You've probably seen the Instagram ads for Cadence and thought, "Do I really need to spend that much money on little magnetic jars?" Yes, you do. As someone who has splurged on customizing a lot of these capsules, I can say they really are worth the hype. There are infinite uses. It’s organization heaven. And Cadence is a company doing good, both in sustainable business practices and corporate giving. Here's why I'm obsessed with these magical magnetic hexagons and why they really are worth the splurge.

Cadence Is Woman Owned + Founded

These days I'm incredibly intentional about my purchases, and I try to steer clear of fast fashion and fast design for home goods. I'm also trying to support more minority-owned and founded companies, especially those with female CEOs and business executives. We've already listed Steph Hon as the owner of one of our favorite AAPI-owned businesses to shop, and her breakthrough design for Cadence is just another example of why more women should be supported in the industrial design world.

Clever Design

So what makes these capsules so special? The patented magnetic design has revolutionized travel toiletries. There's no other system this efficient on the market. Those silicone squeeze tubes just can't compete. Each side of the original Cadence capsule has a super-strong magnet that allows each capsule to stick together in a honeycomb grid. You can also line them up on the side to create a row of capsules or cluster them into a flower. (I love to do this with my Stoney Clover Lane floral mini pouch.) Unlike a bunch of different travel-sized bottles and tubes, the uniform magnetic grid saves serious space in your carry-on and TSA liquids bag. You can fit more than a dozen Cadence jars in a TSA-compliant quart-sized liquid bag! Each original capsule has a 0.56-ounce capacity, and the Cadence website even has a calculator with dozens of types of beauty and wellness products to determine how many uses fit into one capsule. It's just smarter for packing all around, and there's something about this succinct storage system that I find incredibly calming when navigating airports, living out of a suitcase and other stressful, slightly-chaotic moments of travel.

Plus, the tile on the capsule cap is also magnetic so you can swap labels for different trips and storage needs. There are so many pre-made tiles to shop for, from days of the week to common beauty products to icons and symbols. You can swap colors, too, if you don't want everything to be matchy-matchy. (I'm devout matchy-matchy, but you do you!) Even better: The tiles are customizable. For an extra $2, you can type in whatever word you'd like up to 22 characters on two lines or 12 characters on one line. It also supports international keyboards so you can customize in other languages. Unlike the pre-scripted labels, the customization is case-sensitive. This was a huge plus for me as I don't like labels in lowercase. So, I custom-ordered each tile in all caps like the aesthetic-obsessed Virgo that I am.

We love products that are available in good colorways at HGTV, from Away suitcases to Caraway cookware, and Cadence has seven gorgeous colorways. There's a warm terracotta that would be perfect for a gardener organizing seeds, and the lavender is pretty close to trendy Gen Z Purple. My favorites are sand, a neutral cream, and pacific, a bright cornflower blue that just makes me feel like I'm on vacation.

Sustainable Design

Cadence capsules are smart because they're space-saving, and they're also more eco-friendly than other reusable travel-size bottles. Each capsule is made from 20 percent recycled ocean-bound plastic and 30 percent excess manufacturing material from previous Cadence capsules. Plus, these containers are BPA-free and non-leaching, meaning they're food safe. So, they can be incredibly handy for camping or RVing when food storage is limited.

Cadence is definitely more expensive than a dollar-store plastic bottle or cheap silicone tubes, but you can't always depend on these when traveling. (Raise your hand if you've ever been personally victimized by a travel-size tube leak.) Cadence claims these capsules are 100 percent "leakproof, watertight and airtight." And I believe that. I've never had a leak, and I fill these to the brim. That's because, in addition to a sturdy, threaded twist-off cap, each capsule features an industrial seal so strong that "not even flight air pressure would impact your product." The double-walled design also safeguards liquids. My capsules have bounced around bags for years, and they still look brand-new.

Design That Gives Back

I was a casual fan of Cadence, but when I learned that Cadence has specific capsules that give back to important non-profits year-round, I became a mega fan. Of the available icons you choose to customize tiles with, three specific icons actually give 100 percent of the proceeds to an important cause.

The heart icon donates to Heart of Dinner, which combats food insecurity and isolation within New York City’s elderly Asian American community. The wave icon goes to Build a Nest, an organization committed to "advancing gender equity and economic inclusion through craft" and supporting "artisan communities worldwide with business development programming designed to strengthen their operations, positioning them for long-term success." The rainbow icon goes to the Trans Woman of Color Collective, whose mission is "to uplift the narratives, lived experiences and leadership of trans and gender non-conforming people of color, our families and comrades as we build towards collective liberation for all oppressed people." As a member of the LGBTQ+ community, this feels like authentic allyship. It's not performative for Pride Month, and it's not a measly portion of proceeds. I respect Cadence as a brand for giving year-round and giving 100 percent.

Nifty Ways to Use Cadence Capsules

The most obvious use for a Cadence capsule is travel toiletries such as face wash and sunscreen, but there are so many other ways to use these around the house and on the go:

Originals vs. New Flex System

Cadence has built an empire on the original 0.56 capsule, but this year, Cadence expanded in a big way with the new Flex System. This new series of capsules is even more customizable as there are three different sizes to mix and match. There's the 0.56-ounce, the 1.32-ounce and the 2.75-ounce capsule plus an optionable extender to create an even larger capsule. These new designs are wider than the original and have smoother edges. They solve a common complaint folks have for longer trips because these capsules can hold significantly more liquid. However, I'm not in love with them.

Cadence sent me a couple of examples of the new Flex System to test, and I'm still an original girl. I do love that these new capsules feature magnets on the top and the bottom; so with the new Flex System, you can stack capsules vertically, too. You can't do that with original capsules. However, there's something I love about the sharp edges and uniform lines of the originals. (Remember, I'm a Virgo.) The new Flex System has more rounded corners, and I found the magnets to be weaker than the original capsules. The Flex System capsules wiggle around more whereas the originals don't budge.

I do like the possibilities of the new sizes. The larger jars would be clutch for carrying baby food in a diaper bag or condiments in a cooler. And you can always mix and match the originals with the new sizes for a truly custom set. Cadence even created a flower vase by combining a larger capsule with an extender and I thought that would be so lovely on a bedside table. You could create a little modern minimalist vignette with a bud vase and a smaller capsule for hand cream or lip balm all clustered together.

Are Cadence Magnetic Capsules Worth the Cost?

A six-pack of original capsules starts at $84. That's $14 a capsule, which is a lot more than a dollar-store plastic tube. However, when I looked at how much I was spending on various travel-sized toiletries or travel-sized jars that quickly broke, I'm actually saving money with Cadence capsules. It's a splurge worth the investment. It really comes back to those magnets and the ability to organize and wrangle the chaos, whether that's an over-stuffed carry-on bag or a kid's new obsession with Perler beads. I feel put together with Cadence capsules — even on my worst, most stressed days. If you feel that similar mood boost when you organize, you need these, too.

If you're ready to try these for yourself but are on a budget, there are a couple of ways to save for new shoppers. You can save $10 with email sign-up or earn a $25 credit with text referrals. And right now, there's a summer sale for select bundles up to $20 off! Or you can always buy Cadence capsules and tiles individually to build a set over time. Whether you go big with a multi-colored system or start with just a couple of capsules, you're cutting back on landfill-bound plastics, and that's a buy that makes a difference and is worth the money.