The best reusable shopping and tote bags you can buy

Advertisement
The best reusable shopping and tote bags you can buy

Insider Picks writes about products and services to help you navigate when shopping online. Insider Inc. receives a commission from our affiliate partners when you buy through our links, but our reporting and recommendations are always independent and objective.

Advertisement

  • Reusable shopping bags are a great way to cut down on plastic usage and add a bit of sustainability to your grocery routine.
  • Our top pick, the BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System, makes it easy to store your shopping bags so they don't clutter your space.

Plastic shopping bags are terrible for the health of the environment. New York recently became the second state to ban the use of plastic bags at most stores, following California. But plastic bags are also bad for your mental health. Who hasn't been driven nearly mad by an ever-creeping pile of grocery bags in one corner of the kitchen? Mine is big enough that I've been considering adding it the lease.

Even if you don't have a giant wad of plastic taking over your living quarters, you wouldn't be here if you weren't considering making the switch to reusable grocery and shopping bags, or looking for better options. Luckily, there are tons of them on the market as sustainability becomes increasingly important to consumers.

Most are made of nylon or canvas and come in all shapes and sizes. Though they look similar on the surface, there are subtle differences that make some reusable shopping bags perform better than others. Some, like our top pick, come with their own storage solutions, and others are just cuter and sturdier than the competition. Regardless, through plenty of research, these bags on our list are customer favorites.

Advertisement

The best reusable shopping and tote bags you can buy:

Read on in the slides below to check out our top picks.

Subscribe to our newsletter.

Find all the best offers at our Coupons page.

Disclosure: This post is brought to you by the Insider Picks team. We highlight products and services you might find interesting. If you buy them, we get a small share of the revenue from the sale from our commerce partners. We frequently receive products free of charge from manufacturers to test. This does not drive our decision as to whether or not a product is featured or recommended. We operate independently from our advertising sales team. We welcome your feedback. Email us at insiderpicks@businessinsider.com.

{{}}

The best reusable shopping/tote bag overall

The best reusable shopping/tote bag overall
Why you’ll love it: The BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System comes with several nylon shopping bags, plus a pouch to hold them all together without taking up too much space.

The BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System comes in sets of five or 10 shopping bags made of sustainable, water-resistant, machine washable nylon. These are ideal for transporting groceries.

This set is unique because it comes with a compact pouch that holds the bags for easy storage in a cabinet or the trunk of a car when they’re not in use. There’s a clip on one end that attaches to a shopping car, so you don’t have to juggle with them in the middle of the produce aisle. If you always forget to bring enough bags when shopping, having them all in a convenient place would help.

The Spruce has the BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System on its list, calling it the "best combination of value and usefulness." The product has a 4.8-star Amazon customer rating based on 545 reviews.

“I've had several of these ... for years. These are heavier duty than most of my others. I love their boxy bottom that helps them stand upright without much fuss,” wrote one shopper.

Pros: Comes with multiple bags, storage pouch, clip for shopping cart

Cons: No cute patterns

Buy BagPodz Reusable Bag and Storage System on Amazon for $24.94 to $34.95

The best canvas reusable shopping/tote bag

The best canvas reusable shopping/tote bag
Why you’ll love it: The Baggu Duck Bag is an attractive and sturdy canvas tote suitable for a variety of lifestyles and purposes.

For a reusable shopping bag that could double as, well, a regular bag, look at the Baggu Duck Bag. Adorable name aside, this is a nice-looking and practical canvas tote. You could easily take it from the office to the grocery store, or as an everyday tote.

The Duck Bag snaps shut, has an interior zipper pocket, and two sets of straps — top handles and shoulder straps. It’s a bit more structured than other reusable bags, so it’s well-suited to more than just groceries. That said, despite the deep compartment, the size makes it better for smaller runs than your big weekly shopping haul.

But the slouchy material and artfully worn fabrics create a cool, lived-in effect. These bags are machine washable but should be hung to dry to prevent fading. While the structure and thicker fabric make it a bit more durable than some of its nylon counterparts, the shape is a bit restrictive so you likely can’t carry as many items.

Real Simple and The Wirecutter both give the Duck Bag high marks. The Wirecutter likes that the "bag can stand up to lots of abuse," but lack of interior padding means it isn't great for fragile items, like glass jars.

