Packora Vacuum Compression Backpack
★★★★★ 4.9 out of 5 (30 reviews) Read them
The valve is in the bag, so there is no pouch to forgetNate R.
Packora is a 60L travel backpack with a vacuum valve built into the main compartment and a handheld pump that draws the air out of it. Most of a packed stack of clothes is the air between the layers. Take that out and the same clothes take up less room, so the bag closes on more than it otherwise would. Separate compartments hold the things you do not want squashed.
Most airlines charge $35 to $50 each way for the first checked bag, so $70 to $100 on a return. Use Packora once instead of checking a bag and it has covered itself.
- ✓The valve is in the bag, not in a separate pouch. No vacuum bag to pack inside a case, nothing to forget at home, and nothing to end up with a flat brick you then have to fit around things
- ✓Only the soft things get squashed. The main compartment compresses. The laptop, the chargers, the toiletries and the shoes live in their own compartments and stay the shape they were
- ✓Side straps take up the slack. After you pump it the bag has give in it. Pulling the compression straps in holds the load still instead of letting it slide about on your back
- ✓A combination dial, set into the side. Not a decorative zip pull. It holds the main zips together and the dial unclips if you want it on something else
- ✓Padded straps over a ventilated panel. Sixty litres is a lot to put on your back, so the shoulder padding is thick and the panel behind it is textured to let air move
What arrives
One 60L black backpack, multi-compartment, with a round vacuum valve set into the grey-lined main compartment. A single thin red stitch line down the front and two small red eyelets at the bottom are the only markings on it.
The handheld pump. A small black unit that holds against the valve and draws the air out. USB rechargeable, and a charge covers around twenty uses, so you can repack on the way home without finding an outlet.
How to pack it
Soft things only in the vacuum side. Clothes, towels, bedding. Anything rigid, fragile or liquid goes in one of the other compartments.
Close the zip properly, all the way into the corners. This is the one step people get wrong. If a corner is not fully home the air creeps back over an hour or two. Run a thumb along the whole zip before you pump.
Pump, then pull the side straps in. In that order. The straps take out the slack the pumping leaves behind.
What compression does and does not do
It saves room, not weight. Flattening clothes does not make them lighter. A 60L bag packed full still weighs what it weighs, and airline weight limits are not volume limits.
It does not stay sealed once you open it. Open the compartment to get a jumper out and the air is back in. You pump it again. If you are living out of the bag daily, that is a daily job.
Things come out creased. Anything you squash flat arrives with lines in it. Knitwear does not care. Shirts and linen do.
Size
Sixty litres. The supplier compares the packed bag to a 24-inch suitcase. Cabin allowances differ by airline, by route and by aircraft, and we have not measured this bag or tested it against any sizer, so check yours against the bag before you fly.
Where it earns its keep is how much goes into it. Take the air out of the clothes and the same bag holds noticeably more than it did.
What we have not confirmed
We publish no dimensions, no weight, no material and no water rating, because our supplier has confirmed none of them to us. We would rather leave a number off than invent one.
That includes how the pump is powered and how long it runs for. Treat it as something that needs charging or power before a return journey, which is what our reviewers do.
Shipping and delivery
Shipping is free on every order. Orders are dispatched in 1 to 3 business days, and a tracking link is emailed to you as soon as yours ships.
30-day money back
Pack it for a real trip. If it is not what you wanted, email us within 30 days of delivery for a refund. No restocking charge, and a used bag is fine.
Sound familiar?
You are kneeling on the lid
and it still will not shut
The clothes are folded as flat as folding gets. There is a jumper on the floor that is not going in. And the thing taking up most of the space is not the clothes, it is the air between them.
Packora puts the valve in the bag and keeps the hard things in their own compartments.
The night before
It is not the clothes,
it is the air
Pick up a packed stack of jumpers and squeeze it. It goes down by half, and springs back the moment you let go. That space is what you are carrying, and nothing you do with folding gets it out. A valve and a pump do, which is the entire mechanism here and the only thing on this page doing real work.
