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Not for a long time has the bicycle seemed so right in people’s day-to-day lives as it does now.
It’s ideal for many things, including staying fit, visiting friends, and doing chores.
One thing the bicycle is good for is carrying relatively light stuff.
However, to carry shopping, college books, whatever, you need a receptacle that fixes to the bike.
You could use a backpack or panniers. But can you put all your “eggs” in one basket?
Erm, yes, that was a terrible joke!
This article looks at the best bike basket for your needs, whatever they may be.
Top 5 Best Front Bike Baskets
1. Tote & Kari Bike Basket (best for cruisers)
- Material: 100% natural rattan cane
- Weight capacity: 12 lb.
- Weight: 15 oz
Designed for women’s beach cruisers, the Tote & Kari Bike Basket catches the eye with its high-quality construction and simple elegance.
This basket integrates a cup holder, so you can take a sip of something refreshing while rolling around on your cruiser.
Good looks and functionality are combined!
What we like
- Construction – this hand-crafted basket is well made and satisfying to use.
- Eco-friendly – rattan cane is a sustainable and biodegradable material.
- Design – with its included cup holder and clever blend of rattan, wood, and leather, this is a nicely designed basket.
- Warranty – comes with a one-year free replacement warranty.
What we don’t like
- On the small side – designed for carrying sundry items like a phone, purse, and keys.
2. Onway Front Bike Basket with Tote Liner Bag (best for commuting)
- Material: steel (canvas bag)
With an included liner that doubles as a removable lunch tote bag, the Onway Front Bike Basket is perfect for your daily commute.
The insulating properties of the liner help to keep food hot or cold.
The basket fits easily onto many bikes, provided there is enough space between handlebar and fender or wheel.
You can fold it flat when not in use.
What we like
- Liner – basket liner also acts as a lunch tote bag with insulating properties.
- Foldable – the basket folds flat when not in use
- Installation – easy to install with the supplied nuts, bolts and Velcro.
What we don’t like
- Spring – spring-loaded basket can rap your fingers when unfolding.
3. Boao Children’s Bicycle Basket with Accessories (best for the kids)
- Material: plastic
Certain to make kids happy is the Boao Children’s Bicycle Basket with Accessories, which includes a raft of fun extras for the bike.
Supplied with the well-made basket are handlebar streamers, a bell, and thirty colorful stickers for decorating the bicycle with.
What we like
- Manufacturing – the basket is well made and easy to install with its two high-quality straps.
- Extras – all the fun extras with the basket are sure to entertain kids.
- Maintenance – the basket is easy to clean.
- Choice – the wicker basket is available in several colors, each with coordinating straps.
What we don’t like
- Size – the basket is small (6” high), so more suitable for young children.
- Stickers – the stickers adhere better to a bike frame than to the intended basket.
4. Wald 137 Front Bicycle Basket (best for touring & bikepacking)
- Material: powder-coated steel.
- Weight: 1.2 lb.
Bikepacking with a basket is sometimes called basketpacking, and the US-made Wald 137 Front Bicycle Basket is ideal for it.
A basket enables you to use virtually any bag as a bike bag, so it’s a versatile and cheap way to load your touring bike.
What we like
- Versatile – a classic basket that lets you load any bag you want for touring.
- Durable – powder-coated steel resists scratches, chips and rust.
- Tradition – U.S. company Wald has been making bike gear since 1905.
- Sturdy – can be fixed to a front rack for strength.
Video: 137 Wald Basket Bag Set Up For City Adventure Bikes
What we don’t like
- DIY – this kind of simplicity isn’t for everyone.
5. URBEST Bike Basket & Carrier (best for dogs)
- Material: Polyester Oxford fabric
- Weight capacity: 11 lb.
- Weight: 1.72 lb.
Sturdy, stylish and secure, the URBEST Bike Basket & Carrier can carry anything from shopping to pets.
The closure keeps a dog secure as well as protecting the interior from the elements.
The basket is made from durable polyester with a waterproof coating and includes a handy built-in zippered pocket.
What we like
- Design – stylish and practical with drawstring top closure that protects the basket contents, including a small dog.
- Durable – robustly made from tear-resistant polyester Oxford fabric.
- Versatile – quick release handlebar mount allows you to remove the basket for grocery shopping, pet carrying, or picnics.
- Storage – collapsible design allows convenient storage when not in use.
What we don’t like
- Compatibility – handlebar clamp incompatible with some bar types.
Top 5 Best Rear Bike Baskets
1. Nantucket Bicycle Basket Co. Tremont Rear Cargo Basket (best wicker)
- Material: rattan
- Capacity: 20 lb.
For sheer style and charm, the Tremont Rear Cargo Basket from the Nantucket Bicycle Basket Co. steals the show.
