As a kraft paper bag supplier who’s spent over a decade working directly with manufacturers, retailers, and small business owners across North America and Europe, I get dozens of variations on one core question every single week: Do kraft paper bags come with handles? It’s not a yes-or-no query, either—people don’t just want a flat answer. They want to know why some have handles, when they don’t, and what makes the difference matter for their brand, their customers, and even the planet. Let me break this down the way I explain it to my clients, no jargon, no empty marketing fluff, just the real-world stuff I’ve learned from years of hauling samples around trade shows and troubleshooting custom orders. Kraft Paper Bag
First, let’s start with the basics: Kraft paper itself is sturdy, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all material. Handles aren’t an add-on for fun—they’re a functional choice, rooted in weight, use case, and cost. A few years back, a local bakery client came to me wanting plain kraft paper bags for their sourdough loaves, which weigh around 2 pounds each. We went back and forth: no handles, die-cut handles, twisted paper handles. Turned out, for a single loaf, a plain unhandled bag works just fine—customers tuck it under their arm without issue. But when that same bakery started catering wedding orders of 4 loaves, 5 pounds of pastries, and a 3-pound cake, plain bags became a pain point. Customers were juggling multiple items, the bags tore at the bottom, and we got a handful of return requests from people who said they’d dropped a half-eaten cookie platter on the way home. That’s when handles stopped being a “nice extra” and became a necessity.
Now, let’s get specific about the types of handles we offer as a supplier, because that’s where most people get confused. The two main options for standard kraft paper bags are die-cut handles and twisted paper handles, plus a less common but growing option of laminated woven cord handles for heavier loads. Die-cut handles are exactly what they sound like: we punch two sets of symmetrical holes near the top of the bag, so customers can slip their fingers through. They’re cut from the same kraft paper stock as the bag itself, which makes them affordable, recyclable, and easy to install during manufacturing. We use these for light-to-medium loads: grocery store produce bags, retail shopping bags for clothing or small gifts, takeout for coffee or sandwiches.
Twisted paper handles are sturdier. We twist two separate strips of kraft paper together, so they’re tighter and hold more weight. These are better for medium to heavy items: bookstore bags holding 10 paperback novels, hardware store bags with nails or light tools, farmers’ market bags full of root vegetables. I once tested a set of twisted handle bags holding 20 pounds of canned goods—no tearing, no stretching, for a full block of time. The downside? They add a little to the production cost, because we have to twist the paper instead of just cutting holes, and they’re not as compatible with very small bags (a 5×7 inch bag doesn’t have space for a full twisted handle).
The biggest misconception I run into is that all kraft paper bags should have handles, or that unhandled bags are somehow lower quality. That’s not true. Unhandled kraft paper bags are a separate category, designed for specific uses where a handle is unnecessary, even counterproductive. Think about bulk grocery stores: when you’re picking up 10 pounds of rice, you might put it straight into a reusable tote, so the thin unhandled kraft bag (usually 30# weight, as opposed to the 40# or 50# for handled models) is just a liner. Or think about shipping: unhandled flat kraft bags are perfect for inserting product into mailers, because there’s no handle to get caught on sorting machines. Some small craft brands also use unhandled kraft bags for product packaging, because they’re minimal, let the product inside stand out, and are cheaper for bulk orders.
What about the environmental side? That’s a huge topic right now, and as a supplier, I work hard to make sure handles align with sustainability goals, not against them. A lot of people assume handles are an extra plastic part, which is bad, but that’s only if you use plastic handles. All the handles we use for our kraft paper bags are 100% paper-based, so they’re recyclable with the bag itself, no special sorting needed. Even the laminated cord handles we offer for heavy-duty bags are now made from recycled paper, not virgin plastic, thanks to new manufacturing processes I’ve invested in over the past two years. That’s a big win because handles don’t add to the waste stream—they’re part of the same closed-loop system as the rest of the bag.
I also get questions about custom orders, because most of our clients aren’t buying generic bags. A café might want branded kraft paper bags with twisted handles, but they also don’t want the handles to block their custom logo print. Or a toy company might want die-cut handles that are aligned perfectly to not interfere with their product inside. That’s where my team comes in: we test every custom handle design before production, to make sure the print area on the bag remains clear, the handles line up straight, and the bag can still hold its intended weight. Last quarter, a children’s book publisher wanted bags with handles that would fit small kids’ hands, so we adjusted the hole size and twisted the handles slightly shorter than standard. It’s a small tweak, but it made a huge difference for their customers—parents told us the kids could carry their own book bags without struggling.
Now, let’s talk about when to choose a handled bag versus an unhandled bag, because that’s the question most people are actually asking. If you’re a retailer selling items that are 1-3 pounds, sold one or two per transaction, and carried by hand without extra bulk—go with either die-cut or no handles. If you’re selling items over 3 pounds, multiple items per purchase, or items that are bulky (like a winter coat, a large plant, a case of drinks), go with twisted or laminated cord handles. If you’re using the bag for shipping, as a liner, or for very small items under 1 pound, unhandled is fine. I’ve seen clients make the wrong choice here, and it always leads to problems: a clothing boutique that put die-cut handles on tiny 6×9 inch bags, only to have customers rip the handles when they stuffed a third item inside; a hardware store that used unhandled bags for 10-pound bags of gravel, leading to multiple customers reporting torn bags and spilled gravel. It’s avoidable, if you know the parameters.
I should also clear up one myth I’ve heard from clients who switched to plastic bags “because kraft doesn’t have handles.” That’s not true at all. Kraft paper bags with handles have been around since the 1950s, when manufacturers started developing twisted handles to replace the flimsy string handles that would break. What’s changed is that more brands are choosing unhandled bags for minimalism, lower cost, or specific use cases, not because handles aren’t an option. I’ve supplied kraft paper bags with handles to clients across every industry, from organic grocery chains to luxury gift brands, so it’s not a niche product—it’s a standard offering.
The last thing I want to mention, as someone who’s on the ground with these bags every day, is durability. A lot of cheap kraft paper bags have flimsy handles that break, but that’s not a fault of kraft paper itself—it’s a fault of the manufacturing process. We test every batch of handled bags for weight capacity: our die-cut handles are rated for up to 15 pounds, our twisted handles for up to 25 pounds, and our laminated cord handles for up to 50 pounds. That’s more than enough for almost any consumer use, and we stand behind that rating. If a client gets a batch and the handles break within the weight limit, we replace it—no questions asked.
At the end of the day, the answer to “Do kraft paper bags come with handles?” is: It depends, but they absolutely can, and the right choice depends on your needs. Whether you’re a small café needing takeout bags, a retail brand needing shopping bags, or a bulk distributor needing packaging, handled kraft paper bags are a flexible, sustainable option that works for most applications. If you’re not sure which type is right for your business—whether you need die-cut handles, twisted handles, or no handles at all—my team and I are here to walk through your specific use case, test samples, and find the perfect solution. We work with every size of order, from a few hundred custom branded bags to bulk runs of 100,000+ unhandled or handled bags, so don’t hesitate to reach out to discuss your next order.
Bubble Foil Insulation References
- Sustainable Packaging Coalition. (2022). Kraft Paper Bag Design and Performance Standards.
- American Forest & Paper Association. (2023). Recyclability of Paper Packaging Components.
- International Trade Centre. (2021). Global Kraft Paper Bag Market Trends and Demand Drivers.
- U.S. Food and Drug Administration. (2022). Food Contact Materials: Kraft Paper Specifications.
Suzhou Star New Material Co., Ltd.
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