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Owning a dependable suitcase is already a game changer for easeful travel, but any piece of luggage can be improved drastically with the addition of the right organizers. Travel organizers, from packing cubes to cosmetic bags, can help maximize space within your bags by neatly compartmentalizing items, preventing over-packing, and ensuring that every inch of your suitcase is utilized effectively. This not only allows you to pack more efficiently, but also helps keep your belongings easily accessible. Without organizers, even the best packed suitcase can transform into chaos after a week on the road. Meanwhile, the dedicated compartments of organizers help keep your clothes, toiletries, jewelry and more in their intended spaces no matter how many times you unpack and repack.
Since the world of travel organizers is incredibly vast, we’ve rounded up some of the best in each category, from shoe bags to innovative compression bags, to tame the unruly chaos of clothes, toiletries, and accessories. Say goodbye to the tangled mess and hello to a meticulously organized suitcase, paving the way for a journey where every item always finds its perfect place.
Best Packing Cubes
Gonex Compression Packing Cubes
What sets the Gonex Compression Packing Cubes apart is their ability to maximize packing efficiency beyond the standard. Their robust zippers not only make compressing the cubes a breeze but also nod at the longevity of these organizers, thanks to their durable construction and stitchwork.
Despite the non-waterproof nylon material, our tests revealed that they still repel water when a bit is splashed on the exterior. Coupled with the added protection of a suitcase, this ensures that the contents, particularly clothing, remain dry during travel.
An additional highlight is the user-friendly design, featuring convenient handles on the top of each cube. This thoughtful addition simplifies the process of grabbing the bags for both packing and unpacking, enhancing overall travel convenience. Lastly, the set’s inclusivity of extra-large, large, medium, and small bags provides versatility.
The Details: 3 or 4 bags included | 17.3 x 13 x 3.54 inches (extra large), 14.5 x 10.6 x 3.54 inches (large), 11.8 x 8.9 x 3.54 inches (medium), and 9.8 x 7.5 x 3.54 inches (small) | Ripstop nylon
Best Cosmetics Bag
Béis The Cosmetic Case
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It’s durable, capacious, and nice to look at — plus, it has a large built-in mirror.
The Béis cosmetics case effortlessly blends reliability, style, and compact design with surprising spaciousness, making it a standout option for travel cosmetic bags. Besides an easy open and close main compartment, it has a versatile central compartment designed for brushes and smaller items that can be removed depending on your needs. The thoughtful design extends with multiple additional pockets, pouches, and discreet slots, providing designated spaces for all your beauty essentials. A large attached mirror also makes for a handy companion for on-the-go makeup application during travel.
Our own tests showed that when combined, the PU leather and hardware resulted in efficient padding that protected the case’s contents from bumps and drops. Also, impressively, the bag maintained its shape and aesthetic despite the inevitable wear and tear of being on the go. Available in a spectrum of colors, this cosmetic case ranges from classic beige to navy, olive, and slate blue.
The Details: 9.5 x 4 x 7 inches | PU leather, nylon, PVC, poly | Zipper closure
Best Shoe Bag
Eneteck Shoe Bags
For short trips where versatile footwear is a must, Eneteck’s multi-pocket shoe bag is super ideal. This breathable bag, capable of accommodating three pairs of shoes, provides individual compartments to prevent any potential dirt or scuffs, keeping your footwear in top condition and totally organized.
The outermost pocket, designed with partial mesh, adds an extra layer of functionality — perfect for storing damp flip-flops or any shoes that benefit from additional ventilation. A notable feature, per our tests, is one compartment’s spacious design, tailored to accommodate larger and heavier footwear like sneakers. We love that it also includes a convenient trolley sleeve with an extra zipper pocket, providing quick and easy access to your essential items such as keys or a cellphone.
The Details: 11.8 x 8.7 x 5.5 inches | Fits 3 pairs | Twill, mesh
Best Toiletry Bag
Away Large Toiletry Bag
You probably already own an Away suitcase, but did you know they make travel accessories, too? One of them is this editor-loved toiletry bag with a versatile design that effortlessly accommodates all your travel essentials and more.
Zip open this minimalist travel bag, and you’ll see what sets it apart is its thoughtful interior organization, featuring a range of compartments for all your travel must-haves. The exterior pocket, strategically placed for easy access, proves handy for stowing sharp items like razors and nail clippers, while a zippered middle pouch is perfect for a toothbrush and toothpaste. The bag’s grab-and-go zip functionality allows it to expand generously, offering convenient access to all your products. Inside, a clear cosmetic-type bag, a middle zipper pouch, two mesh linings mean there’s a designated space for every essential. The lightweight, water-resistant material is also a plus.
