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See why.Insulated Shopping Totes
We tested six insulated shopping totes in order to find an easy-to-carry tote that could keep our groceries at a food-safe temperature for at least an hour.
Recently, our favorite insulated shopping tote underwent some small changes; the bag's interior is now made from different materials than when we originally tested. After testing the new Rachael Ray ChillOut Thermal Tote, we were pleased to find that it was just as good as the old one--it still does a great job of keeping groceries safe and cool, and is comfortable to carry as well.
If you're interested in a larger version of our winning tote, we also like the Rachael Ray Jumbo ChillOut Tote.
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See Everything We Tested
What You Need To Know
Unlike regular reusable shopping totes, insulated shopping totes are designed to keep refrigerated and frozen foods cold on the commute home from the supermarket. We purchased six, priced from just under $10 to almost $40, including puffy models boasting patented insulation and an innovative model with freezable gel packs sewn into its lining. We were looking for a comfortable, easy-to-carry tote that could keep our groceries at a food-safe temperature for at least an hour. To evaluate comfort and design, we loaded each with an identical assortment of bulky, heavy, and fragile groceries (12 items total) and took each bag for a 10-minute walk. We tested their construction and strength by weighing down the bags with 25 pounds of nonperishable groceries and suspending them from their handles for 24 hours. We also monitored how long half-gallons of orange juice remained at a food-safe temperature in 70- and 90-degree rooms, putting an identical arrangement of groceries in a plain paper grocery bag for comparison. Our final test: stain and odor resistance. We smeared the interior of each tote with a measured amount of milk, yellow mustard, and tuna packed in olive oil, waited 48 hours, and then attempted to wash them clean.
We expected bags with thick walls and layers of insulation to fare best, since these sheets of fabric and foam act as barriers, keeping the cold air in and the warm air out. So we were puzzled when a large tote with the thickest foam insulation and the puffiest walls (0.40 inches) kept juice cool for just 40 minutes in a hot room, not much better than the paper bag. Another tote with soft sides that didn’t shut all the way performed inconsistently; depending on the mix of items and arrangement in the bag, it kept the contents cold—or not. We realized that the size and design of the bag were as important as the amount of insulation. The best bags sealed tight and were of moderate size, between 12 and 20 inches at their widest and no taller than 16 inches—dimensions that could accommodate a gallon of milk and a dozen other items. The reason is simple: Insulated bags work best when they’re full because there is less room for warm air to circulate around the groceries. That large tote with thick walls would need a cart’s worth of groceries to be effective. Two conventionally insulated totes succeeded at keeping orange juice at a food-safe 40 degrees for 1½ to 2 hours in both tests. As for that innovative model with freezable gel packs embedded in the lining, it lasted a whopping 4 hours in a 70-degree room and just longer than 3 hours at 90 degrees. And even when we used it without freezing the bag f...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Design: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Cold Retention: 3 stars out of 3.
The newer version of our former winner works just as well as the original. In a 90-degree room, this tote kept orange juice safely below 40 degrees for 2 hours. This was no surprise, given its moderate size, thick layer of insulating foam, and additional gauze-like filler designed to maintain the bag’s interior temperature. Its square, flat design and wide woven shoulder strap made it comfortable for short and tall testers alike. Though a faint yellow mustard stain remained, it showed no other signs of wear and tear.
- Design: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Cold Retention: 3 stars out of 3.
The moderate size of this bag and its thick insulating foam helped keep orange juice cold in 70- and 90-degree rooms for at least 90 minutes. That said, it’s slightly smaller than our favorite tote, and testers had to carefully arrange groceries in order to fit a tall frozen pizza box or a gallon of milk. Once loaded, its sturdy shoulder straps made it comfortable to carry. Another perk: Its dark gray lining was among the most stain-resistant.
Recommended
- Design: 2 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Cold Retention: 3 stars out of 3.
In addition to foam insulation, this clever tote sports lightweight gel packs inside the front, back, and bottom panels. It’s meant to be folded flat (to about the size of a bag of frozen peas) and kept in the freezer. The gel packs worked: In a 70-degree room, orange juice stayed chilled for a whopping 4 hours. (Even when we skipped the freezing step, food stayed at a safe temperature for nearly 2 hours.) It’s well-designed, with an easy-to-load rectangular shape and a zipper that extends halfway down two sides. The only defect: It lacks shoulder straps.
Recommended with reservations
- Design: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Cold Retention: 1.5 stars out of 3.
As the biggest tote in our lineup, this bag might be appropriate for shoppers buying cold or frozen items in bulk, but it’s far too large for an ordinary shopping trip. Even a generous amount of groceries left significant empty space; this meant that juice warmed in 40 minutes in a 90-degree room (no better than the paper grocery bag), though it lasted twice that long in a 70-degree room. The tote felt cumbersome, especially for petite testers, though it did sport wide and comfortable shoulder straps.
Not Recommended
- Design: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Cold Retention: 1.5 stars out of 3.
The poly fiber walls might have been enough to keep our groceries cold, but this bag had a fatal design flaw: Its soft sides fold in but do not zip closed, so cold air escapes—especially if a bulky item presses against the bag’s walls. Its performance was inconsistent, maxing out at 20 minutes on one day and over an hour the next. Another complaint: The fabric is covered with rows of tiny pockmarks that trap spilled food.
- Design: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Cold Retention: 2.5 stars out of 3.
Widely available at supermarkets and gas stations, this thin bargain bag lasted just over an hour in cold-retention tests—impressive considering that it consists only of a polyethylene pouch and clear plastic cover. Its small plastic handles dug into testers’ hands and snapped under the weight of 25 pounds of groceries. It had little structure, which made it difficult to load and resulted in contents shifting during transit.
Reviews you can trust
Reviews you can trust
The mission of America’s Test Kitchen Reviews is to find the best equipment and ingredients for the home cook through rigorous, hands-on testing. We stand behind our winners so much that we even put our seal of approval on them.
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