Bags & Backpacks

Tote bags, backpacks and crossbody bags compared

A tote bag has two handles and is usually open at the top, so it is quick to fill and easy to carry on the shoulder. It is the classic reusable shopping bag, and a soft one folds away to live in a coat pocket or the boot of the car.

A backpack spreads its load across two shoulder straps, which suits a long walk or a day out on foot. A crossbody bag has one long strap worn across the body, so your hands stay free and your phone and keys stay close.

Picking a bag by what you carry and where you go

Start with what you carry on a normal day. A phone, keys and a card holder need only a small crossbody bag, and a few of our bags are mini ones for days when you carry even less. Add a water bottle, a book and a packed lunch and you need a backpack or a roomy tote.

Then think about where the bag goes. A crossbody bag suits a busy day in town, a backpack suits the park and the school run, and a tote suits the shop and the office. Colour is a matter of taste, though a darker shade hides the scuffs of daily use, and a few of ours come in blue.

Choosing a kids backpack for the school run

Some of our bags are for children, and a few suit back to school. When you choose a kids backpack, measure your child from shoulders to waist and compare that with the bag's height: the bag should sit between the two, not hang low. Straps that adjust let you refit it as your child grows, and wearing it over two shoulders spreads the weight evenly.

Pack the heaviest things closest to the back, and write a name inside to save a trip to the lost property box. Some of our bags wipe clean, which helps with spilt drinks and muddy fingerprints.

What our bags are made from

Some of ours are polyester and some are plastic, and among them you will also find nylon, cotton and a few that use metal. As a material, polyester keeps its shape, resists creasing and dries quickly after a shower of rain. Nylon is light and strong for its weight, which is why it is a common choice for backpacks.

Cotton is soft, folds small and takes a print well, and it is a favourite for tote bags. A plastic surface wipes down with a damp cloth. Some of ours are made with recycled materials, which gives waste material a second life.

Giving a bag as a present

A bag is an easy present to get right, because it is useful from the day it is unwrapped. Some of ours make a gift for her, some would please a child, and a few suit Christmas.

A tote can carry the rest of the gift, too: fill one with a book, a candle and a few treats and the bag becomes part of the present, with no paper to throw away. For a child, a pencil case tucked inside a backpack makes a second surprise.

Wiping, washing and storing your bag

Check the care label first, since a bag's materials decide how it can be cleaned. For the wipe-clean bags among ours, a soft cloth, warm water and a drop of washing-up liquid should lift day-to-day marks, and polyester and nylon can usually be sponged the same way. Let a bag dry naturally, away from a radiator.

Cotton can often be washed by hand or on a cool cycle, but heat can shrink it, so skip the tumble dryer. Dry any metal parts straight after cleaning. Between uses, empty the bag, fill it loosely with paper to hold its shape and keep it out of strong sunlight, which can fade colour. A basket by the door keeps your shopping bags together.