The Details: 10.2 x 3.7 x 5.9 inches | 8.8 ounces | Nylon | Water-resistant
Best Travel Document Organizer/Passport Wallet
Leatherology Zip Around Travel Wallet
This travel-perfect wallet by Leatherology stands out thanks to its sleek leather exterior and adaptable design, making it a great choice whether you’re headed to the airport or just running errands. Unlike typical passport wallets featuring snap closures, this one boasts a wraparound zipper instead — ensuring the secure storage of passports, credit cards, cash, and more during your journeys. Not only does it offer ample space, accommodating multiple passports, up to eight credit cards, and currency without adding bulk, but an additional exterior pocket creates convenient access to boarding passes, so you don’t have to rummage around in a moment’s notice. While its larger size can make it difficult to fit into smaller purses, you can also opt to carry it as a chic clutch or pop it into a larger bag like a backpack or tote.
The Details: 9 x 4.75 inches | Full grain leather | RFID blocking
Best Travel Tech Organizer
Calpak Tech Organizer
Who said tech organizers need to look monotonous? This one by Calpak is slim, light, and available in a multitude of colors and patterns, making it easy to spot and pluck from inside your bag when you need to reach for any tech essentials. Its clamshell design is also extremely convenient, putting all your items on display for you once you zip the organizer open. Its built-in padding and storage pockets keep your valuables snug and secure, and its soft design makes it easy to pack away without the bulk.
The top handle also makes it easy to grab and carry, and all three full-size storage pockets feature convenient pull-tab zippers, with two having front mesh fabric for easy content assessment. During tests, the two interior slip pockets proved spacious enough to accommodate a portable charging bank, and we appreciated the effectiveness of the four elastic retention bands in keeping cords separated, snug, and readily accessible. It’s worth mentioning that these bands may stretch out over time, especially if used with very thick or bulky cords.
The Details: 9.5 x 7 x 1.5 inches | 0.25 pounds | Polyester, polyethylene
Best Travel Jewelry Organizer
Cuyana Travel Jewelry Case
This deceptively spacious case by Cuyana fits more than it leads on to at first glance, which is why we gave it the top spot on our list of the best travel jewelry organizers. The attractive oval-shaped design is far from bulky, helping it to easily fit inside our carry-on bag and keep our favorite jewelry safe during our travels. It’s a great pick for minimalist jewelry wearers considering it is still on the smaller side, but it has plenty of room inside its soft, padded interior for rings, earrings, and more. Slip pockets on each side of the case could be a great fit for jewelry or small watches, but run the risk of getting tangled since there aren’t specific latches to hold them tight.
The Details: 5 in. x 3.5 x 1.25 inches | Italian leather
Best Travel Pouches
Mark & Graham Fillmore Vegan Diamond Travel Pouch
If you despise rummaging around the deep well of a storage pouch looking for your items, you’ll love the unusual diamond-style zipper of this one by Mark & Graham, which came out on top of our list of best travel pouches. It allows the bag to lay out nearly flat, providing you with easy visual access to everything you have packed inside. The smooth vegan leather and shape of the bag also makes it very attractive, looking good in or out of your luggage. The pouch comes in several water- and sun-resistant hues, and we love that the brand has an entire travel pouch collection, from small structured options to larger travel organizers and flat pack styles.
The Details: 3.5 x 8.5 x 3.5 inches | Vegan leather
Best Vacuum Compression Storage Bags
VMSTR Vacuum Storage Bags
Compression storage bags are perfect for longer trips, or making an entire week’s worth of clothing fit in a small rolling suitcase. These VSTR Travel Vacuum Storage Bags are a must for compression and available in a range of sizes, from small to extra large, depending on your packing needs. This versatility allows you to efficiently pack different clothing items, from swimsuits for a beach getaway to thick coats for snowy destinations, without wasting valuable space. Through our tests, we found the larger bags conveniently fit into standard wheeled carry-ons, while the compact sizes easily slide into backpacks, totes, or other travel bags. We love that these bags come with a lifetime guarantee, and that each has a dual-zipper seal that provides an extra layer of protection, ensuring the bags remain securely closed and compressed during your travels. With the electric pump, you’ll experience less effort compared to using hand-pump compression bags, and the convenience of a travel-friendly USB vacuum means you’re not limited to using a wall socket.
The Details: Vacuum compression | 8 bags (2 small, 2 medium, 2 large, 2 extra-large) | 11 x 8.6 (small); 12.6 x 10 (medium); 14.1 x 12.6 (large); 17.7 x 12.6 (extra-large)
Best Pill Organizer
Sukuos Weekly Pill Organizer
This handy pill organizer is a must-have for those on a daily regimen of medications, vitamins, or supplements. Its lightweight design is compact but still maintains generous storage space, accommodating pills of all sizes, as proven by our tests. With seven detachable containers, each a different color, labeled for the day of the week, and conveniently segmented for morning and night doses, managing your medication schedule becomes a breeze. The roomy compartments are designed to hold multiple pills with ease.
