Cadence Capsules Review: A Small Fortune, But I Regret Nothing | Reviews by Wirecutter

By Brittney Ho

Brittney Ho is a newsletters strategist. She has contributed to hundreds of newsletters, including one about getting chased by a wild turkey.

I’ll admit it: I’m a terrible packer. I wish beyond measure that I could be someone capable of quickly and confidently throwing together a bag and sauntering to the airport, but I simply am not. Instead, my packing process includes hours of agonizing over every little thing I might need or want. And that makes me prone to overpacking and spiraling about what will make the cut—especially when it comes to my skin-care routine.

Packing my precious regimen of lotions and potions used to involve hunching over the bathroom sink and fussing with every aspect of my multistep routine. I would squeeze (what I guesstimated to be) a week’s worth of moisturizer into a leaky tube, or I’d squint at the tiny text on a serum bottle to see whether it would make it past airport security. Trust me, this is no way to start a vacation.

I didn’t think anything could make me a better packer, until I started using Cadence Capsules, in 2022. This was about the same time they started appearing as a recommendation in Wirecutter’s gift guide for travelers and on theme-park travel expert Carlye Wisel’s list of must-haves. Last year, I upgraded with a six-piece set of the redesigned shapes and sizes, and I took those on a test run during a nearly two-week vacation through Thailand and Vietnam. Not only were they a dream to pack, but they kept me well stocked (and highly moisturized!) the entire time.

Although Cadence Capsules haven’t been through comparative testing with other travel-size bottles, I’ve found that the magnetic, hexagonal vessels are great for transporting anything you might need—from skin care to jewelry to vitamins. No, they haven’t magically turned me into a packing savant, but they have absolutely transformed what was once the most stressful part of my routine.

These plastic travel containers hold half an ounce of solids, liquids, or pills, and the magnetized sides keep them compact and easy to locate. They come in sizes ranging from about half an ounce to 2.75 ounces.

Cadence Capsules have a few clever features that have ruined those cheap drugstore toiletry bottles for me.

Unlike the conventional squeezy toiletry tubes, Cadence Capsules are little jars with twist-off lids. On each vessel, the wide mouth makes transferring products a breeze. In my experience, the lids are leakproof, too—I’ve yet to experience a liquid disaster, even in pressurized cabins. (For the record, some users—including Carlye Wisel—have mentioned minor leakages. She said she saw slight leakage when she filled her capsules with oil.)

Each capsule has a rounded well, so it’s easy to scoop and scrape out every last bit of thicker products, like moisturizer. And for thinner liquids, like toner, the flat-sided vessels are small and easy to grip, so you have plenty of control when you’re pouring the product right into your palms or onto a cotton pad.

And every vessel comes with a customizable tile that slots neatly into the lid and cleanly labels its contents, so you no longer have to scribble information on tape with a Sharpie. (Those who are less picky can buy pre-labeled ones, too.) “I love the little flippable label magnets—very handy,” said gifts and beauty supervising editor Hannah Morrill.

Their hexagonal shape means the cases won’t roll around, even if you’re playing esthetician on the side of a tiny Airbnb sink. Each vessel is magnetic, so multiple cases snap together into a compact unit that can be easily stowed in your toiletry bag. This capsule honeycomb takes up way less space than my usual mish-mosh of irregularly shaped bottles. Once a lumpy, jam-packed mess, my dopp kit is now a lightweight dream with a thin, flat profile. Besides, when the capsules are click-clacking together, it’s simply “a stimulating sensory experience,” as Hannah puts it.

But maybe my favorite thing about Cadence Capsules is that they’re beautiful—even just sitting on a dinky hotel vanity. I can’t overstate how much more pleasing it is to look upon a matte sage-green and eggshell-white honeycomb than at a jumble of ugly, branded bottles. “Overall, my travel bag is much less cluttered and junky,” Hannah said.

When I’m at home, my skin-care routine is a familiar, calming, and lovely ritual. Cadence Capsules preserve that experience, even when I’m hundreds of miles away.

Even the smallest Cadence Capsule holds a generous amount of product, but I love how you can customize the different sizes for different needs.

