The two bags, side by side
| Drawstring bag | Tote bag | |
|---|---|---|
| Material here | 260 gsm cotton canvas | 100 percent cotton canvas |
| Size here | 13.38 in wide by 17.71 in high | 13.4 in high by 13.4 in wide, 2.4 in depth |
| Capacity | 20 liters | Open compartment, shallower |
| Closure | Drawstring with a fastener | Open top |
| Carried | On the back, hands free | In the hand or on a shoulder |
| Pockets | Inner packable pocket and interior zip pocket | Open main compartment |
| Colours | White or Black, a stated range | Natural leaning palette to ask for |
| Decoration | Heat transfer or direct to garment | Printed on both sides |
| Care | Sponge clean only | Skip the washing machine |
The interesting differences are not the dimensions. They are the closure, the pockets and the fact that the drawstring bag has a stated color range while the tote does not.
Closure changes who keeps the bag
An open tote is a shopping bag and a document bag. Turn it upside down and everything falls out, which is fine for a walk to the car and useless on a bicycle or a train.
A drawstring bag closes. That single feature makes it viable for a gym, a pool, a festival and a school trip, and it is why drawstring bags get used long after the event that gave them away. The cotton drawstring bag here also has an interior zip pocket for valuables and an inner packable pocket, so the bag folds into itself for storage.
If you want the bag to be kept, the closure is worth more than the print.
Capacity is not comparable
A 20 liter drawstring bag and a 13.4 in square tote with a 2.4 in gusset hold different shapes, not different amounts of the same thing.
The drawstring bag is tall and soft, so it swallows bulky, irregular items and compresses around them. The tote is wide and shallow with a defined depth, so it carries flat items upright without them curling. Put a ream of paper in a drawstring bag and it sits awkwardly against your back. Put trainers in a tote and they fall out.
Choose by the shape of the contents, not by the liter figure.
What each one does for your brand
A drawstring bag is worn on a back, which means the print faces other people while the recipient walks around. For a one day event with a lot of foot traffic, that is the highest visibility branded object you can hand out short of a shirt.
A tote is carried at hip height and seen side on, and it lives longer. It goes to a supermarket, an office and a library over years. Lower intensity, much longer duration.
That difference should shape the artwork. A bag seen from twenty feet on a moving person needs a bold mark and very few words. A bag seen at a checkout queue can carry a wordmark and a web address.
Decoration and color, precisely
The drawstring bag states its decoration and its color range, and both are worth taking literally. It takes heat transfer, which handles unlimited colors, or direct to garment. It is made in White or Black, and that is its range, so a color outside it is refused rather than discovered after payment.
The tote bag states that your design is printed on both sides. Its color swatches are a natural leaning palette, and because the product does not state a range in its own specification, those are common colors to ask for rather than a confirmed range. Name the color you want and the supplier confirms it before printing.
Both are single layer cotton panels, which is the easiest construction to decorate. Keep artwork clear of the drawstring channel on one and the handle attachment on the other, as set out in the guide to bag print areas.
Cost, quantity and what leftovers cost you
Neither bag has a size run, because both are one size, which removes the most common source of leftover stock in apparel. What remains is quantity risk: order 500 and hand out 300 and you own 200 bags.
The drawstring bag is more tolerant of that, because it is useful enough internally that a leftover box gets absorbed by staff, new starters and next season. A dated or event specific tote is harder to place. As with shirts, a year rather than a full date keeps a bag usable.
When neither is right
Three cases push you elsewhere. If the bag has to protect a laptop, choose a laptop bag with a padded 15 in sleeve or a backpack with a padded compartment. If it has to keep food or drink cold, choose an insulated cooler bag. If it is handed over at a retail checkout, check the carryout bag rules for your state first.
Drawstring or tote checklist
- Kit, bulky contents, hands free, worn that day: drawstring bag.
- Paper, flat items, carried home and reused for years: tote bag.
- Closure matters more than print if you want the bag kept.
- Choose by the shape of the contents, not by the liter figure.
- Bold mark and few words for a bag seen on a moving back.
- Remember the drawstring bag is White or Black only, a stated range.
- Skip the exact date so leftovers stay usable.
Frequently asked questions
Which is better for an event giveaway, a drawstring bag or a tote?
A drawstring bag if recipients will carry it around during the event, because it closes, goes on the back and faces other people while they walk. A tote if they will take it home, because it lives longer and gets reused for shopping and paperwork for years. The closure is what decides whether a bag is kept.
How much does a drawstring bag hold?
The cotton drawstring bag here has a 20 liter capacity at 13.38 inches wide by 17.71 inches high, with an inner packable pocket and an interior zip pocket for valuables. It is tall and soft, so it takes bulky irregular items well and flat paperwork badly. A tote with a defined depth is the better choice for documents.
What colors do drawstring bags come in?
White or Black. That is a stated color range for the product, so a color outside it is refused before payment rather than discovered afterwards. Tote bags, by contrast, do not state a range in their own specification, so the swatches shown there are common colors to ask for and are confirmed with the supplier.
Can you machine wash either bag?
No. The drawstring bag care line says sponge clean only, and the tote bag care line says to skip the washing machine to keep the print bold. In both cases the printed panel and the hardware are the limit rather than the cotton. Spot clean with a damp cloth and mild soap, and dry flat.
Sources & specification notes
The references below support the relevant technical or product details in this guide. Examples and checklists are not claims of practical testing or universal supplier requirements. Confirm the current specifications for your chosen product before production.
- ASTM D3776/D3776M: Standard Test Methods for Mass Per Unit Area (Weight) of Fabric ↗
Supports reading the 260 gsm figure for the drawstring bag canvas as a measured mass per unit area that can be compared with other fabrics.
- New York State DEC: Bag Waste Reduction Law ↗
Supports the point that a bag handed over at a retail checkout may be a regulated carryout bag with its own definition of reusable.
