
• a laptop that needs padding

+Strengths

• 1.3 lb for 20 L
• Osprey's warranty and build
• Sits well on the back — it is a hiking brand's daypack

−Limitations

• 19 in tall: over the 18 in personal-item line on paper
• 20 L is a day, not a weekend
• 14 in laptop limit

→Good for

• a day bag that doubles as a personal item on airlines that measure loosely
• hiking and city walking on the same trip
• a 13–14 in laptop

↺Look elsewhere if

• a strict sizer at a Spirit gate
• a 16 in laptop

+Strengths

• 12 oz
• Packs down to almost nothing
• Cotopaxi repairs it for life

−Limitations

• 4 in deep — a laptop sleeve, not a weekend bag
• No structure; it sags when half full
• You do not choose the colors

→Good for

• a second bag inside the carry-on
• a day of sightseeing
• someone who likes not knowing the color

↺Look elsewhere if

• a laptop over 13 in
• a bag that needs to stand up

+Strengths

• 40 L is three or four nights
• Fits a 17 in laptop
• Converts to a duffel with the straps stowed

−Limitations

• This is a carry-on, not a personal item — pay for it on Spirit and Frontier
• Height differs between Matein (20 in) and the listing (19 in)
• Heavy when full, with thin straps

→Good for

• airlines that include a carry-on
• a week with careful packing
• someone who hates wheels

↺Look elsewhere if

• Basic Economy on United or any personal-item-only fare
• a short commuter bag

+Strengths

• Each cube's size, volume and weight published
• Recycled fabric, no intentional PFAS
• The medium fits a personal-item backpack flat

−Limitations

• No large cube — the biggest is 7 L
• Three cubes, not a set for a suitcase
• Costs more than the eight-piece Bagail

→Good for

• a personal-item backpack
• socks, underwear and one outfit
• someone who buys one set for twenty years

↺Look elsewhere if

• filling a 40 L carry-on
• a family trip

+Strengths

• XL cube fills a carry-on's width
• Shoe and laundry bags included
• Cheap

−Limitations

• XL cube is too big for a personal item
• Thin polyester
• Weight comes from the listing

→Good for

• a 22-in carry-on or a medium suitcase
• a family packing for everyone
• a first set

↺Look elsewhere if

• an under-seat bag only
• compression

+Strengths

• YKK zippers and nylon — the toughest build here
• All cubes 4 in deep, so they stack flat
• Laundry bag included

−Limitations

• No compression
• 1.1 lb — heavier than the Bagail eight
• Only four cubes

→Good for

• a carry-on or medium suitcase
• someone whose last cheap set broke a zip
• checked bags too

↺Look elsewhere if

• squeezing a week into a personal item
• ultralight packers

+Strengths

• Compression figure stated by the maker
• Shoe bag included
• Nylon shells

−Limitations

• Multi-variant listing: easy to buy the wrong set
• Compression wrinkles knits
• Mesh panels snag

→Good for

• maximizing a carry-on
• soft clothes
• a family set

↺Look elsewhere if

• formal shirts
• a personal item only

+Strengths

• Compression zip buys real space
• Four sizes nest
• Nylon rather than polyester

−Limitations

• No maker spec sheet
• Compressed clothes crease
• XL is a carry-on cube

→Good for

• bulky sweaters in a small bag
• a long trip in a carry-on
• winter

↺Look elsewhere if

• shirts you want uncreased
• anyone wanting maker-stated dimensions