Matador Gear Cube Set 3-Pack Review

The Matador Gear Cube comes in three sizes and is a bucket-style pouch we use for clothing, shoes, and various other gear. From day one, we were curious if the cubes would be good at any one thing or only okay at everything. Let’s dive in and find out!

External Components

The exterior of the cubes is 100D recycled nylon. This material is bluesign® approved, meaning it is sustainably sourced, which is a solid shout from an environmental perspective. It has a PU coating and a non-PFC DWR coating, which is another solid shout, as PFCs are bad for the planet. The material is thin but durable enough to handle the bumps and knocks of travel, so it won’t weigh you down or break with general use, either.

At the time of writing, the Gear Cube Set comes in two colorways, Black and Arctic White, which are sleek and easy to match. Still, a saturated option would be fun, especially since most people don’t see your packing cubes.

The zippers are from YKK, which is a good thing. In our experience, the weak link on packing cubes is often the zipper. YKK is one of the best brands in the business, so there are no issues to report there; these things have held up well. The zipper track has an AquaGuard finish, which helps keep spills and water away from whatever you’ve stowed inside.

The cubes are designed with a long zipper, which makes loading and accessing gear easier. Matador describes this as a bucket-style design, and we’re here for it.

There are compression straps on either side of the cube, which helps save space when packing. These work particularly well for clothing, as they compress more easily to save space than other items, like shoes. There is a quick-release tab on either side, too, so you can spring into action at a moment’s notice. This tab works sufficiently when the cubes are filled but not as well when there isn’t as much gear inside.

Two handles on the top are minimalistic but durable. The material is encased in heat-shrink plastic, which isn’t very comfortable but does the job. They stay out of the way when you aren’t using them and are handy for loading and unloading your travel backpack, daypack, or rolling luggage.

The bottom of each cube has four attachment loops, one on each corner. You can attach things here or connect the cubes to a bag or other gear; however, we didn’t find these very useful. They don’t get in the way or add much weight, so they don’t bother us much.

In testing on a weekend trip upstate, these cubes’ exteriors proved to be durable enough to handle the bumps and knocks of travel. They’re not the most rugged gear out there; however, they should hold up fine for most trips.

Inside The Gear Cubes

The cubes come in three sizes: small, medium, and large, which are 2.5, 3.9, and 5 liters, respectively. We’ll go over each individually and discuss what you might be able to fit inside.

The small cube is 2.76 ounces (78.2g), which is exceptionally lightweight, and has enough space for socks and underwear or similar-sized gear. You could use it as a toiletry container in a pinch, though the lack of organization may deter some travelers. Still, if you’re into lightweight travel, you won’t likely find better options at 2.5 liters.

The medium cube is 3.05 ounces (86.4g) and is a good shout for t-shirts, shorts, pajamas, and other thin clothing. Depending on your foot size, you may be able to fit a pair of shoes inside. There should be no issue with flip-flops, sandals, or other compact travel shoes.

The large cube, at 3.3 ounces (93.5g), is a solid all-around packing cube. You can fit anything we’ve already mentioned or larger clothing items like long-sleeved shirts, pants, thin sweatshirts, or dress shirts. You can use the cube as a stuff sack for other travel gear; however, even with the larger size, we couldn’t come up with many uses for this other than clothing or shoes.

The largest Gear Cube is smaller than we’re used to seeing in packing cube sets; however, this is a complete set when paired with the two smaller ones. Though the best use we found for them was clothing, you can stow shoes, camping gear, toiletries, winter attire, and other goodies inside. If you’re looking for a packing cube that can do more than pack clothing, these might be your next travel-related purchase!

Plus, they look like and work well with other Matador gear, like the GlobeRider45 Travel Backpack and SEG28 Backpack.

When not in use, the cubes fold down incredibly small, which makes them a solid travel companion for those who are planning to purchase things on the go, working as a digital nomad, like to be prepared for anything life throws at you, or just like to have an extra on hand. When compressed and rolled up, the three cubes are roughly the size of a pint of beer. Can you make room for that in your bag?