Hulken Rolling Tote: The New "It" Bag Taking Over NYC Streets
Birkins, step aside; Margauxs, take a backseat. A new "It" bag is dominating the sidewalks of New York, and it's not being carried elegantly by its owner, slung over a shoulder, or draped across a torso. No, it's being dragged by two sturdy straps and rolling along on five wheels, stuffed with dirty laundry or this week's groceries. The Hulken Rolling Tote has taken the city by storm.
Hulken Rolling Tote: The New "It" Bag Taking Over NYC Streets
"I wanted something that could make life a bit more practical, but I have this philosophy that I want to make my everyday life feel chic," said Sahilee Waitman, a tech professional who picked up a reflective silver Hulken in size medium back in February. Now she uses it multiple times a week for grocery store runs and vintage shopping. "I was looking for something that would feel sleek and elevated, but everyday."
J Vanburen, an Upper West Side retiree, first bought a Hulken bag last spring after seeing people in her neighborhood using it. Now she has three, in silver, black, and green. "I use it nearly every day," she says. As a busy mom, she can cram a day's worth of items – her pickleball outfits, her son's athletic equipment, groceries – as she runs around town to scout meetings or baseball games for her son.
She likes that, when not in use, it folds down to a slender, minimal size, and had a positive customer service experience when one of the wheels fell off and she needed it to be replaced. While she very much likes her Hulken, she does note it can be difficult to maneuver on uneven city streets. "It's built for New Yorkers, not for New York City streets," she said. "If it's a smooth flat surface, it's fabulous."
At laundromats! Max Berlinger And subway platforms! J Vanburen
It was earlier this summer when I started noticing street corners and crosswalks in my Brooklyn Heights neighborhood suddenly taken over by the Hulken. Often you'd hear the small rumble of its wheels before spotting it, often with a shiny reflective exterior in cheery colors like bright pink or sky blue.
The Hulken comes in three sizes, sits atop five wheels that rotate 360 degrees, folds down flat, and is outfitted with two sets of handles (one shorter, the other longer), so people of any height can grab one and drag it along. It is a clever, distinctly useful item, made for chaotic life in New York where people often carry large hauls for short-to-medium distances. It easily replaces the backpack, Ikea tote, and rolling cart of yore.
If an Hermès bag signals an affinity with a certain economic class, one that lives in a rarefied version of New York with chauffeured cars, brownstones, and a cadre of helpers, the Hulken, in contrast, is the bag of the people, of common city dwellers running around in the streets, running their errands, living their lives. Consider it the Birkin of the masses.