Kmart shoppers racing to snap up $15 dupe of iconic $100 bag: 'Perfect'

The bright sturdy tote you’ve seen mums lugging across the beach and at weekend sport, matching your kid’s Crocs, has landed at Kmart. These washable, plastic-looking bags have been dubbed the "it" bag for summer, and now an affordable version has hit the popular retailer - just in time for the warmer months.

WA mum Amber Hope grabbed one the day after she spotted it online. “I knew they would be popular… I thought they would be small but they were massive, I even sat my one-year-old in it and there was still space left,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle.

The enormous handbag is made of durable ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA), making it the perfect accessory for messy outings.

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“The quality seems great, the size is perfect for my large family to take towels and water bottles,” she said.

Where did the Croc bag originate?

Inspired by a US product - the Bogg Bag - the tote looks like a Crocs shoe, with a non-slip base, and holes where you can stick pins and clips to hold drink bottles and phones.

It was designed by mum-of-two Kim Vaccarella from the Jersey Shore in 2008, after struggling to find a functional and colourful beach bag.

The original, which sells for US$90 (AU$134), has gone viral on social media, with the company on track to sell $100 million worth of stock this year.

Sunshine Coast mum Krystal Rand brought the design to Australia in 2022. She created the Tribe Bag at Kove & Co, after feeling frustrated lugging around wet clothes.

Her $145 bag comes in five colours and is lighter and smaller than the Bogg Bag, with a waterproof insert and interchangeable handles.

Kmart bag's style 'accessible to everyone'

As with all fashionable wares, cheaper copies of the EVA bag have popped up on sites like Temu, Shein and Amazon for less than $20.

Kmart’s EVA Beach Tote is $15 and comes in navy, pink and white.

A Kmart spokeswoman told Yahoo Lifestyle the bag had only just hit shelves and was already a “favourite among customers”.

“At Kmart, we believe that style and quality should be accessible to everyone, which is why we are committed to offering on-trend products at low prices,” she said.

Kmart shoppers rave about $15 Croc dupe

Instagram page, Kmart Bargains, posted a video this week calling the buy an “absolute bargain”. Among the 130 comments, one fan raved about it as a “cool” accessory and “great summer bag”, ideal for boating, camping and showers.

“Yes! I’ve been eyeing off the more expensive ones for a while and couldn’t justify the $$ but these are more affordable,” one person wrote.

Another said: “I have looked everywhere for one of these at a reasonable price.”

"Thank you so much. I was about to pay $100 for the Croc brand," another keen shopper said.

Sydney woman Ash, who posts on Instagram and TikTok as Bargain Life and Style told Yahoo Lifestyle the bag “definitely” felt sturdy, and she was “impressed with the quality”.

However, not everyone was keen on the “Croc accessory”, with one user calling it “fugly”.

Word of warning about Kmart dupe bag

While shoppers now have options, not all EVA bags are created equal, according to Sydney gift retailer and wholesaler, IOco Gift Designers.

The Lilyfield store sells a similar style called The Bondi Bag in two sizes - priced at $109.95 and $119.95 - which have been “flying off the shelf” and are expected to have a “huge season”.

“Unlike cheap EVA alternatives, which are often made from scraps and lower-grade materials, the Bondi Bag maintains its shape, even in the harshest beach conditions,” chief operating officer, Jane Calvert said.

“Cheaper EVA bags tend to get floppy and misshaped under the sun, leading to a saggy, unattractive puddle of material.”

Rand of Kove & Co said shoppers should look for quality, even though the more affordable options can be so tempting in the current economic climate.

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The Kove & Co design holds 10kg and has holes higher on the bag, so it can be turned into an esky, or even a baby bath on holidays.

“I get that investing in a high-quality bag is a big decision,” she told Yahoo Lifestyle. “I produce in smaller batches, so I don’t get those big bulk discounts, but it means I use quality materials to make sure your bag lasts and lasts.”

Of course, for those of us who simply can't spare the extra cash on the trendy bag, the Kmart version sounds like the perfect solution.

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