Certain products need to be durable, like windshields, snow boots, or hammers. And for others, toughness is secondary when it should be the main selling point. Reusable grocery bags fall into that category. The design doesn’t do much good if it rips and the $30 cabernet smashes all over the parking lot. Also, what good does a reusable bag do if it doesn’t last and requires replacing? I’ve found the best reusable grocery bag of all time, which comes from an unlikely source.
Fortnum & Mason, an upscale UK-based grocer, sells the Plastic-Free Bag for Life, a reusable grocery bag that feels like it was built to weather years of daily use and to look posh while doing it. In typical British fashion, Fortnum & Mason calls this bag a “charming carrier,” but don’t let the chic appearance fool you. This bag is built to be packed to the brim with overpriced jam and without losing a single stitch.
Fortnum’s Plastic-Free Bag For Life
It’s made of Juco, a combination material made of cotton and jute that’s becoming more popular in the eco-friendly bag world. It has the tight weave of a cotton bag combined with the strength and durability of jute fabric. It differentiates it from the monotony of canvas builds and lets the brand’s design pop. The bag is itchy to hold, sure, but that doesn’t matter because the soft, plush handles are some of the most comfortable to grip of any bag I’ve tried. They’re long, so the bag is easy to throw over a shoulder, but it’s also doable to hold them in a farmer’s carry.
The rectangular bag has clearly defined corners that don’t fold or bulge, and a cardboard insert at the bottom that supports its boxy shape. I don’t enjoy packing groceries in an ill-defined tote bag with no backbone. If it can’t hold its own against a monstrous spaghetti squash, I don’t want it.
This bag is not huge. It’s about the size of a desktop computer screen and can hold plenty of groceries, but it also invites the user to practice self-control. The fact that it’s small helps the shopper be more discerning with their purchases. It begs the question of whether the second bag of kettle corn is necessary. It’s refined in nature, but a little fancy.
I grocery shop every week — sometimes multiple times a week — and I firmly believe that using superior tools for mundane chores not only makes life better but means you’ll do a better job. I shop more reasonably and spend less money when my reusable bag isn’t gigantic. I feel a little better about myself packing something high-quality.
You’ll save just as many paper bags using this tote bag as you will some cheap, flimsy giveaway satchel bag from a state fair, and you won’t worry your Greek yogurt is going to slip out and splatter.
I also receive compliments from the cashiers every time I use it. Am I yearning for their approval? Strangely, it doesn’t hurt. But that’s a topic for another day.
