The LeanTravel 3-piece compression cube set is one of the most popular and well-reviewed compression cube sets on Amazon. In this Leantravel 3-piece compression cube set review, we’ll find out how durable these compression cubes are, how easy they are to use in real life, how much fits inside each compression cube, and much more.
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The Good
- Very affordable. Compared to other compression cubes, Leantravel is one of the cheapest options.
- Massive and hard to break. The fabric and zippers are very massive, and the corners are reinforced with integrated wires.
- Spacious. In my carry-on, I can fit only the two largest compression cubes. There’s still a little bit of space left at the top – about two-thirds of the medium cube.
The Bad
- No warranty. LeanTravel is a Chinese manufacturer with a non-existent warranty, so if something breaks, you’ll have to fix it yourself.
- A few loose threads here and there. Although overall the seams look pretty good, there are a few loose threads here and there.
- Heavy. Because these cubes are so massive, they also weigh a lot. The 3-piece set weighs 600 g / 20 oz, which is considered pretty heavy.
The Verdict
If you’re looking to get compression cubes, then you’re limited to only a few options. They definitely aren’t as popular as regular packing cubes. Among all the options on Amazon, LeanTravel is one of the cheapest, most popular, and well-reviewed options. And we understand why.
On the one hand, there are a few negative things about them. For instance, they’re very heavy, they aren’t backed up by any warranty, and you can find a few loose threads on the seams.
But in our opinion, the pros outweigh all the cons. Because these cubes are so massive, spacious, and heavy, they’ll be very hard to break. This means that you won’t really need to ever use the warranty. And because they’re so cheap, you can just get new ones instead. The LeanTravel compression cubes are also very easy to use because of the massive zippers, thick fabric, and reinforced corners which make them retain their shape when packed full.
If you can afford it, then definitely go for the Eagle Creek compression cubes instead. But if you’re on a budget, then the LeanTravel compression cubes will be a rock-solid choice. Especially if you aren’t a frequent traveler.
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I purchased the LeanTravel compression cubes a few months ago. I noticed that a lot of our readers on our site were purchasing this exact compression cube set, so I wanted to get it for myself and check out how good they are in real life.
Right now, I’ve been testing them for about two or three months. And so far, nothing has broken, and they still look in very good condition.
Compression cubes vs packing cubes
If you don’t know the difference between packing cubes and compression cubes, essentially compression cubes come with two zippers, and regular packing cubes only with one. The first zipper is a regular one, which closes the main compartment, and the second one is the compression zipper, which compresses everything inside by several inches.
In another article, I performed a test, where I compared the space savings between no packing cubes, regular packing cubes, and compression cubes. I found out that packing cubes save about 5% of the total space and compression cubes about 15-20%. So if you’re looking to save some space, compression cubes are the way to go.
The only downside to compression cubes is that your clothes will become more wrinkled, because of all the compression that’s going on. So if you’re packing dress shirts or suits, then you should probably use regular cubes instead, such as the eBags packing cubes.
What’s Included in the LeanTravel 3-Piece Compression Cube Set?
The LeanTravel 3-piece set comes with:
- 2 large compression cubes (15.5 x 11.5 x 4 inches)
- 1 medium compression cube (11 x 11 x 4 inches)
I got the Leantravel 3-piece compression cube set, but they’re also sold as a 6-piece set, where you get one additional medium compression cube and two smaller ones.
When the compression zipper is unzipped, the cubes are about 4.5 inches or 12 centimeters in width, but when it’s closed, the width is reduced to about 3.5 inches or 9 centimeters.
They’re available in black, brown, gray, and green-patterned color options. If I’d buy them again, I’d probably choose the option, where each cube is in a different color, so that it’s easier to remember what you’ve packed in each cube.
In my Travelpro Maxlite 5 carry-on, I can squeeze in the two larger cubes. There’s still some space left at the top, but it’s too small for the medium cube. So I usually pack the two large compression cubes in the carry-on, and the medium cube in my backpack, which I use as a personal item.
