Dorm IQ #19: The Best Moving Bags For College (And Beyond!)
Lara Becker
January 7, 2026
In the whirlwind of packing and preparing to move your student into a dorm, one often overlooked hero emerges: the humble but mighty moving bag.
Often underestimated but incredibly versatile, moving bags play a crucial role in simplifying the chaos and hassle of moving (not just to college either!). From their generous packing capacity to their durable construction to their ease of carrying, moving bags offer so many benefits to streamline the moving process and then fold away quietly when not in use.
In this Dorm IQ topic, we’ll take you through all of the FAQ’s about moving bags that are regularly asked in the Dorm Shopping Recommendations Facebook group and let you know which bags are our hands-down FAVORITE. There are a lot of options out there these days, but only a few are top quality with straps and zippers that will last.
We also have an entire detailed article about preparing and packing for college move-in day. The schedule starts about 4 weeks before move-in and includes a plan for packing the car and then the order for which to tackle the dorm room when you arrive. Bookmark it now so that you can find it again later!
What’s So Great About Moving Bags?
I remember moving into college with cardboard boxes we picked up at the liquor store, and in later years, using those pricey clear plastic totes to move in and out of apartments in my 20’s. Thankfully, those days are over!
Boxes break and are awkward to carry. Those plastic bins are also awkward to carry, although the handles do help, but they’re heavy and unforgiving when you’re trying to squeeze in a few last items or slide them into the back of your car.
The differences with moving bags over boxes or bins are:
You can fit so much inside each bag. Pillows, comforters, blankets, towels, appliances, smaller loose items, clothes, shoes, cleaning supplies – almost anything you’re moving into a college dorm will fit into a moving bag.
The bags we love have BACKPACK STRAPS, and those are a game changer. Wear one like a backpack, and carry one comfortably over each shoulder or each arm. Now you’re moving the equivalent of 3 boxes or 3 plastic bins in 1 trip.
You may have seen the ‘hack’ to put hanging clothes inside an upside-down garbage bag with the tie at the bottom. That’s nice, but you still have to LUG that bag over your arm or carry it outright, and it is HEAVY. Take that same pile of hanging clothes, place them in a moving bag, and zip up the bag leaving just the hangers exposed on one end. Throw that on as a backpack and let your legs do the heavy lifting!
Moving bags can ‘squish’ into the car unlike a structured plastic bin/tub or cardboard box.
They stack very easily on a cart or hand truck.
They fold away flat for easy storage (vs suitcases or bins).
They are easy to clean, inside or out. Just wipe down with a Clorox wipe and let it dry.
They are so affordable! Much less than bins with lids but probably can’t beat the cost of the free liquor store boxes. 🙂
Yes, you can send them as checked luggage on airlines. More on that below!
Moving bags making it easy for me to move heavy things!
What Are The Best Moving Bags For College?
I’ve tried several brands including the now discontinued IKEA Frakta bags, and I am here to tell you that the VENO Moving Bags With Backpack Straps are THE best moving bags for college and for so many other uses (keep reading for those).
VENO bags are thick and heavy-duty.
You do NOT need straps that go all the way around a bag – you need straps that are cross-stitched at the handles.
VENO bags have a small plastic window on the outside of each bag where you can place a piece of paper with a label or a list of the contents. It perfectly holds a folded in half index card.
Please know that VENO makes several different bag types including storage bags that look a lot like their moving bags, but they don’t have the very important backpack straps! Be sure to get these VENO moving bags with backpack straps.
How Do The Veno Moving Bags Compare To The IKEA Frakta Bags?
The IKEA Frakta bags have been discontinued. You may still find “IKEA bags” on Amazon, but they are not sold by IKEA, and there are questions about their authenticity.
But not to worry, the VENO bags are thicker, sturdier and slightly larger than the once-popular IKEA Frakta bags.
The VENO bags also have the snap-closed straps on the bottom to connect to a moving trolley or hand truck.
VENO bags have the little window for a label which the IKEA bags do not have.
VENO Backpack Bag (left) and IKEA Frakta Bag (right)
Can You Check Moving Bags On Airlines?
Yes, and college students do this all the time! One group member posted that there might be an issue with international travel, so you should check with your specific airline if you’re flying internationally.
If checking them as luggage, consider double-bagging the heavier bags and/or putting a rubber boot tray in the bottom of the heavy bags for additional support.
Be sure to clearly label your bag. You can tape your contact info securely on the outside, write your name and contact info directly on masking tape or better yet, add colorful luggage tags to the handles to help you easily identify your bags. Luggage tags keep your identity private as well.
Tie a bright ribbon around the handles or add these colorful handle grips so that you can easily find your bags, especially if flying into a busy college town.
Put a piece of packing tape over the zipper end to ensure it stays closed, or zip-tie it closed.
How Many Moving Bags Do I Need?
We recommend 6-8 moving bags for most college freshmen college move-ins.
If your student will bring more clothes/shoes/personal care/cooking items, you may need 10, hopefully not more!
Heading to off-campus living? You may need an additional 3-5 for kitchen, bathroom, living room and laundry items.
If you’re flying to school, you’ll want a few extras so that you can double bag the heavier or bulkier bags flying as checked luggage.
6 moving bags for a boy moving 2.5 hours away. The drawers are full too, and taped closed!
They hold 50 lbs of weight and 23 gallons of volume.