- Soft things inClothes, towels, bedding in the vacuum side. Anything rigid or liquid in the other compartments
- Zip it properlyAll the way into both corners. A thumb along the whole zip. This is the step people get wrong
- Pump itHold the pump to the valve. It takes about twenty seconds and the stack visibly drops
- Pull the straps inThe side compression straps take out the slack, so the load stops moving on your back
What to expect
The same clothes,
in less of the bag
The stack drops, the zip closes, and the jumper on the floor goes in. That is the honest description. It does not make anything lighter, it does not turn 60 litres into a cabin bag, and anything you flatten comes out with creases in it. What it does is stop air being the thing you paid to transport.
- Capacity60 litres
- CompressionA valve in the bag and a handheld pump
- What it savesRoom, not weight
- After you open itPump it again
How it works
Pack it, zip it,
then pull the air out
About a minute. The only step that catches people is the zip, and it catches nearly everyone once.
Clothes, towels and bedding go in the vacuum side. Lay them flat rather than rolled, because flat is what compresses.
All the way home at both ends. If one corner is not fully closed the air creeps back over the next hour and you will think the valve has failed.
Hold the pump to the valve until the stack stops dropping. Then pull the side compression straps in to take out the slack it leaves.
If the air creeps back, it is the zip, not the valve. Two of our reviewers found that the hard way and both said the same thing.
An honest comparison
A valve in the bag, vacuum bags
in a case, and packing cubes
Three ways of fitting more in. What separates them is whether you have to carry a second thing, and whether anything actually compresses.
| Packora | Vacuum bags in a case | Packing cubes | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Actually removes the air | ✓ | ✓ | ✕ |
| Nothing extra to pack or forget | ✓ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Works away from home | ✓ | Only the roll-up kind | ✓ |
| Keeps hard things out of the squash | ✓ | If the case has sections | ✓ |
| Organises what is inside | Compartments, not sections | ✕ | ✓ |
| Makes anything lighter | ✕ | ✕ | ✕ |
| Goes in the cabin with you | ✓ | Depends on the case | Depends on the bag |
What we will not claim: that compressing clothes makes them weigh less. It takes out the air, not the mass, and weight limits are separate from size limits.
Questions
The things people ask
before they order
The size question first, because it is the one that matters most.
Does it fit as a carry-on?
Yes. Packed down it goes in the cabin with you, which is the whole point of compressing it in the first place. Cabin allowances do differ by airline, by route and by aircraft, so check yours against the bag before you fly.
Does compressing the clothes make the bag lighter?
No. It saves room, not weight. Air weighs almost nothing, so taking it out changes the volume and not the number on the scale. Airline weight limits are separate from size limits and this does nothing about them. One of our reviewers makes exactly this point and we left it on the page because it is the single most common misunderstanding about vacuum packing.
Does it stay compressed?
While it is sealed, yes. The moment you unzip the compartment to get something out, the air comes back in and you pump it again. For a trip where you unpack at the other end that is twice. If you are living out of the bag and opening it every day, it is a daily job, and it is worth knowing that before you order rather than after.
Is the pump included, and how is it powered?
The pump is part of the set as the supplier lists it. We have not confirmed how it is powered or how long it runs, so we are not going to state either. Our reviewers treat it as something to charge or plug in before a return journey, which seems the sensible assumption until we can tell you properly.
Will my clothes come out creased?
Yes, anything you squash flat arrives with lines in it. Jumpers, fleeces and jeans do not care. Shirts and linen do, and they want ten minutes on a hanger in a steamy bathroom. If you are travelling with something that must not crease, pack it flat in one of the other compartments instead of the vacuum side.
What should not go in the vacuum compartment?
Anything rigid, fragile or liquid. Laptops, tablets, chargers, toiletries, shoes with structure, anything glass. The bag has separate compartments for exactly this reason, and the main one is for soft things only. Putting a laptop in the compartment you are about to suck flat is a mistake you make once.
