The 7 Best Reusable Storage Bags of 2024, According to Lab Testing

These reusable storage bags can be used to store leftovers, toys, and other small items.

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The 7 Best Reusable Storage Bags of 2024, According to Lab Testing

Better Homes & Gardens / Kathryn Standing

Whether you're storing leftovers or packing up for a trip, storage bags are sure to come in handy. While there are many single-use, plastic picks to choose from, reusable storage bags are a cost-effective and environmentally friendly option worth considering.

In addition to helping reduce overall plastic use, reusable storage bags offer undeniable benefits. Many of the bags on this list are multipurpose and go far beyond storing food in the fridge or freezer: Some can be used in the oven, stove, microwave, or even a sous vide machine. And many work equally well as on-the-go snack bags, miscellaneous bags for travel, or storage bags for toys or small household items.

Jessica Litman, an organizational expert at The Organized Mama, says she also likes using reusable storage bags to hold items you don’t want to get wet in school bags or swim bags, for pencils or pens, for office supplies like paper clips, and even to hold a paintbrush when painting a room.

To find the best reusable storage bags on the market, we considered a wide variety of qualifiers including quality, materials, versatility, durability, and ease of cleaning. After conducting extensive home testing, we narrowed down the list of contenders by averaging each pick’s scores across categories to determine a final rating.

These bags are fully leak-proof, excellent at preserving freshness, and highly durable.

They have an opaque, frost-like appearance that makes it difficult to see what’s inside.

For impressive and versatile reusable storage bags, the best options to consider are by (re)zip. We used the (re)zip 5-Piece Stand-Up Leakproof Reusable Storage Bags consistently at home for food storage during the testing period, and reported that these reusable bags work just as well as a single-use counterpart. However, they’re easy to seal and won’t leak as you use them.

Made of food-grade PEVA, these storage bags are thick and sturdy-feeling but flexible. The set includes five bags: One quart-sized bag, two 16-ounce bags, and two smaller 8-ounce bags. They have an opaque appearance that almost looks frosted, so you can’t fully see what’s inside.

The bags lay flat for storage, though the flat base also enables you to prop them up in the fridge if you prefer. The opening is flexible, too, and you can easily add food inside, just like you would with a disposable plastic bag.

We were impressed by the seal on these bags as they didn’t leak during any of our tests. Also nice: The seal is very tight but you don’t have to press it too firmly to close it. Thanks to this tight seal, produce retained its freshness well with these bags, and we successfully used them for food storage in both the fridge and freezer.

Like most of the best reusable storage bags, these bags initially experienced some staining after housing tomato sauce, but we were able to fully remove the residue after cleaning the bag with some dish soap. There also weren’t any lingering odors.

In general, these bags feel very durable and sturdy. We were pleased not to experience any warping, tearing, or issues with the seam during the testing period as well.

In addition to food storage, we thought these would be suitable as on-the-go snack bags or picnics. And although we admittedly thought the bags were a little expensive at first, we found that they hold up well and will save you money on single-use bags in the future.

Although these bags are top-rack dishwasher safe, we didn’t have too much trouble hand-washing them. After air-drying them, our tester didn’t notice any mold or mildew, nor were there any lingering odors.

Product Details: Material: ‎Food-grade PEVA | Number of Bags Included: Five | Closure: Pinch-top seal | Use: Top-rack dishwasher-safe and freezer-safe | Care Instructions: Hand wash or put in the top rack of the dishwasher; periodically wipe a thin coat of vegetable oil along closure grooves

Better Homes & Gardens / Rachel Thalhuber

These well-made storage bags are highly versatile.

Food may get stuck in the bag’s seal, requiring a bit of additional cleaning.

Stasher’s Silicone Reusable Storage Starter Set may be more expensive than some other sets, but they certainly did not disappoint during testing. We noted that these bags worked to keep foods fresh as well as any airtight containers or zip-top bags we’ve ever tried, making them a worthy investment.

