When asked what is canvas bag material? There is a 50 – 85 percent chance that we may not know what this means.
Albeit in a bid to save cost and at the same time maintain the standard which has always been to look breathtaking always, we may have left most sellers heartbroken because they didn’t have the exact bag material that matches our taste.
What bag material matches your taste? Some might say I want something long-lasting and something that is tough enough to withstand harsh weather while others may say they want leather.
Not because leather is what they are actually looking for but simply because they have no idea of other long-lasting bag materials. This said, let’s first understand what canvas bags are made of.
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WHAT ARE CANVAS BAGS MADE OF?
Canvas bags are made of fine cotton, jute or linen.
Hardly are they made of materials like wool or leather but one thing about canvas bags is the manner in which they are woven together to look sturdy and resilient to all manner of wear and tear.
Unlike other soft fabrics, these fabrics are designed to be durable and can last for years with proper maintenance.
It’s quite common to see tote bags that are made from canvas materials and I begin to wonder why this is so.
But remember what tote bags are generally used for and how often people tend to use this bag type.
I am once again convinced that tote bags are mostly made of canvas materials because of their design and how often people tend to prefer them to other bag designs for everyday use bags.
WHAT IS CANVAS BAG MATERIAL
A canvas bag material by nature is usually sturdy looking made of woven cotton and designed to withstand all manner of wear and tear including harsh weather conditions. One of its unique features is the inability to fade or peel when soaked in water.
IS CANVAS A GOOD BAG MATERIAL?
Yes, the canvas is a good bag material, and here are 6 reasons why canvas is a good bag material;
Washable:
Canvas bag materials can be soaked in water and soap and nothing will happen to the material, unlike most leather bags that are more likely to peel off when exposed to too much water.
Resilient:
The bags are resilient and can withstand harsh weather conditions. They are environmentally friendly and are considered bags that can’t wear and tear during extreme cases of bad or harsh weather.
Light:
Canvas materials are not considered heavy-weight bags that become overbearing when carried on the shoulder or on any other part of the body.
There are box-like bags that fall in this category of heavy-weight bags. Lifting such bags even when they are empty will require some level of manpower and carrying them when they are filled with items is enough hard work.
Versatile:
These bags are generally versatile and can adapt their features to any outfit and occasion, for example, a tote bag can blend in as a purse. Rarely will you hear statements like, ” I can’t carry this bag because it’s made of canvas and does not blend with my outfit”?
Flexibility:
Canvas bag materials are very flexible and can adjust to any size of the item you’ve put inside them. Unlike other rigid bags that may pull and tear because of being overweight, these bags are designed to naturally adjust to any weight be it light, heavy, or overweight.
Durable:
These bags are considered long-lasting and won’t fade or become worn out, easily. I still have a tote bag given to me by my grandma during one of her many visits.
Although the bag is a bit worn out and dusty looking, I am certain that a thorough cleaning is all it needs to come back to life.
WHAT TYPE OF CANVAS IS USED FOR BAGS?
This might be a little tricky. The materials used in making canvas bags are cotton, linen, and jute.
We’ve come this far in our discussion about bags made of canvas but I still feel you might be a bit confused since there are many materials we can call canvas.
First, let’s debunk the thought of canvas as in painting that is definitely not the material we are referring to.
How about shoes? Well, the materials used in producing the canvas shoes we use for sporting are quite different from the canvas used for bags although they are similar to the painting boards we call canvas.
These materials are usually made of hemp.
IS CANVAS A LEATHER?
Do not be deceived. Canvas ain’t the same thing as leather.
Yes, there are coated canvas materials that are designed to look like leather, and many times we confuse them to be leather bags but these bags are not leather.
Just as their names imply, they are bags made of coated canvas and are not leather bags.
CANVAS LEATHER MATERIAL
It is actually not appropriate to call a bag material canvas leather. It is either a canvas material or a leather material and not both.
There are canvas bags that are designed to look like leather bags but it does not change the fact that they are canvas bags. It’s better to call them coated canvas bags than leather bags.
CANVAS MATERIAL BAG WATERPROOF
The coated canvas is usually waterproof and almost like rubber. A bag brand that maximizes the use of coated canvas is the Louis Vuitton bag brand.
We have long known them to be one of the best designer bag brands in the world. Well, one secret might be their choice of materials.
CANVAS TOTE BAG MATERIAL
Canvas tote bag materials comprise cotton and sometimes linen. These materials are tough by design and are ideal for all purposes.
Most fancy tote bags are designed with canvas and even though they are considered classy and fancy, can be used for several other purposes which won’t cause early wear and tear of the bags.
To understand canvas tote bag material, kindly check this article on the benefits of canvas tote bags.
TYPES OF TOTE BAGS
There are several types of tote bags. Tote bags have disadvantages and advantages.
We have the ones made of leather, which we can call leather tote bags, the ones made of materials like wool, we have the paper tote bags, and also the ones made of canvas which is the central focus of our discussion today.
Let’s see the illustrations below.
Examples of leather tote bags:
Examples of woolen tote bags:
Paper tote bags:
Canvas tote bags:
BEST FABRIC FOR TOTE BAGS
The best fabric for tote bags is canvas bag material, this is because it is considered the most durable and flexible type of material when placed side by side with other materials like paper tote bags, leather bags, and even woolen materials.
Why did I say so? We all know that paper isn’t durable. A small play with the bag can cause it to shred into tiny pieces.
How about leather? In as much as there are strong and quality leather bags that can withstand harsh weather and are considered waterproof, there are still several other types of inferior leather that can peel when exposed to water.
Wool, on the other hand, is best for cold weather conditions because of the warmth the material gives, however, we can’t say the same for other weather conditions like extremely warm weather that might make the skin allergic to wool.
NYLON BAG MATERIAL
Nylon is a waterproof material made up of these two raw materials, adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine. Basic science will tell you that nylon is made of coal, air, and water.
While this is true, it’s also important to highlight that just like canvas material, nylon is considered resilient and is both water and oil-resistant.
I can call nylon bags wash and wear bags because they can be worn almost as soon as they’ve been washed. The duration a nylon bag takes to dry is nothing more than 10 to 15 minutes.
These bag materials are usually ideal for spontaneous shopping and are usually used as courier bags by most companies.
TOTE BAG FABRIC MATERIAL
Tote bags are made of several material fabrics including upholstery, outdoor fabrics, and cloth. Tote bags made of these aforementioned fabrics are usually soft yet tough.
What do I mean? They have a soft appearance and are not as stiff as leather, coated canvas, or plastic.
It’s always easy to fold them into bigger bags because of their soft texture, especially if they don’t have any thick layering that can act as stiffeners for the bags.
However, their softness is not to be mistaken for weakness. These bags are very durable and can withstand harsh weather conditions as well.
They are also washable and do not peel off when soaked in water. Except for cases where the fabrics may have expired due to age, it’s always difficult for these bags to tear.
CONCLUSION
We’ve established the fact that canvas is not leather. We’ve also seen that coated canvas can actually be mistaken for leather.
Understanding the differences between these two materials will help you when deciding on which bag material best suits your taste.