It’s strong, eco-friendly, and cute for cyclists that like cute.
There’s no complicated hardware to deal with when fixing this basket to a rear rack; it comes with Velcro straps.
The Tremont is great for trips to the local fruit & veg market on a cruiser.
What we like
- Charm – lots of vintage appeal, particularly for a rear basket.
- Strength – thickly woven from ultra-strong rattan.
- Eco-friendly – made from sustainable and biodegradable materials.
- Installation – does not require tools to install.
What we don’t like
- Fixture – you may need to add extra straps or zip ties to fully secure the basket.
2. Bushwhacker Omaha Bicycle Grocery Pannier (best for groceries)
- Material: synthetic
A basket/pannier hybrid, the Bushwhacker Omaha Bicycle Grocery Pannier is ideal for transporting heavier loads of shopping.
Each of the strong baskets is lightweight when empty yet holds a full bag of groceries with ease.
The baskets are collapsible, so you can leave them on the bike when parked or in the back of a vehicle without them taking up any extra space.
What we like
- Pannier – pannier-like qualities enable you to spread weight evenly and maximize space.
- Capacity – you can carry several days’ worth of shopping or large items like gallon bottles.
- Lightweight – despite their strength, the baskets weigh little.
- Collapsible – won’t take up much space when not in use or when the bike is parked up.
What we don’t like
- Open top – items need to be secured in bags to avoid falling out of the top.
- Clasp – not the quickest to intuitively unmount, which may be a good thing.
3. Basil Cento Rear Basket (best wire basket)
- Material: Steel mesh
- Capacity: 11 lb.
The Basil Cento Rear Basket comes from a Dutch bike-gear producer of some 40 years’ standing.
Well made from coated and reinforced steel wire mesh, it’s ideal for carrying student’s bags full of books and other study items.
Supplied with a mounting kit, the basket installs lengthways onto almost any bike rack.
It can equally be used as a basic shopping carrier, thanks to its sturdy, efficient design.
What we like
- Construction – a well-made product from a nation that knows about cycling.
- Weatherproof – the steel mesh is coated to protect it against the elements.
- Versatile – the basket can be fitted to most bike racks with included hardware.
- Strong – has a reinforced frame for rigorous day-to-day use.
What we don’t like
- Large – needs more clearance when dismounting non-step-through bikes.
4. Wiel Bike Basket with Black Liner Rainproof Cover (best waterproof)
- Material: powder-coated steel (liner: 210d nylon and PU)
- Capacity: 33 lb.
Offering exceptional value for money, the Wiel Bike Basket can be used at the front or back of your bike and is foldable for those times when you need your bike to be narrow.
A useful feature of this basket is the included liner, which prevents smaller items from falling through the mesh.
The liner doubles as a waterproof cover – a nice bonus at this price point.
What we like
- Space – foldable on the bike, so you can make yourself narrower when the basket is not in use.
- Rust-resistant – powder-coated finish protects against rust.
- Waterproof – protection against rain is a bonus at this price point.
- Install – fits easily onto a rear rack with the supplied screws.
What we don’t like
- Front – easier to use as a rear basket than at the front
5. Free-fly Folding Rear Bike Basket (best budget)
- Material: powder-coated steel
- Capacity: 66 lb.
- Weight: 2.2 lb.
Designed for folding bikes and mountain bikes, the Free-fly Folding Rear Bike Basket hooksover a bike rack and screws onto it.
The convenient foldable design of this basket means you can fold the basket flat against the bike when not in use.
What we like
- Foldable – keep the basket stored flat against the bike until needed.
- Rust-resistant – powder-coated finish surface scratches and rust.
- Install – fits easily onto a rear rack with the supplied hooks and screws.
- Versatile – can be installed on handlebar or rear rack.
What we don’t like
- Size – may be too large for some folding bikes.
How To Choose a Bike Basket – Features to Look Out For
Bikes are a great mode of transport for everyday events like going to the store, riding to school, or visiting friends and relatives.
A lot of these journeys need us to carry stuff, whether it’s shopping items, books, gifts, or even a pet dog.
For all those trips where you want to carry things on your bike, the bike basket is hard to beat.
Below, you’ll discover what to look for when buying a bike basket, whether it’s materials, weather resistance, mounting requirements or eco-friendliness.
Video: The Art of Carrying Things by Bike
Materials
When we think of bike baskets, one of the first images that springs to mind is that of a traditional wicker basket.
Wicker is not a specific material, even though it’s often associated with pliable strands of wood.
Rather, it’s the traditional style of weaving that is familiar to everyone.
A wicker basket, therefore, can be made from plastic or resin as well as wood.
This is something you may want to look closely at when buying a basket, as many of us don’t immediately associate wicker with plastic.
