The Best Reusable Grocery Bags for Farmers Markets and Errands

Off to the grocery store or farmers market? Don’t forget to grab your reusable bags before you head out! Sure, you can use any old tote bag you have lying around the house, but if you’re in need of a new one (or just want to treat yourself!), we’ve put together a list of the best reusable grocery bags from Amazon, Baggu, and more. 

 

We did the research to find the best totes for all kinds of groceries and shopping needs, including the awesome Anthropologie tote Meggan uses herself. Keep reading to check out the best reusable grocery tote bags to take on your next food shopping run. 

Our Top Picks: 

1. What’s in Meggan’s Kitchen: Anthropologie Terrain Market Tote – $68 at Anthropologie
2. Best Value: Bailene Reusable Tote (3-Pack) – $24.70 at Amazon
3. Best Minimalist Tote: Standard Baggu (3-Pack) – $42 at Amazon
4. Best Insulated Grocery Tote: PackIt Freezable Grocery Tote – $29.99 at Amazon 
5. Most Compact: BagPodz Reusable Shopping Bags (5-Pack) – $26.95 at Amazon

Reviews of The Best Reusable Grocery Bags

1. What’s in Meggan’s Kitchen: Anthropologie Terrain Market Tote

Meggan bought this tote about five years ago and it’s still going strong. She uses it all the time and is a huge fan of its design: “I love how it’s strong and sturdy with different pouches to hold different kinds of groceries,” she says. 

The flat-bottomed bag has one main compartment with six pockets around its perimeter that are perfect for eggs, a baguette, wine or olive oil bottles, and fresh vegetables. (When veggies get smushed at the bottom of a tote, they tend to bruise easily.) The tote comes in three colors: gray, brown, or “neutral” (what we’d classify as a taupe).

Meggan’s favorite feature? A bouquet strap that keeps fresh flowers safe and secure. 

The Specs:

• Material: Heavy-duty canvas with faux leather base + handles
• Dimensions: 13 by 11 by 11.5 inches 

What I Like:

• Six exterior pockets to keep groceries separated
• Strong canvas material
• Flat bottom allows for easy packing
• Bouquet strap

What I Don’t Like:

• On the expensive side

Buy the Anthropologie Terrain Market Tote: 

2. Best Value: Bailene Reusable Shopping Bags (3-Pack)

The sturdy, flat-bottomed Bailene bag comes in a pack of three and can hold up to 50 pounds, which should cover you nicely for any kind of grocery shopping trip. This foldable tote is made of thick, water-resistant polyester, which protects against minor leaks and makes it easy to wipe clean. This polyester fabric also makes it so that the bag stands upright on its own, which is useful for packing it up (AKA making your life easier at the self-checkout register). 

Available in a wide range of patterns and colors — from tropical flowers to American flags to plain black — you’ll definitely be able to find one that suits your style.

The Specs:

• Material: Polyester
• Dimensions: 13 by 10.2 by 11 inches

What I Like:

• Comes in a pack of three
• Rigid material makes it easy to pack
• Water-resistant fabric

What I Don’t Like:

• Some reviewers say it wears out over time

What Others Are Saying:

The Bailene reusable bag was dubbed the best value reusable grocery bag by The Spruce. On Amazon, it has a 4.8-star rating out of more than 5,000 reviews.

Buy the Bailene Reusable Shopping Bags (3-Pack): 

3. Best Minimalist Bag: Standard Baggu

Baggu is pretty iconic when it comes to reusable tote bags. The chic, trendy recycled nylon bag is a frequent fixture on Instagram and TikTok, with its looped handles and spacious pouch (the brand claims that it can carry the equivalent of two to three classic grocery bags, or up to 50 pounds!). 

Beyond its attractive look, the thin material allows for it to be packed up into a single 5 inches by 5 inches square so you can tuck it into another purse if you’re out and about. Best of all, it’s machine washable for easy and frequent cleaning. 

