The Strategist Guide to Shopping at Baggu

This smaller version of the classic tote is “possibly better than the original,” according to Strategist senior editor Jen Trolio. It folds down into a four-inch-square pouch and is just the right size for smaller, non-grocery-haul purchases, a bagged lunch, or an extra pair of shoes.

After the reusable bags, the Crescent Bag may be Baggu’s most iconic product. Multiple Strategist staffers own one, I frequently see them on social media and in the wild, and I regularly get compliments on mine from strangers (many of whom arealsocarrying a Crescent Bag). It’s an ideal everyday bag: nice-looking but utilitarian. The ripstop nylon is durable, so you don’t have to be delicate with it. It has a zipper closure, which I think is essential for an everyday bag, and it is oddly capacious for its size — I can easily fit larger items like a book or water bottle alongside my wallet and phone. It also has two internal zip-up pockets for organization.

Baggu’s Crescent Bag is also good for travel: “While the bag looks smart, especially in the black colorway, it’s also low-key enough to avoid the attention of pickpockets,” says Strategist writer Katherine Gillespie in her guide topersonal items for flying. My solid pink Crescent is basic enough to pair with most of my outfits, but in addition to solid colors, it is often released in unique patterns. Baggu also sell Crescent Bags in small and large sizes, but if you have to choose just one, the medium strikes a perfect balance of size and capacity for daily use.

If you want something a little less ubiquitous than the Crescent, Strategist junior writer Bella Druckman recommends the Cargo Shoulder Bag. “I was looking for a cute bag that I didn’t have to worry about setting down when going out with friends or eating a casual dinner out,” Druckman says, adding that it easily fits her phone, wallet, sunglasses case, and keys with room to spare.

If you need to carry more than the Crescent bag can hold, the Zip Duck bag is made of recycled cotton canvas and deep enough to fit a 15-inch MacBook, so it can double as awork bag. It’s especially versatile because it has top handles as well as an adjustable strap that can be worn on the shoulder or crossbody.Elizabeth Tamkin, stylist and content director atKULE, has used this bag for five years and appreciates that it is sturdy and machine washable.

The Cloud Carry-On is one of our top picks for aweekend bag. Gillespie says she is constantly advising friends to buy this bag, “which is almost weightless yet extremely durable and holdsa lotof stuff.” It’s made from recycled heavyweight nylon, a relatively lightweight and thin material that prevents the bag itself from feeling too bulky. Gillespie says it can easily fit three or four packing cubes, along with a laptop. The Cloud Carry-On also has a luggage sleeve, multiple exterior pockets, and a detachable inner zip pouch that can actually store the bag folded up when it’s not in use.

I’m partial, however, to the slightly smaller version of the Cloud Carry-On. It has many of the benefits Gillespie describes for the larger version, but it’s definitely always small enough to fit under an airplane seat. It’s my go-to personal item, but I especially love it for flying personal-item-only, because I can fit more than one outfit, a pair of shoes, toiletries, and other essentials without worrying it won’t meet size requirements. (I can fit one small and two medium Baggu packing cubes in this bag, with a little bit of room to spare; more on the packing cubes below.)

Six Strategist staffers own Baggu’s Puffy Laptop Sleeve; senior writer Liza Corsillo even named hers thebest thing she bought in 2021. The brand’s signature ripstop nylon is quilted into an envelope-ish shape with a Velcro flap, and stuffed with recycled PET fill to add a bit of cushioning. Baggu offers a 13/14-inch sleeve and 16-inch sleeve to accommodate multiple laptop sizes; the 13/14-inch works great for my Macbook Air. And while it won’t offer as much protection as a more rigid case, I’ve been impressed by how well the sleeve has protected my laptop from damage — including small drops — over the past two years.

The Puffy Glasses sleeve is essentially a mini-version of the laptop sleeve. Newsletter editor Ashley Wolfgang swears by it for storing both glassesandher sunglasses, and says they always feel well-protected. Plus, the Puffy Glasses Sleeve is often released in Baggu’s bolder patterns and limited-edition collaboration prints.

Even mini-er is the Puffy Earbuds Case, made from the same materials as the laptop and glasses sleeves, with a small keychain loop. Trolio has used one to hold her AirPods for about three years; the bright floral pattern she has helps her easily distinguish between her AirPods and her husband’s when both of the rounded white cases are lying on the counter, and she added a small carabiner to the outer loop so she can easily clip it to her keys or bag.

Each 3D Zip set comes with a small, medium, and large zippered pouch with a loop on one end. At least one pouch from this set comes with me whenever I travel; I frequently use the medium pouch as a toiletry bag and the smaller one for makeup (though Baggu does also sell an actualdopp kit, which is made from a heavyweight nylon instead of the thinner ripstop nylon used for these pouches). The large one works great as a dust bag for shoes, or even as a packing cube for clothes. While each of these bags has a great capacity for its size, I also love that when empty, they fold completely flat.

Like the 3D Zip set, the Go Pouch set comes with small, medium, and large pouches. They’re made with the heavyweight nylon, so they are thicker and more structured than the 3D Zip set, while still folding flat when empty. I also own a set of Go Pouches and use them nearly everyday. I keep the smallest one in my purse to store lip balms, a travel-size sunscreen, a bottle of ibuprofen, and other items that are easily lost in the bottom of a bag. The medium is my go-to receptacle for odds and ends when traveling — various chargers, prescription medicine bottles, small hairbrushes, etc. (Trolio also uses the medium when traveling, usually to corral her laptop and phone chargers before tossing them in a backpack or tote.) I use the largest one to store my makeup at home, but it could easily fit shoes, a few articles of clothing, or even smaller tech items like headphones or a tablet.

A good picnic blanket is an essential for warm weather and Baggu’s is one of our favorites. Gillespie ranked it as a good, less-expensive option for a puffy blanket compared to the Rumpl (which is about $100) in her guide to thebest picnic blankets. She likes that it protects you from wet ground — no damp butts here — is easy to wipe clean, and has a handle. And in true Baggu fashion, it comes in rotating selection of great patterns.