A stale bag of chips or cookies is as good as compost. Spending good money on food only to watch it wilt or go soft is grim, and often those finicky bags don’t reseal like they ought to.
While there are vacuum-sealed bags and accompanying air-removal devices, nothing compares to the efficiency and ease of a handheld bag sealer. That is, if they work. These simple gadgets are designed to fuse the open ends of plastic containers with quick heat to prolong food’s shelf life and overall quality.
I tested two of the highest-rated models on Amazon to determine which deserves a permanent place in my kitchen. Here’s how they stacked up.
The devices
My small cohort of bag sealers, ready for testing.
Upon opening each package, I was surprised to see that both models offer additional capabilities beyond sealing. Each uses USB-C for charging (with a cable included).
BBDYOY three-in-one mini bag sealer
This cheaper bag sealer came to temperature almost immediately.
Special Features: Compact size, bag slicer, magnet
The good:
- Compact size: This was preferred over Aedicce, which felt a bit too bulky. It also takes up less space in a drawer or shelf.
- The sealing surface area: The compartment where you insert the bag edge is deeper, which makes the device easier to use.
- No preheating: Unlike the Aedicce model, the BBDYOY heats up almost instantly.
- The cutter: It’s sharper than the Aedicce and opens bags with ease.
- Comes with two freebies: The company included two resealable, backpack-shaped bags, which are quite adorable for a kid’s school lunch.
The bad:
- Instructions aren’t in English: While the illustrations were easy enough to decipher, the Mandarin characters can be a bit intimidating for anyone who considers themselves tech-averse.
- Difficulty sealing foil-lined bags: It had trouble sealing bags with metalized film-lined interiors.
Aedicce four-in-one mini bag sealer
The Aedicce device took longer to heat up, but worked just as well once it did.
Special Features: Bag slicer, hanging hook/bottle opener, built-in light, magnet
The good
- Multiple functions: Beyond sealing, this device hangs, opens bottles and provides an emergency light, giving customers more bang for their buck.
- A stronger seal: While it takes longer to heat up, I did notice the seal was ever so slightly stronger than BBDYOY’s.
- Power indicator light: You’ll know when the battery is running low, so it doesn’t die on you mid-use.
- High-quality: It feels and looks more expensive than the BBDYOY model.
Both devices worked well for sealing plastic bags.
The bad
- It’s somewhat pricey: At $16, it’s certainly a significantly higher investment than a standard bag clip.
- Difficulty sealing foil-lined bags: It ran into the same issue as the BBDYOY and had trouble sealing this type of bag.
Both devices had trouble creating a tight seal on chip bags with a layer of vaporized aluminum.
Final thoughts
I’ll go to great lengths to keep chips and cookies fresh. Electric bag sealers aren’t expensive, but, as I found, they only work on certain types of packaging.
While both models worked well with fusing standard plastic, neither successfully sealed the metalized film commonly used in chip bags. My assumption is that this material is harder to melt and, ultimately, fuse together.
Though disappointing, it wouldn’t deter me from purchasing either product, as plastic clips can only do so much to keep bags closed and air-free. That said, the aforementioned vacuum sealer will make any handheld device pale in comparison and should be the choice for bulky items or long-term freezer storage.
Both bag releasers I tested performed equally well, creating a tight clamp on plastic bags but struggling to seal anything with a layer of vaporized aluminum. So, you can’t go wrong with either option. Splurge a bit more for the Aedicce if you want extra tools, but the BBDYOY works just as well and fits in smaller spaces when not in use.
