I own both the Bumkins snack bag and the Itzy Ritzy Reusable Snack Bag, Urban Jungle Blue.
Here's my review of the Itzy Ritzy: http://www.amazon.com/review/R3NN1E99D5C4HM
I like the Bumkins bag a lot better because:
1. it's MUCH easier to thoroughly wash and dry on a day-to-day basis. This is the same material as the super awesome Bumkins Waterproof Super Bib, Guppies. It doesn't hold stains and dries in a jiffy. This makes it very practical to use every day which is key for busy moms. Itzy Ritzy was a lot more difficult to keep clean.
and
2. way cheaper than Itzy Ritzy
Both have zippers, which I prefer to the velcro.
The prints are loud and colorful. Some adults may find them garrish. My kid loves the Dr. Seuss pattern. I personally would be fine taking this in my own lunch to work. Sure, it's a kid's print, but who cares. It's a sack lunch snack bag. If someone at work is going to make fun of you for having a Dr. Seuss snack bag, they need to seriously grow up.
It's NOT waterproof, but will hold moist things fine. You probably don't want to put anything super juicy in it.
I now have the Bumpkins Snack Bagsm, the Itzy Ritzy Reusable Snack Bags, the ReUsies, and the ReSnackit bags. Of the four, I like the Bumpkins and the Itzy Ritzy ones best. Both of those have a zipper to close; the ReUsies and the ReSnackIt have a velcro closing. I find the zippers keep the food better (and you don't have to worry about crumbs spilling out). I think that the zipper on the Bumpkins seems a bit cheaper than the Itzy Ritzy ones, but it may just be because the material itself is all plastic rather than the cloth material outside, so the zipper seems to pull more.
For cleaning, I have to go with the Bumpkins bags, They are very easy to clean and dry quickly. Because they are all plastic, you can dry them off. The Itzy Ritzy, because they have the cloth outside, take longer to dry after being washed. However, I'd often throw the Itzy Ritzy ones in the clothes washer, and I don't feel comfortable doing that with the Bumpkins ones. Just something about the thought of the plastic in the washer. Though I did note and confirm that they are BPA free. (I definitely don't want to put my food in a BPA bag.)
The sandwich bag size is the perfect size for snacks. As other people have noted, the designs seem a bit childish. I'm still a fan but they are definitely noticeable at work. It's good for more than just food. I bought two of the sandwich bags, and the 2 pack of small snack bags, and I've also found that they are good for tossing in diaper cream and other stuff that can leak but you need to carry around in your diaper bag or elsewhere. That way if it leaks, it's contained.
Buy Bumkins Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bag Now
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I have been waffling for over a year on trying out some of these re-usable bags for my kid's snacks. Now that I have it, I realize how many things it's really not good for. Crackers or pretzels can and will be smashed in my purse or my son's lunch bag. Cheese or meat sandwiches are out of the question unless you have enough bags to use a fresh one every day. Berries are an obvious no-go. After agonizing half the summer last year about what nifty things to buy to pack my son's lunches in this year I finally just used the hard plastic containers with flip up lids we have been using for years (from that big Swedish store) and that is what I will stick with. This bag will get some use packing the kids' toothbrushes and toothpaste when we travel, but not for food.
Read Best Reviews of Bumkins Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bag Here
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program I personally reuse plastic bags of all types over and over and over again. They wash easily, dry by draping them over a cup or glass, and don't wear out for a very long time (eventually holes will manage to show up in them, causing them to leak). They don't leak (until they get holes in them), and you can see what is inside them. A ziplock bag can close itself, but the one big advantage of this product is a decent zipper, which works even better than a ziplock.
As a replacement for a plastic bag, especially a ziplock plastic bag, what does this provide?
1. Waterproof--1 star. It is not waterproof. It is only good for dry products.
2. Easy to clean and dry--2 stars. It is not very easy to clean, hard to dry effectively, and it retains odors.
3. Visibility of contents--1 star.
4. Self-sealing capability--5 stars.
The only thing this bag might be good for is to hold a sandwich which is put inside a lunchbox. Or it might hold some carrot sticks. It won't keep the item inside it cold, so anything that needs to be refrigerated, such as a meat or cheese or fish sandwich, will need to be placed in an insulated lunch box with some "blue ice." (By the way, a tuna sandwich would probably end up making the bag unusably smelly afterwards.)
I don't eat many sandwiches, and I only occasionally carry around carrot sticks, so this bag is rather a bust for my own purposes.
Want Bumkins Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bag Discount?
Customer review from the Amazon Vine Program These Bumkins Reusable Sandwich and Snack Bags are quite cute in bright blue with pictures of the Cat in the Hat and Thing 1 and Thing 2. I really love the idea of reusable bags, although as a busy person I have to admit that convenience takes precedence. Obviously, these bags are made primarily for children, but even though I'm an adult I often take peanut butter sandwiches to work. So I thought these bags might work well for my needs. The bag is a good size for sandwiches large enough to hold typical or slightly over-large sandwich bread. You could also use it for various snacks, like pretzels, chips, granola, or fruit. I use mine for sandwiches, but it is water-proof, so I tested it by pouring a bit of water into it. The material held the water perfectly, even over time, although it did leak (at the point where the zipper meets the side) when I turned it upside down.
The instructions indicate that it should be washed in warm water and tumble dry low or hang to dry. All of my laundry loads use hot water and high heat, so this does not work for me. I tried washing it in my regular loads of laundry (hot water, high dryer heat), and it held up fine. These bags do everything they should do, and I think they'd work well for large families who take lunches every day. For me, they ended up being a bit inconvenient.
It frees up some counter space and organizes our jars of baby food well. it is well worth the price.