This set (which includes four bags in varying sizes) is made from silicone that’s thick and sturdy but still quite flexible. One side is clear and the other opaque, and three of the bags have a flat bottom to help them stand up.

We appreciated the different sizes as we found each has a use. For example, one is small and rectangular which is easy to store in a crisper drawer while another could easily store a sandwich or another larger item.

These Stasher bags passed the leak and freshness tests with flying colors. We noted that as long as we completely sealed the bag, which was easy to do, we didn’t experience any leaking.

We were able to keep diced tomatoes, whole radishes, roasted peanuts, and frozen fruit fresh in these bags for a significant amount of time. A halved avocado fared well for three days in the bag, and we compared it to the freshness of when we use tight plastic wrap or another airtight container.

We didn’t notice any lingering odors or staining during the testing period, even after storing diced tomatoes in one bag for four days. And while they’re dishwasher-safe, we did note that there’s a risk of food becoming trapped in the seal.

Product Details: Material: Silicone | Number of Bags Included: Four | Closure: Pinch-top seal | Use: Microwave-safe, stove top-safe, sous vide-safe, dishwasher-safe, oven-safe, and freezer-safe | Care Instructions: Hand wash or put in the top shelf of the dishwasher

Better Homes & Gardens / Laurel Randolph

The set includes 20 bags of different sizes, so you’ll be able to get a few different uses.

These storage bags aren’t safe to put in the dishwasher, so you’ll need to be prepared to hand-wash them.

The IDEATECH Reusable Storage Bags are less expensive than other options and come in a set of 20 (eight gallon bags, six sandwich bags, and six snack bags), so they’re the best reusable storage bags for larger families.

These bags are made from a flexible material that’s not overly thick but feels sturdy. It’s slightly opaque, yet still possible to see the contents, we noted. These bags don’t stand up on their own, rather they lay flat like a single-use plastic bag. And though the zipper can be a little tricky to use, we noted that the openings are wide and easy to move food in and out of.

We appreciated that these bags didn’t leak at all during the leak test. And they fared well enough when it came to preserving freshness, too: While the avocado did get a bit brown during testing, we still felt that they worked well overall. When we used the bags to store tomato paste, there was some lingering odor, but they didn’t stain. And while the bags aren’t dishwasher-safe, we didn’t have any trouble cleaning them by hand.

These bags are freezer-safe but can’t be put in the microwave or the dishwasher. We noticed that some bags got slightly warped after being hand-washed and dried, but we didn’t feel that their performance was impacted. They also contain PVC, a type of plastic that some people prefer to avoid in food storage products.

Product Details: Material: Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), silicone, plastic, polyethylene vinyl acetate (PEVA) | Number of Bags Included: 20 | Closure: Pinch-top seal | Use: Freezer-safe | Care Instructions: Hand wash only

Better Homes & Gardens / Elizabeth Theriot

These versatile bags work equally well for both travel and food prep.

They’re not designed to be put in the dishwasher, so you’ll need to hand-wash them.

If you have kids, you know how many small random items you have to keep track of in a day. During testing, we found the Bayco Reusable Food Storage Bags to be helpful in a surprising number of kid-focused situations, so they’re the best reusable storage bags for parents.

During a big trip, we used them to stash personal care products, snacks like pretzels, and even small treasures their kids found, like rocks and shells. Afterward, we deemed these a must-buy for any parent.

While you can use them for toys and snacks and other kiddie items, these are also simply excellent food storage bags. We were impressed with how well they kept food fresh and appreciated that the opening is wide, so it’s easy to get food in and out. Plus, the seal is strong and fully leak-proof.

These bags felt well-made and sturdy. The material (food-grade PEVA) is thick but flexible and slightly frosted, so you can tell what’s inside the bag without advertising it to someone far away. They stay upright when stuffed with heavier items, which helped us keep our refrigerator organized. The set includes 10 total bags in three different sizes, and we found that they weren’t even able to use all of them during the testing period.

