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I have a set of Envirosax reusable bags and oh boy do I like them. The bags are bigger than you expect (you can lay a wine bottle down in the bottom, or put a free weekly paper inside without folding it), and strong so they can hold as many groceries as you can stuff in them. The handles are wide so they are comfortable even when heavy. Each bag folds up and has it’s own little strap that snaps to keep it compact, great for keeping one in your bag, three in a car, and one in a desk. The handles are large enough that you can sling a bag over your shoulder using one arm, but the bags aren’t so long that they drag on the ground when you hold it as a tote. And they never fail to invite a compliment when I pull one out. Well designed all around, I definitely recommend getting a set and lucky us, one of the new designs, Retro, is on sale today at Delight!

I’d like to emphasize that they are large enough to loop over a shoulder while only having one hand free. Like say, when you’re at a grocery checkout stand and you have your keys, receipt and wallet in one hand and you need to grab your bag and still have that hand free to open the trunk of your car and it’s raining so you cannot put anything down. I carried a reusable tote for a number of years which you cannot fit over a shoulder, and the amount of fussing the Envirosax bags save me with the wider handle loops feels indulgent.

· comments [29] · 06-11-2007 · categories:shopping ·

29 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Erin // Jun 11, 2007 at 11:10 am

    I bought the flowered set from Delight the first time around. I love them – definitely the most comfortable reusable bag I’ve ever had. And they’re so cute, they could definitely double as a tote bag.

    One interesting thing that’s happened to me since using these is that grocery store clerks have actually struck up a conversation about them on more than one occasion. Makes the checkout process more enjoyable.

  • 2 natalie // Jun 11, 2007 at 11:39 am

    I just received mine from Delight and LOVE them! Fantastic.

  • 3 Brook // Jun 11, 2007 at 12:15 pm

    I just ordered them — thanks for the heads up! I can’t wait to get them.

  • 4 jird // Jun 11, 2007 at 12:37 pm

    Mine just arrived from Delight as well, and whether the loops fit over a shoulder was precisely the question I had! (I haven’t decided if I’m going to keep them or give them as a gift, so I didn’t want to unwrap them.) Thanks!

  • 5 Rebecca // Jun 11, 2007 at 12:48 pm

    Also bought the floral set previously, but after the sale at Delight. Only $2 more through manufacturer (plus ship & tax) so if you miss the Delight deal, still worth getting. I have been using these constantly, love their convenience and the way they condense small enough my 3-year old can carry one in hand.

  • 6 amy k. // Jun 11, 2007 at 2:06 pm

    I got these also (thanks to your post from before) and LOVE them so much. and I always get comments. I have been totally bag free for about a month now-I can’t believe how much they hold!

  • 7 Alison // Jun 11, 2007 at 3:00 pm

    Thanks for the tip! I’ve been meaning to order these so the delight deal is just the inspiration I need.

  • 8 megan // Jun 11, 2007 at 4:48 pm

    jird – I’m so glad I was able to help make it clearer, it’s that feature that made me happiest when I started using the bags. I wish there was some smoother way to describe how handy the longer handles are.

  • 9 Erica // Jun 11, 2007 at 4:58 pm

    Tip to Canadians: I wanted these bags so badly, but it seems that delight.com doesn’t ship to Canada. However I found a web retailer that does, eco-handbags.ca, (no affiliation, just too excited to find them up here!) and with free shipping!! Yay!

  • 10 megan // Jun 11, 2007 at 5:21 pm

    Thanks Erica!

  • 11 Cynthia // Jun 11, 2007 at 6:31 pm

    Thank you, big time, Erica! I very badly wanted to get some bags last month and was disappointed I couldn’t. I will definitely order some now!

  • 12 Eve // Jun 11, 2007 at 8:33 pm

    $33?? I must say, I bought bags from my local grocery store for $1 a piece. They may have longish handles, but aside from that they’re great and certainly less expensive.

  • 13 megan // Jun 11, 2007 at 9:33 pm

    Eve – It’s about the overall function – they fold up and store very small while carrying a lot and doing it comfortably – as well as style, which can be a motivator in maintaining use.

  • 14 jen // Jun 11, 2007 at 10:15 pm

    I just received mine, the flora set, and absolutely love them (just posted about them, in fact)! They are so cute, and I can’t believe they actually fold up so small — I was very suspicious of the fitting in your purse claim, but they really do!

  • 15 Megan // Jun 12, 2007 at 7:18 am

    I got the flowery ones based on your recommendation, and I so, so love them. You’re right about the foldability making them worth the expense. I always have a sack in my backpack, my purse, the glovebox, I’ve never been without one in a time of need! My only prob is that they are perhaps a little too big? They tend to bonk on the curb edge when I cross the street, unless I lift them up a little. Perhaps my arms are too long?

