Dinosaur Tote Bags: 48 Designs, Three Kinds of Bag, and When to Order for Christmas

A dinosaur tote bag is usually a small, sure gift: for the friend who still knows every dinosaur from the museum trip, the teacher whose classroom is half fossils, or yourself, because the grocery bag you've been using has a hole in it. The design is the easy part. The useful questions are how big it is, what it's made of, and whether it will arrive in time.

We sell 48 dinosaur tote bags, all $24.99. They aren't all the same bag. Forty-three are one 15-inch polyester tote with denim handles, four are a cotton-blend tote you can order in different sizes, and one, the Neon Rex, ships on a much longer clock. Every measurement and lead time below comes from the live listings.

The short version

If you want the most choice and a known capacity, pick from the 43. If you want a bigger bag or a print on both sides, pick from the four.

The everyday dinosaur tote bag: 43 prints, one bag

Most of the range is the same tote with a different print. It's 15 inches square, made of spun polyester, and carried on two handles of cotton bull denim, the heavy twill used for work jeans. The listing rates it at 2.6 gallons (10 litres) and a maximum load of 44 pounds.

In practice that's a library-and-lunch bag. It takes a few hardbacks, a laptop up to about 13 inches, a change of clothes for the gym, or one full grocery run's worth of the heavy stuff. The handles are 11.8 inches long, which is a hand or forearm carry. It sits under the arm rather than hanging low off the shoulder, so if you want a bag you can wear over a winter coat, look at the sized totes below.

Most of the 43 come with a choice of Black, Red or Yellow on the listing, so check the photos for the version you want. Ten have no option at all, including the four realistic prints (Raptor, T-Rex, T-Rex Skeleton and Triceratops), Tiny Dino, Camo Dinosaur Sketch and Retro Rainbow Dinosaurs.

Picking a print is the fun part, and there's a lot to pick from:

• Bold T-Rex designs: T-Rex Attack, Angry Rex, Roaring Rex, Half Moon T-Rex, Snow T-Rex and SynthRex.
• Scenes: Last of the Dinosaurs, Dinosaur Sunset, Meteor Dinosaurs, Jungle Rex and Pastel Sunrise.
• Small repeating dinos: Cute Tiny Dinos, Happy Dinos, Multicolor Dinos and Blue Watercolor Dinos. These read as a pattern from across the room and as dinosaurs up close, which suits anyone who wants a quieter bag.
• For the person who knows their dinosaurs: Dinosaur Chart, Serene Stegosaurus, Mossy Avaceratops and two Staurikosaurus designs, a small early dinosaur that doesn't turn up on many bags.
• Retro: 90s Neon Dinos and Purple 90s Neon Dinos, Purple Lazers and Retro Rainbow Dinosaurs.

The sized dinosaur tote: printed on both sides

Four designs use a different bag: Freedom Forever, American Pride T-Rex, Pink Retro T-Rex and Stegosaurus Print. These are a 50/50 poly-cotton blend, softer in the hand than the polyester tote, with the design printed on both sides, so it shows whichever way it's facing.

They're the only totes that come in sizes. The Pink Retro T-Rex tote and Stegosaurus Print come in 13, 16 and 18 inches square; Freedom Forever and American Pride T-Rex come in 13 and 16. The price is $24.99 whichever size you choose, so unless you want a small bag on purpose, the 18-inch is the better value. The 13-inch suits a child carrying a book and a snack.

The listings describe "a set of straps for over-the-shoulder carrying" but don't give a strap length or a weight rating, so we can't promise a figure for either.

The Neon Rex tote

The Neon Rex tote is the same double-sided poly-cotton bag in its own design, and shares its name with our Neon Rex backpack if you're building a set. It's made to order on a longer schedule: 2 to 4 days to a tracking number, then an estimated 2 to 4 weeks in transit. If you're buying it for a date, order it first.

Shipping times and Christmas order dates

Every tote is printed when you order it, which is why none of them ship the next day.

All of them ship within the US only, and you get a tracking number when the bag leaves production.

A tote is a good stocking-sized gift, and it's one of the few that gets used the week after Christmas. To have one by December 24, order by:

• Neon Rex: November 18
• Every other tote: December 4

Both dates leave a few days' margin for holiday carrier delays.

Which dinosaur bag: tote, purse or backpack?

If you're shopping for a dinosaur bag in general and not set on a tote, the choice comes down to how it's carried. A tote is open-topped and carried by hand or on the forearm: good for groceries, books and the beach, not for anything you'd mind falling out. Our dinosaur purses close up and go over the body, and the purse guide compares the crossbody, canvas saddle bag and mini clutch. For school or a commute with a laptop, the dinosaur backpack guide covers a full-size bag with a 15-inch laptop sleeve.

Dinosaur tote bag FAQ

How big is a dinosaur tote bag? The 43 everyday totes are 15″ × 15″ and hold 2.6 gallons. The four sized totes come in 13″, 16″ or (for two designs) 18″ square.

Does the tote have a zipper or an inside pocket? None of the listings mention a zipper, a closure or an inside pocket, so plan on an open tote.

Can you wash it? The listings don't give care instructions. If it needs cleaning, a gentle cold wash and air dry is the cautious choice for any printed bag.

Is the print on both sides? On the four sized totes and the Neon Rex, yes. The 43 everyday totes don't say, so assume the front.

Will it hold a laptop? The 15-inch tote fits a laptop up to about 13 inches, but there's no padded sleeve. For a bigger laptop, the 18-inch sized tote or a backpack is the safer pick.

Do you ship outside the US? The tote listings state US shipping only.

Pick the bag, then the dinosaur

Choose the 15-inch everyday tote for the widest choice of prints, or a sized tote if you want it bigger or printed on both sides. Then pick the dinosaur they'd draw if you asked them. Every design is in our dinosaur tote bag collection.