The 6 Best Shopping Carts of 2024, Tested and Reviewed
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Upgrade your shopping trips with convenient and spacious carts.
Real Simple / Henry Wortock
A shopping trip can quickly become stressful if you’re trying to juggle too many items on your list, but a sturdy, spacious shopping cart can make everything go more smoothly. The best shopping carts provide plenty of room for all your items, extra security to avoid damage, and ease of movement to navigate tight corners, staircases, and more.
“My top three advantages [to owning a shopping cart] are convenience, hygiene, and accessibility,” says Missy Feldman, founder of No Mess with Missy, a professional organizing company. “Having your own cart allows you to shop at your own pace, and it reduces the risk of exposure to germs and bacteria on communal store carts. If you have specific mobility needs or preferences, your own cart can be customized to better suit your requirements.”
Whether you’re looking for a basic, reliable cart or something with certain specialized features, we gathered high-quality shopping cart options that will simplify every trip to the store. To help narrow down the wide variety of options out there, we researched and tested several carts, evaluating them based on their design, capacity, maneuverability, durability, and overall value. We also spoke with Camilla Frederico, founder of the organization and personal assistant firm The Personal Helpers for extra tips about shopping for the perfect cart.
Best Overall: VersaCart Transit
What Stands Out
It’s easy to maneuver, durable, and reliable for carrying plenty of items without major shifting.
What Could Be Improved
The handles aren’t adjustable, and the base of the bag could use extra stability reinforcements.
The VersaCart Transit is our best overall shopping cart pick, excelling in all the areas we focused on during testing. Composed of a sturdy “tote” bag (made from waterproof canvas) and an alloy steel frame, the cart earned perfect marks for its durability. Small details, like a top cover flap to protect items in the cart from wind and rain elevated the cart’s design above the competition, although adjustable-height handles and a reinforced bag base would be welcome additions to improve the design further.
For ease of movement in crowded stores or narrow hallways, this cart features double spinning wheels on all four corners. This makes it easier to steer, while maintaining adequate stability to keep your items secure. It’s quick and intuitive to assemble, with a clip-on design to attach the bag to the frame, and equally easy to take apart and fold down for convenient, compact storage.
Capacity: 120 pounds | Weight: 9 pounds | Size: 22.5" D x 18.75" W x 37.5" H | Material: Polyblend canvas; alloy steel
Best Budget: dbest Cruiser Cart with Bag Bundle Shopping Cover
What Stands Out
It’s durable, has a comfortable and cushioned handle, and glides smoothly even when full.
What Could Be Improved
The bag lacks internal pockets or any other way to secure items inside the bag, and the cart tends to fold up on itself when it’s empty.
At one of the lowest price points of all the carts we tested, the dbest products Cruiser Cart with Bag Bundle Shopping Cover offers plenty of convenience without breaking the bank. It earned its highest marks for durability, thanks to its cage-style design that protects items and its stable wheels that provide a smooth gliding motion and excellent maneuverability. The cart also offers plenty of space inside for all your items without overcrowding, however, there aren’t any inner pockets or straps to secure fragile or rolling items, like bottles.
A cushioned handle—though not height-adjustable—makes it easier and more comfortable to use the cart. You can easily attach and detach the bag from the frame, which allows for quick assembly, convenient storage, and even use of the bag as a tote separate from the frame. The design of the frame, however, does result in the corners of the bag occasionally catching on the edges when it’s pulled out, and it may fold up on itself when it’s lifted while empty.
Capacity: 55 pounds | Weight: 6 pounds | Size: 17.5" D x 17.25" W x 37” H | Material: Plastic
Best Large: Amazon Basics Foldable Shopping Utility Cart
What Stands Out
It offers plenty of storage for shopping, but still folds up quite compactly for storage in smaller spaces.
What Could Be Improved
It’s on the heavier and bulkier side, and the lack of an inner bag lining means smaller items may fall through.
If you’re in need of a larger cart for your shopping trips, the Amazon Basics Foldable Shopping Utility Cart might be just what you’ve been looking for. Moderately priced and sleekly designed, it has a respectable weight limit of 70 pounds, and it has the largest dimensions of any cart we tested, at 40 x 24.5 x 21 inches. The additional room does make this the heaviest cart among our selections, coming in at 16 pounds. Due to the extra size and weight, transporting it may be cumbersome, even when empty.
While its bulk is worth bearing in mind, the cart’s design does have a few features designed to make shopping a little more convenient. 360-degree swivel wheels offer improved range of motion for navigating tight shopping aisles or corners. The cart is also divided into multiple baskets, allowing shoppers to separate items or store personal belongings while shopping. However, the baskets lack fabric liners and have large gaps that may allow smaller items to fall through.
