I’ve been meaning to invest in a good set of reusable bags for quite some time now. Since I often wind up going a month or more between when my husband is able to come down to D.C., I really have to stock up on a lot of groceries all at once (have I mentioned how difficult it is planning out a grocery list for 4-5 weeks at a time?) since I don’t have a car. This often means that I wind up coming up with upwards of 12-15 plastic grocery bags, so I’m looking to do some heavy duty grocery schlepping. I’d like a set that folds up easily so I can keep most of them right in Husband’s car so that we don’t forget them, something which is easy to carry (since he no longer lives here, he does not keep the parking spot across the street, so we often wind up walking several blocks with all our groceries), and something which does not complicate the bagging process.
So far, it seems like the most popular reusable bags include:
Baggu ($22 for 3 bags in a pouch) 
RueMe ($29.85 for 3 bags which roll up) 
Envirosax ($37.50 for 5 bags in a pouch)
Flip and Tumble ($9 per bag which rolls into a ball) 
Does anyone have any suggestions? Things you particularly like or dislike about any of these, or any other brand of bags?
17 comments:
Now..they charge in most stores if you need plastic bags..And some stores.. frown too:) So every grocery store has reusable bags.. for sale..Some are pretty nifty..they are large and practical..and most are $0.99..you can get fancier but the Little Italy ones are scrumptious..and the same price..
Some small pharmacies carry smaller ones and they charge more.. much more but they are cute:)
All our reuseable bags are from the grocery store across the street. The ones that my parents use are cotton bags acquired from various job fairs/events/etc.
I have gotten most of mine for free.
I don't like the last ones. My rule is that I can put them over my shoulder, but I can also carry them without them hitting the ground. The last ones look like the handles are too long.
Delight.com has a cool selection of bags (and they always seem to give cool freebies too).
I make use of free bags given out at conferences, I know the companies that have really strong, sturdy bags(and good sizes too) and I visit their booths frequently. Just recycle all the paper you have t take to get the bag).I am against paying money for reusable bags (anything over 99 cents)as some of these prices are ridiculous. As a scientist I've figured out how to get the most for very little or nothing at all.
I've heard good things about these:
http://www.solutions.com/jump.jsp?itemType=PRODUCT&itemID=12112#detailsAnchor
Perhaps I should specify here... I am specifically looking for bags which fold up tightly into a little pouch for easy storage. The bags that Whole Foods sells, while cheaper, are not nearly as compact. I would like to keep a set which will hold 4-5 weeks worth of groceries in the glove compartment of my husband's car, and another fold-able bag in the bag I carry to and from lab, should I stop off at the drugstore on the way home.
While certainly cheaper, free bags from conferences and whatnot are certainly not as compact, and I could not fit 5 or 6 of them in my husband's glove compartment, along with his car manual, Garmin, and iPod.
The ones I linked to do fold up.
History Enthusiast: I was writing the comment to the previous comment simultaneously to you posting the first comment, so it wasn't up yet when I started to write. I'm definitely considering those -- thanks for the link!
And Geeka, good point about how long the Flip & Tumble bags are. I do like the little pouch they fold into, but I probably wouldn't be able to hold them in my hand because of the length.
So they don't fold up as convienently as some of the ones above, but I got some amazing ones from Pier One that I use every week to haul my groceries about a mile. One thing that I found to be important was how long the straps are and how big the bag is. The pier one bags hold more than the average bag and have nive long, thick straps that make it easy to load onto your shoulders. Hope that helps!
No prob! I just thought I should point that out in case you hadn't looked at the link yet. I think the green one is particularly cute, though I'm partial to the red.
The unifying feature of the bags I like most is their flat bottoms, so that you can get a reasonable number of boxes and cartons into them. Some bags (like some conference tote bags) come to a v on the bottom and they don't work at all for cereal and the like. Of the ones you pictured, the envirosax look like they might have that problem. Let us know what you choose!
Well I don't know if the I'm the best person to ask because I've only tried the RuMe's... but I love them! RuMe's are very roomy and they can hold a TON!
I have baggu ones, and I was also looking for something I could fold up and put in my purse or glove compartment.
But, I have to admit, they can get a little floppy if I fill them with fruits and vegetables. I like to have 1-2 bags that have stronger sides, and I use tote bags I got at conferences that are structured in a square shape. I usually put the baggus in that one, fold it up in 3, and then put it in the pocket behind my driver's seat.
Given your crafty talents I'd have thought you would make them yourself!
ScienceWoman has a good point, the v-shaped ones don't fit all that much stuff. I have a big basket that I use for carrying my groceries home, but it doesn't fold so that's probably not what you're looking for. Very convenient for pedestrian shopping though!
IKEA has a smaller version of their in-store shopping bags for 50 cents each. They are pretty freaking wonderful....
My boss gave us each two envirosax as our holiday gift almost two years ago and I use them all the time! I just keep them in my purse. They do come to a v at the bottom but I don't find it to be a problem.
Hmmm I have nothing to offer in this area because as a NYC'er I am guilty of using the plastic bags the grocery store gives us...now that you bring this up I am realizing how many plastic bags we go thru each month...you have inspired me to invest in some reusable bags!
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