A Better Bag Made A Better Way
April 21st, 2008
In theory, we should like grocery shopping - all those choices, pretty produce, guilty pleasure gossip mags, in one place. Yet, between the too many people, bothersome easy listening that is being piped in, and the disturbing amount of plastic being needlessly used up and discarded…we get a little depressed.
Now, maybe we can’t stop them from playing Kenny G and we can’t make everyone disappear when we enter the store, but we can start a little revolution of our own against all the plastic. Now reusable grocery bags aren’t anything new; canvas totes and various polyester bags have been a around for awhile, giving people a Earth-friendly choice instead of those paper thin plastic bags offered for free at check out.
But what we’ve often wondered is how come these bags haven’t been perfected? The canvas totes don’t hold much and tend to be a little too granola for our tastes, and the other poly bags just don’t seemed to be shaped right to hope the optimum amount of groceries. The shape is too slack or the handles are too short – inevitably there is a shortcoming to all.
Well, that is until we discovered RuMe. With their super-cute name that stands for Reuse Me to their even more adorable patterns that run the gamut from Hamptons Chic to Ultra-Modern Classics, RuMe had us at first sight. Yet, as we mentioned we wanted the perfect bag, aesthetically pleasing and the height of utility. Utility is where RuMe really got us hooked, big enough to hold a five gallon container of water, but structured enough to hold just a few items and not crumple up in the back seat, these bags are tops!!
So make some room for RuMe in your purse, your car, a kitchen drawer, or anywhere else you need help carrying anything in a jiff!
About RuMe Bags:
Affordable, stylish RuMe Bags are designed for daily use – and ReUse – in any situation:
- Grocery or mall shopping; as a gym, sports, diaper or beach bag; for après ski, picnics or overnighters; for laundry, farmer’s markets, work or as ReUseable gift bags.
- The comfortable handle is sized to carry over any shoulder – male or female – even while wearing a bulky winter coat!
RuMe Bags are designed and packaged following a no-waste philosophy – there’s no superfluous pouch or packaging. Up to three RuMe Bags can be rolled and tied together for simple, compact carrying and storage. RuMe Bags are small enough to fit in a purse or glove compartment – the patent pending enclosure system enables three bags to roll up to about the size of your cup of coffee.
RuMe Bags are made from 180 denier polyester, with water-resistant coating; the innovative box stitch design offers a structured environment for loading goods, while maintaining a flexible space for over-sized, bulky items.
By incorporating RuMe Bags into our everyday lives, we can do our part in reducing the estimated:
• 17 billion gallons of oil used annually to produce plastic bags
• 100 billion plastic bags Americans throw away after a single use
• And save more than a million birds and 100,000 marine mammals and sea turtles that die every year from eating or getting entangled in plastic
Why This Gets The Delight Seal of Approval:
We tested many to bring you one Delightful Must-Have today…
- RuMe Reusable Grocery Bags in Spring in New York
- RuMe’s come in sets of 3: choose a set of 3 paterns or 3 plain colors - or all 6 for $54.50
- Patterns are printed on ALL sides!
- Individual bag size 15.5” x 15.5” x 4”
- Handles are 11.5” long
- Three bags roll up to 6” x 2” x 3”
- Each bag holds more than 50lbs
- Double stitched seams means bags are extra sturdy for heavy loads
- Square sides and bottom
- Water resistant/machine washable
- Made in a South Korean Fair Trade Factory
- $7.95 Flat Rate Shipping - no matter how much you buy!
- Gorgeous gift wrapping available
- WE NOW SHIP TO CANADA AND THE UK!! Just place your order through our shopping cart, and we’ll ship your products ASAP!
- Can’t decide what to get? Get a gift certificate! It’s the perfect present for picky friends.
- We are SO much more than shopping. Discover even more delights that won’t cost you a penny in the Also Delightful section of our blog.
Discuss this item (34 comments)
“The design of these reusable bags is about the best I've seen. They are deceiving how much they hold, and I love the long shoulder straps.”
Varien
April 21st, 2008 at 10:13 am
How do these compare to the Envirosax bags?
April 21st, 2008 at 10:32 am
Jenny - here are some details about RuMe Bags:
- Patterns are printed on ALL sides!
- Individual bag size 15.5” x 15.5” x 4”
- Handles are 11.5” long
- Three bags roll up to 6” x 2” x 3”
- Each bag holds more than 50lbs
- Double stitched seams means bags are extra sturdy for heavy loads
- Square sides and bottom
- Water resistant/machine washable
- Made in a South Korean Fair Trade Factory
April 21st, 2008 at 11:55 am
These bags are fantastic! Plus, the company really cares about how and by whom they are made.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:57 am
These bags look great. I haven’t seen a boxed-stitch reusable bag like this before. The fact that I can buy a product not made in China is also very appealing.
