For years, I travelled by stuffing clothes straight into a backpack or suitcase, which was inefficient, messy and usually led to overpacking. I would always try to squeeze too much in, struggle to find what I needed, and then make painful last-minute decisions about what to leave behind.
Before trekking in Nepal, a lot of my research pointed towards Osprey Packing Cubes as one of the easiest ways to organise clothes, separate kit and make packing less stressful. I picked up the Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube Set, and they quickly became a game-changer for the way I travel.
These lightweight travel organisers helped me become more minimalist, more organised and much quicker at packing for hostels, trekking trips, weekend breaks and longer adventures. In this Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes review, I’ll cover the sizes, technical specs, materials, durability, strengths, weaknesses and whether they are some of the best packing cubes for travel, backpacking and hostelling.
Field Note: This guide contains affiliate links. If you purchase gear through these links, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only recommend equipment I have personally mountain-tested and trust.
Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes:
Key Features
Osprey has a reputation for trusted outdoor gear, and they bring their expertise to travel organisation with the Ultralight Packing Cubes. Designed for minimalist travellers, these Packing Cubes help streamline packing while keeping gear compact, accessible, and protected. The set comes with one small, medium and large Ultralight Packing Cube, which helps tailor your packing needs and compartmentalise all your kit and clothing.
Osprey has designed a minimalist cube that strips back anything unnecessary but still includes large J-zip openings to allow maximum access to your equipment. There are YKK zip pullers to help secure the cubes for convenience. And to help carry the cubes around, there are reinforced webbing grab handles. The colours available in 2025 are Waterfront Blue and Black, whereas mine are the classic Osprey dark green.
Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube Set
- Product Type Ultralight travel packing cube set
- Set Includes Small, medium and large packing cubes
- Small Cube 2 litres | 17g | 17 x 11 x 10cm
- Medium Cube 4 litres | 23g | 22 x 15 x 12.5cm
- Large Cube 9 litres | 32g | 32 x 20 x 17cm
- Materials bluesign® approved, GRS-certified recycled nylon main body fabric
- Key Features J-zip opening, YKK zips, reinforced grab handles and lightweight construction
- Water Protection Water-resistant, not fully waterproof
- Price $45 RRP
- Best For Hostelling, backpacking, trekking, weekend trips and organised travel packing
Why I chose Osprey Packing Cubes
When choosing packing cubes, the main priority was lightweight. The Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube Set offer low weight, simplicity, strength and reliability. Since buying them at a nice discount, £30 down from the RRP of £42, I have had no issues. The Small Cube is ideal for socks and underwear, and the Medium Cube for T-shirts and Shorts. Then the Large Cube for trousers, jumpers and bulky clothing. This strategy has served me well when hostelling, road-tripping and trekking. It helps when you are tired and changing accommodations to know where each piece of clothing is, especially when hiking in changeable weather! Osprey has also chosen to use bluesign® approved and GRS-certified 100% recycled main body fabrics to boost sustainability.
Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes: Selling Points
- Lightweight and Durable Design – Made from high-quality 40D nylon ripstop fabric, these cubes offer impressive durability without adding unnecessary weight. Ideal for backpackers, trekkers and hikers who need to keep pack weight to a minimum.
- Efficient Organisation – Available in different sizes (Small, Medium, Large), the cubes allow for efficient compartmentalisation of clothing, accessories, and gear. This reduces clutter and makes packing/unpacking faster and easier.
- Space-Saving Compression – The zippered compression feature in the larger cubes helps reduce bulk, maximising space in your pack. Perfect for minimising volume during long treks or multi-day hikes.
- Smooth Zippers for Easy Access – Equipped with high-quality YKK zippers that glide smoothly, ensuring easy access to your belongings without snagging or damage.
- Water-Resistant Protection – While not fully waterproof, the water-resistant nylon fabric offers a degree of protection against moisture, keeping your clothes and gear dry during light exposure to the elements.
Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes: Worth knowing
- Limited Protection in Heavy Rain – The fabric is water-resistant but not waterproof, so it’s best to use a fully waterproof dry bag for electronics or items that need complete protection from wet conditions.
- Minimal Compression– The cubes lack compression, which means it’s harder to reduce the cube size. And there is minimal padding, so it’s good for soft items but less suitable for fragile gear.
- Higher Price Point – Osprey’s quality comes at a premium. While the cubes are built to last, budget-conscious travellers may find more affordable alternatives, though often with less durability.
Osprey Ultralightweight Packing Cubes: The Competition
Eagle Creek Pack-It Cubes
- Strengths: Durable, well-designed, Compression and Ultralight versions available.
- Why Consider It: Eagle Creek is known for rugged travel gear and organisation equipment. Their Pack-It Spectre line is especially similar to the Ultralightweight Osprey Packing Cubes.
- Drawback: Slightly heavier fabric in certain products, not easy to find in the UK.
Amazon Basics Packing Cubes
- Strengths: Budget-friendly and functional.
- Why Consider It: Great for occasional travellers or anyone looking for decent performance at a low price.
- Drawback: Bulkier and heavier than other options. Less premium zippers and materials.
Peak Design Packing Cubes
- Strengths: High-end and sleek design with self-healing zippers and compression straps.
- Why Consider It: Great for tech-focused or photography-focused travellers, for people who want aesthetic and smart design.
- Drawback: Pricey and overbuilt for minimalist travellers or trekkers.