Three of the most used woods in making bike baskets are these:
- Bamboo – technically a grass that is hollow inside and has trademark exterior rings. Bamboo baskets are incredibly strong and have a particular aesthetic appeal.
- Willow – taken from willow trees and shrubs and harvested in Europe, the US, and the Far East. The color tends to be lighter from the Far East owing to speed of growth.
- Rattan – a climbing palm that grows like a vine and comes from Southeast Asia, China, India, and Indonesia. Rattan is considered one of the world’s strongest woods.
Normally, plastic baskets are not “wood-colored”, though some wooden baskets are painted, so color is not a reliable indicator of material.
If you’re willing to move away from the traditional look, many bike baskets are made from metal.
A steel mesh basket is hard to beat for durability and the secure way it connects to a bike.
Moving further still from the traditional idea of a basket is a fabric, though fabrics and wicker baskets do go well together.
Modern polyester materials can add excellent weatherproofing to your bike basket, panniers, and bags.
Why does it matter what the basket is made of?
Weather Resistance
Natural materials used in wicker baskets do not like being left for long periods in direct sunlight.
Nor should they be left out in rain for extended periods.
Keep a wooden wicker basket in a cool, dry place if you want to prolong its lifespan.
It may last for many years, but metals and plastics last longer, of course.
Metal bike racks and baskets can begin to rust with exposure to weather, particularly if their protective coating of paint wears or chips off.
It’s necessary to remove all rust before repainting, otherwise the rust continues to grow.
Eco-friendliness
Traditional materials such as rattan, willow and bamboo are all fast-growing, bio-degradable, sustainable materials that are eco-friendly.
Plastics are the opposite of that, because eventually plastic products get thrown away and end up in landfill, even when still functional.
As the most recycled material in the world, steel is also eco-friendly. Its durability factors into that, too.
If you buy a steel-mesh bike basket, it should last a long time.
And being more utilitarian/less aesthetically pleasing, it’s unlikely to be thrown out on a whim.
Carrying Pets
Many people like to carry pets with them on bike rides, especially small dogs.
The obvious point to make here is that the mount must be strong and secure, and the basket should have a means of gently restraining your pet so he/she cannot jump out.
Check the mount regularly when carrying a pet to make sure it is in good condition and tightly secured.
It’s often possible to improve secureness in bike baskets and panniers by strategically using your own extra tethers such as cords or plastic ties.
Video: Training Your Pet to Ride in a Bicycle Basket
How Do Baskets Attach to a Bike?
Bike baskets don’t always fix straight onto your bike without modification.
Generally, front-mounted baskets will secure directly to your handlebar or hook over it.
So that’s easy.
Sometimes, you might need a front bike rack for extra strength.
Baskets and panniers tend to be bigger at the rear and need to be kept well clear of the wheels, so you’ll always need a rack to secure them to.
Read more: Different ways to use rear bicycle racks
Bike Baskets – Frequently Asked Questions
Can You Put a Basket on Any Bike? – You can attach a basket of some kind to any bike, providing the components are compliant.
It’s often a question of matching the basket’s mount to your handlebar width or size of rack.
How Do I Take Care of My Bike Basket? – Dry it as much as possible after cycling in the rain and do not expose wood to direct sunlight or overly humid conditions for long periods.
With metal baskets, try not to chip or scratch the paint.
Does Handlebar Shape Matter for Front Baskets? – Handlebar shape matters to a degree because you need a horizontal section that keeps the basket above the front wheel or mudguard.
Some handlebars may need a shallower basket than others.
Is a Basket the Best Way to Carry Shopping? – A bike basket is a practical way to carry shopping in most cases.
More weight makes hills harder, otherwise momentum is on your side.
You can also consider using backpacks for groceries too.
Does a Basket Affect Bike Handling? – Heavy loads should be kept off the front of the bike, as this adversely affects steering and the bike’s responsiveness.
Make sure tire pressure reflects the combined weight of rider and load.
Wrapping Up
Never has the bike looked so attractive as a means of getting about and doing your day-to-day chores.
It’s an efficient machine for carrying stuff, and that practical nature is quite beautiful in a way.
It harks back to why we began riding bikes in the first place.
Among the ten baskets we’ve looked at in this article, the Wald 137 Front Bicycle Basket comes out a winner for its blend of simplicity and versatility.
You can stow valuables inside it like cameras and keep them close to hand on your adventures.
Bike riding should always retain a fun element.
For that reason, the Nantucket Bicycle Basket Co. Tremont Rear Cargo Basket must get a runner-up spot.
It looks great on a women’s cruiser and it’s just stylish.
Men like stylish things, too, but you do need a step-through bike for this one.
The final podium spot goes to the Boao Children’s Bicycle Basket with Accessories because none of us forget the excitement of riding a bike as a child.
Anything that adds to that fun and those memories is a good thing.
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