10 Best Reusable Grocery Bags That Make Grocery Shopping Easy

If you love the idea of paper bags, but not the fact that they break easily and food often comes crashing out, this is the bag for you. Made from water-resistant, biodegradable, and renewable fused paper pulp shells and lined with cotton, this eco-friendly bag is especially handy when traveling because it packs down small and isn’t flashy.

Pros:

• The Pulp Fusion Boardwalk tote looks great, but not fancy enough to become attractive to pickpockets. It’s stylish enough to wear to work and light enough to pack for a trip—buy two if you intend to use it for more than just groceries.
• We love the cool styling of this tote and the inside zipper compartment (keep your cash, cards, and ID safe) and one on the outside to keep your phone handy.
• This stylish tote also has a fabric lining and a bit of padding and is made from renewable low-impact materials including paper, cotton, and jute, but is still somehow water-resistant and biodegradable.

Cons:

• We weren’t thrilled with the short strap that makes it a bit hard to wear as a shoulder bag and slightly awkward as a tote.
• We would love to see a wider padded shoulder strap, since the tote became a bit uncomfortable when filled with produce.

Scout Errand Boy Tote Bag

A cute pattern on an extra-large grocery tote? Yes, please! This tote is easy to stow in the trunk of your car and easy to take into the market as needed. And because Scout has so many cute colorways and patterns, you could match your tote to your outfit if you’re so inclined.

Pros:

• While we love cotton totes, they’re never big enough for serious shopping. And we may be exaggerating, but it seems as though Scout tote bags come in about a bazillion patterns and style variations, which makes grocery shopping a lot more fun.
• We’ve used and reused Scout bags often, and they don’t seem to show any wear or tear, ever. Not even this roomy tote, which measures 26 inches wide, 13 inches high, and 12 inches deep.
• Even though there’s a zipper, you can fill it to the brim and zip, or overstuff and ignore the zipper.

Cons:

• You’ll have to be sure to balance your heavier items on both sides of this tote, or risk items shifting while you walk to your car.
• Though this Scout bag comes with a zipper closure, some come with velcro. We can’t tell you how many sleeves or knit tops we’ve destroyed while reaching into one. Pay attention to the type of tote closure before ordering.

Canvas Wizard Canvas Grocery Tote Bag with Dividers

Love browsing at the farmers market? You’ll fall in love with this tote bag with dividers! What’s great about it is that there are distinct sections so you can keep your onions far from your herbs, while protecting your tomatoes.

Pros:

• The cleverly divided sections keep your fruit and veggies separate and easy to keep track of.
• Lots of cute colored straps and trim to personalize your look.
• Did we mention how sturdy this beauty is? This canvas grocery tote won’t collapse in on itself if you fill it with heavy produce.

Cons:

• Despite the variety of trim and handles, the tote itself is only available in one neutral beige color.
• Stains show easily, especially if you’re prone to buying carrots or potatoes with a bit of dirt on them.

Hydro Flask 35L Insulated Tote

Need to keep your food cool? We’ve got you covered during the times you need to buy frozen food and keep it that way. It’s also a great-looking tote, so you won’t feel self-conscious using it all day long.

Pros

• Like almost all Hydro Flask products, this fantastic tote does what it claims to: Cold food stays that way for up to four hours.
• It’s nice and lightweight, so if you only need a few things you won’t feel too much shoulder strain.
• New colorways mean you can add a fashionable look to your grocery run.

Cons:

• While we didn’t conduct a scientific study, there were times when condensation stayed in the bag after we removed our cool foods.
• The double-insulated tote keeps food extra cool, but that also means it’s a bit bulky and harder to stow when not in use.

If you head to the weekly farmers market on the way to or from meeting up with friends, or as a pit stop while you run other errands, you’ll want this stunning and extremely roomy tote. It has more than enough space for all your favorite salad ingredients, plus a fresh loaf of bread for tonight’s dinner.

Pros:

• This is one spectacular-looking tote. It’s smart enough to carry to the office or for an overnight trip.
• This is a big tote, and holds up to 33 pounds. You can easily slip a 15-inch computer into the bag and still have plenty of room for some pre-packaged snacks and a small bottle of wine.
• The shoulders are roomy and padded, one of our favorite features.

Cons:

• There’s no zipper or pockets, so you might end up scrambling for your phone, keys, or wallet.
• If you plan on using this while commuting, you might end up bumping into people, since it really is a larger tote than most.

If you have dietary restrictions, shop for others, or simply want to keep your food as organized as possible while you shop, check out this filing system for food. Simply prop up the rods on either side of the cart and place your groceries into your bag of choice. Some reviewers on Amazon commented that they don’t use the bags while shopping, but do like them for organizing food after checkout and toting their groceries home.

Pros:

• The patented designs mean these grocery bags fit shopping carts from most supermarket chains including Whole Foods, Vons, and Walmart.
• Mesh bottoms keep spills from pooling all over everything else. There’s even an insulated cooler bag, and specialty egg and wine pockets.
• Color coding means you can always keep track of what goes where.

Cons:

• We felt a bit self-conscious lining up our grocery carts while testing them out, but we didn’t have to, since other shoppers kept coming over and asking what we thought of the Lotus Trolley Bags.
• We worried that we’d poke people with the rods that were sticking out on both sides. This wasn’t an issue in large supermarket chains.

The Stasher system comes with nine different size reusable bags, so you can pick the right fit for a single portion or enough to feed even a group of hungry teens. New York State Department of Health says to separate meat, fish or poultry, fresh produce, and ready-to-eat foods when shopping. They also recommend keeping these foods separated “in your shopping cart, on the checkout lane’s conveyor belt, and at home. This will help prevent germs from spreading.”

Pros:

• These bags are excellent for keeping meat from oozing onto everything else.
• Color-coded bags mean you can keep track of steak or salmon.
• Despite being designed to stand up, you can lay these flat to make more room in your bag.

Cons:

• Since the design isn’t see-through, you have to wait till your items are scanned to store them in your Stasher.
• Maybe we’re a bit clumsy, but these always feel a little difficult to open or close.

If you tend to shop when the spirit moves you rather than on a regular basis, you should keep the lightest possible reusable bag on you at all times just in case. When unfolded, this high-density nylon bag is big enough for the basics and holds up to 42 pounds of groceries. The best part is that it’s foldable, and barely takes up any room when it’s not in use.

Pros:

• It’s huge! It’s waterproof! It’s so pretty and happy looking with bold patterns and colors.
• Lightweight nylon means you can carry it with you without added weight or bulk.
• It’s cute enough to use as a beach bag as well.

Cons:

• There’s no zipper, closure, or sections, so you’ll have to pile everything in and hope for the best.
• There’s also no base, so if you’re transporting something fragile, you’ll have to position it between other items.

If you prefer to buy a bag that’s a workhorse instead of adorable, check out the Snapbasket by Clevermade. This isn’t a bag that you’ll show off, but it does do exactly what you need it to. Need to keep food hot or cold? Check. Want a zipper to keep the temperature controlled? It’s got that too! Do you prefer a long shoulder strap instead of those too short handles most reusable grocery bags have? Oh, you got it!

Pros:

• While it’s extra roomy when in use, it collapses flat for easy storage.
• That shoulder strap is fantastic. Since this is a slightly cumbersome bag, it’s easier to balance on your shoulder somehow.
• The zipper, since some items are meant to be private.

Cons:

• There’s no nice way of saying this, but it’s not terribly attractive.
• It took us a while to get the hang of the snap-up hinges and metal wireframe (ouch).