Thirty One Lunch Totes – Cinch It Up or Thermal Tote

I love Thirty-One Gifts, with their awesome totes, bags and organizational items. Just the other day I was gushing about the little Carry-All Caddy, it is such a wonderful small piece and makes a wonderful gift! But right now, with my belly rumbling, I have lunch on the brain. And I am trying to decide whether to pack up a lunch in the Cinch It Up or Thermal Tote. There are other larger and/or more structured options to pack your lunch in at ThirtyOneGifts.com, but these two bags caught my eye in January, thanks to their cute patterns and awesome prices. So, I wanted to share my thoughts on the lunch totes below!

CINCH IT UP:

The Cinch It Up Thermal Tote comes in five patterns – my favorite is the Leopard Floral. Feminine and sassy! I also like the spiral patterns, which are available in Aqua Circle Spirals and a rainbow of Circle Spirals. Finally there is a subdued Lotsa Dots and a sophisticated Black Paisley Parade. Compared to the Thermal Tote, it has about an extra inch of space in height. But it is significantly less long and not as wide. The measurements of the Cinch It Up Thermal are 10.5″ H x 9.5″ W x 2.5″ D.

The Cinch Top is easy to use and the drop handles are nice and long, measuring 10.5″. Inside there is a thermal material, shiny-like, that will keep food the temperature you want – cool or warm. To me the pros for this bag are the pattern options and long drop handles (there are two handles on the bag). And I love how it keeps food the right temperature.

The Cinch It Up is available for $20.

THERMAL TOTE:

Then there is the Thermal Tote. It is available in more colors, and some of the color options even offer a different accent border on the top of the bag. The ones who are a complete patters – no accent – are Black, Black Parisian Pop, Circle Spirals, Pink Circle Spirals and Painted Snakeskin. The patterns that have a complementing border are Awesome Blossom, Cupcakes, Flutter, Harvest Floral, Lil’ Mushrooms, and Windsor Bouquet. My favorite color for women is the Pink Circle Spirals, which I own.

I like the measurements of the Thermal Tote more, to me it holds more since you have more room on the bottom. And it isn’t as “scrunched”. The measurements are 9.5″ H x 14″ W x 4.5″D. You are sacrificing some height, but I don’t carry too many tall drinks. We mostly pack water bottles, sparkling water and juice boxes for “tall” items. None of them are over 9″ tall! The handles also aren’t as long, more suitable for simply carrying with your hand, not slinging over a shoulder.

I do like the zipper closure, which I feel contains the temperature even better, especially for cool items during hot Spring and Summer days in Florida. The Thermal Tote has the same shiny material that the Cinch It Up Tote has that helps maintain the temperature of your food, whether you want it cool or warm. And it has a nice pocket on the long side of the bag for tucking in napkins, utensils, keys, etc. So overall, the pros for this bag are the zipper closure, better length, less crowding and extra pocket.

The Thermal Tote is available for $15.

FINAL SAY:

If I was going to purchase a Thirty One lunch bag for daily use, I’d go with the Thermal Tote over the Cinch It Up. It’s a better cost, more pattern options, awesome pocket and love the zipper. But be sure to compare both, along with the other Lunch Bag Options from ThirtyOneGifts.com – there is something for everyone!

OTHER LUNCHBAG OPTIONS:

• Picnic Thermal Tote
• Making Memories Thermal
• Lunch to Go Thermal – Great Camo pattern for Boys!

This is solely the opinion of the Mom Buzz. Other people may have different experiences with the product. And don’t forget to enter my other hot contests so you can win and try buzzworthy products! The Mom Buzz received the totes to sample, but the opinion is my own.