The 9 Best Reusable Produce Bags

For most shoppers, the purifyou Set of 9 is the one to get. America's Test Kitchen picked it as the best in its produce bag trials, where the fine mesh held loose grits, the biggest bag swallowed a whole pineapple, and berry stains rinsed out. Each bag carries a tag with its own weight, so a cashier can subtract it at the scale. The sheer fabric is still plastic, and the set includes just two small bags.

A cashier can see and scan what's inside the Earthwise Set of 9 without opening a bag, which keeps the checkout line moving. The sliding toggles hold the cord tight even when the bag gets bumped around, and the polyester is made from recycled plastic. The bags rinse clean in the sink and dry quickly. The thin fabric is the weak spot: it can rip when a bag is stuffed with heavy items and knocked about.

Leafy greens and herbs suit the Simple Ecology Organic Cotton Muslin bags, because the solid cloth holds a little moisture while still letting air through. Rinse a head of lettuce, shake it off and bag it slightly damp for the crisper. The cotton carries organic certification, and there's no plastic anywhere in the bag. You can't see inside, so a cashier has to open each one, and cotton can shrink in a hot dryer.

The Vejibag Large takes a different approach to the crisper drawer. You soak the organic cotton terry, wring it out and fill it with greens, and the damp cloth is meant to keep lettuce, kale and chard from going limp. It's sewn in the U.S. and goes through the washer and dryer between uses. You get a single bag, though, and the freshness benefit rests on the maker's word rather than an outside trial.

Shoppers who want plastic-free bags in quantity should look at the Cottify 12+1 set: a dozen organic cotton mesh bags in three sizes, plus a spare. The weave is tight enough that small fruit stays put, and color-coded labels list each bag's weight. There's no plastic toggle, so you tie the drawstring instead. Cotton soaks up berry and beet stains, so these need more washing to look fresh.

Potatoes, onions and citrus breathe well in the Simple Ecology Organic Cotton Mesh bags, whose open net lets air move freely on a counter or a pantry hook. They work at the store too, since the cashier can see through the net. The cotton is certified organic. The holes are wide, though, so cherry tomatoes, garlic cloves and bulk grains can slip out, and you get only six bags.

The Lotus Produce Bags are a low-cost start in reusable mesh, with colored bands that mark each size and a tag giving each bag's weight. They rinse clean and dry fast after a trip to the market. In independent trials, though, the closure beads didn't lock and a side seam tore, so they're better for apples, peppers and bananas than for a heavy load of potatoes.

Stock a whole crisper with the Debbie Meyer GreenBags, thin plastic bags with minerals mixed in, which the maker says pull away the gas that makes fruit ripen and spoil. You rinse and reuse each one up to about ten times. Proof that they beat a plain bag is thin, and a university extension review reported a clear gain only for bananas. They are made in the U.S. and come in three sizes.

If your crisper turns lettuce slimy, the Bluapple VeggieZips pair zip-top bags with liners that soak up extra water or give some back, so greens sit in steadier humidity. Small vents let gas escape while the bag stays closed. The bags and liners wash and go back into service. This is a small brand, owner feedback is mixed, and no outside trial backs the humidity claim.