Not all food storage bags are created equally, so we’ve created a guide to help you decide which to buy and which to avoid. They all have subtle differences. Even within the better brands, you might find something that appeals to you more than the others.
Not every company is forthcoming with information about what its bags are made from. So, you might want to gravitate towards ones that are transparent about the material and quality of the bags. Food storage bags come at different price points, with name brands and ones with special qualities often costing more. However, almost no brand is without a few negative reviews since occasional faulty bags make it through the inspection process. Yet, we know you want to avoid the ones that have a high percentage of bad reviews. As companies have perfected their products, there are fewer and fewer bad bags on the market, but there are still ones you’ll want to avoid.
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Buy: 365 Food Storage Bags
365 Freezer Bags Gallon Size – 365 Whole Foods Market
Whole Foods and Amazon own the 365 brand of storage bags. 365 is a strong choice if you’re concerned about storing food in plastics because of the chemicals they may contain. It offers snack, sandwich, quart, and gallon bags with double zippers. The offerings include both storage and freezer bags (and yes, you should use freezer bags for the freezer) that range from $0.06 to $0.19 per bag.
The back of the box explains that these bags are made completely of polyethylene, specifically avoiding certain chemicals. One chemical it doesn’t use is polyvinyl chloride (PVC), which was banned from children’s toys in the U.S. in 2008. Additionally, it doesn’t use phthalates, which are restricted in several countries. Another chemical that you won’t find in 365 plastic bags is bisphenol-A (BPA), which several European countries want to ban in food packaging.
Amazon reviewers give 365 food storage bags high ratings, saying they work great. One reviewer even reported dropping several frozen ones with no bag destruction. While some reviewers find them thin, challenging to close, or not as reusable as others, the majority of the reviews are positive.
Buy: Amazon Basics Food Storage Bags
Amazon Basics Reclosable Snack Bags – Amazon Basics
Part of Amazon’s Amazon Basics lineup includes food storage bags. These include snack, sandwich, quart, and gallon food storage bags, with options for freezer storage bags and bags closable with zippers or sliders. Amazon Basics bags cost between $0.03 and $0.10 per bag.
Customers find Amazon Basics food storage bags to be durable, have a nice thickness, and provide good zipper seals. One customer even mentioned that they’ve never had problems with freezer burn even with ones not made for the freezer. Their thickness likely contributes to their durability in the freezer. The freezer version has a stand-and-fill bottom, making filling it easier.
Despite one of the strongest points for these bags being how well the zipper seals, some of the negatives relate to sealing difficulties. While there may occasionally be some inconsistencies in production quality, it doesn’t seem to be the norm among tens of thousands of reviews. However, it’s not recommended to microwave them or fill them with liquids.
Buy: Cleanwrap Food Storage Bags
Cleanwrap Clean Zipper Bag – Cleanwrap
Cleanwrap is a Korean brand of food storage bags that has been around since 1983. The company was the first company in the world to make its products with linear low-density polyethylene (LLD-PE), which is a food-grade, non-toxic plastic. LLD-PE specifically doesn’t contain the often-banned chemicals we’ve mentioned, like BPA or phthalates.
Cleanwrap sells food bags by the roll (like plastic produce bags), zipper bags, and kimchi-making bags. The bags range in price on Amazon from $0.04 per bag for the non-zipper bags on a roll to $0.24 per bag. They don’t come in standard sizes like quarts and gallons but are measured by the centimeter. Something else that the zipper bags claim is that they can handle extreme temperatures — as low as -76 degrees Fahrenheit to as high as 230 degrees Fahrenheit.
A small handful of Amazon reviewers weren’t impressed with the bags by the roll because of their thinness. However, those were rare exceptions to all the positive reviews about both types of Cleanwrap food storage bags, which most people found to be plenty sturdy and durable.
Avoid: Dealworthy
Dealworthy Fold-Top Sandwich Bags – Dealworthy
While Target’s Dealworthy discount brand is still supposed to be high-quality, its food storage bags haven’t had strong reviews. They’re definitely cheap at $0.01 to $0.15 per bag, but we think they’re best to avoid.
