We put 16 vacuum storage bags to the test to find the best options.
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Better Homes & Gardens / Dera Burreson
It can sometimes seem like storage space is always at a premium, especially in smaller homes. Storage space is certainly precious when it comes to packing a suitcase for travel, too. Vacuum storage bags can be an excellent way to save on space, whether at home or on the road.
Michele Vig, founder and chief organizer of Neat Little Nest, says vacuum storage bags can be an excellent option for long-term storage of fabrics at home. When it comes to travel, she believes they’re “top-notch” and adds, “Make sure you’re finding a bag that seals by rolling it so you can repack your luggage for the trip home.”
To help you find the best vacuum storage bag for your needs, we tested a total of 16 options. We evaluated each option based on how durable the bag is, its capacity, whether the bag stayed sealed after 24 hours, and whether the bag kept items dry after being submerged in water. After all, the last thing you want is to open up a storage bag to find mildewed linens.
We then ranked the best options into seven different categories to suit everyone’s storage needs. Here are our picks for the best vacuum storage bags.
The bags kept out water, were easy to use, and are made of durable plastic.
We found sealing the bags with the hand pump allowed for fewer items to be stored.
Our pick for the best vacuum storage bags goes to Gongshi. This option includes 12 bags in four sizes (small, medium, large, and jumbo), and it comes with a hand pump. We tested out the medium-size bags with five sheet sets, using the hand pump with one bag and a vacuum with the other to seal them.
Vacuum sealing the bags with a wet/dry vac allowed us to fit all five sheet sets in the bag while the hand pump only allowed for three sheet sets. We found the sealing process for both options to be quite simple and straightforward, with both the vacuum nozzle and the hand pump fitting easily into the bag’s valve. Sealing with the wet/dry vacuum took only 18 seconds, while the hand pump seal took a full minute—something to note if you’re in a time crunch. Both sealed bags fit nicely in the 12-inch storage space under a queen bed and on a shelf meant for cube storage.
During testing, we gave the bags glowing reviews. We found the plastic to be durable and didn’t feel that it might tear, though it did have some creases after compression. After submerging the bags in water for one full minute, neither bag allowed water to enter, meaning everything was nice and dry. After 24 hours, both bags stayed sealed and compressed, though the hand-pumped bag did increase in size by roughly 3%. We felt that the number of bags, how well they held up, and the price all combined to make these the best vacuum storage bags.
Product Details: Bags: 12 | Sizes: Small (24 x 16 inches), medium (28 x 20 inches), large (32 x 24 inches), jumbo (40 x 30 inches) | Included accessories: Pump
These bags kept the contents dry and easily held six bath towels.
You may not want to use these for storing zippered or embellished clothing since the thin plastic could tear.
These vacuum storage bags come in a pack of three and have a clip that simply slides across the zippered lock to seal it, plus an intuitive flip-open cap for attaching a vacuum hose. We were able to seal the bag in an impressive 10 seconds, which is one of the quickest compression times we observed during our 16 tests.
During our testing process, we were able to compress six bath towels in the bag. According to Ziploc, the bag should hold up to 10 sweaters, and we feel that’s an accurate claim. Once compressed, we were able to place the bag both under a queen size bed and on a Z-rack with no problems.
The bag includes a bit of bubble wrap, so it has some cushioning for delicate clothing. We observed that the bag felt thin, but found it held up to the compression process with no tears—just a bit of wrinkling afterward. However, it might be wise to avoid using them to store zippered clothing or sweaters with metal embellishments in case they tear the thin plastic.
After 24 hours, the bag was still sealed and measured only about 2% larger than the initial seal, so it kept out air quite well. Even after being submerged in water, the towels were protected and dry. The valve did leave an indent in a towel resting against it, which we were able to fluff away. You may want to avoid placing more delicate clothing closest to the valve to keep from potentially damaging your favorite sweater, however.
Product Details: Bags: Three | Sizes: 22 x 30 inches | Included accessories: None
During our testing, the bag’s circumference shrank by more than 10 inches, making it a wise choice for storing large linens in a small area.
The price feels a bit high when you consider that the bags are all the same size, which doesn’t provide much variety.
This the best vacuum storage bag if you have extra bedding to stash away. It was able to handle two pillows as well as three sheet sets. And despite holding that much, the bag’s circumference shrank by more than 10 inches, making it especially handy for smaller storage spaces. We could easily place it under a bed, and it still fit nicely in this 12-inch space after we folded the bag and its contents in half—meaning it’s perfect for storing lots of items in a compact area.