In total, all three cubes weigh almost 600 grams or 20 ounces. For comparison, the Eagle Creek 2-piece compression cube set, which I reviewed in another article, weighs 110 grams or 4 ounces. So compared to other compression cubes, the LeanTravel cubes are very heavy.
Materials and Stitching
The LeanTravel compression cubes are made from a thick polyester fabric, which feels much thicker than what I’ve seen on other packing organizers. Even thicker than the nylon fabric on the Shacke Pak packing cubes. In the corners, they’re also reinforced with flexible wires, which makes the cubes retain their shape when they’re packed full.
The seams look pretty good, but I wouldn’t say that it’s the best stitching that I’ve seen. You can see a few loose threads here and there. But don’t get me wrong, it doesn’t look like they’ll start to break anytime soon. Instead, it looks like they were built in a large factory on a massive scale, with minor quality checks.
Although the cubes are somewhat heavy and bulky, I actually think that it’s not necessarily a bad thing. Compression cubes are put under a lot of force when you’re compressing them, so having everything extra-thick and reinforced means that they’ll last longer.
Zippers
These compression cubes come with pretty massive SBS zippers. SBS is a very durable zipper brand, similar to the Japanese YKK zippers, only they’re slightly cheaper and more popular in China.
What’s good about them, is that usually nothing gets stuck in the zippers when you’re trying to close them. That’s because the zippers are very massive, the fabric is very thick, and because of the reinforced corners. That’s definitely a good thing because, on the Eagle Creek compression cubes, the fabric gets stuck in the zippers all the time.
How Much Stuff Fits Inside Each Compression Cube?
But now, let’s find out how much stuff fits inside each compression cube. I packed them kind of full, but not to the maximum capacity. You should pack them so full, that you’re able to close the compression zipper without too much effort. Otherwise, your clothes will get too wrinkled, and you might damage the zippers or the seams.
Medium compression cube: The medium cube is best used for packing all of the smaller items, such as t-shirts, underwear, and socks. I managed to fit 6 rolled-up t-shirts, 6 pairs of men’s boxers, and 6 pairs of socks in there.
Two large compression cubes: The two large packing cubes are best used for all the larger items, such as pants, shirts, sweaters, jackets, and so on. In one large cube, I managed to fit 2 pairs of pants, 2 pairs of shorts, and 2 sweaters inside. And in the other one, I squeezed in an extra-bulky winter jacket, and 2 bulky hoodies.
How Do the Leantravel Compression Cubes Compare With Other Compression Cubes?
If you take a look at all the compression cubes, they’re usually made in two different categories: lightweight cubes, which are made from thinner tent-like fabrics, and massive, heavy ones, which are made from thicker backpack-like fabrics.
If you’re into hiking, then you’d most likely stick to the lightweight options, such as the Eagle Creek Specter compression cubes, which weigh only 110-grams and come with a lifetime warranty.
The LeanTravel compression cubes definitely belong to the second category, which is more aimed towards regular travelers, digital nomads, and tech-people. Although they’re pretty heavy, they’re very easy to use and hard to break, which is really all you need in compression cubes. In this category, there are a lot of cheaper options, but LeanTravel seems to be the most popular and well-reviewed one. In the higher price ranges, you can get the Peak Designs compression cubes, which will obviously be more durable, but they cost three times as much, so it might not be worth it.
Warranty
We looked everywhere and we couldn’t find any information about their warranty. LeanTravel’s website is very basic, and only contains a contact form with the following statement: 100% money-back guarantee (no questions asked) if our products or service do not meet your expectations.
So theoretically, if you’d receive a defective compression cube, they’d refund your payment. But the thing is, they’d also ask you to send back the compression cubes before you’d receive anything, and the shipping costs might be higher than the total value.
So yeah, if you’re getting the LeanTravel compression cubes, remember that if anything breaks, you’ll have to get a new set regardless of the cause.
Value
The LeanTravel compression cubes are very affordable, especially if you get the six-piece set. There are a lot of similarly-priced options, but most of them won’t be that durable or easy to use.
We believe that the LeanTravel compression cubes are currently the best affordable compression cubes on the market.
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