C.J. Braden • 4 Minute Read
What you need to know about Bogg Bags + Dupes
Article originally written and published: 7/23/21
7/2023 Update: My readers and YouTube video viewers have spoken and I listened. Many of you told me that TEMU had a version of a Bogg Bag on their site ranging from $10-$30. So, I bought a TEMU version for $13 to compare and contrast.
Is a TEMU Bogg Bag the same as the original
After recently visiting a local store that sells Bogg Bags (as you’ll read through my research in the original article below, I have not purchased a Bogg Bag for many reasons, but I’ve seen plenty in person), I can tell you it’s a still a nice sturdy beach or diaper bag made out of Croc-like plastic.
TEMU vs. BOGG BAG
The $13 TEMU version, however, is just as good as a Bogg Bag, but not quite as good as a Simply Southern tote. This is my honest opinion as I am in no way working for any of the brands. The TEMU version came a little bent, but after letting it sit in my closet for a few days, it’s a great tote that feels and looks the same, minus the BOGG embossment on the bottom.
TEMU Bogg Bag
Please note: The TEMU Bogg Bag version is probably an unlawful infringement on the Bogg Bag design. I am not condoning copyright infringement in any way nor am I condoning stealing anyone’s intellectual property (I know all about IP Law, as I had to learn a lot about it when the Shibumi brand was not happy about one of my DIY projects. Read about that experience by clicking here.
TEMU copied the “b” handle attachments, but not the logo embossing, so I don’t know how much is an infringement on the original design, and I’ll leave that up to the IP lawyers of the Bogg Bag owners to take up with TEMU sellers.
Extra Large Simply Southern Tote
If you are in an area of a Simply Southern store or outlet like I was in June 2023 (I visited one of their outlets in South Carolina), you may be able to pick up a Simply Southern tote on discount. After feeling the quality of the Simply Southern Tote and TEMU and Bogg Bags, I am still partial to the Simply Southern version. The other brands just seem a little thinner and flimsier than a Simply Southern tote.
I bought an Extra Large Utility Simply Southern Tote for around $30 at the Simply Southern outlet (I currently live at the beach and use these in our RV travels too as they are very useful in my lifestyle) on clearance, as they have an older handle attachment style. Even if this handle style is being phased out, it’s still a great bag. You can buy Bogg Bag replacement handle attachments on Amazon.
Handle attachment version two on the Extra Large Simply Southern Tote
I think Simply Southern has gone through 3 versions of a handle attachments, and I think they have finally got it right in their latest version, which I talk about in my April 2023 update below.
The Mini Simply Southern tote
4/2023 Update: I now have a mini Simply Southern tote too and LOVE it! They redesigned the handles to not be detachable and changed the shape a bit, but I think this redesign made it even better. Check out my mini Simply Southern tote on Amazon by clicking here.
See how I styled it two ways: one way is on my TikTok @carolynjbraden and the other way is on my Pinterest account.
Original article begins here:
I was shopping in July 2021 and saw a very busy mom with three children going into a store. She was pushing a large stroller, guiding the kids with a very large pink bag dangling off her shoulder. I usually don’t bother people when they look very busy, but my eyes were strangely drawn to this bag.
Want to watch me talk about all things Bogg Bag? Watch my short video on my YouTube channel “Carolyn Braden” by clicking this link or on the video below!
I stopped and asked her about it and she happily spoke with me about it. When the mom started her story, she had to look at the bag to remember the name, Bogg Bag, (like I said, she was a busy mom!), and then proceeded to tell me it was made out of “Crocs” material, which meant it was lightweight and easily cleaned. She used it as a diaper bag and a beach bag, told me it came with an insert to hold small items, and allowed me to a get a great look of the entire design.
At the end of her helpful commentary, she told me she found it at T.J. Maxx and I should look for them there too because they are expensive.
I graciously thanked her and instantly started doing some research on this large tote. Immediately, I found out they are a quite a sensation around the United States. Now, I’m about 4 weeks into my research have to say, I am no longer a fan of the brand or their bags. Read on to learn more about Bogg Bags and why I think others should consider all their options before buying one.
What You Need to Know About Bogg Bags + Dupes
1- The Bogg Bag Design Isn’t Exactly Original
The Bogg Bag brand go out of their way to not name the Croc brand on their “About” page on their website, despite using their design concept. I guess their lawyers told them they couldn’t, lol! In the “American way of business”, Kim, the founder of Bogg, basically took the Crocs soft plastic shoe design with aerodynamic holes, and made it into a bag. I’m not a lawyer, but I will assume if Crocs didn’t have a patent on their shoe design becoming a bag, then it’s all good for this to occur.
