We got on the reusable bag bandwagon a while ago and it's been great to see them enter the zeitgeist and proliferate our neighborhood en masse. (And, we've finally stopped getting strange looks and having to explain ourselves at the cash register.) But we're no longer a single gal cooking for herself; nor are we eating two meals a day at the office, so we're finding that we don't have enough bags for the weekly "big shop." So we hunted through the Ohdeedoh and AT archives to find a list of candidates (as well as a few new ones we're considering).
This list certainly isn't exhaustive, but there are a lot of good options here.
Top row:
- Hero Bags ($15-25, 100% recycled cotton canvas)
- Envirosax ($8.50 each or a set of five for $38, polyester)
- Eco Totes by 3beans ($15, 100% recycled cotton)
- Chico Bag ($5-8 polyester)
Middle row:
- Neela Bags ($7, polypropylene)
- Envirosax Greengrocer ($8, polyester)
- T-Bags ($10, irregular or recycled tees)
Bottom row:
- Flip and Tumble ($6-12, polyester).
- Envirosax for kids ($8.50, polyester)
- Sackaroo ($35 for a canvas pouch and 4 polyester bags)


Commercial Flour Sa...
What is the one in the very middle? All the little squares? The link isn't correct. It's for the one on the bottom right. Thanks!
My favorite!
http://baggubag.com/
I take great pride in the fact that I've never had to buy a reusable bag.
My mother-in-law gave me few canvas bags (leftovers from trade shows and whatnot) and I just found a few around the house...a couple came from my office.
My favorite one is a huge DSW Shoes black canvas bag that they gave out one time when a store opened near me. It's huge!
oh - and my other favorites are the ubiquitous NPR/PBS bags from fundraisers. Very sturdy!
Not picutured here, b/c it's not "cute" by any definition, but I truly cannot rave enough about the Acme brand reusable bags that I got at www.reusablebags.com.
Picture an old-school, brown paper grocery sack with handles.
Now imagine it made out of really strong fabric instead of paper. Voila!
They hold SO much, are SO strong, and even the baggers have commented that they like using them as compared to other reusable bags. They fold up easily and I just leave 'em in the trunk so that I never forget to bring them along.
I know there are a lot more fashionable or stylish options out there, but honestly, I'm using these to get in and out of the grocery store and Target and back in the house, not to carry around with me all day, right?
Trader Joe's had amazinly large and sturdy canvas bags for a while.
I also crocheted myself a reusable bag using a free pattern from the lions brand website. It's big and streeeeeeetchy. :)
Let's not forget the favorite bag of street people everywhere-- the new Ikea shopping bag. Huge, sturdy, and waterproof.
Personally, we love the Land's End canvas bags as well as the premium from our local public radio station.
Oh, I just love the NY bag! What a great way to reuse irregular tees. Fabulous idea.
I own the 2nd bag in the last row and absolutely love it. When our family does the big once a week shopping trip we use the ACME reusable bags and they're amazingly strong and extremely durable.
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/acme-bags%E2%84%A2-earthtote%E2%84%A2-reusable-shopping-p-10.html
Every since we moved overseas and have to pay for our bags I always remember to bring my own. It's a great incentive.
A friend of a friend sells these great bags that work well together or alone:
http://www.blueavocado.com
I gave them as Christmas presents to half a dozen family members (green for mom, pink for my sister-in-law 1, blue for sister-in-law 2, etc.) and everyone enjoys them!
there's a typo in the title...
I concur with the ACME bag. My dad gave me one and it is great. It is my favorite of all my reusable bags. Not the cutest, but the best designed--holds a lot, comfortable to carry, easy to pack and store.
Lilli's mom- so sorry, I'm fixing the links. The ones in the middle are Envirosax Greengrocer (solids).
Nudik - thanks!
Carrie
I love RuMe bags - fold up really nicely and gorgeous patterns (also nice solids). I have the spring in ny patterns in regular size and spring in ny solids in the mini size. I keep 2 in the bottle holder of my diaper bag so I always have them on hand, no matter what kind of store I'm in.
http://www.delight.com/advanced_search_result.php?keywords=rume&x=0&y=0
Or you can make your own! I bought fabric at IKEA (inexpensive, and they've got a lot of great stuff) and made half a dozen. I used the "Charlie" pattern from Burdastyle (free) - and wrote up a tutorial for it on my blog:
http://amingledyarn.wordpress.com/gallery/tutorial-reusable-grocery-bag/
I own several models of shopping bags. The most practical is the Flip and Tumble by a long shot. I find that they are the easier and quicker to fold.
I made a recycled denim tote bag for the Co-op trips. I used an old pair of jeans cut off below the seat and and used the material from the legs to make the straps. I used some spiffy Amy Butler fabric to make it more stylish. It's strong, I can really pack a lot of groceries in there and the straps remain surprisingly comfortable during the climb to the 3rd floor of my apartment building! You can see pics of it on my Burdastyle profile (search "laurabellk"). And can I just say, Hurray! for Burdastyle.com? If you love to sew and haven't checked it out, it's kinda like facebook for crafters!
I am hosting a giveaway for reusable bags this week. I love cute reusable bags, because they help the environment - but also because they are fun!
http://ohbrooke.com/2009/03/14/giveaway-from-delightcom/
arent the ones in the middle Baguu? I have them and they look just like that with the squares and the blue tag.
anyway, they are great, small enough to keep one in my purse so i always have a bag when i need one, and big enough that just a couple fit all our groceries
Thanks so much for this post and especially for the extra suggestions in the comments!
I've been looking for some affordable, durable, semi-stylish, and highly practical bags!
I love my Envirosax (top row, second from left). It crinkles up into itself very easily and is suprisingly strong (even when full of canned goods). I keep it in my purse all the time.
But, when I am grocery-shopping, I HAVE to have my Reisenthel Market Basket. Besides the grocery store, I take it to the farmers' market, the library, on picnics ...
http://www.reusablebags.com/store/reisenthel-market-basket-p-726.html
I own a Chico's bag (top row, right), which I received as a gift, and also a Baggu bag (middle row, middle--mislabeled and with the wrong link above). Even though the Chico's bag is newer than Baggu, it is stretching badly at the seams already. I still use it, but not for heavy stuff. The Baggu is still sturdy and going strong! I really love it. The only down side of the Baggu is that the pouch is isn't connected in any way to bag, and there is no clasp to connect the two, so it is easy to lose track of. Something I like about the Baggu, in addition to its durability, is the fact that the straps are long enough that I can sling the bag over one shoulder, which makes it easy to carry. Ok, I just wrote an awful lot about reusable bags!
Just stumbled upon this. I have A LOT of reusable bags now and they take up too much space. Mostly they like to just live together in a pile. Any ideas on how to organize these bags? Thanks in advance!
Bags ... we all love bags, but I have that same problem besquirrely! Maybe buy or make one of those T bar stands and have them hung on arms of the T?
AND, LauraBellk!!!!
I have been trying to reach you a few times via Burdastyle!!! Please check your email!! Looking forward to hearing back from you!!!
Thanks!