Capacity: 70 pounds | Weight: 16 pounds | Size: 21" D x 23.3" W x 40" H | Material: Metal
Best Metal: Costway Folding Utility Shopping Cart with Swivel Wheels
What Stands Out
It has plenty of space for larger shopping trips, navigates smoothly around tight corners, and folds up easily for storage.
What Could Be Improved
The wide spacing and lack of liner allows items to slip through, and it doesn’t handle stairs as other options.
If you prefer a simple metal cart, the Costway Folding Shopping Cart is a roomy, easy-to-store option. It features two basket compartments, so you can easily sort items and keep things separated if you prefer, and its double-wheel front wheels make it easier to move around corners. With a robust, sturdy construction, it’s durable enough to stand up to frequent use, and it easily folds up for storage between trips.
The metal-bar design of the cart, however, posed some issues during testing, as smaller items tended to slide around and fall right through the bars. It also proved to be challenging to lift and maneuver on stairs, particularly when going down stairs. Despite this, its large dimensions and a fairly high weight limit, make it a good choice for heavier loads or even transporting bulky items like a filled cooler. The cart works well on a basic level, but a few additions, like an inner bag or liner, could make it even better.
Capacity: 88 pounds | Weight: 13 pounds | Size: 24.4” D x 24" W x 39.6" H | Material: Metal
Best Dolly: dbest Products Stair Climber Trolley Dolly
What Stands Out
Its unique design makes it easy to navigate stairs, and the inner bag has bonus features for versatility and security.
What Could Be Improved
It’s on the smaller side, and the handle is short and not adjustable.
Maneuvering up and down stairs can be a challenge with any cart, but the dbest products Stair Climber Trolley Dolly is designed for exactly that situation. Instead of a traditional four-corners wheel design, this cart has three stacked wheels on each side, allowing the cart to “climb” up and down stairs without losing stability. The tradeoff is a lack of swivel wheels, which can make tight corners a little harder to navigate. We also found the handle to be on the short side, and since it can’t be adjusted, it’s not ideal for taller shoppers.
We appreciated the design of the included canvas bag, which is insulated, has multiple compartments, and has a velcro-close top to keep everything secured. It also offers the option to remove the bag entirely and transform it into a dolly/utility cart with a weight limit up to 110 pounds. The capacity, however, wasn’t quite as large as some of the other cart options, making it more suitable for light shopping than large grocery hauls.
Capacity: 110 pounds | Weight: 5.4 pounds | Size: 17.5" D x 18" W x 38.5" H | Material: Polyester canvas bag, alloy steel frame
Best Insulated: dbest Products Ultra Compact Cooler
What Stands Out
The cart is easy to maneuver and features an adjustable handle, multiple pockets, and an insulated cooler.
What Could Be Improved
It doesn’t quite have the capacity for larger shopping trips.
If your grocery run includes perishable items, the dbest products Ultra Compact Cooler Smart Cart is a convenient and capable choice to keep your items from spoiling. The cart’s insulation is leak-proof, allowing it to also hold ice if you want to use it as an actual cooler for summer outings. Insulation aside, this shopping cart earned high marks for its versatile design that features multiple pockets, a zippable top, and an adjustable handle.
This cart is also very simple to store, as it's completely collapsible and can be folded up with minimal hassle. It only has two wheels, so using it is more like rolling a suitcase than pushing a traditional grocery cart, but we still found it easy to maneuver. It does run a bit on the small side, but the items that did fit inside stayed secure and protected during testing. It’s not ideal for carrying a lot of items at once, but it’s a great pick for shopping and day trips.
Capacity: 120 pounds | Weight: 3.5 pounds | Size: 10" D x 12" W x 25.5" H | Material: Polyester
Final Verdict
Our top pick is the VersaCart Transit, due to its durability, smooth maneuvers, and large capacity for storage. It offers a straightforward assembly and disassembly, making it easy to use and store, and its top cover provides an extra level of protection for items.
Our Testing Process
We tested a dozen shopping carts in our lab to assess their performance on the most important elements for users. To test the overall design of each shopping cart, we rolled each cart around without any items in it, then folded it and carried it up the stairs to evaluate its weight. Then, we filled each cart with some typical grocery items and considered its capacity for carrying a load from a normal shopping trip.
With the cart full, we navigated it through a pre-designed obstacle course to assess the maneuverability. After completing the course, we checked the groceries we had placed in the cart, examining them closely for any breakage, squishing, or other damage. This, along with assessing the cart itself, allowed us to get an idea of the durability of the cart and its ability to properly protect items inside it. Finally, we assessed the price of each cart and decided on its overall value when comparing its price to how well it performed in each category.
