Bellroy Lite Packing Pouch Review

Packing for a trip in a travel backpack is pretty difficult without packing cubes. Even with compression straps, your clothing may slide out of place and can feel lumpy against your back. Luckily, there are tons of options out there, from compression cubes to lightweight models, from cubes that open so you can see everything at once to others with a smaller zipper to keep items from spilling out. Which is best? Well, that depends a lot on your travel style and trip, and we’re happy to see Bellroy entering with more lightweight options to try.

The Bellroy Lite Packing Pouch comes in 2L and 3L sizes, and we’re testing both in rolling carry on luggage and travel backpacks to see how they stack up. Will the lid design and recycled materials hold up or fall down on the job? Let’s find out.

External Components

As we just alluded to, the Bellroy Lite Packing Pouch is made with recycled nylon, virgin nylon, and a few other materials. The Dura Lite Ripstop material is 90% recycled, which is great for sustainability, and you’ll likely think it looks familiar if you’ve had your hands on other Bellroy products. It almost feels like there’s a coating inside, so it’s not as flimsy as other ripstop nylon materials, which keeps it from spilling open and makes it easier to pack.

You can get them in Black, Ash, and Clay at the time of this review. You might want to get a variety so you remember what you stow in each, especially if you get multiples of the same size, and all three colors complement each other nicely if you do.

The Bellroy brand name is centered under the zipper in the front in much the same style as Bellroy slings and daypacks, so you can rest assured that these pouches will complement your other gear if you already own bags from the brand. On the bottom are a few icons and the statement that these pouches are “Designed to go with you. For years to come,” an allusion to the 3-year warranty backing them up. They certainly feel durable enough to last for at least 3 years, and hopefully more, from the fabric to the No. 5 reverse coil YKK zipper with a paracord pull wrapped in heat shrink for easy grabbing. The same paracord creates two loops on either end of the zipper track so you can hold one or the other to open and close the pouch, which really comes in handy if you overpack.

The zipper runs across the top front of the pouch, creating a lid that lets you fill from the bottom up like a top-loading backpack. It’s supposed to be a stand-up design, but the pouches don’t always stand up properly when full. If you have more in the bottom and haven’t filled it to the top, though, they remain erect most of the time.

Inside The Pouch

Like most packing cubes, you’ll find pretty much just open space inside. That’s good, though; any built-in pockets or dividers will just steal space you could be filling with clothing. However, that’s something to keep in mind if you want to use them for tech, toiletries, or first aid, as Bellroy suggests. Your cords, dongles, bandages, and shampoo will jostle around (although we think you should pick one category or another, not use them as packable junk drawers). Some people like that in a toiletry kit, while others prefer more organization. If you’re the former, these could work well for any of those travel categories, though they’re not waterproof for toiletries and lack protective padding for tech.

We’re using them as packing cubes, though, and you don’t need DWR coatings or foam padding for that—just wide open space.

The stand-up design nearly makes a perfect rectangular cube when packed, although the bottom seems to angle somewhat upward. However, packing the 3L pouch with three T-shirts and two tank tops for a warm-weather trip was easy, and we stuffed five pairs of socks and underwear into the 2L one. For a shorter trip, we also had no issue fitting two tanks and two T-shirts into the smaller pouch, freeing up the larger for three pairs of shorts and two pairs of leggings. However, our primary tester is a small woman and, as her husband is always pointing out, male clothing naturally takes up more space. Naturally, regardless of gender, your mileage will vary depending on your body type.

The pouches can also come in handy for packing individual outfits. Our tester packed a running kit into the 2L pouch to tuck into her daypack for a post-work run along the riverfront. Doing so made it very convenient to carry into the changing room, though it was slightly more challenging repacking it with the work clothing she removed (challenging, but not impossible). If you use the 3L pouch for this purpose, we think you’d have much less of an issue if you’re taking off bulkier clothing than you’re putting on.

So, if you’re looking for packing cubes that can function as tech pouches, toiletry kits, or whatever else you need on the fly, the Bellroy Lite Packing Pouch might be a good option. Although primarily intended as packing cubes, the greater depth, different shape, and Bellroy design mean that they won’t look as out of place if you use them for something else as most other options, so you might get more use out of them than something you only pull out for a longer trip.