Pros: Stylish, durable, machine washable, multiple handles

Cons: Not as large as some picks, expensive

Buy the Duck Bag from Baggu for $34 to $44
Advertisement

The best waxed reusable shopping/tote bag

The best waxed reusable shopping/tote bag
Why you’ll love it: The Colony Co. Reusable Grocery Bag is made of stylish, durable waxed canvas for a look inspired by old-school paper bags.

Another stylish-meets-functional choice is the Colony Co. Reusable Grocery Bag. Inspired by the look of a classic paper shopping bag, it’s made of waxed canvas that is stain-resistant and easy to clean, though not machine washable.

The 16-ounce bag is shorter than it is wide and measures 17 inches tall, 12 inches wide, and 7 inches deep. It’s also vegan and made with an eye toward sustainability, as most reusable grocery bags are. The brand also sells reusable produce bags, which would make a nice addition to any sustainable shopping routine.

“I’m loving my new grocery bag so far. It’s strong enough that I can load up a lot more groceries in one bag than I could with my old lighter-weight bags. The handles don’t seem like they’ll have any trouble holding up (stitching looks to be well done),” wrote one Amazon shopper.

Overall, the bag has a 4.8-rating based on 83 reviews on Amazon. The bag has also been featured by Apartment Therapy and The Spruce.

Pros: Cute design, durable waxed canvas

Cons: Only has top straps

Buy Colony Co. Reusable Grocery Bag on Amazon for $28

The best reusable shopping/tote bag for under $10

The best reusable shopping/tote bag for under $10
Why you’ll love it: The Easy Fold Bag Reusable Grocery Bags 3 Pack is a super affordable set of nylon bags that fold for easy transportation.

If you’re not looking to splurge, the Easy Fold Bag Reusable Grocery Bags 3 Pack is a great option. It comes with three ripstop nylon bags that fold for easy storage or transportation.

These are machine washable and, though not as attractive as some of the others on this list (the company is going more for utilitarian than style), they do come in three colors. At $9.99, you can’t beat the price. They aren’t as sturdy as some of the pricier options, based on reviews, but should still last a long while.

“These work so well! Sturdy, feel great to load with either a heavy load (not more than 25 pounds) or just a few items. They take up very little space in your purse, diaper bag, etc., and they pass the ultimate reusable bag test: they fold back up EASILY,” wrote one Amazon customer.

These bags have also been featured by The Spruce. However, the site wrote the Fold Bag Reusable Grocery Bags 3 Pack have "significantly less [weight capacity] than many other reusable grocery bags on the market."

Pros: Affordable, pack of three, machine washable

Cons: Fabric is a little shiny, not as sturdy as other picks

Buy Easy Fold Bag Reusable Grocery Bags 3 Pack on Amazon for $9.99
Advertisement

The best large reusable shopping/tote bag

The best large reusable shopping/tote bag
Why you’ll love it: The Baggu Large Reusable Shopping Bag is both stylish and practical, holding up to 50 pounds at a time.

Need a super-sized shopping bag? The Baggu Large Reusable Shopping Bag holds up to 50 pounds and comes in a host of cute colors and patterns.

Made of sturdy 100% ripstop nylon, the bag is durable and flexible. Despite its large capacity, it folds down to a neat 7-by-7-inch square for easy storage. The material is both thin and strong, allowing you to carry a number of heavy items with ease. The bag is also machine washable.

“Baggu bags are now my favorite reusable bags. They are so small when folded, easy to fold back into their pouch, hold 50 lbs worth of loot, and so easy to wash,” said one Amazon shopper, who actually uses hers for laundry.

Another wrote, “I never travel without one of these bags. Perfect for when the airlines forces you to combine all your smaller carry-ons into one bag. I often use it to place my bulky winter coats in when putting them in the overhead compartment.”

Huffington Post recommends this Baggu bag, while The Inventory calls it "the pinnacle of reusable nylon sacks."

Pros: Holds up to 50 pounds, machine washable, cute patterns, folds into small square

Cons: Short handles, shapeless

Buy the Baggu Large Reusable Shopping Bag on Amazon for $14