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Baggu reusable shopping bags

I had a chance to try out Baggu reusable shopping bags and I like them a lot. They are made strong, lightweight ripstop nylon and come in lots of fantastic colors. Each bag folds into a small square and goes into it’s own tidy pouch so they are good for throwing into your bag or keeping in a glove compartment or desk drawer. Though, I do worry that I will misplace the pouch. The handles are nice and wide and are comfortable on your shoulder if you are bringing home a lot of produce, or beer.

The bags are just slightly shallower than Envirosax (also) and RuMe bags, but the bottoms have gussets so they hold a whole lot. The handles are a bit shorter than the other bags, making it harder to sling a bag up on your shoulder using only one arm. (This is a detail I am, admittedly, overly fixated on.) But, the overall shorter bag means it definitely won’t drag on the ground when you hold it like a tote, something that is a problem for shorter people with the Envirosax and Rume sized bags.

· comments [35] · 09-24-2008 · categories:shopping ·

35 responses so far ↓

  • 1 Jessica // Sep 24, 2008 at 8:46 am

    I love Baggu bags and use them all the time. For the pouch, I just toss it in the bottom of the bag when I unfold it. That way, it’s there waiting when I’ve finished emptying it!

  • 2 marriedtopotato // Sep 24, 2008 at 9:08 am

    I’d sew the pouch to the bag so it acts as a pocket when the bag is open, and can work as a folding template when it’s time to put it away.

  • 3 candybeans // Sep 24, 2008 at 9:11 am

    being able to put it on your shoulder is absolutely *crucial.* There is no way to be overly fixated on it. I’ve had purses with handles that made it too short to put over my shoulder, and has led to great amounts of frustration and general malaise while using those bags.

  • 4 jen // Sep 24, 2008 at 9:13 am

    while i love all the available colors for the bag, what i love even more are the shoes in that last shot!

  • 5 Cakespy // Sep 24, 2008 at 9:29 am

    These bags rock my world. I love them.

  • 6 Molly // Sep 24, 2008 at 9:46 am

    I friend gave me two for Christmas last year. They are the best! In fact, I blogged about them not too long ago: http://cuppa-cuppa.blogspot.com/2008/08/oh-baggu-bag-how-i-love-thee.html

  • 7 Pavlina // Sep 24, 2008 at 10:04 am

    Am I the only person that sees these bags as way – too – expensive? $8 for a bag? Come on, I can get a nice canvas bag from trader joes for what 5 or 6? I love the idea of all these cute little bags, but I think the price is out of control. Maybe I am missing something.

  • 8 Leticia Gomes // Sep 24, 2008 at 10:19 am

    I love Baggu bags! Great design, beautiful colors. I’ve been using them since last year. I gave them way to all my family and friends last Christmas :-)

  • 9 Tilda B. Hervé // Sep 24, 2008 at 10:27 am

    the one with the stripes is just wonderful!

  • 10 Wende // Sep 24, 2008 at 10:37 am

    Oh! We adore ours. We got “man” colors (don’t ask!!) so that everyone in my boy laden family could use them. My 11 year old is always “packing” one for road trips. You know… hint, hint… let’s go somewhere. :D

  • 11 megan // Sep 24, 2008 at 10:46 am

    Pavlina – I see your point but I’m also aware I’m paying for the added convenience of the bags being lightweight and small enough to keep in my purse. I often walk to the grocery store and it’s nice to not have to haul canvas bags along with me or remember to bring them along. Having bags that fold up nice and small also means I never find myself in a checkout line without a bag on me, whereas it’s easy to leave bags in the trunk of a car and not remember until it’s too late to go get them. You can also fit lots of smaller bags in a glove compartment or keep them in the small storage on a bicycle. Also, canvas wears pretty quickly, and I would hesitate to pay $5 for a canvas bag when so many are given out as swag bags at conferences for free.