April 21st, 2008 at 1:47 pm
these look cool. I have, I think, almost every reusable bag on the market so I’m excited about a new one…this could be perfect for gifts.
April 21st, 2008 at 9:14 pm
These are such cute bags!!! I can’t wait to get one
April 21st, 2008 at 10:43 pm
How are these bags so different from Envirosax? I checked out the companies website and it looks like just another large corporate company out to make money. The site states that a percentage of its profits goes to the environment, but falls short on more info. South Korea still has human rights abuses happening, hundreds are brought before the UN every year.
Happyhippy
April 21st, 2008 at 11:25 pm
I love the bags but you don’t send to my country.
April 21st, 2008 at 11:46 pm
Deborah - what country are you in? We now ship to Canada and the UK - but if you email us with your info, we’re always willing to make something work for our international customers.
April 22nd, 2008 at 4:53 am
Julie,
Thanks for the great question. RuMe is like no other bag on the market today. We didn’t want to make just another bag; we wanted to make a better bag, in a better way.
That’s why we didn’t go to China to have our bags made like so many other companies, but instead partnered with a South Korean factory that belongs to the Korea Fair Trade Commission. We’ve been to the factory and seen the working conditions.
As a member of the KFTC, employees earn a fair, living wage (2007 per capita GDP of South Korea is estimated at USD $24,600 per year by the CIA Fact Book); employees have ample meal breaks, are not obligated to work overtime without proper compensation and may unionize if they choose; the factory is modern, clean, well lit and has emergency protocols in place.
Secondly, the bag itself is better than any other on today’s market, and answers a need we felt hadn’t been filled. It’s bigger, has a longer handle (11.5″), is made from 180 denier polyester and can hold more than 50lbs.
And most appealing is the boxed-stitched bottom and the fact that our patters are printed in all sides.
There are lots of choices for consumers today when it comes to reusable bags - and that’s great! We hope you take a test drive of our RuMe Bags and see for yourself.
April 22nd, 2008 at 6:11 am
Wow!!! I’m really impressed! Gorgeous!
April 22nd, 2008 at 1:02 pm
Finally - a reusable bag I actually WANT to buy! I splurged in the name of Earth Day and bought both the NY and Silicon sets. Well done Delight!
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:33 am
I am a Texas snowbird. We were shocked at the litter of plastic bag in Mission, Texas. We stay at a park that have senior citizens. We are a small park and I have been asked to help with activities for the next year. I would love to have a recycle day where we learn how to make things from recycled items. I am looking for a pattern for recycle bags. I loved your bags but need a pattern do you sell patterns.. Senior citizens need activities they can do to keep busy but budgets are small and we need activities that we can o that help with the budget. Thank you Peggy
April 25th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Wow you guys ship fast! I just got my set of 3 bags and I am sad I didn’t order more! These bags are wonderful! So bright and pretty and I love the shape! I am hooked!
April 26th, 2008 at 5:47 pm
I have been waiting for something like these! I had to comment negatively on the envirosax a few months ago, I was so disappointed by the reality in the face of all the hype, but I felt ganged up on. The ones I got were larger than I expected and floppy and unstructured, and if you don’t fill to capacity, they don’t look very nice. Only printed on one side: cheap. Doesn’t fit over the shoulder. I didn’t buy them at this site, but I did have to send them back — and even that was kind of a hassle. I have seen similar bags other people use from other makers with the same issues, and in the meantime have been wearing out my $1 cheapo supermarket reusables. Even one of them tore at the seam the 2nd time I used it, so no more reusable than a plastic bag after all. A canvas bag beats them all so far.
I hope to see more positive* reviews of this RuMe bag, because they seem to have a good idea what kind of bag to make for the way I shop, at least the features I am looking for in structure for the times I don’t need to buy enough to stuff the bag full, and still look nice, and continuity of design throughout (and nothing loud! even better), not just affordable and strong.
*I know this is a commercial site, but honest opinions of the products as used are appreciated for consumer decisions (at least mine).
kara
April 27th, 2008 at 5:33 pm
i got my bags in the mail the other day and haven’t stopped using them. they are so great for pretty much anything you put in them, really sturdy. i have already gotten compliments on them and i have only had them for about 3 days. now to address my shopping problem…
April 28th, 2008 at 12:53 pm
I just got my three sets and was going to give two away as gifts. After using the one set I decided to keep them all (one for my car, one set at work, one set for the hubby) and reorder more as gifts. They look great and I love the look on the cashier’s face when I whip them out. Plus I feel SO good about taking this little but important step.
