Using it as a tote with heavy items I wouldn't recommend. We use it in the car to keep groceries from flying all over the place but remove the heavy items when taking in the house. It's attractive, quality organizer. I bought it for my Acura MDX for the trunk area. I've had something like this before from Eddie Bauer. It might be a bit high priced for what it is, but I wanted something that also looked good.