Osprey Packing Cubes: Ideal Use Cases
The Osprey Packing Cubes are most useful when you want to keep your gear organised without adding unnecessary weight or bulk. They are not designed to be heavy-duty compression cubes or waterproof dry bags, but for everyday travel organisation, hostelling, backpacking and trekking, they are incredibly practical.
Backpacking and Trekking
For backpacking and trekking, packing cubes help keep everything compartmentalised inside your bag. Instead of rummaging through a messy backpack for socks, base layers or spare clothes, each cube can have a clear purpose. For example, one cube for underwear and socks, one for T-shirts and base layers, and one for warmer layers or spare hiking clothes.
This is especially useful on multi-day treks where you are constantly packing and unpacking in lodges, hostels, tents or mountain huts. The Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube Set keeps your clothing organised without adding much extra weight, which is exactly what you want when every gram matters.
Weekend Getaways
Packing cubes are also brilliant for short trips and weekend getaways. For a two or three-night trip, they simplify packing and make it easier to avoid overpacking. Instead of throwing random clothes into a bag and hoping everything fits, you can plan each cube around a specific category.
A simple weekend setup could look like this:
- Small cube: underwear, socks and accessories
- Medium cube: T-shirts, shorts or light layers
- Large cube: trousers, jumpers or bulkier clothing
This makes unpacking much quicker when you arrive, and it also makes repacking less stressful when heading home.
Long-Term Travel
For long-term travel, packing cubes become even more valuable. When living out of a backpack or rolling luggage for weeks at a time, organisation can quickly fall apart. The Osprey Packing Cubes help maintain order by giving every category of clothing its own place.
They work especially well in larger travel backpacks, duffels and suitcases where loose clothes can easily shift around. Instead of your bag becoming one big pile of fabric, the cubes keep everything contained and easy to access.
I admit to being an Osprey fanboy, but the quality materials and versatility of these cubes mean they can be used in almost any backpack or suitcase. They fit perfectly inside my Osprey Farpoint 40, helping keep the bag tidy while still making it easy to carry onto most airlines as cabin luggage.
I have also recently bought an Osprey Ultralight Zip Organiser for smaller items that I used to stuff into the top pocket of a backpack lid. Combined with the packing cubes, it creates a much cleaner travel system where clothes, cables, toiletries and small accessories all have a proper place.
I even included these packing cubes as Travel Tip No.2 in the Journal Newsletter because they have genuinely changed the way I pack. It still amazes me that more of my friends and family do not use them.
Pro Tip: Rolling clothes before placing them into each packing cube can help you fit more inside and keep everything easier to see when you open the cube.
Where these packing cubes earned their keep
These Osprey Packing Cubes have been tested across city breaks, hostel trips, road trips, hut-to-hut treks and long-distance backpacking routes.
Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes Verdict
The Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes are one of the simplest pieces of travel gear I own, but they have made one of the biggest differences to how I pack. They keep clothes and kit organised, reduce the chaos inside a backpack, and make it much easier to find what I need without emptying my entire bag.
For outdoor adventurers, hostellers and regular travellers, the Osprey Packing Cubes hit a great balance between lightweight design, durability and convenience. They are not heavy-duty compression cubes, and they are not fully waterproof, but they are excellent for separating layers, underwear, clean clothes, dirty kit and smaller travel items.
I have used the Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube Set on short weekends visiting family, multi-week treks, hostel trips and mountain camping adventures. They continue to surprise me with how much can be squeezed inside, and they still show no signs of breaking. For me, packing cubes are absolutely worth the investment and have made travelling much simpler.
If you are looking for packing cubes for travel, backpacking or hostelling, this set is one of the easiest upgrades I would recommend. The Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes helped me become more organised, more minimalist and less stressed when packing any bag.
What packing tips help you on your adventures? Share this post with any travellers who still do not own packing cubes, and stay tuned for more equipment that could change the way you travel.
FAQs
Are Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes worth it?
Yes, Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes are worth it if you travel regularly and want better organisation without adding much weight. They help separate clothing, reduce clutter and make packing easier for backpacking, hostelling, road trips and trekking. The post notes that they have been used reliably across short weekends, multi-week treks and mountain camping trips. [backpacker…tality.com]
What sizes are in the Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube Set?
The Osprey Ultralight Packing Cube Set includes three sizes: a small 2-litre cube weighing 17g, a medium 4-litre cube weighing 23g, and a large 9-litre cube weighing 32g. These sizes make it easier to separate smaller items, T-shirts, shorts, trousers, jumpers and bulkier clothing.
Are Osprey packing cubes waterproof?
No, Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes are water-resistant rather than fully waterproof. They can offer light protection from moisture, but electronics, documents or items needing full waterproof protection should be stored in a proper dry bag.
Do packing cubes save space?
Packing cubes can help save usable space by organising clothing and reducing messy packing, but the Osprey Ultralight Packing Cubes are more focused on organisation than heavy compression. Rolling clothes before placing them inside the cubes can help fit more into each cube.
What are the best alternatives to Osprey packing cubes?
Good alternatives to Osprey packing cubes include Eagle Creek Pack-It Cubes, Amazon Basics Packing Cubes and Peak Design Packing Cubes. Eagle Creek offers durable and well-designed travel organisation, Amazon Basics is a cheaper budget option, and Peak Design is a more premium choice for sleek travel and photography-focused packing.
Pingback: Osprey Farpoint 40: The Most Versatile Travel Backpack - Backpacker's Mentality