The Specs:

• Material: Recycled ripstop nylon
• Dimensions: 25 ½ by 15 ½ by 6 (folds into 5 by 5 square)

What I Like:

• Foldable but still holds a lot of stuff
• Comes in fun, trendy colors and patterns
• Comes with a small pouch for easy transportation
• Can hold up to 50 pounds

What I Don’t Like:

• Lack of structure can make it difficult to keep things safe

What Others Are Saying:

Serious Eats named it the best collapsible reusable grocery bag upgrade, Good Housekeeping dubbed it as the best foldable reusable grocery bag, The Spruce touted it as the best design, and Bon Appetit featured it in their roundup of the best reusable grocery totes. 

Buy the Standard Baggu (3-Pack): 

4. Best Insulated Grocery Bag: PackIt Freezable Grocery Tote

Shopping for cold or frozen goods? Your best bet is the PackIt. This bag freezes like an ice pack — as in, you stick it in the freezer for storage — so it’s ready to go when you need to get groceries. Because the bag itself is frozen and zips shut at the top, it can keep groceries chilled for hours. It also has a flat bottom and structured build (thanks to its insulation panels), so it’s easy to load up with groceries. When you need to clean it, just treat it like a cooler and spot-clean any messes with a damp sponge. 

The Specs:

• Material: ‎Polyester, plastic, and polyethylene foam 
• Dimensions: 12.8 by 7.32 by 2.83 inches

What I Like:

• Freezable bag keeps groceries cool for hours
• Easy to clean
• Structured build

What I Don’t Like:

• Has to be frozen ahead of time
• Minimal Amazon reviews

What Others Are Saying:

Good Housekeeping named it the best overall reusable grocery bag, while The Spruce dubbed it as the best insulated option.

Buy the PackIt Freezable Grocery Tote: 

5. Most Compact: BagPodz Reusable Shopping Bags (5-Pack)

If you tend to buy a ton of groceries and need a lot of space, this 5-pack of BagPodz is for you. These, as the name implies, are a set of reusable nylon bags that fit into a small pouch that clips to your grocery cart. They look a lot like classic plastic bags, but they’re made of ripstop nylon and can hold up to 50 pounds each. Each bag is machine washable, available in a pack of five or 10, and available in a few different colors, like blue, red, and green. 

The Specs:

• Material: Ripstop nylon
• Dimensions: 8.25 by 4 by 4 inches 

What I Like:

• 5-pack easily fits into small pouch
• Durable
• Easy to wash
• Clips onto your grocery cart 

What I Don’t Like:

• Lack of structure makes it difficult to load up

What Others Are Saying:

Good Housekeeping named them the best reusable grocery bags in bulk, and Serious Eats featured them in their roundup of the best reusable grocery bags. The bags also have a 4.8-star rating out of more than 3,000 reviews on Amazon. 

Buy the BagPodz Reusable Shopping Bags (5-Pack): 

Other Reusable Grocery Bags to Consider

CleverMade Reusable Tote

This popular bag is featured in Bon Appetit’s and Good Housekeeping’s reusable grocery bag roundups. It has a flat base, wide mouth, sturdy handles, and sleek, stylish exterior, but it may be better suited for travel or work than groceries. The CleverMade Reusable Tote is available at Amazon for $26.99.

BeeGreen Reusable Bags

These BeeGreen bags have a similar style as Baggu, just with slightly flatter bottoms that can make loading easier. Still, there isn’t quite enough to differentiate them from Baggu and they don’t stick out too much to us. The BeeGreen Reusable Bags are available at Amazon for $24.99.

NERUB Reusable Bag

One of the most popular options on Amazon, reviewers like that the NERUB bag has a flat bottom with a removable bottom insert, and they stand up on their own, which makes it easy to pack. That said, it only comes as a 10-pack of 10, which could be a bit much. The NERUB Reusbale Bag 10-pack is available at Amazon for $19.99.