How big is it really?
We do not publish dimensions, because our supplier has not confirmed them to us and we are not going to measure a number into existence. What we will give you is the honest shape of it: 60 litres, compared by the supplier to a 24-inch suitcase, which is a bag you check. If exact dimensions are the deciding factor for you, wait until we can state them rather than ordering on a guess.
Will it keep the rain out?
We do not know, and we are not going to guess. Our supplier publishes no water rating of any kind, so we make no claim in either direction. Do not assume it will survive a downpour, and do not assume it will not. We would rather tell you we have not confirmed it than put a word on the page we cannot stand behind.
★★★★★ 4.9 out of 5
From people who
stopped sitting on the lid
What they say after a trip or two with it.
“The valve is in the bag, so there is no pouch to forget”
Nate R. Verified buyer“Flattening clothes does not make them lighter. Worth saying”
Victor A. Verified buyer“The lock is a proper dial, not a decoration”
Rachel E. Verified buyer“Pump first, then pull the side straps in. That order”
Camille B. Verified buyer“Replaced a duffel and a pack with one bag”
Dmitri K. Verified buyer“The size note is on the page. I read it and checked it anyway”
Marisol D. Verified buyerSwipe for more →
Customer photos
Real bedrooms,
real hallways
Where Packora ends up once it arrives.
Swipe for more →
Customer reviews
What buyers say
about Packora
the valve is the whole product
I have owned three travel backpacks. The difference here is that the valve is in the bag, so there is no pouch to forget in a hotel room. That is it, and that is enough.
small bag, still heavy
Worth saying out loud: flattening clothes does not make them lighter. It packed down well and then weighed exactly what it weighed. Volume and weight are two separate problems.
took two tries to seal properly
First attempt the zip was not fully closed in one corner and the air crept back. Second attempt I checked the corners first and it held. User error, but worth knowing on day one.
I check bags anyway
Read the size note, understood it, ordered it. I always check a bag for work trips so the 60L was the point rather than the problem. It holds the soft stuff and the laptop pocket stays normal.
back panel held up on a long walk
Twenty five minutes from the station to the apartment with it loaded. The padded straps and the textured panel did better than my old pack, which used to leave a wet stripe down my shirt.
shirts come out creased
Obvious in hindsight. Anything you vacuum flat arrives with lines in it. My knitwear is fine, my dress shirts need ten minutes of steam. I pack those in a different compartment now.
lock is better than I expected
I assumed the combination lock would be decorative. It is a proper dial set into the side and it holds the main zips together. Not a safe, but it stops a casual hand.
bought it for the gear bag problem
I coach and I was carrying a duffel of kit plus a pack. Packora replaced both. Everything soft goes in the vacuum side, boots and bottles go in the outer pockets.
compression straps do more than I thought
After pumping, the bag has slack in it. Pulling the side straps in takes that out and the load stops sliding around when you swing it onto a shoulder. Do not skip that step.
pump needs power, plan for it
At home it is nothing. On a trip you need somewhere to charge or power it before the journey back. I pack the return trip assuming I might not get to use it.
the size warning is on the page for a reason
I nearly ordered this thinking it would ride in the overhead. The listing says plainly it is a checked size and it is. I check it anyway, so it was the right bag for me.
stack dropped below the zip line
Four sweaters and two pairs of jeans sat above the zip. Sealed it, ran the pump, and the whole pile sank enough that I closed it one handed. That was the only test I cared about.
you do have to pump it again
Nobody hid this but I did not think it through. Every time I opened Packora at the hotel the clothes puffed back up, so repacking means pumping again. Fine at home, mildly annoying on the road.
bought it for a house move
Nothing to do with flying. I moved flats and used it for bedding and winter coats, three loads, and the vacuum side took what would have been two bin bags each time. It has been on exactly one holiday since.