  • 16 Pensive Frog » Blog Archive » Brand new bag // Jun 12, 2007 at 7:26 am

    […] Being the hip, with-it folks you are, you’ve certainly already heard of the Envirosax bags. I read about them on Not Martha, and I immediately impulse-bought myself a set of five. It didn’t really register with me that these bags fold up into little bag nuggets, so they’re easy to stash in a small purse, backpack, even a jacket pocket. I’ve used these constantly for about a month, and they are fabulous. I do a lot of shopping on the way home from school, so it’s just not practical to carry around one of those big, non-collapsible tote bags all the grocery stores were hawking around Earth Day. And now they’re available in cool retro colors! I think these would make an awesome gift, because they are so darn usable! No excuses. […]

  • 17 kk // Jun 12, 2007 at 8:33 am

    i just received my set from Delight and in fact, one is nicely rolled up in my purse now for the “on the way home” shopping i’ll most certainly do. i’m not entirely convinced on how sturdy they will be because the sewing on mine looks a little loose, but i’m hoping they do what everyone here says they do. i did carry home 2 2-liter bottles home in one last night but i confess, i was worried they’d rip through the bag. maybe i’m just being overly nervous?

  • 18 christine // Jun 12, 2007 at 9:42 am

    I wasn’t quick enough to buy them at Delight, but I *have* been lucky enough to purchase them locally and I love love love them. I have two (I keep one hanging on the front door as a reminder and one in my purse) and I’m already thinking about buying a third for the car.

  • 19 Karen // Jun 12, 2007 at 7:09 pm

    Sold! Been wanting to score some reusable bags for a while and these were too cool-looking to pass up. Thanks for the tip!

  • 20 M.J. // Jun 12, 2007 at 7:20 pm

    Having seen them on my screen, my husband gave me two for Mother’s Day, unaware that I had ordered a set from delight. His mom got them in Manhattan at a shop way back in early May, and I only just recieved my from delight. But I love them! $33 for a set of bags isn’t such a bad deal. The compact size when folded has made it so that I’m never at the store without a bag, something the larger canvas bags have not managed to do.

  • 21 Dawn // Jun 13, 2007 at 4:54 am

    I finally broke down and bought these bags. I love the flora set (well, I love three of them anyway!) and can’t wait to use them. I’m always having to carry around an annoying plastic bag in my tote or my son’s diaper bag just in case I have bagoverflow problems! Thanks, Megan. You are so fabulous.

  • 22 Amber // Jun 13, 2007 at 10:39 am

    Thank you for posting about these! I keep telling myself to sew some reusable bags for the farmers market and organic food shop but I just never do. I finally broke down and ordered these. Great review, I can’t wait to get mine.

  • 23 sue // Jun 13, 2007 at 11:00 am

    Another Canadian tip: I bought my set at comondi.com – they’re a deal at $28.50 for the set and the folks who run the shop are super sweet. I love my bags but I’m still getting used to remembering to always carry my bags with me. I keep ending up at the grocery checkout counter and realizing I forgot my bags at home, in the car etc. Well, my intentions are good so I hopefully will remember them more often! sue

  • 24 Tracey @ Delight.com // Jun 18, 2007 at 1:42 pm

    Hi guys!!! Thanks so much to all of you who have purchased Envirosax from us!! I just wanted to let you know that the Retro Pouches are now back in stock – so get em while you can!!
    http://www.delight.com/Envirosax-Delightfully-Hip-Reusable-Grocery-Bags

    And of course, the Flora Envirosax bags are now part of our “Classic” section of permanent items in our store:
    http://www.delight.com/Envirosax-Delightfully-Pretty-Reusable-Grocery-Bags

  • 25 MissK // Jun 22, 2007 at 3:31 am

    I love mine as well,especially as they collapse so don’t need to find the extra spae to store when not using them and they are huge!

  • 26 Jennifer // Jun 26, 2007 at 5:51 am

    Like kk above, I have notice that the stitching on some of my bags is loose. When they first arrived I unrolled them all and most of them have tons of threads hanging off the straps. It looks like the sewing quality is poor. Also, I already have some worn spots (after one use) from where a bag rubbed on the pavement or on the side of the Metro escalator. I will keep using them and see how they hold up, but so far I am not completely sold.

  • 27 Katie // Jun 26, 2007 at 12:07 pm

    I love mine! I just used them at the grocery for the first time last night and they hold so much. The check out guy made the comment that all of the groceries were not going to fit in my 5 bags and lo and behold, they did. My grocery even gave me a bag credit on my total bill.
    I keep one in my purse at all times and the rest in my car. Thanks so much for the suggestion!

  • 28 Brie // Aug 9, 2007 at 12:01 pm

    Thanks for the great tips!
    I bought mine at a store called Bangalla in Redmond Town Center (https://shop.bangalla.com/splashPage.hg)
    They had a really cute set of Retro ones that I hadn’t seen before, but I ended up getting the Floral Motif set of 5. Yes it was a little pricey, but I kept one for myself (natch!) and gave the other 4 as gifts and they were a HUGE hit! I keep mine rolled up in my spare cup holder in the car.
    On its first use, it fit about $40 worth of groceries from Trader Joe’s and works like a champ- even a bottle or two of 2-Buck Chuck in the bottom of the bag produced nary a peep out of this hard-working Uber-Bag. Yay!

  • 29 loloro // Apr 22, 2008 at 1:37 pm

    cloth bags are so much easier to use than plastic, i love the way you can fill them full of heavy stuff and carry less bags.

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