Grocery totes are a point of pride for the environmentally conscious. They're also sturdier and easier to carry than single-use plastic or paper bags. Remembering to bring a few along to your regular supermarket runs can be tricky, which is another reason upgrading to better bags is smart.
I've become so enamored by these clever, hanging reusable bags I discovered recently that it's nearly impossible to forget them as I prep for an afternoon of grocery shopping.
I spotted these clever shopping bags in a fellow shopper's cart. I knew I had to have them. Pamela Vachon/CNET
I spotted them in a fellow shopper's cart on a recent trip to the market: four technicolor shopping bags, one of them insulated, designed to fit inside the grocery cart, with overhanging handles that keep them open and in place while you shop.
Simple. Genius. How did I not realize that these were missing in my life? Needless to say, I'm hooked. They've made trips to the grocery store more fun, and unpacking my haul back at home is a total pleasure.
Sorting groceries into shopping bags in real time is about as much fun as one can have in the grocery store. Pamela Vachon/CNET
Bags designed for grocery cart organization in real time
There are plenty of reusable grocery shopping bags that are sturdy enough to situate inside your cart, but to maximize space and organization, look for those called "cart bags," "cart caddies," or "trolley bags," which also offer the added bonus of making grocery shopping sound like a fun outing more than a weekly chore.
There are numerous bag designs to choose from. Pamela Vachon/CNET
There are numerous designs and layouts here to choose from: Some have clip-on cart handles that retract, some have separate, removable clips, and others are outfitted with dowels that overhang the sides of the cart, which are then stored in what looks rather like a tent roll. (Again, adventure, not tedium.) Not every set comes with an insulated bag, and some brands feature bags that are all the same color. (Presumably so you don't attract the attention of people like me who treat the grocery store like a fact-finding mission.)
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