Last Updated: May 9, 2023 @ 10:58 am.

What are the best 13-gallon trash bags? To find out, we bought 11 popular trash bag brands and started testing—which passed our strength test? Have drawstrings that don't break? Are budget-friendly? Here are the trash bags we'd recommend.

FYI: We've been reviewing and rating products for the home and families since 1994. To keep things independent, we don't take money or freebies from brands we review! Our work is 100% reader-supported!


Best 13 Gallon Trash Bags

What makes for a great trash bag?

Thirteen gallon trash bags are probably the most common bag sold today, as they fit standard kitchen trash cans. We gathered several major brands to test strength, stretch and affordability.

After testing, we realized there are several features that make for a great trash bag:

• Plastic thickness and seam construction. Yes, the more expensive bags have thicker plastic and double or triple seam construction. That keeps them from breaking when stuffed.

• Drawstring quality. Nothing is more frustrating than drawstrings that break. The better bags have three-ply drawstrings that perform better in the real world.

• Stretch. This is an issue if you have an odd-shaped trash can—you may need to stretch the bag over the opening. And some bags have more stretch than others.

Finally, we come to that feature that has both fans and detractors: scent or perfumes. Some bags are infused with odor protection, from lavender to baking soda. You’ll see folks who think scented bags are the best thing since sliced bread . . . and others who detest the scent as too strong. And those with allergies or sensitivities may be better off with unscented bags.

So in our tests, we tried to cover all the bases: the best unscented bags, the best trash bags with flexible design and those that don’t have any frills. Here are the bags we’d recommend.

Buy Now
Buy Now

Best Unscented Trash Bags

No perfume or fragrance
We loved the strong drawstrings and durable construction of this bag. No fragrance = great for folks with allergies or sensitivities. Caveat: lack of stretch can cause issue with larger cans.
$14.75 ($0.16 / Count)

Check on Amazon

Buy Now
Buy Now

Best Flexible Trash Bags

Febreze scented has fans, detractors
The star features here are double-side seams and reinforced bottom. The plastic also has more give than other brands—that's great for odd-shaped trash cans. Also nice: 3-ply drawstring works well.
$22.99 ($0.21 / Count)

Check on Amazon

Buy Now
Buy Now

Best Budget-Friendly Trash Bags

Baking soda helps control stink
Tough yet affordable, these bags are lavender and vanilla scented—as you can imagine, there is a split opinion on whether that is a good idea or not! Nice stretch.
$11.98 ($0.15 / Count)

Check on Amazon

Buy Now
Buy Now

Best No Frills Trash Bags

Great for standard-size cans
If you don't care about perfumes, baking soda and fancy stretch fabric, this bag is a good choice. It passed our tests and has red drawstrings. Caveat: not as flexible as other brands we tried.
$25.81 ($0.13 / Count)

Check on Amazon

Why Trust Us

We’ve been rating and reviewing products for the home and families since 1994. We do hands-on testing—we buy the products with our own money and evaluate with an eye toward quality, ease of use and affordability.

Here’s another key point: we don’t take money from the brands we review. No free samples, no sponsors, no “partnerships.” Our work is 100% reader-supported!

Baby Bargains: Your Baby Registry Cheat Sheet

BabyBargains.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com and its related sites. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.