the hard stuff goes in the front
Laptop, chargers, toiletries and shoes all live in the separate compartments, and only soft things go in the vacuum side. Worked that out on the first pack and it has been obvious ever since.
the pump is not quiet
It is a small motor and it sounds like one for the twenty or so seconds it runs. Fine at home, mildly conspicuous in a shared hotel room at six in the morning. Not a fault, just something nobody mentions.
better than the zip bags I was using
I had been using those roll-up vacuum bags inside a hard case for years and they are a poor answer. They split along the seam, and most of them want a hoover you do not have in a hotel. Having the valve in the bag itself removes both problems at once, which is the only reason I changed.
the way back is the real test
Going out it is all folded and neat. Coming home with the same clothes plus two jumpers I bought is the trip where it earned the money.
empty it is lighter than my old pack
I expected something with a valve and a lining to be heavy before you put anything in it. It is not. The weight comes from what you pack.
my son took it to university
Nineteen, moving into halls, and everything soft went in the vacuum side so we did one car trip instead of two. He has since used it for a festival. I would like it back at some point.
it does not stay sealed once you open it
Obvious when you say it out loud, but I did not think it through. Open the compartment to get a jumper and the air is back in. You re-pump. If you are living out of it daily that gets old.
the grey lining shows what you have
Small thing that matters when you are packing in a hurry. The main compartment is lined pale grey rather than black, so you can actually see what is in the bottom of it instead of feeling around.
replaced three packing cubes
Cubes organise and they do not compress. This compresses and it does not organise. I kept two cubes for socks and underwear and let the vacuum side take the bulk of the clothes, and that combination turned out to be better than either of them was on its own. I would not give up the cubes entirely.
the lock went on a hostel locker
Not what it is for, but the dial unclips from the bag and fitted the locker latch in the dorm. Came back to it for six nights running without having to carry a second padlock.
loaded, the straps are the thing
Sixty litres is a lot to put on your back and I was braced for it to dig in. The shoulder padding is thick and the panel behind it is textured so air moves, and forty minutes across a city was fine.
check the corners before you pump
Two reviews here say the same thing and they are right. If one corner of the zip is not fully home the air creeps back in over an hour. Run your thumb along the whole zip first and it holds.
creases, as everyone says
Anything you squash arrives with lines in it. Jumpers and jeans do not care. Shirts and linen do, and they need hanging up for an hour in a steamy bathroom. Pack those flat in the other compartment.
a cruise, not a flight
Two weeks, a cabin with almost no storage, and the bag went under the bed flat once it was empty. That was unexpectedly the best part of it. A hard case would have sat in the corner for a fortnight.
we share one for weekends
Two of us, two nights, and all the clothes for both of us go in the vacuum side with room over. For anything longer we take one each and I would not try to get a week for two into it.
the red stitch is the only marking
One thin red line down the front and two small red eyelets at the bottom. That is the whole of it. No logo plate, no branding across the back, which is the reason I picked this over the ones with a name on them.
Our promise
Try Packora
for 30 days
The valve is in the bag. That is the difference.
A 60 litre travel backpack with a vacuum valve in the main compartment and a handheld pump that pulls the air out, so the same clothes take up less of it. Separate compartments keep the laptop and the toiletries out of the squash. Side compression straps, a combination dial and padded ventilated shoulder straps. Packed down it comes in the cabin with you, and what you flatten comes out creased. Shipping is free and you have 30 days to change your mind.
Cabin baggage allowances differ by airline, by route and by aircraft. Check your own airline's limits before you travel.
Vacuum compression reduces the volume of soft items and does not reduce their weight. Airline weight limits are separate from size limits. The compartment holds its compression only while it is sealed, so it needs pumping again after it is opened. Items compressed flat will be creased. Do not put rigid, fragile or liquid items in the vacuum compartment. We publish no dimensions, no weight, no material, no water rating and no detail of how the pump is powered, because our supplier has confirmed none of them to us.