The back of the box gives you three important pieces of information. First of all, they’re made of polyethylene (an ingredient it mentions as never containing BPA). Secondly, you shouldn’t use them to store liquids or warm food in the microwave. And, finally, the bags are made in China. The notoriously lax manufacturing regulations in China make some consumers nervous. While they’re thin, they seem to work just fine for most people.
However, it’s the negative reviews for this brand that have us thinking they’re best to avoid. The majority of the negative reviews for the zipper bags are about the strong, unpleasant odor of the bags. One reviewer said they smelled like petroleum. This trait makes us feel as if they’re not a good brand to recommend.
Buy: FoodSaver Food Storage Bags
FoodSaver Heavy Duty Quart Vacuum Seal Bags – FoodSaver
FoodSaver food storage bags are made to use with a vacuum seal machine. They’re made of polyethylene and nylon and are BPA-free. However, you can only use them with FoodSaver-brand vacuum seal machines because they’re temperature-specific. They’re fairly expensive, with the price on the brand’s website showing that they range from $0.42 to $1.29 per bag or $7.50 per individual roll. However, they’re resealable, reusable, and fairly thick (3 millimeters on the smooth side and 11.5 millimeters on the textured side).
Despite their high price, these bags have exceptional reviews. Because they’re so thick and close with a vacuum sealer, they help prevent freezer burn. The gallon-sized ones have a gusset on the bottom that helps the bags stand upright while filling. Plus, reviewers say they’re reusable if you wash them with warm soapy water. Just be aware that the seal in the pre-sized version doesn’t seem to hold for as many uses as the version that comes on a roll. Customers rate the uncut version that comes on a roll even higher. An advantage to the roll is that you can cut bags to the exact size needed. Customers say the FoodSaver brand holds a seal better than off-brand vacuum seal bags.
The majority of the reviews from Walmart are stellar. However, some people have had difficulty with the zipper seal version staying sealed or being able to get enough air out of the bags.
Buy: Glad Food Storage Bags
Glad 2-In-1 Freezer Storage Quart Zipper Bags – Glad
Glad is known for its trash bags and food storage bags. For food storage, you can choose from fold-top or zipper storage bags. You can also choose from regular food storage bags, freezer bags, or the kind that work for both purposes (its 2-In-1 line). Glad also has a unique bag called a Flex’N Seal that stretches to fit larger or strangely shaped items. The ones at Walmart range from $0.09 to $0.41 per bag.
All Glad food storage bags are safe for both the freezer and the microwave. Not only are they phthalate- and BPA-free, but they’re also free of polycarbonates — a chemical banned in the EU for infant and toddler products.
The majority of Glad food storage bag reviews from Walmart are extremely high. Reviewers say they work well and are easy to close. For those curious about the Flex’N Seal ones, reviewers say that they’re strong even though they have stretch. The only negative reviews seem to be about ones with clear production errors.
Buy: Great Value Food Storage Bags
Great Value Sandwich Bags – Great Value
The store brand of food storage bags you’ll find at Walmart are Great Value brand. There are a wide range of choices. They come in snack, sandwich, quart, ½-gallon, gallon, and 2-gallon sizes as well as fold top, double zipper, slider zipper, and twist-tie closures. There are ones for both regular storage or the freezer. The prices are extremely cheap, ranging from $0.02 to $0.16 per bag.
While all Great Value food storage bags have excellent reviews, the standout, with tens of thousands of five-star reviews, is Great Value’s gallon freezer bags. Customers like that they’re easy to close and that you can stand the gallon-sized ones up to fill them. Customers really like the double zippers on some bags, because it gives an extra layer of closure protection. They’re close enough to name-brand quality and have such a good price point that customers don’t mind buying the off-brand.
There are a handful of negative reviews among the thousands of good reviews. However, they seem to be related to manufacturing anomalies. A few very recent reviews have mentioned a bad smell. So, this may be a brand to watch for quality in the future.
