Note: Today’s post is a product review. Nobody paid me to try this and I purchased it just as you might. As with everything in life, your experience might be different.
My little house in the mountains has limited closet space, especially when it comes to storage for blankets which we need plenty of when there’s two feet of snow on the ground. You’ve had this happen: every time I open the linen closet to find a wash cloth I have to use one hand to push the blankets back in when I shut the door. The attack of the big bulky blankets!
Like you, I’ve seen the commercials for those space bags but they always seemed to be too pricey for their use. When we took our trip last summer I picked up a pack of the generic bags to keep the pillows clean and out of the way. They were definitely cheap but they immediately lost their vacuum caps and became pierced with holes. Still, while a small consolation, they did keep the pillows clean for the trip.
This week I heard an ad for the “Original Space Bag” indicating they now carry the Ziploc Brand. I wondered if they might be more sturdy and zip together better. So when we were shopping at our local Big-Mart store I picked up a box. There are many assorted sizes. This box cost me $8.94 and included two big bags and one travel size.
If a person was packing small items like sweaters or easily squishable ones like pillows I think loading the bags would be very simple. But we found getting the blankets and comforters pushed in to be a two person job. On the plus side, I felt like the sides of the bag were strong enough to handle a fair amount of pushing and tugging. There is a dashed line just below the zipper on the bag and we discovered if you fill above it (as in the picture below) there may be some cussing and swearing as you struggle to close the bag. But. I was able to just push the blankets down further and then the zipper worked fairly easily.
One electric blanket and two comforters stuffed in the bag. See the little line about four inches from the top? That is as full as it’s supposed to be.
These big bags have a vacuum hole which is a one way flap to suck all the air out. It worked just like on TV. In less than a minute the bag was shrunk to less than half its original size.
So are they worth the money? At the same store I found an 18 gallon plastic tub with lid on sale for less than $5. I know I could have packed all the blankets into two tubs for the same price. However, I couldn’t put one tub, let alone two in the tiny closet. I was able to easily stack the two bags in the space. The bags could also be stored under beds which would be a very good use of space.
No, I did not take out anything. That’s how much it shrunk.
My experience with the generic bags proved that in this case the brand name was much better quality and worth the additional cost. There will always be pros and cons but for sure I am going to be watching for these Space Bags to be on sale.
Ramblin' Rose 
I think this would be an excellent product for RVers.
I agree. All RV people I know look for ways to pack more stuff in less space. I think these bags would be very helpful especially for those who deal with a variety of weather/seasons.
What timing!! I just finished a draft in a that section of “Be Ready, Set to Go 24/7” . These bags are the best thing since popcorn for those of limited space. And, pretty much waterproof!! I found the ‘cube’ size best for blankets & jackets…..Once you get past sticker shock,,,,it’s a good investment. Besides, you don’t have to do it all at one time.