Why You Can Trust Us

Hi, I’m Sara! I’ve been a professional lifestyle product tester and reviewer for more than six years, covering everything from fondue pots to indoor pizza ovens. I’m all about helping people find great, reliable products at affordable prices — and, as someone who can often be seen schlepping groceries to and from various stores and farmers markets, I felt particularly equipped to do it with reusable grocery tote bags. 

To find the best reusable grocery store totes, I started by chatting with Meggan about what she looks for in a bag and which one she uses herself. Then, I went deep into reusable grocery bag product reviews around the internet, comparing the top traits of others’ faves to Meggan’s picks. 

Everything to Know Before Buying a Reusable Grocery Bag

What to Consider Before Buying a Reusable Grocery Bags

Thinking about buying a new reusable grocery tote? First, consider these factors:

Size: Think about how spacious you want your tote to be and whether or not it’ll fit into your lifestyle — bigger isn’t necessarily better. “Big and spacious is great, but can you still lift it when it’s fully loaded?” Meggan advises. Depending on your answer, you may want to get a couple of large bags (like the Anthropologie Terrain Market Tote) or several smaller ones.

Material and durability: Most of the bags on this list are made of ripstop nylon (a reinforced type of nylon) or polyester. Some, like the PackIt bag, also contain frozen gel packs or insulation. Think about what you’ll be putting in the bag and how durable you need it to be (ripstop nylon may withstand more weight than polyester, for example) before making a selection.

Use: Is this bag only for groceries? If so, you may want to opt for a large, rigid vessel with insulation. Do you want to use it as an all-purpose tote for other errands, like a Target run, bookstores, grocery stores, and the like? In that case, a smaller, more flexible bag may be the better option.

Design: When it comes to loading groceries, a rigid bag with a flat bottom is best. However, these bags also tend to be large, and, due to their structured nature, don’t fold up very small. On the other hand, a flexible nylon bag like Baggu or BagPodz, can be floppy, which makes them annoying to fill, but fold up nicely into a small pouch. (You can also get one of each, so you have some for different situations.)

How Do You Store Reusable Grocery Bags?

If you opt for a rigid, flat-bottomed bag, your best bet is to fold it along its creases and stick it somewhere you won’t forget as you’re rushing out the door to the store — a nook beside your front door or the trunk of your car, for example. If you get a smaller, packable bag, keep it in its included pouch and store it in something you carry often, like a smaller purse or fanny pack.

How to Make Reusable Grocery Bags

If you’re a whiz with a sewing machine, you can fashion a reusable grocery bag out of any fabric you have in your house. That said, for most people, it’s more likely that you’ll repurpose another old tote bag — maybe one from a store like Trader Joe’s or Lululemon — or buy one specifically for hauling groceries around. 

How Do You Clean Reusable Grocery Bags?

Always check the manufacturer’s instructions before cleaning your reusable grocery bag. However, if it’s made of a soft, floppy material, you should be able to stick it in a washing machine (and probably air dry it to be safe). If it’s made of rigid material or has any insulation packs, it’s best to spot clean it. 

How Sustainable are Reusable Grocery Bags?

Any reusable grocery bag is more sustainable than a paper or plastic one you get from the grocery store. That said, using an old reusable tote bag is more sustainable than buying a new one — and buying a ton of reusable tote bags in the hopes of becoming your newest, greenest self also isn’t all that sustainable, either. So, consider your reusable bag options carefully and only buy one or two that you’ll actually use — not several that will languish in the back of your closet.

You can also think about the sustainability of the brand you’re considering. Baggu bags, for example, are made of recycled nylon. 

The Best Pantry Recipes

Loading up your new reusable tote with some pantry staples? Try these recipes:

• Artichoke Pasta
• Ham and Lentil Soup
• California Pasta Salad
• The Best Tuna Salad
• Split Pea Soup

Prices were accurate at time of publication.