Buy: Hefty Food Storage Bags
Hefty Freezer Slider Quart bags – Hefty
Hefty has been a popular name-brand for food storage bags for years. Its bags come in a wide variety of sizes, including sandwich, XL sandwich, quart, ½-gallon, gallon, and 2½ gallons. You can opt for press-to-close bags or zipper bags. Plus, there are freezer options in addition to standard storage bags. The cost ranges from $0.03 per bag to $0.35 per bag.
While Hefty is committed to ethical sourcing and sustainability, it doesn’t say anything about what its bags are made from. However, they do have exceptional reviews. Most ratings for Hefty food storage bags on the Walmart website are five stars. True to their name, they tend to be strong bags. Plus, they’re thick (especially the stand-and-fill freezer bags). Reviewers say that even the zipper ones hold liquid without spilling. Something else that customers appreciate is the space for writing info on the bags.
The quality of these bags is so good that the negative reviews seem to almost entirely be about delivery problems rather than problems with the bags themselves. So, if you’re looking for bags that work as they should, these should fit your needs quite well.
Avoid: Inteplast Group Food Storage Bags
Inteplast Group Poly Food Bags – Inteplast Group
If you’re buying food storage bags in bulk, you might be tempted to order ones from Inteplast Group. However, they don’t have the greatest reviews. The company sells gusseted poly bags, bread and bakery bags, sandwich bags, portion control bags, and reclosable bags for food. The reclosable zipper ones come in sandwich, quart, gallon, and 2-gallon sizes. Plus, it has freezer versions in addition to regular storage bags. Even though the ones you can buy through Walmart range from less than $0.01 to $0.04 per bag, we don’t think you’re getting a bargain if they end up not working.
The company advertises all its bags as being FDA-approved. Its gusseted poly bags and bread and bakery bags are made from LLD-PE, which we previously mentioned as being non-toxic.
Most of the negative reviews relate to not getting what the description of the bags advertises. Customers expecting a pinch-and-seal zipper said that’s not what they got. Pictures indicate that there’s a white area for labeling the bag, but they also came without this feature. They’re thin and not as strong and sturdy as customers expected. Customers also complain about the bags being smaller than advertised. For example, a bag advertised as being 8 inches long was really only 7 inches long. Even the fold-top bags have negative reviews for being flimsy, thin, and having fold tops that don’t work as expected.
Avoid: Matter Compostable Food Storage Bags
Matter Compostable Snack Bags – Matter
Matter’s mission involves using plant-based compostable products to help protect the environment. While it’s an excellent aspiration, the company’s storage bags still seem to need a little work when it comes to their quality. It has compostable snack, sandwich, quart, and gallon food bags. Some are even freezer-safe. At $0.12 to $0.27 at Target, even the smaller ones are on the expensive side.
If you’ve ever experienced compostable food bags before, you probably are expecting a soft bag, which is true for this brand. Unfortunately, reviewers say that they tend to rip when opening them if you can open them at all. A tight seal is a great thing until you have to resort to ripping or cutting your bag to get it open. So, if you plan to nibble out of a snack bag and reclose it multiple times before you’re done, you’re out of luck. One customer even reported that the bags started to decompose in the box before they could use them. However, without an expiration date on the box, it’s impossible to know how old the ones you purchase are.
A few people report having no trouble opening and closing the bags, but the majority aren’t happy. While there is some indication that the bags have improved over time, the negative reviews persist. When around 40% of reviewers are giving one or two stars for some products, it’s a brand you will probably want to avoid.
Buy: Responsible Compostable Food Storage Bags
Responsible Resealable Zip Food Bags box – Responsible
On the flip side, Responsible compostable food storage bags are ones you’ll likely not regret buying. The company sells snack, sandwich, quart, and gallon sizes in compostable, resealable zip bags. You can even buy multiple-size bundles. They are pricey, with the ones on Amazon costing $0.32 to $0.93 per bag.
Interestingly, these compostable bags are not only made from plants, but they’re tree-free. Instead, they’re made from cellulose and plant matter like sugarcane, bamboo, and corn. The company believes in its products enough to promise a 110% refund of the price you paid for them if you don’t like them.
