Friday, September 16, 2011

Snack Bag Review and Giveaway!

 
I haven't done a reusable review in a while, and decided that it was long overdue.  There are so many great reusable products out there, but not always enough real-world opinions about them to help you choose the right ones for your family. I had the opportunity to try out a set of snack bags from reuseit.com on a recent trip to Firefly Play Cafe. The night before, I loaded them up with a variety of different snacks, but didn't go for anything goopy or wet this time. The large bag was filled with Tings, one smaller bag had raisins and dried apples, and the other small bag was filled with 4 clementines.


My thoughts? I love them! 
They are made out of a double layer of heavyweight nylon fabric, without any BPA, lead, or phthalates. I've never been comfortable with laminated snack bags since I could never find a definitive answer about the safety of PUL when it's in contact with food. This seems to be a great compromise. It's still a man-made material, but I haven't seen anything yet that makes me overly wary of nylon, and since our lunch bags are already full of stainless steel and glass, it's nice to have a lighter option for snacks.
 
The bags were easy for the kids to open and close without spilling the contents, which has been a problem with some of our other containers. They were super easy to clean (turn them inside out and toss them into the washing machine!). I haven't tried it yet, but I'm wondering if they'd do ok in the dishwasher. 
Our snacks also stayed nice and fresh. I specifically packed the Tings to see if they'd be stale the next day. The top of the bag folds down and is held in place when the velcro is fastened, which creates enough of a seal that the Tings were still crunchy and perfect when we opened them, and the dried apples didn't get tough. I probably wouldn't leave anything it there longer than overnight and expect it to stay fresh, but that's long enough for me to pack lunch and snacks for the next days adventures.
It was also nice that after our snacks were finished, the Snack and Sandwich bags pack down flat, making our bag much less bulky and cumbersome to carry at the end of the day.


Giveaway Time!!
 Reuseit.com has offered to send one Bootie Baby Blog reader a Sandwich and Snack bag set of their very own, in the color they like best!
I'm not going to make you jump through a bunch of hoops to enter, but I am going to ask a favor. Please take a moment to subscribe to Bootie Baby Blog, then go visit Reuseit.com, browse through their house brand of reusable products, and leave a comment telling me which one you'd like to see reviewed next. 
I'll choose a winner in one week, on September 23rd, using a random number generator.
Don't forget that I'll need a way to contact you if you're the winner :)


19 comments:

Eliza said...

Would like to see some of the lunch bags reviewed. I need something a big bigger than my bag I got through my work. I can fit two of our lunch containers but nothing else.

Kellie said...

I've always wondered about the safety of the laminated bags.

This looks like a better option!

Beth said...

Would like to see the zipper top insulated lunch bag (large) reviewed! I rely on cheap giveaways but of course they fall apart.

Sara said...

I would love to see a review of the "I'm not a paper bag" lunch bags.

Kendra said...

Oooh, if you could get your hands on the Reusable Disposable plates and utensils... I'd love to know how well they hold up with littles!

xmama4 said...

Lunch bags here too, particularly the Large Insulated Zipper-Top Lunch Bag.

boyzrule said...

gfc as boyzrule and i'd like to see you review the reuseit produce and snack bag in organic cotton net

dmoretti1967 at yahoo dot com

Heather said...

I keep meaning to sew some of these, two in school now and I need more lunchbox stuff than I thought. Just not enough time!

Jenise said...

I'd love a review of the insulated lunch bag, esp how easy it is to clean!

CE said...

Those look nice. They look like they would hold up really well.

Rachel said...

I've stayed away from the PUL bags, too, and would love a reusable option that isn't heavy or bulky! I think it would be fun to see a review of the reusable grocery bags! I love the fun variety of colors!

Anonymous said...

I would be interested in seeing how well the produce bags hold uP after a few uses and washings. Thanks!

Linda Johnson Studio said...

I'd like to see a review of the net produce bags. Including how well accepted they are at the grocery store ; )

Candy said...

I think the "I am not a..." set is adorable. I'd love to know about the size of the lunch bag and how much it holds. The "I am not a paper towel" napkins that come with it make me smile.

Daisymomto4 said...

I'd love to see a review of the insulated lunch bags. :)

Vanessa Prentice said...

Wow - the Skoy paper towel replacements look like a really good idea. It's the one paper product I still use in my kitchen - other than coffee filters, lol.

Rave said...

I'd like to see either one of the insulated lunch bags or the biodegradable garbage bags. I've contemplated going linerless in the kitchen but those garbage bags might be a good compromise.

sarah said...

thanks for offering this, karma! i would also be interested in learning more about the produce bags...

karmama said...

Thanks for entering the giveaway and for all the great suggestions for future reviews!
Comments are now closed, and a winner has been chosen (yay!!). Look for the update post in a few.

Rachel! I posted a review of a great set of (super colorful) grocery bags last year. You can find in the blog archives under August 2010. It's the Extra Cute Reusable Review :)