Bags 
Pens and Writing 
Bottles 
Eco Products 
Mugs and Eco Cups 
Caps and Headwear 
Clothing 
Giveaways 
Outdoor 
Desk and Office 
Tech 
Conference and Events 
Gifts 
Keyrings 
Australian Made Products 
Promotional Tote Bags - Custom Printed
Promotional tote bags are a giveaway people keep using after the event, whether they are carrying a conference pack, a retail purchase or a welcome kit for a new starter. Promotion Products supplies tote bags in bulk to organisations across Australia, printed or embroidered with your logo, in non-woven, cotton, canvas, jute, felt and recycled fabrics. Many styles are available on an express service, and fully custom bags can be sourced for larger campaigns. Send your logo and you'll get free artwork setup and a proof to approve before anything is produced.
Which tote bag material suits your budget?
Tote bag material is the main driver of price, feel and how long the bag stays in use. This table compares tote bags by fabric, what each is like to carry, where it fits best, indicative unit price and minimum order quantity.
|
Material |
What it's like |
Best suited to |
Indicative price range |
MOQ from |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Non-woven polypropylene |
Lightweight, large print area, wide colour range |
Conference packs, trade show giveaways, community events |
$1.97 – $5.22 |
100 |
|
Cotton |
Soft natural fabric, folds flat |
Retail gift with purchase, staff packs, university open days |
$5.18 – $21.88 |
25 |
|
Canvas |
Heavier woven fabric, holds its shape |
Client gifts, brand merchandise, onboarding kits |
$7.13 – $23.40 |
25 |
|
Jute |
Coarse natural fibre, rigid and sturdy |
Food and wine brands, markets, sustainability campaigns |
$7.82 – $12.41 |
50 |
|
Felt |
Thick, soft-touch, structured |
Corporate gifting, retail packaging, premium events |
$4.64 – $13.82 |
50 |
|
Recycled PET (rPET) |
Smooth fabric made from recycled plastic |
Eco-led campaigns, council programs, foldable shopper giveaways |
$2.01 – $10.94 |
100 |
Pricing last updated November 2026. Prices are indicative per unit and vary with quantity, decoration method and delivery location.
Budget pick: Budget Tote Bags. A lightweight 80gsm non-woven tote bag with long shoulder handles and a wide colour range, suited to conference packs and high-volume giveaways.
Mid-range pick: 12oz Heavy Duty Canvas Tote Bags. A heavyweight 12oz canvas tote bag built for repeat use, suited to retail gift with purchase and staff or client packs.
Premium pick: James Canvas Tote Bags. A canvas tote bag offered in a broad colour range, suited to client gifts and brand merchandise where matching your brand colour matters.
Where branded tote bags make the biggest impact
Tote bags with a logo work hardest where people already need something to carry. The most common uses across Australian organisations are:
- Conferences and trade shows: delegate packs and exhibitor giveaways for conferences, usually non-woven or cotton.
- Retail and consumer brands: gift with purchase and reusable carry bags, usually cotton or canvas.
- Universities and schools: orientation week, open days and graduation packs.
- Councils and government: community events and waste-reduction campaigns.
- Healthcare and not-for-profits: patient packs, fundraising and volunteer kits.
- Staff onboarding: a canvas tote that holds the rest of the welcome kit.
How to choose custom tote bags that actually get used
Custom tote bags get used when the material, size and handles match what the recipient will carry. Three decisions cover most briefs:
- Material: non-woven suits one-off, high-volume giveaways. Cotton and canvas cost more per bag but tend to stay in use longer. For plain unbleached cotton, see the calico bags range.
- Fabric weight: GSM (grams per square metre) measures fabric thickness. Budget non-woven totes sit around 80gsm. Canvas is sold by ounce weight, with 12oz at the heavy-duty end.
- Size and shape: a flat tote around 38cm wide by 42cm high fits A4 documents. A gusset, the extra panel at the base or sides, makes room for bulkier items such as drink bottles.
If you're not sure, choose a canvas tote with long shoulder handles and a gusset. It suits almost any audience and copes with daily use.
Not sure which tote suits your campaign? Get my free quote and we'll recommend one.
Branding methods for custom printed tote bags
Tote bags are most often decorated by screen print, with full-colour and embroidered options for detailed or premium logos.
- Screen print (1–4 colours): solid spot colours. The most economical choice for bold logos on non-woven, cotton and canvas.
- Full-colour digital print, transfer or sublimation: unlimited colours, gradients and photos. Costs more per bag than a one-colour print.
- Embroidery: stitched thread with a premium look, best on canvas and felt. Fine text can be hard to read.
- Woven label or badge: a small, subtle brand mark.
Our recommendation: a one-colour screen print on the largest print area gives the most visible logo for the lowest cost.
Want to see your logo on a tote before you commit? Get my free quote and artwork proof.
Eco-friendly tote bags: what's actually available
Tote bags made from recycled cotton, recycled PET (rPET), jute and other natural fibres are the eco options in the range. Recycled cotton reuses textile waste, rPET fabric is made from recycled plastic such as drink bottles, and jute is a fast-growing plant fibre. Standard non-woven polypropylene is reusable but it is a plastic, so choose a recycled or natural fabric when sustainability is the message. Any tote only earns its keep if it is reused, so pick one people will want to carry. Promotion Products is a carbon-neutral business, offers carbon-offset products and plants a tree with every order.
Why order promotional tote bags from Promotion Products?
No surprises is the short version. Your quote is built on quantity, decoration method and delivery location, so there are no hidden costs, and every order includes free artwork setup and a free artwork proof to approve before production. Samples are available if you want to check the fabric first. Promotion Products has supplied branded merchandise since 2004 to 40,000+ Australian organisations, including government, education and corporate teams, and carries more than 100 tote bag styles rather than a token handful. Orders are delivered Australia-wide with 99.7% on-time delivery and a dedicated Australian-based account manager. If the branding doesn't match your approved proof, the Get It Right Guarantee means it's fixed free of charge.
Promotional Tote Bags Frequently Asked Questions
The best material for promotional tote bags depends on how long the bag needs to last. Non-woven polypropylene suits one-off, high-volume giveaways. Cotton and canvas suit bags people are meant to keep. If the brief is unclear, a canvas tote with long handles is the safe choice for most audiences.
Custom printed tote bags cost from $1.97 to $23.40 per unit as an indicative range. Non-woven styles sit at the lower end, while heavyweight canvas and cotton sit at the upper end. The final price depends on material, order quantity, decoration method and delivery location.
Branded tote bags are usually produced in under two weeks from artwork approval. Express options of 48 hours or 3–5 working days can be available, depending on the supplier and the style chosen. Delivery after production is typically 2–5 business days to Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, 3–5 to Adelaide, 5–7 to Perth and 5–15 to rural regions.
A full-colour logo can be printed on tote bags using digital print, digital transfer or sublimation, which allow unlimited colours, gradients and photos. Full colour costs more per bag than a one-colour screen print, so simple logos are often converted to a single colour to keep unit costs down.
Logo tote bags cost less per unit as the order quantity rises, because setup and print costs are spread across more bags. Price breaks commonly sit at 100, 250, 500 and 1,000 units. Minimum order quantities range from 25 to 500 units depending on the style.
Canvas tote bags generally last longer than non-woven bags because the woven fabric is thicker and holds up better at the seams and handles. Non-woven polypropylene suits lighter loads and shorter campaigns. For either fabric, spot cleaning or a gentle cold hand wash helps protect the print.