Aer Packing Cubes (V3) Review

You can count on Aer to iterate on their designs, whether it’s their series of Travel Pack backpacks or their various pouches and slings. Packing cubes are also on the menu of gear they’ve iterated on, and the changes the (V3) variant introduces are quite drastic.

We’re now down to just two sizes, yet the build quality is also stepped up. In fact, if you squint at these cubes, they’re starting to look as well-appointed as Aer pouches. The handles are more prominent, and the fabric is thicker and more robust. The question is, do these changes make the Aer Packing Cubes V3 more functional or simply more bulky? Let’s find out.

The Rundown

The Aer Packing Cubes (V3) are a 100-denier CORDURA® ripstop nylon. For the uninitiated, ripstop is a thin type of fabric that relies on a grid-pattern reinforcement in lieu of a uniformly thick fabric. Ideally, rips in the fabric are stopped and isolated by the grids. This type of fabric is usually the go-to choice for packing cubes, packable slings, and even lightweight jackets—basically, gear that needs more emphasis on lightness than outright toughness. That said, the 100-denier ripstop fabric these cubes use is notably heavier than the 80-denier of the previous version.

Practically speaking, this 100-denier fabric is still pretty light, and you’d struggle to call the cubes “heavy” unless you have them side by side with the 80-denier fabric of the previous cubes. The big benefit of this heavier fabric is that it’s less wrinkly and a bit more structured, which helps with making packing easier.

At the top of these cubes are quite sizable handles. Whereas the previous version had low-profile, flush handles, these are more protruding and easier to grab. These don’t necessarily make the cubes bulkier since they still get squished when you squeeze them into a tight space.

The zippers are—surprise, surprise—from YKK. That’s not a knock, by the way. We’re glad Aer’s sticking with the ever-reliable brand since they’ve worked practically flawlessly on a lot of their gear. Furthermore, since these cubes now have a compression feature, reliable zippers are needed now more than in previous iterations. Oh, yeah, you read that right these cubes are compressible.

Fans or non-fans of the previous Aer Packing Cubes might’ve been pining for this feature, so we’re happy to report they’re here in this version. It’s a simple gusset and zipper design where you cinch the cube’s width by closing the zipper that runs parallel to the main ones. As an aside, we’re glad there are dual zippers for the main openings since it makes it easier to squeeze additional clothing inside, even when the cubes are already compressed. Simply relocate both main zippers to the spot where you think there’s extra space, pry them ever-so-slightly open, and squeeze in that extra roll of socks; no decompression is required.

Having only two sizes to work with is a notable shift from the Aer Packing Cubes V2’s three options. That said, with the regular 15-liter (compressible to 10 liters) and small 7.5-liter (compressible to 5 liters) cubes, you at least still get separation of big, bulky clothing like denim pants and slacks from small ones like shirts and other tops. Understandably, though, smaller pieces of clothing like underwear will have to share space in either cube sizes.

As for actual numbers, we fit six pairs of pants in the regular cube plus a pair of shorts. Meanwhile, the small cube fit a mix of seven tops (five regular shirts and two long-sleeve shirts). Getting clothing inside and arranging them is fairly easy thanks to the clamshell-style opening, and the fabric at the sides is structured enough to minimize the need to prop them up while you do so. Once packed, compression is easy and substantially lowers the cubes’ respective sizes.

Packability

It goes without saying that both these cubes fit nicely in Aer’s own bags, such as the Travel Pack 3 Small. When compressed, the cubes leave enough allowance for small gear around the sides and corners. For obvious reasons, fitment will vary depending on which Aer bag you use. For example, two large cubes can’t fit in the Travel Pack 3 Small, but it’s possible with the regular Travel Pack 3.

All of that said, there’s nothing proprietary about how these cubes fit, and they’re also not shaped so disproportionately that they’d struggle to fit in bags from other brands.

Quick Comparison

Interestingly, each iteration of the Aer Packing Cubes has unique features that make them all compelling. For example, the V1 has a mesh front that lets you see what’s inside, and the breathability also doesn’t trap odors. Meanwhile, the V2 cubes have laundry partitions, so you can stow used clothing in a separate compartment. The (V3) cubes, of course, have compression. And despite the sizing differences, they’re all designed to fit Aer’s bags, so it’s somewhat tricky to say which is the best among them.

As an aside, the Aer Zip Bags are also technically an alternative. They are still available at the time of writing, but they’re not as functional since they lack a compression feature and have a more restrictive straight-line opening. The regular size one is handy as a shoe pouch, though, so it’s a good complement to the Aer Packing Cubes.

The Peak Design Packing Cubes are also an interesting choice. They offer roughly the same sizes, though compressed and uncompressed volumes vary. The Aer Packing Cubes V3 are 10L-15L and 5L-7.5L for the regular and small, whereas Peak Design’s medium and small cubes are 8L-18L and 4.5L-9L, respectively. The numbers make it seem like the Peak Design Packing Cubes have a decisive edge in terms of efficiency. However, trying out both sets doesn’t really reveal a huge difference. Peak Design’s 8L medium cube doesn’t feel two liters smaller when compressed than Aer’s regular cube squeezed to 10L, for example.

Practically speaking, the biggest difference between the two sets is how they open. Peak Design’s set has a nifty tab at the openings, which you can use to peel their zippered openings, whereas Aer’s cubes simply zip and unzip.