Moving innovations are few and far between. Unless you’re planning on hiring movers, a DIY move is going to be you, cardboard boxes, and a moving truck. Or so I thought. Through Tik Tok–where I get all my good ideas–I discovered the Veno moving bags.
These bags don’t look like much, but with TikTok videos gathering nearly 50,000 likes and over 18,000 reviews with a 4.8-star rating, it’s hard to deny that there’s something about these moving bags that people can’t get enough of.
I test the moving bags out during a recent relocation to a new apartment. Here’s how it went.
What are the Veno moving bags?
The Veno moving bags are reminiscent of the iconic Ikea blue bags, if they got an upgrade. Made from polypropylene, a thick, synthetic material similar in texture to a reusable grocery bag, the moving bags can hold up to 50 pounds.
The bags measure 29 inches wide by 13 inches tall by 14 inches deep, giving you ample space to pack up and lug around your stuff on moving day.
Two shorter handles are at the top of the bag, while a longer set is on the bottom which you can sling over your shoulders to wear as a backpack. There’s a long zipper that extends across the top of the bag and along with one of the sides. This allows you to fit awkwardly shaped and bulky items easily, or use it for clothing and let the hangers stick out the top.
The capacity of the Veno moving bags is comparable to a medium-sized moving box but much more portable.
An alternative to moving boxes, the reusable bags are sold in sets of four, eight, or 10, so you can pack your entire home in these bags. (Well, most of it.)
These bags are wildly popular gaining over 18,000 reviews on Amazon with a 4.8-star rating. Reviewers rave that these bags are heavy-duty, and far easier to pack, store, and carry than moving boxes.
What I like about the Veno moving bags
The bags are roomy enough to rival Mary Poppins’ bag
The Veno moving bags arrive folded up into a tiny package. Since the material is fairly thin, these bags fold down flat, which is great for storage later on. Upon unboxing, I was so excited by the large size of these bags that I couldn’t wait to fill them up. I unloaded an entire bookcase, which I immediately realized was too heavy. That said, I fit all of my books inside of this bag—roughly 50 novels. Even though I had to rethink how I packed the moving bag, the capacity to hold all of my books is quite impressive.
The soft sides of the bag make it easy to fit oddly-shaped items like a kettle, water bottle, and small trinkets. It was much easier to pack my books in the bag than it was a traditional cardboard box as the books didn’t have to be as neatly arranged to maximize all the space within the bag.
In the mad dash to fit the straggler items around my apartment, these bags were incredible. Even when I thought I had them all filled, there was still room to squeeze in more items like a few pieces of kitchenware that were cradled by my plush winter jackets.
No need for moving tape, just zip ‘em up
When you’re rounding out your list of moving supplies, you can skip the tape as these moving bags have a zipper for self-sealing security. The zipper extends across the top but also down the side of the bag to help expand the opening for larger items.
Since the bags are so spacious, having that extra length on the zipper helped access the bottom of the bag more easily.
I found the zipper opening especially useful when it came to fitting in those random, last-minute items. While the rest of my moving boxes were taped shut, I could easily zip open a moving bag to find more space.
Made for easy carrying
One of the best things about these moving bags is that you can carry them in a variety of ways such as wearing it like a backpack or carrying it like a duffle bag. While I thought the backpack-style would be best for navigating the steep and winding staircase in my apartment building, my partner and I found it easiest to carry up a loaded moving bag when using the short strap handle since it’s faster than loading the bags onto your back.
However, even the shorter strap, which is seven inches shorter, was convenient compared to a moving box since it’s carried lower on your body so your line of vision is clear. The straps also give you the ability to carry them with one hand, leaving you with a free hand to navigate stairs and open doors.
They’re a sustainable and versatile choice
After we unpacked all of your boxes and bags, our apartment was littered with broken down cardboard boxes that we had to haul out to the curb. The convenience of the bags, is that we could just fold them up and tuck them away.
Moving can feel so wasteful as you purchase boxes that you’ll only use once, so to have a more sustainable choice with a reusable bag felt like a more environmentally-friendly option.
Now that the move is behind me, I’ve found myself using these bags for other tasks. While cleaning out my closet, I needed something oversized to carry my clothes to the thrift store in and this bag was perfect for just that.
What we don’t like
The bags are too flimsy to transport fragile items
While you can pack anything from books to pots and pans to clothing in these bags, I didn’t feel comfortable packing my most fragile items in the bags. The thin, flexible walls felt too flimsy to provide the necessary cushioning for our glass and stoneware.
I was able to pack a few items such as my french press and cold brew bottle in the bags. One of my favorite moving hacks is wrapping fragile items in sweaters, which is exactly what I did for my beloved coffee makers to keep them from breaking in the bag.
I used the weight of my book collection to keep everything in place. While nothing broke, I still would not reach for these bags when it comes to packing up my wine glasses. The sturdy walls of a cardboard box offer structure for delicate plates and mugs that moving bags can’t.
The bag’s material makes it hard to label
If I’m to give you one piece of advice about moving, it is to label every single moving box by room and contents. You’ll thank me later when you know exactly where to find your tape measure rather than having to cut open every box and hope for the best. When it comes to cardboard boxes, the process is straightforward and simply requires scribbling the necessary contents across it with a marker.
I used a Sharpie to write on the moving bags, but the material was too slippery and caused the ink to smudge. Plus, since you might want to use the bags for a different move in the future, you wouldn’t want a permanent label on them.
My partner came up with the best work around by putting a piece of duct tape on the exterior of the bag and labeling each one that way. . The tape came off easily without leaving a mark.
Should you buy Veno moving bags?
Yes, these popular moving bags making moving easier
With multiple ways to carry the bag, Veno Moving Bags made my recent move much easier than using traditional cardboard moving boxes.
The beloved bags are spacious and sturdy. I loaded these bags with coffee makers, clothing, books, and more from my two bedroom apartment and lugged them up and down steep staircases with ease. The flexible materials makes it easy to stuff these bags and the zippered opening allows for optimal storage.
The bags are also reusable, so you can store them away for your next move or loan them to friends as an eco-friendly moving option. If you move frequently, these bags will save you money as opposed to buying boxes, too.
The structureless bags aren’t good for moving fragile items, like cups, dishes, and picture frames. For items like these, a cardboard moving box will be a better option. But for most of the other items, a flexible option like a moving bag makes moving day a breeze.
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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.
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Veno Heavy Duty Extra Large Moving Bags
Pros
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Large capacity
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Reusable
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Easy to carry
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