Overall, we were very impressed with these bags, and we even ended up buying two more sets after testing them. Luckily, they’re less expensive than some other options as well. If there’s one downside, it’s that the Bayco bags aren’t dishwasher-safe, so you’ll need to commit to hand-washing them. However, we found them very easy to clean.

Product Details: Material: Food-grade PEVA | Number of Bags Included: 10 | Closure: Zipper | Use: Freezer-safe | Care Instructions: Hand wash only

Better Homes & Gardens / Jennifer Zyman

They’re excellent at retaining freshness, highly durable, and fully leak-proof.

The seal can be a little tricky to clean.

Stasher’s Silicone Reusable 4-Pack Lunch/Travel Bundle includes four multicolor bags in two sizes (two 28-fluid-ounce sandwich bags and two 12-fluid-ounce snack bags), and we were impressed by their overall durability.

During testing, these bags were great at keeping food fresh and they consistently outperformed disposable plastic bags in freshness tests. We observed that cornbread, cookies, and muffins were fresh in these bags for three to five days, bananas were preserved in the freezer with no ice crystals, and cut pears and apples remained crisp in the fridge.

The seal on these bags is particularly strong: No leaking was observed in the leak test, and we were even able to boil fish in water without the water getting into the bag.

We were also quite impressed with the durability of these bags as there was no damage, warping, sealing issues, or staining observed during testing. Unlike many other bags we tested, stains from tomato-based sauce and beets came out easily after the bags were rinsed in cool water. The material also didn’t absorb any odor after holding onions, which was a nice perk.

Stasher bags are more expensive than other options, but we thought that the price was reflective of the product’s design, performance, and ease of use. In addition to an impressive seal, we liked that the bags could be used for boiling, baking, and sous vide as well, making them an even more worthy investment.

Stasher bags are dishwasher-safe, but we found that they require a little more effort to thoroughly clean. They didn’t fully dry in the dishwasher, so we had to either dry them by hand or let them air-dry, which took a considerable amount of time. The seal was also difficult to clean and required the help of a straw cleaning brush.

Product Details: Material: Silicone | Number of Bags Included: Four | Closure: Pinch-top seal | Use: Dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe, sous vide-safe, oven-safe, and freezer-safe | Care Instructions: Hand wash or put in the dishwasher

Better Homes & Gardens / Kathryn Standing

These are durable bags that work well at keeping food fresh in the fridge or freezer.

The size options, though varied, run small, and they’re not fully leak-proof.

Anyone who prefers storage bags that stand up on their own—a feature that’s especially useful when filling them—will appreciate the Xomoo Reusable Food Container Silicone Bags. Made of thick silicone, we found that these bags were both sturdy and flexible.

Their flat base enables them to stand up straight, and the bundle includes six bags total in three different shapes and six sizes. We found it easy to add or remove food from the bags and appreciated that their thickness gave them a semi-solid form that could sit upright.

When it came to preserving freshness, these Xomoo bags repeatedly outperformed regular disposable plastic bags. We compared both the Xomoo bags and plastic bags in testing using half a pear, half a peeled avocado, a banana, half a chopped onion, and some crackers; in every instance except for the avocado, the food stored in Xomoo bags in the fridge were fresher, crisper, and more flavorful after three days. During testing, we were particularly impressed by how well these bags performed for freezer storage as well.

These bags appear to be heavy-duty, and we didn’t notice any damage or warping during the testing period. Though dishwasher-safe, we didn’t have one and found them easy to hand wash, thanks to the smooth silicone. We did note that you need to be thorough when handwashing these bags, however, as food can get missed in the deepest part of the seal.

Although overall excellent, we had a few small complaints about these bags, the biggest being that they are not completely leak-proof. After filling a bag with liquid during the leak test, the paper was soaked within a short timeframe. Like many of the bags we tested, they also retained some stubborn stains after we stored tomato-based sauce in them.

