Store-Brand Trash Bags

Are store-brand trash bags reliable?

The occasional (or even frequent) failure of reinforced trash bags like Glad ForceFlex or Hefty Ultra Flex leads us to believe that the main problem isn't with the garbage bags themselves, but rather with the people who throw trash into them. It's easy to wait until the bag is so overstuffed that the bag is more likely to rip or tear.

In fact, most reviewers who compare Glad ForceFlex and Hefty Ultra Flex to house-brand trash bags from Target, Costco and Wal-Mart say the slight increase in strength isn't worth the major increase in price, especially if you're careful not to overload the trash bag. In comparative tests, Wal-Mart's America's Choice trash bags (*est. $3 for box of 20 13-gallon bags) holds its own against Glad and Hefty, and it's also the pick of an Associated Content reviewer who compares it to the popular Hefty Cinch Sak. Based on these two mentions -- as well as its budget price and wide availability -- we've included America's Choice 13-gallon bags in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers.

Other house brands also receive positive mentions. We would have been more impressed by KETV in Omaha if it had gone into more detail about its comparison test of Glad ForceFlex and Target trash bags (*est. $6 for box of 45 13-gallon bags); Target wins thanks to its lack of punctures, but no other considerations are mentioned. Target trash bags are also included in a thread on Yahoo! Answers about Glad ForceFlex, along with garbage bags by Costco and BJ's, but with the lack of any additional details (or tests) we've decided to go with America's Choice as the budget pick in ConsumerSearch Fast Answers.