The 10 Best Shopping Carts

For most people who walk their groceries home, the VersaCart Transit is the cart to get. A removable canvas bag hangs in a steel frame and closes under a fitted cover, so rain stays out and nobody can peek inside. Doubled wheels at each corner roll smoothly over sidewalks, and it's ready to go once the front wheels click on. Food & Wine ranked it best overall. The soft bag sags under heavy cans, and boxes don't stack well in it.

Big weekly shops fit in the Amazon Basics UCW002, a black wire cart with a deep main basket, a second basket up front and a small top tray for bread. The handle is wrapped in foam, the front wheels swivel, and a hook holds it shut once folded. It takes roughly six to eight grocery bags. Fitting the wheels can be fiddly, and its weight limit is low for a cart this big, so cases of water add up fast.

Bus riders and anyone who shops in narrow aisles should look at the Dbest Trolley Dolly, which is light enough to lift with one hand. You tilt it back on its big wheels and pull. The bag has plenty of pockets, including a cup holder, and it comes off so the frame works as a hand truck for boxes. It holds a bag or two, and a full load can tip when you let go.

The Wellmax WM99024S steers well with a full load, thanks to large back wheels that roll over curbs and small front wheels that swivel. A liner comes with it, so small things don't slip through the wire. The back wheels snap off without tools, which lets it fold flat enough for a closet. Its warranty runs only 90 days, and some front wheels have broken off.

Budget shoppers get a lot of cart from the Whitmor 6318-2678: a deep steel basket with a black coating and a foam grip. Putting it together needs only a pair of pliers. The tall, narrow frame suits apartment hallways and tucks into a closet when folded. Its small front wheels are fixed, so a heavy load takes some muscle around corners unless you tip it back onto the big wheels, and some wheels have worked loose within months.

Families who buy water by the case can lean on the Goplus Jumbo FSC-01, which pairs a big main wire basket with a second one by the handle for a purse or umbrella. The front wheels swivel, and the large rear wheels have rubber treads that handle sidewalks, streets and grass. The trade-off is bulk. It's heavy to lift into a car trunk, and some find it clumsy to steer in tight store aisles.

Walk-up apartments are where the RXUJYC Stair Climber earns its place. Its oversized rear wheels are built to bump up a step at a time, while the small front wheels swivel for steering on flat ground. A waterproof liner comes with it, plus a six-year warranty from the seller. The brand is a little-known import with no long track record, and the load rating and warranty come from the seller alone, with no maker site to check.

A farmers market, a beach day or a park picnic calls for a wagon more than a cart, and the Mac Sports WTC-111 has done that job for years. Its fabric tub sits on a steel frame, with two mesh cup holders and a handle that adjusts. It folds down into its own carry bag. The maker says it isn't for children, so no rides. It's heavy and bulky to lift into a car, and a few wheels have cracked.

The Workpro Rolling Tote is a big woven bag on four swivel casters, a softer choice for people who shop on foot and dislike wire. You can roll it, carry it by its straps or fold it flat into a drawer. Padded side panels help it keep its shape, and outside pockets hold keys and a phone. The small casters snag on cracks and curbs, so it's best on smooth sidewalks and store floors.

The Olympia Pack-N-Roll trades a basket for three plastic shelves on a light aluminum frame, which suits drivers who haul bags from the car to an elevator. It folds thin enough to stand beside a fridge, all four wheels swivel, and it works as a garage or office cart the rest of the week. Without sides, bags can slide off on bumpy ground, and the top tray has cracked for some.