I have six of the Original Capsules, each of which has a capacity of a little over half an ounce. For my trip to Asia, these vessels were great for holding my moisturizer, cleanser, and makeup remover. I also used one of these small pods to store a getaway’s worth of jewelry—a far better alternative to having my rings and dainty earrings rolling around the bottom of my tote. The Original was discontinued, but it has since been replaced by the Flex Small size, which holds the same volume and works for a lot of the same stuff. Compared with the other Cadence Capsules, the Flex Small model is flat and highly conducive to scooping. I used mine to store a thicker serum, which has an almost honey-like consistency, and I think this size would also be great for balms or pomade.

The 1.32-ounce Flex Medium was ideal for carrying enough body lotion to last my entire trip. I used another one to stash some antacids. And both were small and lightweight enough to toss into my purse and tote around daily (plus they carried enough goods to share with my sisters when both inevitably forgot their own). Finally, I loved using the 2.75-ounce Flex Large size for shampoo and conditioner. I loved not needing to pack bulky bottles even more.

Something worth noting: Cadence also sells the Flex Extender, which is essentially a tube you can screw onto any of the Flex Capsules, for an additional 1.43 ounces of space. I attached these to my shampoo and conditioner capsules, since those were the products I needed the most of. And I found that they made the bottles almost too big—at least for my trip’s duration. I couldn’t reach my fingers to the bottom of the well to scoop out my conditioner, and so I was left banging the bottle against my palm to jostle out the thick product. I didn’t end up needing to bring that much conditioner anyway. So unless you truly need to bring a large volume of something, I think you can skip these extenders.

All of the Flex vessels clack together into that nice honeycomb. Best of all? They’re all TSA-compliant (the individual capsules on their own, that is; the Large plus Flex Extender combo would need to be checked). In the past, I simply slotted a whole unit of vessels into my see-through toiletry bag and slid it all into my carry-on. Senior staff writer and travel expert Kit Dillon recommends keeping all toiletries easily accessible and packed in a clear case or zip-top bag within a dopp kit. I’ve never been stopped by the TSA, but if you’re feeling extra-cautious, Cadence suggests placing capsules in a separate tray for easy examination.

Even if I overestimate how much product I need for my trip, I don’t mind keeping the excess in there and continuing to use my Cadence Capsules for a few days when I’m back home; this is something I’d be annoyed at having to do with inferior drugstore squeeze bottles.

Easy maintenance is another perk, since Cadence Capsules have rounded corners, so there are minimal nooks and crannies for skin-care products to fester in. All I do for upkeep is give each vessel and lid a quick wash with mild detergent and water. And I make sure each one is dry before I fill it up for my next trip, which is what the brand recommends. You can take a cotton swab to any tighter spots in the lid. After one and a half years of toting my Cadence Original Capsules around, they’re still in great shape.

Cadence Capsules are expensive, ranging from $14 for a single small one to $36 for the largest size. A customizable six-piece set of the smallest capsules—a configuration that I think should suit most people’s needs—currently costs around $90, and there’s a three-pack sampler for about $50. This is a lot to spend on something you could just grab for a few bucks at the drugstore. (That’s also why we think Cadence Capsules make a great gift.) If the price is really much more than you want to pay, our travel experts recommend a simpler, cheaper toiletry-bottle set, which contains six plastic squeeze bottles in a see-through pouch.

But I’ve found Cadence Capsules to be incredibly worth the price. I love that I never have to buy another cheap, disposable travel tube destined for the landfill. Besides, these vessels feel like they’ve paid for themselves with the peace of mind, convenience, and joy they provide not only when I use them but also when I fill them. (Did I, famed packing hater, really just say that?) What used to be a stress fest is now an almost meditative experience.

This article was edited by Alex Aciman and Catherine Kast.

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Brittney Ho

Brittney Ho is a senior newsletter strategist. She brings experience from Marie Claire and the personal office of the Obamas. Previously, she studied journalism at the George Washington University. She loves eating good food, watching terrible movies, and laughing with loved ones—ideally all at the same time.