  • 12 kali // Sep 24, 2008 at 11:33 am

    i love these flip & tumble bags for the very reason that the pouch is built right in. i always carry a couple in my purse. http://www.flipandtumble.com/

  • 13 Uyek // Sep 24, 2008 at 11:40 am

    I have had one of these for a while and LOVE it.
    Everything you pointed out is true. It’s compactness and capacity are so impressive. I keep meaning to pick up another one … or a few.
    The ripstop nylon they’re made out of is really tough too. I once had a bottle break in one; not one shard made its way through the fabric and it was quick and easy to rinse it out.
    I’ve used Whole Foods collapsible bags but this one is so much better.

  • 14 Michelle // Sep 24, 2008 at 11:53 am

    Have you tried the Acme Workhorse bags? The thing I love most about them is that they come with their own pouch sewn in the hem, so you never lose it, and you don’t have to be careful at all when trying to get them stored away again. You can totally jam and scrunch the material in there, willy nilly, and they go back to their cute little compact size, smaller than my cell phone. You should check them out! (I sound like a commercial, don’t I? Sorry.)

  • 15 Jamie // Sep 24, 2008 at 12:10 pm

    I need this! I am always forgetting my giant whole foods bags for quick grocery trips. The stripe one is cute!

  • 16 Greg // Sep 24, 2008 at 12:22 pm

    These reusable bags are great and (when used) make a huge dent in the number of disposable plastic bags we use. Going one step further would be to buy bags made only of natural fibers and materials. The manufacture and disposal of these bags is much easier on old Mother Earth. They may not make a bold fashion statement, but the do make a strong environmental statement.

  • 17 susan dennis // Sep 24, 2008 at 1:44 pm

    The over-the-shoulder-with-one-hand-ness is critical and I depend on you to test that out and report because no one else does. So, thanks. :)

  • 18 Sarah // Sep 24, 2008 at 3:37 pm

    I hate all kinds of these bags because the straps cut into my shoulders painfully when I have heavy items in them; it doesn’t seem to make a difference in the width of the straps. I’ll continue to use my canvas bags for serious trips, then keep one of these with me for unexpected trips.

  • 19 addie // Sep 24, 2008 at 3:59 pm

    Actually, the Trader Joe’s canvas bags are $2.99, and they have nylon bags that are cheaper. I guess they’re not the most stylish, but they hold a ton, are easy to carry, and fit my needs just fine.

  • 20 Michelle // Sep 24, 2008 at 6:46 pm

    Just in case people are looking for a slightly pricier, but cooler and made of recycled plastic bags bag, please check out http://www.mishie.etsy.com.
    I love notmartha, seriously. I check you everyday and eat so much of what you eat and look at sites you suggest. Thanks for all the good info. I like the pared down content, very readable!

  • 21 Kitt // Sep 24, 2008 at 10:28 pm

    My mom got me a Baggu bag and it’s super-handy. I used it this last weekend to carry a whole bunch of beach glass (at Glass Beach!). It appears to be fairly water-resistant, if not waterproof. Holds a lot!

  • 22 emielli // Sep 25, 2008 at 4:42 am

    Oh! I may try the Baggu bag. I`ve been dying to find a reusable shopping bag, but I hate how low a lot of them drag.

  • 23 Nancy // Sep 25, 2008 at 6:00 am

    I bought a set of RuMe bags from Delight.com and I love them! Big and strong with interesting patterns. Supposedly they can hold up to 50lbs. I keep one in my purse and one in my desk drawer at work.

  • 24 Amy // Sep 25, 2008 at 7:45 am

    I can’t believe no one has mentioned Chico Bags!

    Like Baggu and Acme Workhorse bags, Chico bags are the size of regular plastic shopping bags. They have a built-in pouch *and* a carabiner to clip it anywhere! Plus, they’re only $5.00 – five dollars!!!