We fit a twin comforter, pillow sham, mattress pad, mattress encasement and 2 sets of sheets in one bag.
One bag easily fits a mattress topper box inside with additional packing room around it to spare. Note that once your mattress topper has been opened and expanded, it will be too long to fit back in the bag, and you should not fold an expanded mattress topper.
They’re also a great way to put all the smaller boxes and items into one big bag and move them all in one easy trip.
Looking for tips on how to pack your VENO moving bag? See our video on Instagram!
Loading up a moving bag. Add towels or clothes to fill the extra space.
What Else Can I Do With Moving Bags?
These bags are great for so many uses!
Not only are they great for move-in and move-out, but college students can pack them full for their visits home. Long holiday breaks call for all the laundry coming home plus enough clothes and ‘stuff’ to last for multiple weeks. See our Instagram post for more on this!
Want to gift a little something with high school graduation money to your student’s friends? Put a folded moving bag in a gift bag along with a card containing a gift card, check or cash. More graduation gift ideas are here => Grad Gifts For Girls and Grad Gifts For Guys.
Have a lot of dirty clothes or bedding that need to be carried to the laundry room or home? A moving bag makes the chore much more convenient, and they are easy to clean/disinfect with a Clorox wipe if needed.
Moving bags are great for tailgating too. Pack them up with all the essentials from food to plates and utensils, tablecloths, decor, paper towels, serving trays, and small games – they can fit so much. They’re a game changer too if you have to walk far from your parking area to your tailgate tent (because not all tailgating is out of the back of a car!).
For travel: take them on family beach trips, ski trips and camping trips. They’re great for loading up beach towels, gear and food and snacks. Consider that many of these trips mean staying in a condo or a campsite that is a good distance from where you park. Having everything in a few bags that can be easily carried makes the transportation so much faster and more pleasant!
If you have kids going to camp, these are must-haves. Pack it all in, even the dirty items at the end of the week, and then just run a cleaning wipe around the inside to make it good as new.
No way to do laundry on vacation? Use a VENO bag to collect all of the dirty laundry during the trip, and then drop it by your laundry room when you return home.
Heading overseas or somewhere to do some shopping? Don’t bring a bulky extra suitcase! Just bring a folded up VENO bag, slip it into the outside pocket of your suitcase, and use it to bring everything back home with you (as checked luggage) after your successful shopping trips!
I’ve also seen many use moving bags to store off-season clothes in the basement or other gear that you want to protect from the dust that may collect in storage rooms.
We love using moving bags when we tailgate. They hold everything and are easily cleaned after a usually messy day!
I Bought Different Bags Already, Will They Be Ok?
Honestly, if you’re still inside your return window, I would consider swapping them out especially if they don’t have the backpack straps. Even if your school helps freshmen move their belongings from the car to the dorm room on move-in day, those helpers are not there for school breaks, move-out or any of the future move-ins and move-outs at off-campus housing!
Please also know that there are a lot of knock-off bags that just don’t hold up. Straps break. Zippers break. You don’t want to deal with that hassle on move-in day, and you’re going to end up replacing them with a better bag anyway, so I recommend starting off with these VENO bags from the beginning. They’re usually about the same price too although some of the cheaper lower lower-quality bags can go on a big sale here and there making them more attractive, but resist that urge!
What Should I Pack For College? Is There A College Packing List?
This is a very common question and one I always answer with this… every student’s dorm packing list will be DIFFERENT.
Please avoid the pretty ‘dorm packing lists’ and ‘dorm checklists’ you may have pushed on you or come across on Pinterest. These are really not helpful and will likely end up creating headaches and wasted money. After years of helping parents get their students ready for college, this is what to do instead of using a dorm checklist.
Conclusion
The VENO Moving bags are our top choice for efficiency and convenience when moving your student into and out of college. Their sturdy construction, ample storage capacity, and those amazing backpack straps make them a must-have for any moving day, not just for college moves! Whether you’re tackling a cross-country journey or simply moving your student across town, moving bags are the least expensive and most versatile option.
More Dorm Information And Recommendations
All we do is research, test and report on dorm and college life!
Dorm IQ is our comprehensive learning series covering all of the frequently asked questions in our Dorm Shopping Recommendations & Deal Alerts Facebook group. The Facebook group is focused on practical dorm planning with a dose of creative inspiration and experienced solutions as well. Bring your questions, concerns and ideas to our positive and helpful group with over 135k members!
You can find all of our dorm recommendations in one place, our Dorm Essentials Guide. This took months to develop and is updated constantly with new learnings and ideas.
Have Questions?
Still have questions? Please comment below, or come ask us in the Dorm Shopping Recommendations & Deal Alerts Facebook group. So much great info in the group along with hundreds, maybe thousands, of move-in pictures from 2022 through 2026 to give you ideas and inspiration.
=> Please share this article with your dorm-bound friends and their parents. I would love for everyone to understand the topics in Dorm IQ before they start dorm shopping!
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Amy Foxxsays:
We love these! My senior son has ended up using one for a laundry bag full time. We tried three different laundry bags, baskets and nothing survived a school year. Also, he is an RA and is allowed to store things at school over the summer, these were perfect for that!
Amy Foxx says:
We love these! My senior son has ended up using one for a laundry bag full time. We tried three different laundry bags, baskets and nothing survived a school year. Also, he is an RA and is allowed to store things at school over the summer, these were perfect for that!