How IKEA’s Plastic Bags Stand Up to Name-Brand Ones

Is there anything IKEA doesn’t make? From sleek kitchen utensils to bakeware, the furniture superstore has so much more than, well, furniture. I’ve known this for years and never get too surprised when I see new stuff from IKEA. (Excited, yes, but never shocked. It’s more like: Oh, of course IKEA makes whole-grain rice packets!)

And yet I was surprised last year, when I realized that IKEA offers plastic sandwich and freezer bags. What’s next? Olive oil and aluminum foil? But were these baggies any good? I bought a bunch and tested them out.

Upon getting them home, I did a quick comparison of the IKEA bags against the Ziploc ones I already had on hand. The IKEA bags actually felt just as thick, if not thicker. The seal felt more legit and the colors were obviously way more fun. And at just $3 for 15 (6-quart) and 15 (4.5-quart) bags, they were a few bucks less than the 28-count box of gallon bags I had recently bought at the grocery store.

Buy: ISTAD Plastic Freezer Bags, from $2.50 for 60 at IKEA

Before you get upset with me, I do try to limit how often I use plastic bags and I always reuse each one as many times as possible before I toss it and grab a new one. The one thing I mostly use plastic baggies for? Stashing pre-portioned servings of strawberries, blueberries, and bananas in the freezer for my morning smoothies. I like baggies for this task because they’re easy to force air out of, can be funneled right into my blender, and can be squished into any available space in my crowded freezer.

To compare IKEA’s bags against name-brand ones, I filled one of each with my smoothie supplies. For a few weeks, I alternated which bag I grabbed, cleaning and refilling the empty one each time. The contents in both bags always seemed to taste fine — unlike the ice in my freezer, which definitely had some weird funk. (Note to self: Dump the ice and clean the freezer!) I was also pleasantly surprised with how well the IKEA bag held up to repeated use (something people obviously complain about when talking about the store’s furniture).

The IKEA freezer bags are great! They’re less expensive than name-brand bags and just as good. And cuter! My only complaint is that I’m probably not going to order them online (and pay the $10 shipping) and that getting to IKEA in my neck of the woods is kind of an event, so it won’t be all that easy to restock my supply. But I’m sure gonna try.

• The One Thing You Should Be Doing with Your Ziploc Bags
• These Reusable Baggies Will Make You Rethink Plastic Storage Bags

Have you tried IKEA’s bags? What’s your verdict?