What is an insulated tote bag.
An insulated tote is the bag bubble tea, coffee and takeaway arrive in, with a reflective lining and sometimes a layer of foam. It does not make anything colder or hotter. It slows the change, and this page explains how, for how long, and which bag fits which job.
The short answerAn insulated tote bag is a carrier bag with a reflective foil lining, and sometimes a layer of foam, that slows heat moving in or out. Iced drinks stay cold and hot food stays warm for the length of a delivery. For longer, the bag needs foam in the walls, and for hours, an ice pack as well.
What is inside an insulated tote bag
An insulated bag is built from an outer fabric, a reflective lining and, on the heavier bags, foam in between. The closure matters as much as the walls.
| Part | What it is | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Outer fabric | Non-woven polypropylene on ours | Carries the print and the weight |
| Foam | EPE, a closed cell polyethylene foam | Traps still air, which slows heat passing through the wall |
| Lining | Aluminium foil film | Reflects radiant heat and wipes clean |
| Closure | A flap, a zip or a seal | Stops warm and cold air swapping every time the bag moves |
Our insulated tote is non-woven with an aluminium foil lining, made for drinks and light meals. Our thermal delivery bag adds 3 mm of EPE foam between the fabric and the foil, for longer runs and bigger orders.
Insulated tote
Non-woven outside, foil inside, and a fold-over flap that seals shut. Cut to cup height, so drinks travel upright.
Thermal delivery bag
The same outer fabric with EPE foam behind the foil. Thicker walls, a longer hold, and room for a full meal order.
How an insulated tote keeps drinks cold and food hot
Heat moves three ways, and each part of the bag slows one of them.
- Conduction, heat passing through the wall. Foam is mostly trapped air, and still air is a poor conductor, so thicker foam means a slower change.
- Radiation, heat given off as infrared. The foil reflects most of it back, which keeps the sun off an iced drink and the warmth of a hot meal inside.
- Convection, warm air replacing cold. A closed bag stops it, which is why the flap or the seal matters as much as the lining.
The same bag works in both directions. It slows a cold drink warming and a hot meal cooling, because it slows heat whichever way it is moving.
How long does an insulated tote bag keep drinks cold?
Long enough for a delivery, not for a day out. We do not publish a time in minutes, because it moves with the starting temperature, the weather and how many times the bag is opened. The order never changes: foil alone holds shortest, foam and foil hold longer, and foam, foil and an ice pack hold longest.
- A full bag holds its temperature better than one cup in a big bag. Size the bag to the order.
- Every opening lets the air out. Seal it once and open it at the door.
- Pack cold with cold and hot with hot. A hot meal and an iced drink in one small bag meet in the middle.
- An ice pack gives the bag something cold to hold on to. It is the only way to keep food cold for hours.
Insulated tote or thermal delivery bag
| Bag | Built from | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Insulated tote | Non-woven with a foil lining, fold-over flap with an adhesive seal | Bubble tea, coffee and iced drinks, light meals, one to four cups |
| Thermal delivery bag | Non-woven outer, 3 mm EPE foam, foil lining | Full meal orders, pizza, grocery and catering runs |
| Unlined tote | The same tote without the foil | Dry goods, where the lining adds nothing |
The seal on the tote does a second job. It keeps the air in. Once opened, it cannot be closed the same way again, so the customer can see the order arrived unopened.
Ordering custom insulated bags
- From 5,000 units, three weeks in production, for both the tote and the delivery bag.
- The tote prints edge to edge, by screen print or a full colour transfer. The delivery bag takes screen print, embroidery, or a digital or transfer print.
- Tote sizes run from one tall cup, 12 × 28 × 10 cm, to a family order, 30 × 30 × 20 cm.
- The delivery bag comes in about 7, 20 and 36 litres, or made to your size.
- Made in China and quality checked before shipping.
The bags this applies to: the Insulated Tote Bag and the Thermal Delivery Bag.
Questions
Does an insulated bag keep food hot as well as cold?
Yes. Insulation slows heat in both directions, so the same bag keeps a hot meal warm and an iced drink cold. Pack them in separate bags where you can; in one small bag they meet in the middle.
Is an insulated tote bag waterproof?
The foil lining wipes clean and holds a small spill, but the bag is not a sealed container. Ours are cut to cup height so cups stay upright on the way.
Do I need an ice pack?
Not for a delivery run. For anything measured in hours, such as a picnic or a long grocery trip on a hot day, yes. The bag slows warming; the ice pack is what keeps food and drinks cold.
What is the minimum order for custom insulated bags?
Ours start at 5,000 units for the tote and the delivery bag, three weeks in production. You see a free digital mockup before anything is printed.
Written by the Bag Bureau production team. Last updated September 2026.