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From the Forum – Grocery Cart recommendations?

by Prince Of Petworth December 4, 2013 at 2:15 pm 29 Comments

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Grocery Cart recommendations?

“My trusty grocery cart broke after 13(!) years of service. I really like the Rolser trolleys, but since I occasionally buy twelve bottles of wine I’m concerned that it won’t take the weight. What type of cart/trolley do you use?”

I like the standard metals ones (pictured above) – I got it at Best Buy.

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  • power of flight

    So it’s true? There’s no more stigma about using those without being a grandma now?

    • 17thSter

      Thanks POPville for posting this on the main page. Some people use them. I do feel kinda Grandmaish but it gets my stuff from one place to another. In the EU they’re really common. Rolser is “high fashion” and available in the USA.

    • Anonymous

      uh. no. no stigma except from your suburban coworkers.

      • 17thSter

        I can laugh at myself too.

    • Tim

      I don’t know if there’s a stigma among the population as a whole, but I, personally, think they look ridiculous. I understand their utility and that some people either need to buy more than two bags of groceries or can’t carry those two bags by hand. But come on, they look silly.

      • Anonymous

        I don’t mind looking silly for a few blocks if it saves me 3 extra trips to the grocery store!!

      • Anonymous

        i don’t understand whats silly about hauling groceries.

    • Anonymous

      There’s stigma — but being an urban pedestrian beats being glued to your SUV for a three block trip to the market. ;-)

      • Nathan

        +1000 P.S. There is no stigma at all in urban cities- that stigma is a suburban thing.

  • 17thSter

    Does your Best Buy one have front wheels?

    • Yup it’s got four wheels. I used to walk with it from Columbia Heights to Petworth and never had a problem although turns were a bit unsteady. But it was pretty cheap I think like $15 or $20 so good value for the money.

  • I use the VersaCart: http://www.amazon.com/Folding-Cart-Versacart-Transport-Water-Resistant. I picked mine up at Bed, Bath and Beyond after five years ago and it is still going strong. I’ve packed it to the brim with loads of groceries (often with heavy items, like milk and juice and soda and beer), so I think it could handle a dozen bottles of wine. I like the fabric cart over the metal carts, because it protects against the weather and it’s easier/smaller to store. If you’re extra frugal and don’t want to spend 5cents per plastic bag or you just don’t need the plastic bags, the fabric cart is nice — there’s no need for plastic bags to store your small items so they don’t fall through the grating of the metal cart.

  • Anonymous

    i wonder if there is a market for a souped up yuppie version? hhhmmm……

  • kac427

    I second the recommendation for a standard metal one. I have one that my mom ordered maybe 5 years ago as a gift for me – I have no idea what website she got it from, and the assembly instructions were half in Chinese, half in badly translated English. It’s gotten a little battered over the years, but it can hold over 100 pounds with no problem (I put two 40-lb bags of kitty litter in it on a regular basis).

  • Anonymous

    If you don’t mind advertising, the cloth covered ones from Whole Foods are easy to use, hold list of stuff, and cost maybe $20. I’ve used them for hauling six packs and bottled water, so I’m sure they’d take the weight of a dozen bottles of wine – but I don’t think it’s wide enough to just put a whole case in. I like it because it rolls smoothly, has a pocket for stuff so I can leave my purse at home, and seems more secure than the wire carts – I’ve occasionally had stuff fall through the spaces with those.

  • Anonymous

    I would go to the gym and do Farmers Walks train your forearms to carry bags. Grip strength is key. Anyone can throw a punch not many snap your bones by squeezing. That last part has nothing to with grocery shopping. However its nice to have modern conveniences but sometimes we neglect our bodies because of it. We all these sedentary jobs. You need to get your workouts in when you can.

    • Anonymous

      we dont all have sedentary jobs.

  • wdc

    There’s STIGMA??? I had NO IDEA! That’s hilarious. Reminds me of the kids who embrace the ridiculous fashion trends (saggy pants, bangs over their eyes, etc). Being hip is so inconvenient!

    Anyway, mine looks like the whole foods one (two wheels in back, little prop on the front), but I got it on amazon for about $20. I like it because I can haul it up the front steps one bump at a time, unlike with the 4-wheeled carts. I’ve had it for about 2 years (I used the last one literally til the wheels fell off) and many heavy loads; it’s battered and getting a little wobbly, but still doing the job.

  • urbanengineer

    13 years of quality service…I’d buy that one again.

    I use a bike messenger bag that expands to ludicrous size for my grocery shopping while my better half uses a fabric one similar to the rolser. We’ve loaded hers up with 30 lbs or so of groceries without any problems.

  • cam

    I felt silly and like a granny when using one of these grocery carts, but only for about a week. They’re a lifesaver for someone without a car, and even with a car they’re handy for transporting things. I much prefer the 2-wheeled covered one I got at Homegoods to the open metal one with four wheels I initially ordered. Much, much better handling. But there’s plenty of room for improvement in the grocery cart business. I’d buy a more attractive and more functional one and even pay a decent sum, but there doesn’t seem to a huge selection out there now.

  • DC_Chica

    I have the Aluminum Shopping Cart from the Container Store and love it – the only drawback is that the wheels don’t swivel, but I think that actually makes it easier to control when navigating over uneven sidewalks b/c your wheels don’t turn and your cart just kind of glides over all the bumps and cracks.

  • anon

    I bought one of the carts from Bed, Bath & Beyond, which I do not recommend. The wheels are not equipped for the bumps and cracks in the sidewalks. My cart, admittedly very full, hit a bump and flipped forward, causing a nasty injury that needed stitches. I imagine your wine bottles wouldn’t fare much better. Look for bigger and better quality wheels whichever brand you select.

  • SG

    I use a metal cart like the one pictured, but I added on a folding metal basket (originally purchased to hang from the side of my bike rack but I didn’t use it because its heavy) like this one: https://www.google.com/shopping/product/4491498755120543366?q=metal+rack+bicycle+pannier&es_sm=93&biw=1280&bih=674&ei=I_GfUoq4Ka6gsQTwvoCoAg&ved=0CMcBEKYrMAU4FA
    I attached the basket to the front end near the top of the cart, and I open it to hold the fragile items (eggs), while the rest of the groceries go in the larger cart.
    I am planning to sew or purchase a cloth liner (I am picturing a laundry-hamper type cloth liner) but right now I bag the small items before tossing them in the cart.

  • saf

    I have one like the one pictured, but a bit heavier-duty. Got it at Annie’s.

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