I recently booked a holiday for next year for a family of four but during the flight booking process, I was greeted by some hefty additional fees if each of us wanted our own checked in suitcase. It was something along the lines of £40, per bag, each way i.e £320 just for bags. I said to my wife, “I’m not paying that” and said we will have to struggle with carry on bags. I’m sure a carry on will suffice for me but probably not my wife or children. Then Pacum got in touch and they may perhaps help me out big time.
“Pacum is the most powerful, multi-functional, handheld vacuum & air pumping device in the world”…so they say. Vacuum packing items is not a new thing, we’ve been doing it for years, be it with food or clothes, it’s an efficient way of storing items. For those unaware, you put items into a bag and suck the air out of it, compacting said items into a neat, manageable shape.
Unboxing
Inside the box you get the unit itself, which is compact, lightweight and reminds me very much of a powerbank. It’s black, although there are red and white versions available, its very much portable and can be used with one hand. There are three buttons on the unit, an inflate button and two vacuum speed buttons (eco and super they call them). Each button illuminates and there is also a small strip light which acts as an indicator light. On the bottom of the device is an inlet and outlet, so it does, in fact, inflate things too. The device is powered via USB type C.
Also provided in the box is a small carry bag, which includes the nozzles required for use and a 1m long USB-C cable. Unfortunately, the carry case isn’t big enough for the device and power adapter too, which is a real shame. You are also provided with one vacuum bag, large enough for a carry on suitcase. You can only use vacuum bags, with the screw-on cap to ensure the air stays out but you are not tied into using Pacum specific bags. They include a universal adapter in the box, which means you can use a different branded bag.
Performance
I’m really impressed with how this handy little device performs. It’s very simple to use, just plug it into the mains and then select whether you want to inflate or deflate. If you’re vacuum packing the bag provided, you simply put your clothes into the bag, zip it up, unscrew the cap, insert the device onto the nozzle and select eco or super. Neither of the settings is overly loud but super is the louder of the two. On super setting, it managed to vacuum pack my clothes in about 90 seconds and automatically stops when it can no longer suck any more air out (feature not available on eco mode). The time taken is obviously dependant on the size of the bag you’re working with and the larger the bag, the longer it will take. The buttons are easy to use and the indicator light assists in understanding what’s going on.
As mentioned before, this can be used with other bags, you don’t need to use Pacum specific bags. By chance, I had one from years ago to hold some bedding. The attachments provided did fit the bag I had and it worked without fault, although it did take a lot longer as the bag was 3 times the size. You can also inflate with it, which I did try on a football I had and it worked great. I wouldn’t say it’s suitable for inflating a blow-up bed though.
Verdict
The Pacum is a handy little device, not one that you’d use that often but one that every household should have. It’s very easy to use, performs well and it’s small enough to put in your suitcase when you travel. I will be using this when I go away and I think it will help me save circa 30-40% of space.
Although the supplied cable is 1m long and yes you can purchase a longer one, it can be limiting as to where you use Pacum. Perhaps in the second installment, they will add a rechargeable battery….
Pacum currently retails for $59.99. For more information, head over to the official Masterspace Pacum webpage.