April 29th, 2008 at 6:53 am
I used my RuMe’s at the grocery store and I love them. For a $$$ grocery bill, I used the 3 bags and only 2 plastic Jewel bags. What I love the most is only having to carry 3 bags instead of 20 little loads. I love them!
April 30th, 2008 at 1:41 pm
These bags are fantastic! I got my first set last week and have not stopped using them. I have been amazed how much they fit and love that they fit over my shoulder. It makes bringing in the groceries so much easier. My favorite part about these bags is how small they get when folded up. It is so easy to store all three in my car and have ready to use whenever I need them. Well done!
May 3rd, 2008 at 5:36 am
Out of stock! Will you be getting more? I want to order bunches to use as gifts.
May 3rd, 2008 at 7:43 am
OMG Delight! These bags are exactly what I’ve been looking for! They hold so much and they keep their shape plus they fold down super small. I’m a devoted fan!
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:17 am
I just got my RuMe bags in the mail today. LOVE them!!! I have some envirosax also, and they are NOTHING compared to the RuMe. I am ready to sell envirosax and buy more RuMes!
Thank you Delight for fast shipping, awesome customer service, and…the freebies!
May 3rd, 2008 at 9:35 am
I forgot to add…one of the bags looked red on the website. It is actually PINK. Also, the petterned bag is pink and an orange color- beautiful!
May 8th, 2008 at 7:03 pm
I would like to contend for the top position of #1 fan of RuMe. I am sure I am in a heated battle judging from such a fabulous creation. I am in love with RuMe. Obsessed. The design, innovation…and the cheery patterns had me the second I saw them. And that was before I started using them. I use one as a diaper bag - simply because they are so light. I use another for my gym clothes, and antoher for work. The square bottom, thick and long straps are key. They are just really comforable to carry around! Compared to my big bulky tote I used to carry, my stuff feels about 5 lbs lighter…what a difference a lightweight bag makes! I also love taking them to the grocery store - I am proud to be doing my small part for the environment and they can hold a LOT! RuMe is definitely the way to go!!
May 10th, 2008 at 4:32 pm
I was going to order the Spring in New York series but it’s out of stock at the moment. When will it be in stock again? I was going to try envirosax at first but I like the structure (square bottom and side) of these bags.
May 12th, 2008 at 8:57 am
Any update as to when you will have more of the spring in new york patterned bags in?
May 12th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
Heather- we will have oodles of RuMe Bags to ship on May 16 - you can order now if you’d like, and we’ll ship them out as soon as they come in.
May 13th, 2008 at 7:21 am
Excellent! Thanks so much for getting back to me so quickly.
May 18th, 2008 at 9:19 am
I LOVE these bags. You will not be disappointed! They hold so much, and are so cute! I bring them everywhere, not just to the grocery store, but to the gym, work, etc. These are a great buy!
June 4th, 2008 at 7:51 am
I just took the pretty damask bag to the pool (plus the green patterned one for wet towels and suits) and I LOVE it! It was so nice not to worry about it getting wet, and since they fold up so easily, I just tucked them in my lounge chair while we were swimming. Oh - and did I mention all the compliments????
June 19th, 2008 at 4:54 am
I ordered my RuMe bags a few weeks ago and I absolutely love them! They are so small and easy to carry with me, but unfold to be large and convenient. Plus, they are super cute and everyone comments on them! They quality is excellent…great bags!!
June 23rd, 2008 at 3:25 pm
I just received my set and have just bought two more as gifts. These are fantastic and so much better (though a bit more pricey) than the ones from Trader Joes and Whole Foods. Even with a few extra bucks they are so worth it.
June 27th, 2008 at 7:19 am
I’ve become a bit zealous with purchasing reusable bags - I think I have all the top brands out there. The RuMe Bags far outshine every other bag I have. They are so strong, roomy, and made to actually fit groceries. Plus, they are so pretty.
If anyone out there is wondering which reusable bags to go with, take it from me and get yourself a bunch of Rumes - you wont be sorry!
July 12th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
I was thinking of getting the Spring NY set. When viewing the additional pictures, the bags in the car trunk picture dont look as vivid as the other ones. For those of you that have this set, which picture(s) is more representative of the actual colors?
Thanks!