How to Shop for Shopping Carts Like a Pro
Weight Capacity
When choosing a shopping cart, it's important to consider how much weight it can handle. Weight capacity often ties in with other elements of the cart’s design, such as its materials and structure. “Assess the material, frame, and wheels,” advises Feldman. “Look for sturdy materials that can withstand regular use.” A cart with strong frame materials, like alloy steel, is likely to hold more weight than a wire-framed option or one with a thinner, softer bag-style interior.
Cart Weight and Size
Beyond its weight capacity, be sure to also factor the weight and size of the cart itself into your decision-making. “[The best carts] are not too big or heavy, and can fold easily,” Frederico says. If you know that you’re going to need to lift a cart up stairs, get them into your car, or store it in a relatively small space, look for space-saving designs like foldable carts, which also improve portability. “Portability is especially beneficial for those who need to transport the cart between home and the store,” says Feldman.
Material
Shopping carts can be made from a wide range of materials, including alloy steel, canvas, plastic, and other synthetic materials. As stated previously, shopping carts made from sturdier materials like steel tend to hold more weight and are more durable than carts made from synthetics. For carts that collapse for storage, consider both the material of the “bag” or inner cart section since stiffer materials may be harder to fold.
Additional Features
Both Frederico and Feldman rate handle design and ergonomics among the top features to consider when purchasing a shopping cart. Some of these include the handle padding, adjustable height, the amount of wheels, or other features that make it more physically comfortable to use the cart.
Feldman also recommends looking at the organizational design of the carts you’re considering such as compartments, pockets, or dividers. “The ability to organize groceries and items within the cart helps shoppers separate and secure different types of products, making it easier to unload,” says Feldman.
More Shopping Carts to Consider
Olli Ella Rattan Big Luggy Rolling Market Cart: This rounded, basket-style option earned praise for its unusual, yet aesthetically-pleasing wicker design. That same design, however, failed to protect the items adequately, proved hard to maneuver, and made it difficult to efficiently pack items.
Rolser Stair-Climbing Rolling Cart: Although this cart offered plenty of space for carrying items and safely navigated stairs, its wheel system was harder to maneuver on flat ground. Its handle also was on the tall side, not adjustable, and not padded, making it less comfortable to use compared to other competitors.
Questions You Might Ask
What is the difference between a wagon and a shopping cart?
Depending on where you live, “wagon” and “shopping cart” might actually refer to the same thing. Typically, however, the two can be differentiated by how they’re moved: a wagon is usually pulled, while a cart is usually pushed. Wagons also may be designed for heavier loads, rather than lightweight items which shopping carts tend to handle more frequently.
How long do shopping carts last?
The lifespan of your shopping cart will depend on a few factors like the material it’s made from and how often you use it. However, the most important factor that can impact a shopping cart’s longevity is how you care for it. If you avoid overfilling your cart, clean it regularly, and take care to avoid damaging it, your cart could last for several years.
“Maneuver the cart smoothly, especially when navigating corners, and when possible, avoid rolling the cart over rough surfaces, bumps, or uneven terrain,” advises Feldman. “When not in use, store the cart in a dry and cool place instead of leaving it outdoors.” If you aren’t taking these measures, or you find yourself using your cart several times a day, you might need to replace it within a year or so.
How much do shopping carts cost?
Shopping carts vary in price based on its material, capacity, versatility, and special features. Budget carts are typically in the $45 to $60 range and tend to be simplistic in design and can handle the load of a normal shopping trip. Alternatively, more expensive “deluxe” options may be priced over $150 and feature extra perks like swivel wheels, extra pockets for storage/organizing, or even insulation.
Take Our Word For It
This article was written by Amanda Prahl, a contributing writer for Real Simple with over five years of writing lifestyle content. To compile these recommendations, we tested several shopping carts and assessed them based on their capacity, design, maneuverability, durability, and overall value. For expert tips on how to choose the best shopping carts, we consulted Missy Feldman, founder of professional organization company No Mess with Missy, and Camilla Frederico, founder of the organization and personal assistant company The Personal Helpers.
What Is Real Simple Selects?
Next to each product on this list, you may have noticed a Real Simple Selects seal of approval. Any product appearing alongside that seal has been vetted by our team—put through tests and graded on its performance to earn a spot on our list. Although we buy most of the products we test, sometimes we do get samples from companies if purchasing a product ourselves isn’t an option. All products go through the same rigorous process, whether they are purchased or sent by the company.
Love our recommendations? Check out more products that have earned the Real Simple Selects, from humidifiers to cordless vacuums.
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