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See why.Reusable Produce Bags
The waste from flimsy single-use plastic produce bags can add up quickly. We explore a convenient, sustainable alternative with a variety of uses.
By Published Aug. 14, 2020. Appears in America's Test Kitchen TV Season 22: Holiday Dessert and Salad
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See Everything We Tested
What You Need To Know
Reusable produce bags are popular choices to reduce plastic waste and conveniently transport produce home from the grocery store or farmers’ market. In some cases, they can also be used to contain nuts, grains, and other items sold in the bulk bins at grocery stores. There are dozens of bags on the market, and many of them are seemingly identical. Seeking a set of bags that stood out, we assembled and tested a lineup of 10 sets—four cotton, three polyester, two nylon, and one recycled plastic—which ranged in price from about $0.60 to about $5.00 per bag. We used the largest bag from each set as our testing model. One of the cotton sets included two styles—tightly woven fabric and mesh—so we included one of each for a total of 11 bags. We looked at how much food each bag could comfortably hold, how easy the bag was to clean, and how well it held up to abuse testing meant to simulate months of use. While there is some discussion about whether the resources required to manufacture reusable produce bags might cancel out any environmental benefit the bags could contribute by reducing waste, they continue to be popular. We focused our attention on the bags’ performance and sturdiness to inform consumers looking to take advantage of their convenience and potential sustainability.
Capacity: Bigger and Stretchier Is Better
We wanted a bag that was both big and sturdy, so we filled each first with an oversize bunch of kale and then again with 5 pounds of russet potatoes to test their capacities. The bags didn’t vary much in width, ranging from 10.25 to 12.5 inches, but they varied considerably in length, from 13 to 20 inches. Predictably, the largest bags could hold more food. But we identified another important variable: how much a bag could stretch. Of the bags we tested, those made of cotton had more natural stretch than the bags made of synthetic materials. The mesh cotton bags had the most give of all, stretching around the bulky kale bunches and potatoes with ease. We liked the stretch of the cotton mesh bags and the dimensions of the largest bags, so we recommend both when it comes to capacity.
Was Closing a Cinch?
A reusable bag is only as useful as its ability to keep items contained during shopping or transport, and we identified a few key factors that set some bags apart. Every bag in our lineup was equipped with a drawstring, but only eight of those bags were also equipped with closure beads, which, once slid into place along the drawstrings, kept the bags closed. To close and then open the four bags without those beads, we had to tie knots in their drawstrings and then untie them—tedious extra steps when compa...
Everything We Tested
Highly Recommended
- Capacity: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
Using this bag was a cinch (pun intended): The combination of a smooth drawstring and a strong closure bead made filling and closing it simple and convenient. The bag also had the finest mesh among the synthetic options; it even held grits without leaking while still allowing us to view the contents. This bag had the largest capacity in the lineup, and it held strong when we tested its durability with a pineapple and dumbbells.
Recommended
- Capacity: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1.5 stars out of 3.
This set of polyester bags was among the lightest in the bunch, and we were pleased that they held strong in our durability tests, containing the spiny pineapple and heavy dumbbells with ease. The large-size bags had a relatively generous capacity, enough to contain the kale and potatoes. Its drawstring and closure bead weren’t as impressive, however: They were unable to hold the bag tightly closed when we jostled the contents.
Recommended with reservations
- Capacity: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 0.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
These bags have smooth drawstrings with strong closure beads, and the bag we tested stretched to fit the large bunch of kale and the 5 pounds of potatoes. The cotton version of our winner, this set of bags highlighted why we preferred polyester to cotton in general: The side seams ripped easily when we jostled 10 pounds of dumbbells inside to approximate the weight of three heavy butternut squashes.
- Capacity: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
We liked the feel of this set’s silky polyester mesh, and the bag we tested was roomy enough to hold a big bunch of kale and 5 pounds of potatoes, respectively. However, the drawstring didn’t have a closure bead, forcing us to tie a double knot to keep the contents secure. Still, this bag was durable and held up well against our abuse testing.
- Capacity: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 3 stars out of 3.
These bags had the strongest closure beads of the bunch, and they glided on their smooth drawstrings with ease. If only the bags had been durable: The lightweight fabric, made from recycled plastic, ripped when we filled this bag with heavy items and jostled it. Still, this bag was large enough to contain the kale and potatoes we used to test its capacity.
- Capacity: 2.5 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 2 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
This cotton set contains bags made from both tightly woven fabric and mesh. The bag we tested in each style was roomy, but each performed very differently. The tightly woven bag’s drawstring and closure bead were easier to cinch than those of the mesh bag. The mesh bag ripped during the durability test, whereas the tightly woven bag held strong. We don’t think the mesh bags in this set are useful, and we would have preferred if all the bags were tightly woven.
- Capacity: 3 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 2 stars out of 3.
This bag scored points in the capacity and ease of use categories for its easily stretchable cotton mesh and relatively strong closure bead. But that stretch also caused extended gaps in the mesh that weakened the bag’s structural integrity. The bag’s seams ripped in two different places during durability testing, making us question whether this set could withstand long-term use.
Not Recommended
- Capacity: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 3 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
The tightly woven cotton of these bags is light and durable, but the bags have double-sided drawstrings with no closure beads. This meant that they were a hassle to tie and untie in order to close and open the bags. The set doesn’t offer bags of varying sizes, and they had relatively small capacities.
- Capacity: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 1.5 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 0.5 stars out of 3.
We weren’t impressed with these bags. Their drawstrings didn’t have closure beads to hold them shut, and the nylon was flimsy and weak, causing the bag we tested to rip during our durability tests. They were also relatively small, so they didn’t hold as much as their competitors.
- Capacity: 1 stars out of 3.
- Durability: 0 stars out of 3.
- Ease of Use: 1 stars out of 3.
These bags were a disappointment across the board. Their thick, textured drawstrings were housed in nylon sleeves that bunched and made cinching a hassle. They were small—unable to contain a large bunch of kale—and tore the most in our durability tests.
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.
Chase Brightwell
Chase is an associate editor for ATK Reviews. He's an epidemiologist-turned-equipment tester and biscuit enthusiast.
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