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Strategies for securing bags of groceries in the car.

2 years ago

I am getting a new SUV and am giving up my current SUV which has a cargo space feature I really love. The cargo space has a “false floor” which is made up of two sections, front and back. You can quickly lift the back section and place it in brackets, leaving a sunken space that is perfect for holding grocery bags so that the contents don’t spill out. Nothing I am looking at has this feature. So, what do my fellow SUV/hatchback owners do to keep groceries inside the bags during the ride home? Has to be a quick change sort of thing so that I don’t go somewhere forgetting it’s in there and have to spend time dismantling it to put something large back there.

Comments (26)

  • 2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    How deep is the back when all the seats are up? Will they keep the grocery bags standing up?

    My mom has a couple of boxes in her car to keep bags up, but she only shops for one now (my dad passed away a few years ago), so she doesn't usually have that many bags.

    The other question I have is what type of grocery bags do you have? We use the Wegman's bags that have a "floor" in the bottom to keep the bags upright and to keep the bottoms from sagging when there are groceries in them. If your bags don't have that, could you cut up some cardboard boxes to create a "floor" in your bags? We find groceries rarely fall over/out of the bags, even when we don't have anything to stop them from falling.

    Another idea -- do you buy large packages of toilet paper or paper towels -- putting them behind the bags would help as well.

  • 2 years ago

    I use reusable bags that have more stiffness than a slouchy plastic bag. I put them in the cargo area and push them against the back of the second row of seats and they stand up and stay in place fine. Sometimes I put them in the foot area of the back seat or passenger seat too.

  • 2 years ago

    I keep a cooler for cold items, plus if a milk carton leaks, it stays in the cooler. Plus I have an InstaCrate (12 gallon collapsible crate) to contain other items.


    article from Apartment Therapy

  • 2 years ago

    Have you looked at the products Weather Tech sells? I purchased front floor mats and a cover for the rear area of my Forester.


    Sometimes I use ”milk crates” for my groceries. My milk crates were purchased from a variety store.

  • 2 years ago

    I use Greenmade InstaCrate collapsible storage containers. They are super quick to make into crates, or collapse. Only cost $40 for 4 crates from CostCo--less when on sale. I rarely rave about products, but these crates are great!


    * Costco’s $9 Collapsible Crates Have So Many Uses | Apartment Therapy

  • 2 years ago

    Every year I buy a 40 lb. box of Gravenstein apples. The two halves of that very sturdy cardboard box are perfect for keeping full shopping bags from sprawling all over the cargo space of my car.

  • 2 years ago

    Hard sided collapsing boxes with handles.

  • 2 years ago



  • 2 years ago

    So we usually fill about 4-5 reusable bags on a typical trip. I have a laundry basket similar to the one in the photo that has a couple broken spots in the frame, I might see if that will work. I have to get on the interstate to get to the store, I’m out in a bit of a rural area. I will keep in mind those crates as well as the net!!

  • 2 years ago

    We have a cargo net over the hatchback area in our SUV. It hooks into holddowns on the sides. We just tuck our (floppy) reusable bags under that and it keeps everyrthing contained.

  • 2 years ago

    Another vote for the cargo net. Plus it can hold your empty reusable bags in place between trips to the store!

  • 2 years ago

    Never been an issue. It's all about how you load the space you have.

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    I have anet that you just clip onto the back to keep everything in place .

  • PRO
    2 years ago
    last modified: 2 years ago

    I do not have a single issue, but if you do?

    Put a plastic tub back there..... or two, or three! .Any bags that don't fit in can go behind and will stand up.!



    No.....you don't need the Lid:) better than a broken laundry basket

  • 2 years ago

    This was more in station wagon days than SUV, but my mom used to put anything she was afraid of tipping over in the foot well between the front and back seat. And sometimes if it was just a few bags they could all go there.

  • 2 years ago

    The easiest (and tidiest looking) way is to get the collapsible nylon cargo organizers; they come in many sizes and some have adjustable dividers to make sections, then fold flat when you need the room for other things so don't need removed from the vehicle.

  • PRO
    2 years ago

    All good recommendations. I do the same as palimpsest--most of the time the bags are on the floor of the back seat. When we do a big shopping at Costco, it's not a problem, since we fill the entire cargo space of the SUV so there's no wiggle room!

  • 2 years ago

    Here is my laundry basket, and it’s free! It can probably hold 4 full bags.

  • 2 years ago

    Collapsible fabric cubes that have a reinforced bottom. Can always be left in the trunk & easy to fold flat when not hauling groceries. They’re usually sold to fit in cube shelves, but there are ones with long handles too. You can find them everywhere now: Target, Amazon, big box hardware stores, etc.

  • 2 years ago

    The style suggegsted by swrite above work great. We used cargo nets and cargo organizers in the past but they had their limitations. The cubes are also very handy when packing your groceries at self-checkout lanes.

  • 2 years ago

    The fabric cubes are sold at the grocery stores. I have one reusable bag that I can fit 3-4 of them into when folded.

  • 2 years ago

    I use the same style collapsible baskets as swite shows. I pack our groceries directly into those, no bags involved. For frozen or cold items I use a freezer bag.

  • 2 years ago

    You use boxes or totes that secure them. Or, I bet you can get a cargo net to add to your new suv. Auto parts stores should carry them. Or Amazon.

  • 2 years ago

    I drive a minivan & had used laundry baskets but they always slid towards the front seat. I recently purchased 2 of these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0C3DZYFQX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&th=1


    They do not move at all from where they are put, the bottom has a fabric like velcro attached.I store my fabric grocery bags in one compartment. They come in different sizes & are very, very well made. This has made my shopping trips so much easier.