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We updated this article in March 2022 with more information about each product featured and updated product links based on Good Housekeeping Institute testing results. Our original top picks from the Kitchen Appliances & Culinary Innovation Lab remain unchanged.
If you think you use too much plastic, chances are that much of your plastic waste comes from your weekly trips to the supermarket. Stocking up on fruits, vegetables, and other produce often means tearing open several plastic bags each time, which can have a negative impact on the environment. But if you’re looking for a more sustainable, eco-friendly alternative, reusable grocery bags can be an easy and convenient solution.
At the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliances & Culinary Innovation Lab, we evaluated everyday eco-friendly alternatives to things like reusable shopping bags, straws, plastic bags, sandwich bags, and, of course, produce bags. The following list includes the best products, lab- and consumer-tested, as well as field-tested favorites from our experts and editors. Here are some of the best reusable grocery bags you can buy:
The experts at the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Kitchen Appliance Lab and Cleaning Lab rave about these heavy-duty reusable vegetable bags. In fact, Lotus-branded products consistently outperformed competitors in our testing. Amazon customer reviews of this nine-piece set are equally glowing: “You can sort your produce while you’re packing at the grocery store so you can store it efficiently when you get home,” wrote one enthusiastic reviewer. They’re versatile, easy to use, and easy to seal. They also stay closed with a secure bead-and-drawstring closure, so you don’t have to worry about your items falling out of the bag during transit. They’re perfect for storing a variety of veggies, including leafy greens, and can also be used for travel, toy storage, and more.
If you’re new to using reusable shopping bags and don’t want to spend a lot of money on more expensive bags, this set of five bags is perfect for you. The mesh polyester fabric is breathable, keeping fruits and vegetables fresh, and you can machine wash them after each use (just don’t put them in the dryer). If you often forget to use them, they can be used for other purposes (like a small laundry bag to hold your socks!).
These mesh produce bags are made from polyester and are durable and lightweight. Each bag has a color-coded label that shows the bag’s tare weight (i.e., the weight of the empty bag), making it easy to buy produce in bulk. This set includes three bags in different sizes, ranging from 12×8 inches to 12×17 inches, so you can fit larger items like lettuce.
This freshness bag from IKEA has a wide mesh, making it convenient for storing fruits and vegetables without worrying about ventilation issues. Since this bag does not have a fixed design, even oddly shaped or large fruits and vegetables can be easily stored in it. What’s more, compared to the fixed design freshness bags, this freshness bag has a larger capacity. They also have handles, so they can be used as regular shopping bags (and they are also stylish to hang on a hook in the kitchen!). Set of two.
If you’re shopping for more than just fruit and vegetables, muslin bags are a better choice than mesh bags. Because they don’t have holes like many mesh bags, they’re ideal for small, bulk items like cereals, nuts, flour, and sugar because they won’t fall through. Plus, they’re certified for sustainability and social responsibility under the Global Organic Textile Standard (GOTS).
PackIt food containers feature a freezable gel liner that ensures your groceries stay at a safe temperature until you get them home. Another of the brand’s lunch boxes was the best we tested in its category — it was the only one that stayed at a safe temperature for five and a half hours. Before you go shopping, fold it up and pop it in the freezer. Take it out and enjoy the next morning.
These reusable bags come with color-coded labels, so you can use the same bag every week for certain types of groceries if you want. They’re all the same size, so you don’t have to worry about a bag being too small. One Reddit user on r/ZeroWaste has been using these bags every week for years and has never noticed much wear on them.
✔️Material: All of the produce bags we recommend (except PackIt) are made from cotton or polyester. Lexi Sachs, director of textiles at the Good Housekeeping Institute, explains:
✔️ Wicker: The smaller the holes, the less likely the food is to fall through. The larger the holes, the better they accommodate irregularly shaped ingredients. The tighter the weave, the more likely it is to attract stains, but both types of weave should be cleaned frequently. The type of weave also directly affects air circulation. Most refrigerated foods spoil faster the more they are exposed to air. Fruits and vegetables that are not suitable for refrigeration, such as potatoes and onions, need air circulation.
✔️Weight: The lighter the better, so you can easily tie them up for storage and it won’t add to your grocery bill when the items are weighed at the checkout. One way to get around this limitation is to look for bags that have a tare weight on them so the cashier can easily factor it in.
✔️Sealing: Although it may seem like a small detail, sealing your grocery bags is important. Choose zippers or drawstrings with stoppers to prevent spills.
At the Good Housekeeping Institute’s Culinary Innovation and Cooking Lab, we test reusable produce bags for the quality of the top seam and its ability to prevent accidental opening; durability, which takes into account the bag’s construction and how it withstands wear and tear; and ease of use, which measures how easy it is to open, close, fill, and carry. We also tested how easy it is to clean vegetable bags and rated them based on size.
We compiled this list based on expert recommendations and road testing. From time to time, we provide customers with sample packs of products that they rate based on their personal shopping experience and overall satisfaction.
While the regular, single-use plastic bags found in most supermarkets seem fine, they can actually shorten the shelf life of your food if not opened regularly. Plastic bags trap moisture, while reusable mesh bags allow air to circulate, helping to prevent food from spoiling prematurely.
This review was written by Amina Lake Abdelrahman, a former associate editor at the Good Housekeeping Institute. Amina works closely with the following lab experts who test products, collect data, and provide information to bring you the latest and greatest reusable grocery bags on the market.
Nicole Papantoniou runs Good Housekeeping’s Kitchen Appliances and Culinary Innovation Lab, which oversees all food-related content and testing. She is trained in traditional cooking and is also a professional recipe developer.
Lexi Sachs, executive director of the Textiles, Paper, and Apparel Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, has a Bachelor of Science degree in fiber science from Cornell University and more than 15 years of experience in the textile industry. She conducts extensive testing of all types of fiber-based products using specialized lab equipment and hundreds of consumer testers.
Amina is a product review writer and editor who served as an editorial assistant at the Good Housekeeping Institute from 2018 to 2020, where she wrote original content based on product testing and review by GH Lab experts. Amina graduated from Montclair State University with a bachelor’s degree in communications and journalism.
Nicole (she/her) is the Director of the Kitchen Appliances & Innovation Lab at the Good Housekeeping Institute, overseeing content and testing related to kitchen and cookware, tools, and accessories since 2019. She is an experienced product tester and recipe creator, trained in both traditional cooking and culinary nutrition. She has worked in test kitchens for small kitchen appliance brands and national magazines including Family Circle and Ladies’ Home Journal.
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