Dabbawalla Bags

Packed With Love

In India, a dabbawalla is a person who delivers lunchboxes to office workers. To Susan Givens, it’s the inspiration for a line of kids’ bags and signifies something that is packed with love.

A longtime travel industry exec, Susan teamed with her sister, Carol Mack, to create Dabbawalla Bags. Their neoprene-like bags are designed specifically for preschool and early elementary school children, so little ones won’t be overloaded by adolescent-sized bags. The graphics are simple, colorful and age appropriate -- and refreshingly free of licensed cartoon characters and other commercial hype.

Dabbawalla’s lunch totes and backpacks are machine washable, stain resistant, and naturally insulating. All the materials used are PVC- and phthalate-free. Thoughtful touches are incorporated throughout the bags. The lunch totes have easy grip handles and an inside ice-pack pocket, for instance, and there are no dangling straps on the backpacks that could cause a kid to trip.

Susan and Carol (shown in their Taiwan store) also made it a priority to find a responsible manufacturing source for their designs. Each bag is sewn by a seamstress in a family-owned and operated facility in rural Taiwan, where workers earn fair wages in safe working conditions. From start to finish, it’s a perfect fit for little explorers.

— Ann

• Made of Eco-Sponge, a Neoprene-like fabric
• Designed in the USA and responsibly sewn in Taiwan by a woman-owned and operated facility that supports fair labor practices.
• Each bag is crafted individually, and may have subtle differences which add to their unique charm.
• Machine Washable 

• Drip Dry Lunchbags:
  
  • Ideal for school lunches or toting snacks to the park
  • Integrated easy-to-grip handle on top
  • Two inside mesh pockets
  • Insulating construction helps holds temperature for hours
  • Interior ice pack pocket for longer outings
  • Outside back pocket • Lightweight
  • Stands upright for easy inside access. Dimensions: 12"Lx11"Wx 5"D

• Backpacks:
  
  • Sized for carrying lunch and gear to pre-school, daily excursions and overnight outings
  • Cushioned, flexible straps that adjust from the inside can be pulled tight when not in use
  • No dangling straps to trip over or drag
  • Sturdy grip handle on top
  • Outside back pocket
  • Three inside mesh pockets
  • Dimensions: 12"Lx11"Wx 6"D