The handle decides more about a carrier bag than the material does. It sets the speed at the till, the look on the street and the load it can take.

Vest handles: built for the till

The two loops let a cashier open a bag one-handed, hook it and fill it without looking. At a busy checkout that is a second or two per customer, which across a day is the entire reason this style dominates grocery.

It is also the cheapest per bag at volume by a wide margin. The cost is appearance: the handles interrupt the face, so branding has to work around them.

Die-cut handles: built for the logo

A hole punched through a folded, reinforced top edge. The face stays flat and unbroken, so a logo sits centred and large and stays legible while the bag swings from a hand.

The reinforcement is not optional. A die-cut bag without a properly folded top edge tears at the handle every time, and it is the first thing to check on any sample you are sent from anywhere.

Soft loops: built for weight

A separate ribbon of film heat-welded to the body. It spreads across the hand instead of cutting into it, and it simply does not fail the way punched handles can.

This is the choice for boxed purchases, bottles and anything premium. It is also the most expensive bag on the shelf, and it looks and feels like it.

How to decide in one question

What is the bag for? Speed: vest. Branding: die-cut. Weight and presence: soft loop. Most shops end up carrying two of the three — a cheap fast bag for small sales and a good one for large ones.