The Reusable Grocery Bags Your Favorite Delivery Services Use

Overcoming the fate of melted ice cream, chilled rotisserie chicken, and cracked eggs are often top concerns when heading home from the grocery store. Neither drivers nor pedestrians are immune to the threat of a ripped bag or scorching summer day to ruin the potential of fresh food buys. So, to get ahead of shopping tragedies, we suggest taking a page from the experts.

Your favorite delivery services have already figured out the best grocery bags for the job. Follow their lead and add an insulated bag to your collection, and you'll likely find that they're more versatile than you think.

While delivery services do sell branded swag on their websites, it's also been reported that Uber Eats and Seamless lean on the Bodaon bag to keep food toasty. With thousands of positive customer reviews, it's clear the item's thick handles and lightweight materials are winning over shoppers. Regardless of which brand you choose, you'll find that incorporating thermal totes into your routine makes shopping and lugging easier.

In 2016, some states began implementing bag bans or small fees to discourage reliance on single-use plastics. And while carrying your own tote can help you save a few cents at the register, as well as reduce your environmental footprint, there are plenty of other reasons to BYOB.

They're stronger and more durable, for one. For another, you can speed up grocery check out if you opt for something like a trolley bag. And the insulated carry-all favored by delivery services can function the same way as a lunchbox. They're padded with lightweight foam insulation that maintains the temperature of the food inside of them — keeping hot dishes warm and cold dishes chilled.

This is an especially handy tool for city dwellers hauling their purchases home on foot or by train, as the longer transit time can invite unwelcome bacteria to hitch a ride. To be safe, most perishable foods should be back in the fridge within two hours of purchasing, if not sooner. While grocery runs usually take far less time, the extra temperature control can give you peace of mind.

There are hundreds of thermal bag options on the market, which makes it all the more important to understand how to pick one that works for you. For example, if you spend the majority of your grocery budget on heavy cartons of milk and whole chickens, double check the brand's capacity limits for weight or spring for two of your favorite delivery service's reusable bag of choice. Shoppers headed to the farmers market might want a version that has different pockets or easy-to-open zippers.

It may be tempting to simply opt for a soft cooler, which will keep foods and beverages chilled longer, but insulated totes have their place. They're lighter, collapse flat, and cost less. We're also happy to report they wipe clean should any unruly containers leak — though you should still know how and when to wash reusable grocery bags — and they're usually under $20 should you need to replace them.

To combine the benefits of a lightweight tote and the utility of a wheeled plastic cooler, you can also opt for a wheeled cart as well. The handy item is increasingly popular, even among younger shoppers, as manufacturers add new features. They are more expensive, but updates like stair-friendly wheels and eye-catching metallic fabrics are helping attract fans.