I am not easily influenced. In fact, I can be categorized as a recovering cynic, always suspicious, skeptical, and incapable of accepting things at face value. Maybe it’s because I am a writer, or maybe it’s because I’m a millennial who came of age during the 2000 election and the Great Recession. Regardless, I can count on my hands the number of times a relative stranger has “influenced” me to part with my money. Three memorable instances include: the time I bought biodegradable Clean Towels by the Clean Skin Club, the time I bought the Time Timer, which helped me (and my ADHD) write this very article, and, most recently, the time I bought the Selorss Folding Utility Cart, which brings us here today.
I first saw the Selorss Cart on TikTok, where content creator Meg DeAngelis posted a moment — which became a viral moment — in which she was filming herself with the cart, became embarrassed while filming herself, and sold the cart to a stranger on the street who inquired about it for $100. You can see it all here. The video currently has 3.1 million likes and 21 million views.
When I watched the TikTok, it became clear to me that this Selorss cart might be the answer to the hunt I’d been on ever since my Ikea buggy fell apart after eight long years. (A moment of silence, please.) Every cart I’d looked at was either too bulky, didn’t have the right wheels, or it was plain ugly. The Selorss, meanwhile, was sleek, chic, and available in an array of fashionable colors and wheel variations. I watched a few more videos, then clicked into the TikTok shop — another object of my skepticism — and purchased the cart. If the vendor turned out to be a scam, the relatively low price wouldn’t feel like too much of a loss, I figured. The cart arrived three days later, and I had a lot of errands to run. Here’s a week in my life with the Selorss Folding Utility Cart
Day 1
Monday is my designated day for planning my week, so I rarely leave the house. I also use the day to do laundry. If my hamper isn’t too full, I realized I can toss my washings in a bag and wheel them downstairs with the Selorss cart, along with my wool dryer balls and lavender detergent.
Day 2
I was dog-sitting my friend’s pup and needed to pick her up, but I didn’t want her to come into contact with surfaces on the subway. She was a bit confused and slightly perturbed about being in the cart, but I collapsed the top of the cart to allow her the ability to see. However, once we got going, the vibrations of the wheels on the sidewalk lulled her right to sleep. With the cart, I was able to wheel the dog, her food, and a couple of toys from the heart of Bedford-Stuyvesant back uptown without an issue … or a bark.
Day 3
Since my ADHD diagnosis, I’ve been “renovating” my living room and making my home more accommodating. I decided to head over to Target to grab a bookcase and a couple of nicknacks (see: snacks). Everything, sans the bookcase, fit in the cart. That had to be moved separately since it was exponentially heavier than expected and I had no twine to secure the case to the cart — but it’s worth noting that moving the bookshelves that way is possible thanks to the cart’s 300-pound weight capacity and 360-degree wheels. On this day, the cart relieved my hands from struggling with several bags, allowing me the space to wrestle my 60-pound bookcase from the Uber and up to my apartment.
Day 4
To prepare for the summer-to-fall transition, I wanted to get a jump-start on my fall wardrobe. A jump-start doesn’t mean shopping, per se. For me, that means making sure things fit and are in good condition. If they fail the inspection, I take them to the tailor or drop them off at Beacon’s Closet to find another home. Today, I stopped by my tailor in Harlem (gatekeeping, sorry) to have some clothes taken in and mended. I would usually pack everything in a tote bag so when my clothes are returned (a) it feels like I’m shopping, and (b) I’m not struggling with the dry-cleaning bags. This time, I packed the totes into my cart and once my items were squared away at the tailor, I headed downtown to Beacon’s Closet on West 13th Street to drop off some clothes that had been collecting dust in a bag on my floor. The notoriously unfazed (and highly selective) employees of Beacon’s Closet were equally unimpressed with my ability to load two brimming garbage bags into and onto this cart. However, it was the end of the day so I completely understand.
Day 5
Friday is my designated grocery day, so when I’m ready to cook for the week on Sunday, I have everything I need on hand. Luckily, a new Trader Joe’s recently opened a few blocks from my Pilates studio on 125th Street, and I decided to check it out. I didn’t need much since I am heading out of town this week. I grabbed ingredients for quick weekend meals like BLT sandwiches, bruschetta on toast, salad mix, and some canned smoked salmon. Everything fit in the cart with room to spare.
Day 6
I stayed home, organizing my home library. I think it’s safe to say my cart needed a well-deserved break.
Day 7
Sunday is my favorite day for trolling vintage stores to pick up minuscule housewares to fill gaps on my walls or tablescape. I don’t always strike gold, but today, I knew my cart was in for a behemoth of a day. I wanted to get out of the house and venture to Dobbin Street Vintage Co-Op to scavenge for a new catch-all bowl for my living room. Ultimately, I purchased a catch-all bowl, a bronze apple to add to my ever-growing collection of bronze apples, and a hand-drawn portrait. Next, I hopped on two buses to Ikea. I needed four 18-by-24-inch frames for posters that have been lying neglected in my credenza for more than two years. I left the Beard Street location with my four intended frames in addition to a miniature-cutting-board set, a milk frother, a splatter guard, three eucalyptus branches, a ponytail palm, and three cinnamon rolls (a necessary purchase whenever visiting Ikea). After twining the frames to the cart’s lid in Ikea’s garage, I pulled out the sides to extend the 15-inch lid to two feet so my picture frames wouldn’t teeter and fall. Thanks to the extra inches and the built-in handles, I was able to maneuver through the subways and out of the stations without blinking an eye.
The Strategist is designed to surface useful, expert recommendations for things to buy across the vast e-commerce landscape. Every product is independently selected by our team of editors, whom you can read about here. We update links when possible, but note that deals can expire and all prices are subject to change.
