The 9 Best Dog Poop Bags

For everyday walks, Earth Rated Unscented rolls strike a sound balance of strength, size and cost. The film is made with about two-thirds recycled plastic, and the bags carry no perfume, so nothing fights with the smell you're carrying to the trash. Each roll fits common leash holders, tears cleanly at the line and warns you when it's nearly empty. These are still plastic bags, not compostable ones, and the brand's scented versions get mixed marks for hiding odor.

Owners of big dogs get more room and a simpler tie-off from Pogi's Large Handled bags. Each one has two loop handles, like a small shopping bag, so you can pull a tight knot without touching the bottom. Reviewed, which used several brands on walks with small and large dogs, found the light powder scent hid odor well. They come flat in a box rather than on rolls, so they won't load into a leash dispenser.

Amazon Basics Unscented bags arrive as a starter kit: a big block of rolls plus a plastic holder with a clip for the leash. The film is plain black plastic with no perfume, and it holds up well on walks for very little per bag. A home picking up twice a day gets more than a year out of one box. There's no recycled or plant content here, and the bundled holder is basic.

If you keep a composter set aside for pet waste, G.A.S Compostable bags are made for it. The seller lists TUV Austria certification for both home and industrial composting, and the rolls wind on cardboard cores inside paper packaging. The film is a blend of cornstarch and compostable polymers instead of ordinary plastic. Tossed in regular trash, they gain you little, since landfills don't compost, and each bag costs noticeably more than plain plastic.

Extra length is the main draw of Bags on Board Refills. They run longer than the usual roll bag, which leaves spare film for a good knot after a big pickup. The bottom is sealed twice, and the maker backs them with a leak-proof guarantee. The rolls sit on paper cores and fit the brand's own holders. The film can be fussy to peel open, and it isn't the thickest around, so a sharp stick can poke through.

Pickups on rough ground or loose stools are where the Mutt Mitt Dispense-A-Mitt earns its keep. Each mitt is two layers thick, white outside and black inside, and slips over your hand like a glove with a deep pocket at the bottom. The brand has made them since 1989. The box hangs by the door rather than riding on a leash, the mitts are awkward to tie off, and each one costs several times a roll bag.

Sized for giant breeds, Hippo Sak Jumbo bags also handle litter box cleanouts, used puppy pads and diapers. They're far wider and longer than a leash-roll bag, with a reinforced bottom, and the seller says the film is made from recycled material. A holder comes in the box. That much bag is wasted on a small dog, and every pickup uses more plastic, so they make the most sense as the bag you grab for big jobs.

Buying in bulk pays off with Pet N Pet Bulk Rolls, a box that can carry a two-dog home through most of a year. A little under half the film comes from plants, a share certified under the USDA's BioPreferred program, and the rest is ordinary plastic for strength. The bags are unscented and perforated so one tears free with one hand. That plant content doesn't make them compostable, so they still belong in the trash.

Walkers who want a fresher trip to the trash can will like Arm & Hammer Easy Tear bags, which carry baking soda and a light scent in the film. The maker says each bag is about twice as thick as a grocery sack, and the rolls fit standard leash holders. They come in mixed blues and greens. The scent is built in with no plain option in this pack, so anyone who dislikes perfume should skip them.