Reviewers find them to be sturdy and easy to zip. Some report that, even without the bags being labeled as freezer bags, they work in the freezer just fine. Plus, they’re easy to wash and reuse and don’t leave behind a plastic smell. While there are a few random negative reviews, they’re mainly positive. However, it’s important to note that some are disappointed to find out that the bags are made in China.
Buy: Smelly Proof Food Storage Bags
Smelly Proof food storage bags – Smelly Proof
Smelly Proof bags are reusable food storage bags that are flexible and smell-proof. They’re available in mini, snack, sandwich, quart, pocket, gallon, and 2-gallon sizes. Not only can you buy clear ones, but there’s also a black option. They’re both dishwasher and freezer safe. The ones you can get at Amazon cost between $1.44 and $3.39 per bag. So, they’re definitely expensive, but being reusable means you can get more usage from them than the average plastic food storage bag if you wash them.
Smelly Proof bags are made from polyethylene and nylon, making them free of some of the ingredients we’ve mentioned as being banned in some countries, like BPA and phthalates. Plus, they don’t contain latex or silicon.
Reviewers found them to be plenty thick and also very sturdy. Lots of people have used them for keeping animals out of their food while hiking and camping, with the bonus of being able to pack out their waste in them, too. Although there have been some reports of them not being completely smell-proof, others swear that the trick is to wipe down the outside with alcohol to make sure the food odor isn’t on the outside. They’re also not infinitely usable since reviewers report the zipper failing after about 20 uses, but they’re still better for the environment than one-use bags.
Buy: Up & Up Food Storage Bags
Up & Up Drawer Organizer Variety Pack – Up & Up
Up & Up is another of Target’s store brands. However, Up & Up doesn’t advertise itself as being as deeply discounted as its Dealworthy brand. You can find snack, sandwich, quart, gallon, and 2-gallon sizes of Up & Up food storage bags. There are both zipper and slider options. Not only does it have regular and freezer bag options, but there are also colored and reusable choices. The prices range from $0.04 to $0.20 per bag.
Up & Up food storage bags are made from polyethylene, which don’t contain BPA. Reviewers find them to be durable, strong, and nearly as good as pricier name brand options. Customers also say that the freezer bags are plenty thick and prevent freezer burn.
Customers have encountered a few faulty batches that won’t zip or that tear near the slider. However, that seems to be a tiny exception rather than the rule.
Buy: Ziploc Food Storage Bags
Ziploc Freezer Gallon Slider bags – Ziploc
Ziploc brand food storage bags are so popular you’ve probably heard zip-to-close bags called “ziplocs” as a generic term. And they’re still a great brand to buy. The brand carries snack, sandwich, XL sandwich, pint, quart, ½-gallon, gallon, and 2-gallon sizes. It also has stay-open bags for easy filling. The closure types include Grip ‘n Seal zipper closures and sliders. The offerings include marinade, freezer, and regular storage bags. At Walmart, Ziploc bags range from $0.04 to $0.20. So, they’re affordable even though they’re a name brand.
Reviewers commented about liking the extra texture outside the zipper closures to help with closing the bag. However, many still prefer the slider variety since they’re less of a challenge to use for those with hand mobility issues. Customers are impressed with the lack of freezer burn when using the freezer bags. Some Ziploc bags are even reusable.
There are some negative reviews, but they’re not consistent or constant. There do seem to occasionally be some defective ones that make it out of the factory, but that seems like a very small percentage.
Methodology
corn in a zipper storage bag – Skhoward/Getty Images
To rate food storage bags as worthy of buying or avoiding, we mainly looked at customer reviews. The ones with a larger percentage of negative reviews are the ones we think you should avoid. While price and various options like size and zipper type might be important on an individual level, we didn’t feel that should factor into our decision. We were also unable to make a fair assessment of the chemical content of the bags since only a few are transparent about their plastic composition. However, if the majority of negative reviews related to a strong plastic smell, we found that concerning.
Read the original article on Mashed.