Over the years there have been numerous products that have been copied and made better. It’s what happens in business. If you are making a product better, with keeping the customer in the front of your mind and motivation (and you’ve checked out the law behind it all), why not go for creating another version of something?
2- Bogg Bags Are Simply Made Out of Cheap EVA
EVA (Ethylene-Vinyl Acetate) is not an expensive material. The retail markup on items made with this material is often very high. If you are paying a lot of money for an item made out of EVA (or are paying a lot for any retail), you are probably paying for the design, look, quality and cost of manufacturing, not the item itself. Or, you may be paying way too much due to overvaluing. Read #3 for more about this.
3- People Are Cashing In
Are Bogg Bags Worth It?
There has been a HUGE NUMBER of TikTok videos dedicated to people going into discount stores (like TJ Maxx), buying items at a low cost, then selling them way above retail cost, especially when they see there is a demand for the item. These people create Amazon stores (which anyone can do), Facebook Marketplace listings, Ebay listings, Poshmark accounts and more to try to sell the items and make lots of money. It doesn’t mean the items are actually getting any sales, but after doing some tracking of some Bogg Bag sales on Ebay, some are paying the ridiculously higher prices.
After speaking with the mom I ran into while shopping, I know she found her Bogg Bag at TJ Maxx. I’m sure those who watched all the TikTok videos bought them from TJ Maxx and that’s why so many are listed at higher prices on Amazon and other websites right now. I guess that’s an okay way to make some extra money for some, but it’s not sustainable nor is it honest. Just sayin’….
As “overvaluing” continues, it eventually drives the prices on items up more because brands will see that people are paying higher prices for things.
4- Fake Bogg and Simply Southern Website Listings
How to spot a Bogg Bag or Simply Southern Simply Tote Fake
There are tons of fake sites trying to sell Bogg Bags and Simply Southern Simply totes. I’ve seen some sites that have sponsored ads saying things like “Simply Southern Totes for 50% off!”. When you go to the site, it will say things like “taking pre-orders now” or the site will look exactly like the Bogg Bag site (with the logo and all) but the web address will not be correct, the images will be blurry or there are misspellings all over the site. If you come across things like this, steer clear until you know for sure it’s a legitimate retailer of the bags.
My two real-life examples why you should be careful making online purchases:
I had a friend tell me she bought what she thought was a brand name ball for her kids off of a Facebook website ad. When the balls arrived, they were much smaller and weren’t the real deal.
My husband and I tested out the Wish website recently and made a purchase of a product claiming to be an electric bike for $14.99. We knew a bike wouldn’t show up, but were curious to see what would. We received a broken bike light. LOL! Wish refunded our money (which we knew they would) and despite some friends loving to shop on Wish, we will not be one of their customers again.
This happens A LOT, so always do your research before buying something. “Too good to be true” prices usually are just that.
If you end up buying a Simply Tote, the word “Simply” is embossed on the bottom of the tote and the letter “i” is reversed. The handles are also removable and they come with a small organizer bag. You can also contact Simply Southern’s customer service to ensure you are buying from one of their designated retailers.
If you buy a Bogg Bag, they currently have their brand “Bogg Bag” embossed on the bottom of the tote, have the letter “b” on their handles, come with a small organizer bag, and their handles (currently) do not detach. We’ll see if this changes due to them often getting twisted. Learn more about this in #5 below. Bogg currently has a retail locator on their website too.
5- There Are Cheaper Alternatives That Are Just As Good Or Better
Bogg Bag VS Simply Southern Simply Tote
After doing my research, I discovered that the Simply Southern brand took the design of the Bogg Bag and made it their own. They also made it better (in my opinion) and cheaper. I ended up getting the large Simply Southern “Simply Tote”. I paid $69.95 for it in a local (Florida) Ace Hardware store, which is the retail price due to it having a print. The non-printed SS bags retail for about $55.
Bogg Bags currently have to direct their customers how to fix their handles on their current design because they constantly roll and twist. I do not have this problem with my SS tote handles. You can get different handles for the Simply Totes which are detachable and interchangeable, as well as handbag inserts, cooler inserts (making it super convertible!), cute things to decorate it with and more.
6- The Bogg Bag Brand Isn’t Quite My Cup of Tea
Does Bogg Bag Understand Business Marketing?