Using a wet/dry vacuum, we found it simple enough to remove the valve cover, attach the hose, and replace the cover. It took about 15 seconds to compress the bag, but we felt the end of the bag could have benefited from more compression, so we gave it another 10 seconds of sealing time but didn’t see a significant change in size.
We appreciated the moderately thick material with its sturdy feel, and we didn’t feel that the bag might tear when storing bedding. The bag stayed compressed with no sign of air leakage, plus it didn’t allow water in during a one-minute submerging. Post-compression, we observed some minor wrinkling but no signs of stretching, so we’re confident they’ll stand up to multiple uses, such as when storing seasonal clothing that you’ll use each year. Though five bags are included, the price tag felt a little high, especially since each bag is the same size.
Product Details: Bags: Five | Sizes: 47 x 35 inches | Included accessories: None
The bags easily hold five coats and come with a hanger so you can simply hang them in a closet once sealed.
It can be difficult to use the zipper because it’s on the long edge, and the valve’s placement leads to less efficient airflow and a longer compression time.
Sometimes, closet space is all the storage area you have to spare. In that case, these are the best vacuum storage bags since they come with a hanger for easy vertical storage. They come in two sizes, with two bags included per size.
We loved the capacity of the larger size bag, which fit five hip-length coats along with their hangers. We didn’t love the thinner plastic that didn’t feel terribly sturdy, yet it held up to the 24-hour compression test with no tears. We measured a decrease in size of nearly 12% immediately after sealing the bag, with a negligible increase in size after 24 hours. Plus, the bag didn’t allow water in when it was submerged for a full minute.
We didn’t feel that using the bag was very easy, though. We struggled to lay the coats flat within the bag because of the zipper’s placement on the long edge of the bag. We also had to search for sealing instructions online, and found it difficult to properly align the vacuum with the bag’s valve. The bag’s design meant the coats were pressed up against the valve, interfering with airflow, which then led to a longer compression time—about 2.5 minutes.
Product Details: Bags: Four | Sizes: 41.34 x 27.56, 53.15 x 27.56 inches | Included accessories: Built-in hanger
The set includes 10 bags that work extremely well with the included hand pump, so they’re perfect for people who are on the go without access to a vacuum.
These perform slightly better with the hand pump, so you may want to skip sealing with a wet/dry vacuum.
Frequent travelers will find these to be the best vacuum storage bags, in part because the set of 10 bags comes with a hand pump for easy use while you’re on the go. We tested out the small bags, and the set contains eight more in four additional sizes, including a travel-friendly roll-up style, a feature Vig recommends. We were able to fit two towels in the small bag, although it was a bit of a struggle and our testers resorted to stuffing the towels in versus folding them neatly.
Once items were inside, the bag was very easy to seal thanks to the dual-colored zipper lock that lets you see when the bag is sealed at a glance. We sealed two bags—one with a wet/dry vac and one with the included hand pump, both of which worked well. Surprisingly, the hand-pumped bag shrunk by nearly 14% in size while the vacuum-sealed bag only shrunk by about half that much. Both bags fit beautifully under a queen bed, and we liked how durable the plastic material felt.
Both bags remained sealed after 24 hours with no significant signs of air leakage, plus they kept the towels dry under water. The vacuum sealed bag increased in size by about 3.7% while the hand pumped one actually shrunk another 2% after 24 hours. Neither showed wear and tear after our 24-hour test, although the towels needed to be fluffed up to remove indentations afterward. Our tests show that these are designed to work well with the hand pump that’s included, which makes the bag a must-have for travelers looking to save precious luggage space.
Product Details: Bags: 10 | Sizes: Carry-on size (15.7 x 19.7 inches), small (15.7 x 23.6 inches), medium (19.7 x 27.5 inches), large (21.7 x 33.5 inches), jumbo (27.5 x 39.4 inches) | Included accessories: Pump
The high-capacity bags easily fit two pillows and three sets of sheets—and still had room for more items.
The bag left wrinkles in the sheet sets, which may mean you’ll want to throw the sheets in the wash or give them a quick pass with an iron before using them again.
If you’re after generously sized storage options, then these are the best vacuum storage bags. They come in a set of six, and we found that one bag held two pillows plus three sets of sheets without even meeting the maximum fill line. In part, that’s thanks to their cube-shaped bottom design, which means the bags stand upright, allowing for an easier loading process.