    (no, I am not affiliated with them – I just love them and take them everywhere!)

    http://store.chicobag.com/

  • 25 Karan // Sep 25, 2008 at 7:47 am

    I love my baggu bags primarily because they are convenient and because they are small and light and fit easily into my carrying bag, I actually use them all the time. I bought a rainbow of colors and give them as gifts.

  • 26 Sarah // Sep 25, 2008 at 9:07 am

    Baggus are the best because they don’t look all wrinkly and yucky when you pull them our like chico & flip/tumble. The also have the best colors 34 and counting! I have had mine for a year now, and they are as good as the day I got them.

    MY BAGGUS ROCK!

  • 27 emily // Sep 25, 2008 at 7:28 pm

    i bought a pack of 6 baggu bags and ended up with only one left because i kept loaning them to friends who then didn’t want to give them back. being able to toss them in my purse means i actually use them, instead of constantly forgetting them at home or in the car. i also recommend ‘the baggler’- it’s a little cushioned plastic handle with three hooks to carry multiple shopping bags at once. it’s amazing how much more comfortable it makes carrying a bunch of stuff.

  • 28 Erin // Sep 26, 2008 at 6:38 am

    Just another person saying that the shoulder/height information is incredibly important to include!

    Being 5’2″ it’s really great to know if a bag will drag on the ground if I’m carrying it. And knowing that it’ll fit over a bulky coat is incredibly important as well. I bought some RuMe bags on your recommendation and I was super-pleased.

    So thanks! :)

  • 29 allison // Sep 26, 2008 at 9:56 pm

    I just received my RuMe bags in the mail this week and I seem to be the only person on earth who doesn’t like them. I really wanted to, honestly. My main issue is that they can’t just be smooshed down for storage, instead they have to be folded properly into their tidy velcro bundle… something I’m not very good at. Looks like I’m headed towards the flip & tumble or acme bag instead. Anyone need a spare RuMe?!?

  • 30 Daffodil // Sep 28, 2008 at 12:12 pm

    I love my Baggu bags, and I actually CAN get the bag slung over my shoulder using only one hand. I have a two-year-old, so that feature is key. I am only 5’3″, though, so I don’t have amazingly long arms, which might play a part in the one-arm-shoulder-slinging. But no matter how much junk I stuff in a bag (and a bag holds TONS), I’m able to use it one-armed/one-shouldered.

    So don’t be so sure that you won’t be able to do the same — it probably just depends on your size and maybe your slinging technique!

  • 31 Shelley // Sep 29, 2008 at 8:05 pm

    I was going to recommend Chico bags too! I love that the little pouch is built in, AND with a caribiner too so i can clip it to those key clips that come in a lot of bags.

    http://store.chicobag.com/product/original-chicobag-green

    And they’re only 5 bucks! A friend of mine orchestrated a group buy in and they lowered their price for us.

  • 32 Olivia // Sep 30, 2008 at 7:03 pm

    I totally love these. I have 2 in hot pink & use them everyday. I had a hard time remembering to bring in my big ol’ canvas bags but these fold super small (I fit 2 in one lil’ pouch). I HIGHLY recommend them!

  • 33 Michelle // Jan 9, 2009 at 9:59 am

    Well, if we’re going to list chicobags, ecobags, and baggu, we might as well throw in Breezy Bags ( http://www.breezybags.com ). They hit a low point on fashion, but a pleasing point on utility and cost.

  • 34 Amy // Jan 13, 2009 at 6:52 am

    If you are not super picky about the color, Amazon.com has a few of the colors on sale for $26.60 for SIX, and free shipping! that’s $4.65 a bag! I just bought a set in the color “mud” which is a greenish brown, it’s more of a manly color….so that my husband will use them.

  • 35 Meeka // Jan 28, 2009 at 4:30 am

    For something different compact and made of sturdy cotton canvas instead of nylon you all have got to check out the Kozy Karma reusable shopping bag. Find it at http://www.kozykarma.com It zips up into itself and is really durable and sturdy. It is awesome. I love it

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