When I made a social media posting on Instagram about the Bogg Bags being sold out (I tagged them in my post, thinking I was helping bring awareness to the brand for anyone who didn’t know what a Bogg was), the Bogg Bag social media person DM’d me (at 8:30 at night, which was 6 hours after they viewed my story, mind you) asking me not to tag them in a non-Bogg Bag post. They said it would cause confusion with their customers.
Oh, the drama.
All I said in my Instagram story post was that I bought a Simply Southern tote because Bogg was sold out. It was very strange and I was dumbfounded by their direct message. I’ve never had a brand ask me not to tag them before. My post wasn’t mean or harmful to the brand. If anything, it was educational, which is my background!
What their social media person didn’t know was that I actually had my name on several waiting lists to get a smaller Bogg Bag when they came back in stock, but now I will never buy one due to their strange comment (nor will I because it has handle issues).
If Bogg was my company and I saw a post as positive and happy as mine about a product similar to mine (and I felt I needed to reach out to them), I would have said something like “Hey, I see you like the style of bag similar to ours. Yay you! How about you DM me your email address and I’ll be sure to get you on our email list so you’ll know when they are coming back in stock if you are interested”.
It’s like me saying “hey ya’ll, Crest toothpaste is sold out right now BUT Tom’s of Maine has some in stock if you are in need of toothpaste”. I couldn’t imagine Crest reaching out to me and saying I was causing their toothpaste customers confusion. There are plenty of toothpaste brands in the world as well as there are many tote bag brands in the world.
It’s all for the best. I’ve decided the people at Bogg are either really great marketing geniuses or marketing failures. They fueled me with what I needed to blog about their bag (free educational marketing!), so that could mean they are smart OR they simply could be fired up about Simply Southern sort-of copying their bag.
At this point, I just don’t care about who copied who or who had the idea first. Simply Southern had the bags in stock when I needed it and that’s what matters to me as a consumer.
From my research and experience, Simply Southern is a great and a more positive company. Simply Southern donates some of their profits, making them look even more appealing to my tastes. According to their website, “Simply Southern is a proud sponsor of Child Fund International, Turtle Conservation Foundations and the American Red Cross.” Bogg currently does not say anything about giving back.
I contacted Simply Southern’s customer service to get a listing of stores near me that carried the brand and their customer service emailed me back in 5 minutes! Now that’s good customer service. My 13-year old niece loves Simply Southern t-shirts and I’m also now a proud consumer of their products.
6- They Can Be Travel Friendly
How to Organize a Bogg Bag or Simply Tote
Watch my 30 second video on how I pack my Simply tote by clicking this link to my YouTube channel “Carolyn Braden” or viewing it below:
Bags like the LARGE Bogg bag and the LARGE Simply Southern Simply Tote would currently be okay to be a carry-on, but not a personal item. If you are flying an airline that allows one carry-on and one personal item, you could use the large tote as a carry-on and the small totes as a small personal item. Contact your airline for exact size allowances.
The bags don’t fold up so if you must bring a large one with you while flying, you could use it as a carry-on OR you could lay it in your luggage before packing, then fill it with clothes and surround it with more clothes. It is lightweight, so it won’t add much weight to a suitcase.
7- The Bag’s Worth is Up to You
Why I love my Simply Southern Simply tote
Friends and family members made fun of me for spending $70 on a bag. I’m used to it, as no one I know is quite a shopper like myself, nor loves design like I do. However, I work hard for my money and like to reward myself from time to time. I also am a great researcher and look to buy things that are good quality and items I know I’ll use. I always do research and educate myself before making purchases.
I currently live on Sanibel Island, and beaches surround me. I also love doing little day trips with my pets (my fur babies). My tote is huge, durable, washable and convertible (I look forward to adding some customization to it!) making it a great buy for me.
In a nutshell, do the research when making ANY purchase and also make sure an item is truly worth spending your hard earned money on. Or, just learn how to be more patient. The Beanie Babies craze drove prices up on many varieties and now they are hardly worth anything. This buying frenzy also happened on toilet paper in 2020. Patience is a virtue for anything you will ever need in life.
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C.J. (Carolyn) Braden is a regular contributor and editor for Carolyn’s Blooming Creations. She has been featured in numerous media publications such as InStyle Magazine, on HGTV, on Bustle.com, and more. She is the author of the books Georgia McMasters in Amethyst Lake Cemetery, How To Be Yourself: 3 Ways To Help You Being You, and the illustrator for the children’s book Bridging Connections. She is a former classroom teacher that now dedicates her life to educating others on how to live their most healthy, creative and happy life. Learn more about her visiting our About Us page.