The zippered lock is nice and sturdy, as is the bag material itself. We found the zippered closure to be a bit difficult though, taking multiple tries to seal properly. The plastic clip that’s included does help to increase pressure for a better seal, however. The bags shrunk by a little more than 10% and once compressed, fit easily under a bed and on a cube shelf. Vacuum sealing the bag took only about 30 seconds, falling in the middle of our compression time ranges.
Contents stayed dry even after a one-minute dunk in water, and the bags remained sealed during our 24-hour compression period. The sheets did show some indentations and wrinkles, so you may want to inspect any items you take from storage before using them. Some people may not mind a wrinkle or two, but if wrinkles bother you, know that you’ll likely need to wash or iron fabric items once they’re out of the storage bag.
Product Details: Bags: Six | Sizes: 27.5 x 12.6 x 39.35 inches | Included accessories: None
The textured top material of the bags allows for easy stacking during storage, plus using a vacuum allowed us to fit five sets of sheets in one bag.
The included hang pump took much longer to create a seal and didn’t allow the bag to hold as many items as when vacuum-sealed.
There are some items you want to store over a longer period of time, like heirloom quilts or your grown kids’ baby clothes you can’t bear to part with just yet. In that case, consider this set of six bags from Storage Master. For one thing, they have a textured outer material that lets you easily stack bags together without having them slide off of one another. Sealing the bags is an easy process, so it won’t be a hassle to seal multiple bags if you happen to have quite a few blankets or vintage clothes to tuck away.
The sealing process itself took us about 16 seconds using a wet/dry vacuum. However, it took 1.5 minutes when we used the included hand pump, making it a much less efficient way to seal the bag. The hand-pumped bag also only fit three sets of sheets while the vacuum-sealed bag held five. Plus, the hand-pumped bag inflated about 10% in size 24 hours after sealing it. The vacuum-sealed bag grew as well but by closer to 6%. The bag’s plastic material is thick and sturdy, though it kept some indentations from being folded in the packaging.
The sheet sets from the hand-pumped bag were wrinkled when we pulled them out after 24 hours, so bear in mind you may have some ironing work ahead of you after storing fabric items. Both seal types (wet/dry vacuum and pump) stayed sealed, but we noticed a few drops of water on the sheets from the hand-pumped bag. This was likely due to the sheets picking up water from the outside of the bag, though it’s worth noting if you’re planning to store items in an area that may be wet or damp.
Product Details: Bags: Six | Sizes: 19.7 x 27.5 inches | Included accessories: Pump
After testing, we found that the Gongshi Vacuum Storage Bags are the best vacuum storage bags. They earned top marks in each of our categories, plus they’re easy to use, durable, stored five sheet sets, and kept air and water out.
To find the best vacuum storage bags, we put 16 options through five tests over a period of 24 hours. We analyzed each bag according to several factors, including the thickness of the plastic, quality of its seal, size before and after sealing, number and type of items that fit, time needed to compress the bags, how it fit on a shelf or under a queen sized bed with 12 inches of storage space, how it fit on a Z rack for hanging (where applicable), whether the bags resisted water when submerged for a full minute, and what the contents looked like after storing them for 24 hours.
With bag options that included a hand pump, we sealed one bag using the hand pump and the second using a vacuum. Interestingly, we found that the hand pump worked better with some options than others—though not in all cases.
Though we liked the capacity of these bags from Spacesaver, it was quite a challenge to fit the items (three pillows, a duvet, and a set of sheets) into the bag, so our testers had to be rather forceful when filling. We found using the electric pump that’s included meant we could only fit two of the three pillows in the bag, so the bag held less than when we sealed it with a vacuum. It also took close to two minutes to fully seal the bags no matter which method we used, and both bags began to inflate within 45 minutes to two hours after our initial seal.
After stashing two towels in the bag, we felt these bags from AirBaker were too small and their material too thin for towels. While using a vacuum and the hand pump both resulted in about 15% bag size shrinkage, the hand pump was quite tiring. The vacuum sealed bag reinflated by about 14%, and we noticed water on the towels after submerging this bag.
We found that Hefty’s vacuum storage bag shrunk by an impressive 24.26%, but it was difficult to be sure the zipper lock was actually sealed. The bag comfortably fit three pillows along with a duvet and sheet set, which we tucked under a bed once compressed. And though it kept water out, the bag reinflated before 24 hours, which means it didn’t make the cut for the best vacuum storage bags.
