Packing cubes vs. mesh bags : what's the diff?

Is the mesh bag like a laundry mesh for delicates?
I really like my packing cubes - I have regular and compression ones, and use both depending on the type of clothes.
I like the structure that the packing cube gives and I can put it in the suitcase sideways or flat and keeps clothes in place regardless of the position, like playing Tetris.
And I am rarely in a place long enough to take clothes from carry-on, so they stay in their cubes in my suitcase. I'm also a bit hesitant to use dressers in hotels.

We received the mesh bags with our RS carry on luggage back in 2003 before packing cubes were being used. We only used the smaller size for underwear because the larger sized ones didn’t seem to have a purpose being mesh with a drawstring.

I’m one of those tenacious light packers, so I have weighed them previously, and the mesh bags weigh less than a packing cube. But, I only use one packing cube for underwear and like the structure of it, plus I don’t care for the strings of the mesh bag.

Haven’t ever used dresser drawers in hotels, so I can’t help with that comparison.

Our family uses the packing cubes. I find it helps keep everything organized, and clothes are less rumpled and wrinkled because the cubes keep everything flat. When we are staying more than a night or two in the same place, we do use the dresser drawers and just set the packing cubes in the drawer. I also like the cubes in the suitcase because I can lift out one cube without disturbing everything else. For me, the mesh bags would just lack the structure that I find the most important feature of the cubes.

I just use ziplock bags, especially for knits.

I agree with camashuga... I like the structure of my cubes with a zipper around the top 3 sides to open the "lid" and still keep their shape unless emptied to lay flat. The tops of the cubes that fold back when unzipped have a mesh window to identify what's inside when closed. I also have 4 compression cubes each with a different color zipper to help me remember what got packed in each one.

Earlier this year I used one mesh bag that I put socks in in addition to two medium and one small packing cube. The advantage of the mesh bag is I could cram it into an open space. I would do it again. I would not use mesh bags generally instead of packing cubes for all the reasons stated.

The mesh bags that come in the RS suitcases I only use for dirty clothes like socks and underwear.

I don't use packing cubes as much as other people, but I do like them for socks, underwear and bras. The ones that I have a really lightweight nylon and part of the tops are mesh. I like this because then I can see what is in there and it makes it more squish able in my bag.

I do not unpack my bag, so can't comment on using dressers.

These are what we have.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0749LTWYT?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_3&th=1

I find packing cubes the most useful.
As an example, I roll 6 or so knit tops and line them up in a rectangular cube. I can unzip the top and easily choose I top without disturbing the rest.

I use packing cubes my husband made drawstring bags for himself. He can stuff - and I do mean stuff - more "stuff" into the drawstring bags than I can into cubes. He does roll his T-shirts and knit polos so he doesn't look like a complete crumpled mess. Button down shirts are packed into one of those packing folders. He gets everything he needs including a travel CPAP into a 32 Liter Osprey backpack. So I guess the main advantage of a drawstring bag is you get more stuff into them.