Clear Toiletry Bags & Airport Liquids Bags
See-through, resealable and sized for the 100ml rule – so the liquids bag lifts straight out at security and nothing leaks into your clothes.
Four clear bags – the whole of the see-through part of the range. Everything else, including the fabric and hanging wash bags, is in toiletry & wash bags.
What size bag do you need for liquids at the airport?
One transparent, resealable bag of up to one litre, about 20cm by 20cm, with every container inside it holding 100ml or less. You get one bag per passenger and it usually comes out of your luggage into the tray on its own. Pack to that limit and check your airport before flying.
About our clear toiletry bags
A clear toiletry bag has one job, and it does it at the worst possible moment: the two minutes at airport security when the queue is behind you and the tray is in front of you. Because the bag is transparent and already the right size, it lifts out of your luggage in one movement and goes straight in the tray. No unpacking, no hunting for the shampoo, no bag being opened on the table. The rest of the year it is the most useful bag you own for anything that might leak or that you need to find fast – medicines, first aid, make-up, contact lenses. Wipe-clean inside and out, zipped rather than pressed shut, and built to outlast the supermarket freezer bag it replaces. Free UK delivery over £20, and a 100% money-back guarantee if it is not right.
Choosing a clear bag for airport liquids
The size is not a matter of taste: it has to be a transparent resealable bag of no more than one litre, roughly 20cm by 20cm, and every container inside it must hold 100ml or less. Buying a bag made to that limit is the simplest way to stop the problem happening, because you physically cannot overfill it. Beyond size, look at the closure and the seams. A zip that runs on a proper coil holds shut in a packed case where a press-seal splits, and welded seams keep a spill inside the bag rather than in with your clothes. A little structure helps too – a bag that stands up on its own is far easier to fill at the bathroom sink than one that collapses flat.
What counts as a liquid
More than most people expect, which is where the trouble usually starts. Anything squeezable, pourable, sprayable or spreadable is treated as a liquid:
- Toothpaste and any other paste
- Deodorant – roll-on, gel and spray
- Sun cream, moisturiser and creams
- Mascara, foundation and lip gloss
- Hair gel, wax and dry shampoo
- Contact lens solution
- Perfume and aftershave
- Jam, honey and soft cheese
Solid deodorant sticks, shampoo bars and soap are not liquids, so moving to those is the quickest way to free up space in the bag. Baby milk, baby food and essential prescription medicines may go over 100ml, but expect to declare them and have them screened separately. The full method is in our guide to the 100ml liquids rule.
How the clear bag fits the rest of your packing
Keep two bags, not one. The clear bag holds only the liquids, stays permanently packed with the 100ml versions of what you actually use, and never gets unpacked between trips. Everything else – brush, razor, solid deodorant, plasters – lives in an ordinary wash bag. Clothes go in packing cubes, cubes go in the case, and the clear bag sits on top of them or in an outer pocket where you can reach it without unpacking. On a strict cabin allowance, compression cubes buy back the space that a fuller wash bag costs you. If you are new to the system, start with the carry-on packing guide or browse our best sellers.
Clear Toiletry Bags – FAQs
What size bag do I need for liquids at the airport?
One transparent, resealable bag holding no more than a litre, which is roughly 20cm by 20cm. Everything inside it must be in containers of 100ml or less, and you get one bag per passenger. Our clear bags are made to that size, so you cannot accidentally overfill one.
Do clear toiletry bags have to be plastic?
They need to be transparent and resealable so an officer can see the contents without opening the bag. A clear PVC or TPU travel bag with a zip meets that, lasts years and does not split in a packed case the way a freezer bag does.
What counts as a liquid?
Anything you can squeeze, pour, spray or spread. That includes toothpaste, sun cream, moisturiser, mascara, liquid foundation, nail varnish, hair gel, dry shampoo, contact lens solution, perfume, and roll-on or spray deodorant. A solid deodorant stick or a shampoo bar is not a liquid.
Can I put a clear bag in my checked luggage instead?
You can, and the 100ml limit does not apply to checked luggage at all - full-size bottles are fine in the hold. The clear bag only matters for what you carry into the cabin. Many people keep the bulky bottles in the hold and a permanent 100ml bag in hand luggage.
Is a clear bag useful if I am not flying?
Yes. A wipe-clean transparent bag is the easiest way to carry medicines, first aid or make-up anywhere, because you can see what is in it without emptying it. The medicine bag in this collection is used at least as often for a car glovebox or a changing bag as for a flight.
How do I stop things leaking in a clear bag?
Decant into bottles with a screw cap rather than a flip lid, leave a little air at the top so pressure changes have somewhere to go, and stand bottles upright. If something does leak, a zipped clear bag contains it and wipes out - which is the main argument against a freezer bag.
100% money-back guarantee
Love it, or it costs you nothing
Every order from The Packing Cube Co. is covered by our 100% money-back guarantee. If it's not right, tell us and we'll refund the lot.
Not happy? Full refund – we even pay the return postage.