TSA does not hate packing cubes. Standard soft-sided fabric cubes are fully allowed in both carry-on and checked bags. In practice, organized bags are often faster to screen because officers can see contents clearly on the X-ray.
Two things TSA does recommend:
- Avoid metallic or hard-sided packing cubes. These can obstruct the X-ray view and trigger a manual bag check.
- Liquids still follow the 3-1-1 rule. Putting liquids inside a packing cube does not exempt them from the 3.4 ounce rule.
Packing cubes rarely need to come out of the bag during screening. If an officer asks, it is usually to resolve a shadow or density anomaly on the scanner, not a problem with the cube itself.