We also noted that the sizes could be more generous. Although ideal for smaller items, the larger sizes aren’t big enough to hold even a full-sized sandwich. We noted that the larger containers can hold about a single serving of dinner leftovers, but not much more than that. Still, they thought the existing sizes would still work well for food prep storage or on-the-go snacks.

Product Details: Material: Silica gel | Number of Bags Included: Six | Closure: Pinch-top seal | Use: Dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe, oven-safe, and freezer-safe | Care Instructions: Hand wash or put in the dishwasher

Better Homes & Gardens / Christina Snyder

They are durable and excellent at maintaining freshness, especially for produce.

They’re not completely leak-proof.

Porter is known for beautiful food storage solutions, and these W&P Porter Flat Bags live up to that reputation. Made of thick silicone, the bags in this three-piece set have a clever design in which one side is opaque and the other clear so you can see the contents. They’re available in stylish colors like mint, blush, and cream, making them ideal both for fridge storage or on-the-go snacking.

The W&P Porter Flat Bags come in a set of three bags: large (46-ounce), medium (34-ounce), and small (10-ounce). We used the large one for washed lettuce or bigger blocks of cheese, the medium one for prepped veggies, and the small one for kid-friendly snacks like cucumber sticks and apple slices.

We liked the material of these bags, which we described as thick, flexible, and durable. They can be cleaned in the top rack of a dishwasher, and they’re also microwave- and freezer-safe.

When it comes to maintaining freshness, these bags really shine. During testing, things were very fresh and didn’t show signs of staleness or rapid decay. Like many of the bags on this list, they experienced some staining after we stored tomato-based sauce inside them, though most of the stain came out after being washed.

But while excellent at maintaining freshness, these bags did lag a bit in leak tests. We filled the large 46-ounce bag with water and observed that the towel underneath was pretty wet after. For this reason, we noted they wouldn’t use these bags for liquids going forward.

The other major downside with these bags is the cost—at $16 per bag, this is one of the pricier options on our list. That said, we did think these bags were worth the price as they’ll be long-lasting.

Product Details: Material: Silicone | Number of Bags Included: Three| Closure: Pinch-top seal | Use: Dishwasher-safe, microwave-safe, and freezer-safe | Care Instructions: Hand wash or put in the dishwasher

Better Homes & Gardens / Carolyn Malcoun

We recommend the (re)zip 5-Piece Stand-Up Leakproof Reusable Storage Bag Pack as the overall best reusable storage bags. These versatile storage bags are made from firm but flexible texture food-grade PEVA that makes them strong and durable. We were impressed by the strong seal on these bags, which didn’t leak at all in tests. They also held up very well during the testing period, and we didn’t notice any warping, sealing issues, or tearing.

To find the best reusable storage bags, testers put 13 popular models to the test in a home setting. Each set of reusable storage bags underwent a series of tests to assess their overall quality, and testers used a predetermined methodology to evaluate each pair of storage bags in five categories: design, size, performance, durability, and ease of cleaning.

We performed several tests to determine the quality of each bag. First, we conducted a leak test by filling each bag to its maximum capacity with water, tightly sealing it, then laying it on a towel for five minutes to see how much (if any) water leaked.

Next, we did a stain test by storing food with high stain potential (such as a tomato-based sauce or red beets) in the bag for three days, then checking to see if a stain had developed in the bag during that time.

To conduct a freshness test, we placed half a peeled, pitted avocado in each bag, stored it in the fridge for three days, then noted how fresh the avocado looked after that time.

Finally, we incorporated each food storage bag into their routine, using them for a variety of purposes based on their intended use. The final rating was determined by averaging each pick's scores across categories.

Better Homes & Gardens / Carolyn Malcoun

Although we appreciated the fact that the Homelux Theory Reusable Silicone Food Storage Bags are free of BPA, BPS, PVC, and phthalates, these storage bags fell a little short in our tests for durability. They also weren’t quite as effective as some other picks on this list when it came to preserving the freshness of food stored in the fridge. For these reasons, they didn’t make our list of the best reusable storage bags.