Jill Moore, owner and certified professional home organizer of Organized Jill Professional Home Organization advises, “Be sure to not overstuff vacuum bags and utilize the correct size.” She adds, “It is better to place less things in more bags for easier retrieval without having to dig through a large pile.”
Michele Vig, founder and chief organizer of Neat Little Nest, elaborates, “I would choose the bag to best fit the category of items going in—the smaller the category, the smaller the bag.” Vig explains that large bags, for example, are more suited for blankets while summer clothes may fit nicely into smaller bags. She also notes that bigger bags can be “more cost-effective” because they hold larger things and allow you to buy fewer bags.
On the flip side, large bags might be more challenging to store and can hold too many things, making it a struggle to easily find a specific item. To ensure you have the right size, look for guidance from the manufacturer. Moore notes that most manufacturers tend to list which contents they recommend storing in their bags, plus they may include a line on the bag itself to serve as a capacity guide.
In terms of the type of items you’re storing, you’ll want to consider how the material might interact with the bags. Vig explains, “Some types of materials store better in containers/bags that can breathe—like natural fabrics (think cashmere). I would prefer to use linen boxes to store those types of items than plastic airtight bags or bins.” Moore agrees, adding, “Different fabrics may react differently to being stored without air circulation and ventilation. Damage could occur to certain fabrics if they were not intended to be stored in this manner.”
Whether you plan on using a vacuum storage bag for extra sheets and towels or to store off-season clothing like winter sweaters, consider how long it will stay in storage before you return to the items. Moore adds, “It is important to rotate the contents of the bags seasonally, as well as use and enjoy the items, so we're not just storing things in perpetuity.” She continues, “Rotating your items seasonally will give you an opportunity to evaluate your belongings before bringing them back into the seasonal rotation in your everyday closets.”
Vig adds, “Unless there is a clear reason items need to be stored in the bags for a long period of time (like a large home renovation), there is a chance that what gets stored in the bags might never be used again.”
Depending on the vacuum storage bags you buy, you may find that accessories come with them. You can buy just the bags by themselves, of course. But some brands include a hand pump or even an electric pump as an alternative to using a vacuum cleaner—which can be ideal for traveling when you typically won’t have access to a vacuum for sealing the bags.
Moore has a few words of advice when you’re looking at seal types. To start, she recommends you “invest in a good brand with a good sturdy ‘locking’ zipper.” She cautions that opting for a less expensive brand may mean the bag will be thinner, which ultimately might result in accidental holes or even a seal that doesn’t stay tightly closed. She says, “It is always better to invest in a better-quality organizing product that will last a longer time than to have to replace inexpensive or flimsy storage items multiple times.”
Michele Vig, founder and chief organizer of Neat Little Nest, says it depends. “While a vacuum seal bag can save space by shrinking items down, the result of a large plastic bag filled with stuff needs a place to go,” she says. “Without having a good place to store those vacuum bags (a proper-sized shelf, for example), you might not have gained that much storage space.” Vig recommends viewing vacuum storage bags as long-term storage since it can be difficult to access items and reseal frequently.
Moore adds, “When used correctly, they can absolutely save space, however, fabric prefers to breathe. It can be better to declutter items that you are considering storing for extended periods than to overstuff a vacuum bag and tuck it away; out-of-sight belongings often become out-of-mind belongings, which translates to clutter.”
According to Moore, “Vacuum storage bags are water resistant. If something were to spill or drip on them, the contents would likely survive unscathed. However, if a vacuum bag was submerged in a flooded basement, the water trapped inside would quickly grow mildew and mold in the contents.” Vig adds that you’ll need to read the directions from the manufacturer to know for sure if the bag is waterproof.
Vig says you may not always need a vacuum to seal vacuum storage bags. She notes, “Many vacuum storage bags now are able to be sealed by rolling the air out of the bag, which makes them excellent for using with air travel.” According to Moore, “For best results, a vacuum is recommended and will remove more air than other methods, such as pressing on the bag to force out the air manually.” Other bags may come with a pump, though they still allow the option of using a vacuum for sealing.
Brittany VanDerBill is a travel and lifestyle writer whose work has been published with several Dotdash Meredith brands. To find the best vacuum storage bags, she researched a variety of options, keeping in mind capacity, performance, durability, and more. She also consulted Michele Vig, founder and chief organizer of Neat Little Nest, and Jill Moore, owner and certified professional home organizer of Organized Jill Professional Home Organization in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, for additional insights.
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