The secure snap-shut lids ensure your capsules stay in place, while the transparent plastic material provides a clear view of the contents in each section. Its practical size makes it a travel essential, fitting effortlessly into carry-on bags or luggage without sacrificing space. We also love that the smaller daily containers are portable enough to slip into your pocket.
The Details: 5.94 x 2.83 x 2.52 inches | Plastic | 14 compartments
Best Travel Hair Tool Organizer
USA Gear Large Hairstylist Traveling Bag
This hair stylist case is perfect for anyone with several heat tools and hair styling accessories they’d like to bring on the road. Made from extremely durable RipStop nylon, the case will keep your gear safe within its sturdy walls, and it includes both a hand strap and sturdy shoulder strap if you decide to carry it on its own, rather than fit it into a larger suitcase. Hook and loop dividers allow you to easily change the size of the interior pockets depending on your needs at any time, making it easy to pack in and organize anything from bulkier items like blow dryers and straighteners to grooming scissors, hair ties and more. The center divider ensures that your tools on both sides of the organizer stay in their place, rather than banging into each other while you make your way from point A to point B.
The Details: 16 x 13 x 6.5 inches | RipStop nylon
Best Briefcase Insert
Leatherology Bag Insert
If you’re looking to add structure and organization to your briefcase or tote bag, this bag insert by Leatherology will definitely do the trick. We love that it’s made from water-resistant nylon, meaning it will help protect your bag from any unfortunate spills and smudges, and that it features several different types of pockets for whatever you might need to stash on the go.
Insulated pockets in the core of the organizer are great for anything you need to keep warm or cold, and it also features an easy access front pocket and mesh side pockets. If you have multiple bags you use on any given work week, use the organizer’s two handles to easily move it from one briefcase to another.
The Details: 7.9 x 11.8 x 5.9 inches | Water-resistant nylon
Best Travel Cosmetics Containers
Ries Refillable Travel Bottles
These refillable travel bottles are stylish and durable alternatives to what you’d typically find at your local drugstore. Crafted from a recycled plastic resin that is FDA-approved and safe for skin and hair, we like that there are not only different sizes available but also several colors to pick from, such as sky blue, dark brown, or tan.
Their very own patented airless pump makes it easy and sanitary to access your products, from shampoo and conditioner to face lotion, serums, and more. This removes the need to open the container and introduce the product to potential bacteria or the threat of oxidation.
The Details: 5.3 x 1.8 for a 3.4-ounce bottle | PCR (a recycled plastic resin)
Tips for Buying Travel Organizers
Consider what you’re packing
Before investing in travel organizers, it’s essential to take a thoughtful inventory of what you own and carefully consider your packing habits. Understanding the types and sizes of items you typically carry in your luggage will help you choose organizers that best suit your needs.
Consider the variety of belongings you travel with, from clothing and accessories to gadgets and toiletries, and assess the dimensions of your luggage. This necessary evaluation ensures that the organizers you select will align with your packing style and the available space in your bags. By taking stock of your possessions and packing preferences, you can make the best decisions about the types and sizes of organizers that will maximize efficiency and keep your belongings neatly arranged during your travels.
Opt for high-quality materials
Another crucial factor that demands your consideration when it comes to travel organizers is materiality. The choice of material significantly influences the organizers’ durability, weight, and flexibility. Make sure to assess your specific needs and preferences before selecting between options like lightweight fabrics for easy maneuverability, or sturdier materials if you have delicate or especially pricey belongings.
Water-resistant or waterproof materials may be essential for those venturing somewhere rainy or rugged, helping them to safeguard the contents of their luggage from unexpected weather conditions. Investing in organizers that have high-quality zippers (we’re partial to YKK), handles, and seams can provide longevity to your organizers — making them a smarter investment than those that are merely attractive or lower in price.
Prioritize additional built-in organization
Finally, before purchasing your travel organizers, make sure to assess which ones have the correct quantity and type of interior compartments and dividers for the items you need to store. All organizers are designed with purposeful compartments and pockets, but only the ones that actually have the correct built-in storage potential will enhance efficiency and accessibility during your journeys. Looking at the number of pockets and pouches on an organizer prior to purchase, and where on the organizer they are located, will help save you time and money in the long run.
Why Trust Travel + Leisure
T+L contributor Austa Somvichian-Clausen is a travel writer and published author living in New York City. She has been covering travel and lifestyle content since 2017, and travels frequently for work, often with multiple stops and several different accommodations. Her irregular travel schedule makes it necessary for her to streamline her packing style and organize her luggage for efficiency. To find the best travel organizers, she also relied on research, gear tests, and more.
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