IKEA Blue Bag Belongs In The Trunk

The IKEA FRAKTA bag is not elegant, but it is the right bag for the car.

It solves three annoying cases:

• wet playground clothes after a Seattle park stop
• groceries that roll around the trunk
• the random pile of jackets, toddler gear, and water bottles after an outing

The trick is not keeping it folded perfectly. Leave it loose in the trunk so it can become a dirty-clothes bag, grocery corral, picnic carrier, or emergency floor mat. If it gets muddy, hose it off. If it tears, IKEA sells another one for less than a fancy coffee.

A small tote is useful inside the house. The big blue bag is better in the car because it can swallow the whole mess at once. That matters when the outing is over and the only real goal is getting home without making six trips from the curb.