Reviews you can trust.
See why.Wine Travel Bags
We tested four wine travel bags made of various types of plastic or neoprene by running them through a series of abuse tests.
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See Everything We TestedWhat You Need To Know
You can tuck a bottle of wine between soft clothes in a suitcase and hope that it doesn’t break, or you can shield it in a wine travel bag that’s designed to protect bottles on the go. We tested four (priced from about $5.00 to $28.00) made of various types of plastic or neoprene by running them through a series of abuse tests. After loading each model with bottles that were skinny, squat, short, and tall, we dropped them from waist height, packed them in a suitcase and tossed them as an airplane baggage handler might, and rolled them down a flight of stairs. We even flew with them back and forth across the country.
Two of the bags were useless. Bottles stored in the two bags made from thin, lightly cushioned plastic—one lined with something akin to paper towels and the other with bubble wrap—broke in almost every test, and when they did, the glass shards slashed the plastic sides and wine spilled out. The thick cushioned neoprene material of another model looked promising, but its bottles broke, too, and since its sides were open, the wine spilled everywhere. Our winner, an inflatable bag made from thick, durable plastic (inspired by the dry bags that sailors use), was the best of the bunch. You blow it up like a beach ball (when loaded with a bottle, it’s about the size of a loaf of bread), and the air cushions the bottle. We had only one break in this bag—the fifth time we dropped it from waist height onto hard pavement—but even then the heavy-duty plastic kept all the wine contained. It was also the only bag that accommodated taller wine bottles or wider liquor bottles. We’ll be packing one in our luggage from now on.
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Protection: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Containment: 3 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 3 stars out of 3.
This inflatable carrier blows up and surrounds its bottle with cushioning air. It’s made of thick plastic that closes by rolling over itself like a boating dry bag. It only broke one bottle, on the last of five drops onto hard pavement, and it contained all of the wine after the break. It fits taller and wider bottles, is reusable and washable, and folds up for easy transport.
Recommended with reservations
- Protection: 2 stars out of 3.
- Containment: 1 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 1 stars out of 3.
A neoprene carrying case with a nice handle and thick, cushioned sides, this model protected its bottles most of the time. But when they broke, its open sides let the wine spill everywhere. Also, it fit only standard bottles.
Not Recommended
- Protection: 1 stars out of 3.
- Containment: 1 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 1 stars out of 3.
This model looks like a zipper-lock bag padded with paper towels. Bottles shattered in most tests, and when they broke, broken glass slit the walls, allowing wine to pour out all over the suitcase.
- Protection: 1 stars out of 3.
- Containment: 1 stars out of 3.
- Versatility: 1 stars out of 3.
This stiff plastic bag lined with bubble wrap wasn’t reusable because it seals with single-use sticky panels, and it fit only standard bottles. When bottles broke, which they often did, shards of glass slashed open the bag’s sides, spilling wine everywhere.
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.