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If you live in a major metropolitan area and/or rely mostly on public transportation to get around, then you know how important it is to have a go-to tote, and if you need to haul heavier items, a great cart is a must. Whether it’s for grocery shopping, transporting laundry or moving, a durable wheeled tote or cart makes everyday errands a lot less stressful and puts less strain on your body. At NBC Selected, we’ve tested our fair share of totes and carts, including popular wheeled accessories and collapsible totes that are great for small apartments.
Some of the brands we love include Hulken, which comes in a variety of sizes, and Clax, a hardshell rolling cart that’s perfect for getting groceries from the store to your vehicle. Below, I talk more about the picks our staff loved best for their collapsibility, durability and how great they are for daily tasks and chores
Best overall
Hulken Signature Rolling Tote Bag
$100.00
$125.00
Hulken
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Best budget
Ikea Radarbulle
$undefined
$39.99
IKEA
Learn more
Best splurge
Clax The Original Trolley
$270.00
$299.00
Amazon
Learn more
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The best totes and carts for schlepping
Below are wheeled totes and carts that our staff has schlepped through the streets of New York City to test how they performed. Some of them are also highly reviewed with at least a four-star average rating from shoppers
$100.00
$125.00
Hulken
Now 20% off$129.00
The Container Store
The Hulken is easily one of our staff’s most beloved products. This is because, as New Yorkers who, in addition to having to carry around groceries, laundry and other personal items, we have to take home a lot of products to test — our arms and shoulders get exhausted. The Hulken makes carrying everything we need around town easy and almost effortless
Multiple people on staff, including myself and reporter Zoe Malin have had the Hulken for years and we’ve regretted not having it every time we actually have to use it, which is often. I always use mine to transport laundry to and from my apartment, but they’re also great for taking groceries on the train and more
It’s available in small, medium and large sizes and each has three handles: two on each side and one main handle on the front of the zippered closure on top. I love using my Hulken particularly when I have to go up an incline on the sidewalk. The brand also sells inserts to help organize groceries and keep them fresh
Clax The Original Trolley
$270.00
$299.00
Amazon
Now 10% off
Multiple people on our staff also tested out the Clax collapsible trolley, including associate social media editor Caitlin Cusack, who says that the rolling cart was super sturdy and had great stability, particularly when pushed around the streets and sidewalks of New York City. The Clax cart was easy to move across grates and pavement and it has a very durable feel since it’s a hardshell cart rather than a tote like the Hulken
While it may be somewhat hard to carry down the subway and other staircases compared to the Hulken, the Clax has a strong foundation compared to the Hulken and it’s great for grocery shopping, especially if you go to stores like Costco where items come in bulk. NBC Selected senior editor Nikki Brown tested the Clax as well, and she enjoys using it for grocery shopping
Wellmax Folding Shopping Cart with Wheels
The Wellmax rolling cart is another great schlepping accessory because it has a sturdy metal outer frame and comes with a removable, waterproof liner with a lid to help keep your items inside. It has two large wheels on the back and two small wheels on the front that rotate 360 degrees, giving it stability and making it easy to move the cart across different floor and ground types. The handle, which has a grip on it, and the cart is collapsible, so it folds down almost entirely flat (without the wheels).
The cart also comes with a retention hook that attaches to the metal frame to keep the cart from collapsing when you aren’t using it. It only takes about four steps to build and many shoppers say they love how easy it was to put together
Ikea Radarbulle
This cart from Ikea almost resembles a combination of a backpack and shopping cart, and you can use it in similar ways to both. It’s an affordable rolling option that has a metal frame with two large wheels and instead of two small wheels on the front like some of the other options on this list, it has a metal bar to stand the cart upright
It comes with a fabric bag made from polyester that attaches to the metal frame and makes it suitable for carrying personal items, supplies, sports equipment and more. It also comes with a small mesh bag on the inside that’s detachable and it has a button closure on the top to keep your things secure. Shoppers say that the cart rolls very easily on multiple floor types and that it’s a great option for carrying groceries
Winkeep Shopping Cart Super-Loading Stair Climber
$79.99
$99.99
Amazon
Now 20% off
This collapsible rolling cart has a metal frame and a water-resistant fabric liner that attaches to the handle and wheels. It has a stacked, tri-wheel design that makes it easier to pull and lift the cart up stairs. It has a weight limit of more than 200 pounds, making it one of the strongest options on this list
The bag itself has a rectangular shape and a fabric material as well as pockets on the front, sides and the back. Plus, the top lid folds over to close and it comes with a bungee cord that you can use to attach heavy items to the cart, both in the included bag or with the bag removed (such as if you wanted to put a box on the bottom of the cart)
Blomoba Folding Wagon Cart with Wheels
$39.99
$59.99
Amazon
Now 33% off
This wagon-style cart is perfect for moving around sports equipment, boxes, bins, clothing, groceries and more. It has four wheels, a large handle and it collapses into a small square shape that easily fits in a backseat or trunk of a car. With a weight limit of well over 200, it’s extremely structured and great for moving into dorms, moving apartments or simply carrying things that would strain your body to hold for a long amount of time. It has a water-resistant fabric liner, a carbon steel frame and wheels that rotate 360 degrees. People who bought the cart say that they enjoy that it’s collapsible and that it makes carting groceries easier.
How I picked the best wheeled totes and carts
Here’s everything I considered when making the list of totes and carts above
Type: The main types of schlepping carts and totes I considered for this roundup are ones that are more or less tote bags with wheels and large handles attached, like the Hulken, or tall rectangular carts with metal frame, some of which have fabric liners inside them. The only option on this list that is slightly different from these types is the Blomoba Folding Wagon Cart, which has more of a wagon-style foundation, making it a great option for carrying heavy items but not for going up stairs. For metal frame carts, I included some with fabric liners because they help keep items inside, depending on what they are. With that said, many of the liners are removable, which allows you to carry differently shaped items in the carts or totes.
I personally use my Hulken mostly for carrying my laundry downstairs and to the laundromat. Since it has a rectangular shape, it’s easy to stack folded clothes in it. Malin has used the Hulken for years, including to bring items home from work, including small appliances and random office supplies. Brown also tested the Clax rolling trolley and enjoys using it to groceries
Weight limit: Another important aspect I kept in mind when making this list is how much each of the carts can carry. Depending on what you plan on using them for, it’s important that a cart can hold at least 20 pounds at the very least, for things like a small load of laundry, but I also made sure to include carts and totes that have higher weight limits, like the Winkeep Shopping Cart Super-Loading Stair Climber which holds up to 220 pounds. This way, you can choose one based on whether or not you want to use it for laundry, groceries or something very heavy like moving an apartment or sports equipment.
Adjustability and collapsibility: For all the carts and rolling totes in this roundup, I made sure to include ones that are all collapsible to some degree. Some of them, like the Hulken Rolling Tote Bag, fold completely flat because the wheels are small and the structure of the tote is very pliable. Other options, like the metal frame shopping carts fold mostly flat, but the wheels themselves aren’t collapsible, though either way, all of the options should be able to fit under a bed or up against a wall in a closet.
Why trust NBC Selected?
I’m a commerce editor at NBC Selected, where I write about kitchen, cleaning and home appliances as well as storage, furniture and lifestyle accessories. For this story, I considered totes and carts that our staff members use regularly, including the Hulken and the Clax, which we’ve tested and used for years. I’ve also included highly-rated carts and totes with least a 4-star average from 500 reviewers or more
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