As a quintessential British event, picnicking is a much-loved activity we take pride in, and we also want to look good – and be practical – while we do it. But you don’t always have to use the traditional wicker basket; picnic bags and backpacks can be easier to carry and have insulated compartments to keep food chilled, making them a better option if you’re going for a long walk or travelling in the car for a substantial amount of time.
Setting themselves apart from cool bags, picnic bags come with all the necessary picnicking gear, including cutlery, plates and glasses, as well as added extras such as bottle openers, cheese boards and knives, napkins, salt and pepper shakers and picnic rugs. Many are insulated, which – along with the help of ice packs – helps keep food cool until lunch time. Backpack styles are often easier to carry than those with longer over-the-shoulder straps.
Aside from the aesthetics, the bags have got to be durable and useful. So we’ve looked at the best picnic bags and compared them for value, quality of contents, included items, ease to carry and how much of your picnic it can fit inside.
1. Joules Four Person Picnic Rucksack: £48, Amara
This bright and pretty backpack is great for family days out, has enough contents for four people and, with slightly padded curved straps, is comfortable to carry. It has a large section for food, an external bottle holder, plastic glasses and crockery (no accidents), plus napkins and the addition of a wooden chopping board. There’s also a matching cool bag if you want additional space for food, as well as a blanket and a canvas chair in the same print too.
2. Fortnum’s 4 Person Canvas Picnic Backpack: £131.25, Fortnum & Mason
Despite being known for their wickerware, Fortnum & Mason has covered all bases with its canvas backpack picnic bag, with the distinctive branding on the front. Inside are all the picnicking essentials for four people – plastic tumblers, plates, cutlery, white linen napkins, salt and pepper grinders (not shakers), a cheeseboard and a corkscrew. You can carry your whole picnic and bottles in the main part, which is also lined to stop any potential leaks.
3. Next 4 Person Cuba Insulated Picnic Bag: £42, Next
This handy backpack comes with a fleece blanket attached to one side and an external insulated bottle holder to the other. It has a similar capacity to most of the others on the list, with 10 litres of space available and insulation to keep everything chilled for up to five hours. It comes with basic white plastic cutlery and plates, goblet-style glasses and grey cotton napkins for four people. But if you want them to be as jazzy as the tropical-print bag, there’s a whole set of matching plates, bowls and cups available in the same pattern.
4. John Lewis Croft Collection 2 Person Backpack Hamper: £50, John Lewis
This earthy-toned backpack, with padded straps and two bottle holders, is a great option if you’re planning a long walk and a picnic pit-stop with a couple of glasses of wine. The spacious main compartment will hold all your food and is insulated, while the front section holds the crockery. It comes well equipped with the added extras of a cheeseboard and knife, as well as cutlery, plates, cloth napkins, wine goblets, a salt and pepper shaker and a waiter’s friend to get into those two wine bottles.
5. Dunelm Blue Picnic Bag and Picnic Set: £15, Dunelm
If you’re short on space, this compact bag with a nautical stripe design comes with all the basics and can still fit food inside too, making it great value. Designed for two people, it has plastic glasses and plastic and metal cutlery, which fits neatly into the top along with a metal corkscrew. But if you did want more space, there are matching items in the same range, including a large and small cool bag.
6. Les Jardins De La Comtesse Evasion Picnic Backpack 2 Person: £75, Amara
Looking more like a canvas backpack, you’d never know this one was a picnic bag until opening it as it mixes style with practicality. There’s enough room inside for a picnic for two and a bottle, and comes with acrylic wine glasses, plates, knives, forks and spoons for two people. There’s also a little corkscrew and everything slips into elasticated holders in the bag’s front compartment. There’s also a navy 130cm square picnic rug that comes with it too.
7. Cath Kidston Lobster and Friends Four Person Cool Bag: £52, Cath Kidston
With a lobster, shell and crab print, this PVC-coated cotton bag is perfect for picnics at the beach and is wipe clean in case of any spillages. It has an adjustable strap to carry over your shoulder, plastic glasses, plates and crockery for four, salt and pepper shakers and a bottle opener. There’s still room to put your food in, which will be kept cool by the insulation. There’s also a matching picnic rug and lunch boxes in the same design.
8. Sunnylife Lovers Picnic Kit: £24, Amara
If you want to keep your crockery and food separate, or just travel light, this little set from the Australian brand Amara is made for two and is useful to keep handy in a backpack or the car for any spur-of-the-moment picnics. The zip-able pouch comes with two spoons, forks, knives and plates that slip into elasticated holders and has a small handle too. It also comes in a blue patterned version.
9. Confidence Picnic Basket Hamper: £33.99, Tesco
This is more of a cool bag with a picnic bag attached than a straight-up picnic bag, but here there’s no compromise on space. You can either carry them together using the large cool bag handle, or if it’s too heavy when full with food, detach the crockery bag and sling it over your shoulder. Suitable for four people, it’s great for a young family as there are no breakables (it comes with plastic plates and glasses) as well as stainless steel cutlery, and added extras, including a salt and pepper shaker, cheese knife, plastic cutting board and bottle opener.
The Verdict: Picnic bags
The Joules bag is attractive, affordable, easy to carry and has sturdy and well-made glasses and crockery and has matching items so you can colour co-ordinate your entire picnicware collection if you wanted to.
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