Tomtoc Navigator Packing Cube Set: A System Built for the Navigator Backpacks

Introduction

Tomtoc makes some of the better budget-friendly travel backpacks around: large, duffel-style bags with a huge main compartment that opens wide and packs easily. That style of bag practically begs for packing cubes, but until recently there was no cube set designed specifically around the Navigator’s shape. This set changes that, and after testing it on a couple of trips, it is easy to see the intent behind every dimension.

What’s in the Set

The set includes three cubes. There is a small 3-liter cube for socks, underwear, toiletries, or just about anything small. Next is an 8-liter clean/dirty cube, and finally a 10-liter compression cube. The two larger cubes share the same width and depth dimensions, so they sit in the Navigator backpacks in the same way, with the extra 2 liters of the compression cube coming purely from added height.

Weights are impressively low for anyone trying to pack light: roughly 42 to 43 grams (about 1.5 to 1.6 oz) for the small cube, 106 grams (3.7 oz) for the medium, and 105 grams (3.7 oz) for the 10-liter compression cube on a scale.

The small cube is the simplest of the three, with a small top handle and two fabric loops that let you convert it into a mini sling if you want.

The 8L Clean/Dirty Cube

All three cubes have a squared-off, flat-bottom shape rather than the thinner rectangular profile most packing cubes use. The 8-liter cube opens from the top with a quick-access zipper and has three side openings, so once it is fully packed you can set it down and still get at your stuff. A mesh front panel makes it slightly see-through and breathable.

The standout feature is the clean/dirty side-access zipper. As clothes get worn on a trip, you transfer them from one side to the other. Because the total amount of fabric in the cube never changes, the cube stays exactly the same size throughout the trip, which means it slots back into your backpack the same way every single time. It is a genuinely clever design for repeat packers.

The 10L Compression Cube

The 10-liter cube shares the same mesh top and easy-open zipper layout, but swaps the clean/dirty zipper for a compression zipper that wraps 360 degrees around the bag. The idea is to pack the cube extra full, then run the zipper all the way around to squish everything down.

Compression cubes are most useful when you are trying to stay within carry-on or personal-item limits, especially in a smaller duffel-style bag where every liter counts. Cinched down, the cube takes up noticeably less space than it would loose.

Fitting the Cubes in the Navigator 28L

On a four-day long weekend trip, the smaller 28-liter Navigator was packed with just the two larger cubes, with the 3-liter cube holding socks and underwear. The cubes sit flat on the bottom in the middle of the bag, with the rounded edges oriented toward the top and bottom, and their shared width makes both cubes flush at the same height.

Packed this way, the cubes take up nearly the whole bag. There is a little space left on top, and because the bag settles downward when you wear it as a backpack, that top strip is enough for something slim like a tech pouch. The 3-liter cube, packed as a toiletry kit, also fit in that space, though it was a little tight.

Fitting the Cubes in the Navigator 40L

In the larger 40-liter Navigator, the same cubes leave more room on the sides and considerably more on top. Because of the extra height, the 3-liter cube can be turned sideways to fill a different gap without sticking out of the top of the bag, freeing up even more usable space above.

Tomtoc’s own product imagery shows the 3-liter cube alone filling the bag’s full capacity, but in practice there is quite a bit more room: a light sweater, a sling packed with camera gear, and the 3-liter cube loaded with toiletries all fit with plenty of space to spare.

Design and Build Quality

The squared, cube-like shape is the defining design choice here, and it cuts both ways. Thinner, rectangular packing cubes suit slim bags, but these big square cubes will not work in those. Drop them into a large, open duffel-style bag like the Navigator, though, and they fit almost perfectly. Build quality across the set is solid, with well-made fabric, smooth zippers, and mesh panels where breathability and visibility help.

What Could Be Better

The one criticism has nothing to do with design or construction: these cubes are only sold as a set of three. Not everyone wants a compression cube. For a packing style built around clothes always occupying the same amount of space, two clean/dirty cubes may be more useful than a mixed set. Being able to buy individual cubes would make the system more flexible.

Buying Advice

If you already own either Navigator backpack, this set is close to a no-brainer: the dimensions are clearly tuned to those bags, and the flat-bottom layout turns the wide main compartment into an organized, modular space. Travelers who prefer the clean/dirty workflow will get the most out of the 8-liter cube, while minimalists squeezing into personal-item-only limits will lean on the compression cube hardest.

If you do not own a Navigator, measure your bag’s main compartment first. These cubes are deliberately wide and square, and they only shine in bags with a large, open duffel-style opening.

Conclusion

This is a well-executed packing cube set with thoughtful sizing, very low weight, and features like the clean/dirty divider and 360-degree compression that solve real packing problems. It fits the Navigator 28L and 40L almost perfectly, and the only real drawback is that you cannot pick and choose which cubes to buy. For Navigator owners, it is an easy recommendation.