The Lunchskins Reusable Zippered Food Storage Bags are thin, flexible, and very affordable at around $5 per bag. They come in a pack of two and are available in a range of fun patterns. But we found the material to feel a little flimsy, and they also weren’t as airtight as some of the other bags we tested.

Better Homes & Gardens / Carrie Gavit

Food storage bags can be found in several different materials. Most commonly,

The two biggest things to consider when caring for reusable storage bags are how the manufacturer recommends you clean them and what temperatures they can be stored at. Although some reusable storage bags are dishwasher-safe, others need to be hand-washed.

Some, but not all, reusable storage bags are made of materials that are strong enough to be stored in the freezer, while others may also go in the microwave, oven, on a stovetop, or even be used with a sous vide. You should also note whether or not food needs to be fully cooled before being placed into a reusable storage bag.

Ease of cleaning is an important consideration when shopping for reusable storage bags, in part because you’re more likely to use these types of bags over and over again if you can clean them without too much hassle.

A reusable storage bag that can be placed in the top rack of a dishwasher will always be easier to keep clean than one that must be hand-washed, but not all bags are made of dishwasher-safe materials. The size and shape of a storage bag can also impact the ease of cleaning. In some cases, you may need a brush to reach deep crevices.

“I prefer the ones that can go in the dishwasher over the hand wash bags,” says Litman. “I will place the bag over two prongs in the dishwasher so the bag stays open. Then I dry the bag by either using a bottle dryer or standing the bag up between two canisters on my counter.”

In addition to making sure you wash your reusable storage bags thoroughly, you should also ensure they’re fully dry to prevent mold and mildew from growing. If you hand-wash your bags, Goforth recommends hanging them vertically to air-dry. “I’ve discovered the most reliable method is propping them up on maple racks,” she says. “They dry flawlessly every time.”

This depends on the specific bag, including how it’s designed and how durable its material is. For example, if a reusable storage bag isn’t heatproof, you shouldn’t place hot food in it, as this could potentially warp or damage the material. Instead, wait until the food is fully cooled before placing it inside. You’ll also want to be mindful about pouring liquids into a reusable storage bag if it isn’t leakproof.

Reusable storage bags are designed to be used again and again, but some hold up better over time than others. Inexpensive storage bags tend to be flimsier and may tear more easily, or otherwise warp when exposed to hot temperatures.

Treating your bags gently (for example, not packing them too full and following the manufacturer’s care instructions) will help them last longer. And although it can be convenient to put reusable storage bags in the dishwasher, washing them by hand—even if they’re dishwasher-safe—can also extend their lifespan.

Reusable storage bags vary widely in price. The options on this list cost between $1.10 per bag and up to $16.50 per bag. In some cases, the price per bag may be a little lower if you invest in a bigger set.

Although price doesn’t necessarily mean higher quality, you’ll pay more for reusable storage bags made of ultra-durable materials. Higher-priced storage bags tend to be better able to handle very hot or cold temperatures—for example, many of the pricier options on this list are strong enough to be used in the dishwasher, microwave, freezer, and oven, and possibly even on the stovetop or with a sous vide machine.

If you envision yourself using a reusable storage bag in the freezer or microwave, for example, or would prefer to wash it in the dishwasher instead of by hand, you may want to consider spending a bit more.

Kathleen Felton is a freelance writer originally from Connecticut, now living in Sydney, Australia, covering home and lifestyle for Better Homes & Gardens. To compile this list of the best reusable storage bags, Kathleen analyzed lab insights from our testing site in Des Moines, Iowa. She also spoke with Jessica Litman, an organizational expert from The Organized Mama, and Meredith Goforth, a professional organizer and founder of House of Prim.

Next to all of the products on this list, you may have noticed our BHG Recommends seal of approval. Products that earn the seal have been put through rigorous testing to make sure they're worth a spot in your home. We buy most of the products we test ourselves, but occasionally we are provided samples by companies if buying isn't an option. In these cases, we use the same testing criteria we use to test the purchased products.

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