An ITA bag is a bag with a clear window on the front, made for showing off the things you collect: enamel pins, badges, charms and small plush. If you have seen someone at a convention with a backpack full of pins from one favourite character, you have seen an ITA bag.
Where the name comes from
The name comes from Japan, where these bags are called itabag. "Ita" is short for itai, which means painful. It is a cheeky, self-aware word, the same one used for itasha, cars covered in anime art. Fans in Japan started filling bags with rows of badges of a single character, and the look was so over the top that the joke name stuck. Today it is simply the name for any bag that shows your collection through a window.
How the window and pin pad work
Every ITA bag has the same three parts.
- A clear window. On our 2026 bags it is scratch-resistant TPU; older designs use clear PVC. The window protects your pins from knocks and keeps backs from snagging on clothes.
- A display pocket. The space between the window and the bag. On Pinbuds bags it counts towards the bag's capacity, because it is real storage.
- A pin pad. A removable fabric panel you pin into. On most of our bags it is polyester and attaches with Velcro, so it sits flat and stays put while you walk.
You lay your pins out on the pad, fasten the backs behind it, and slide it into the pocket. Because the pad comes out, you can rearrange everything at the kitchen table instead of reaching inside the bag. Some of our bags, including the thick cotton 3-Way and the 17″ 4-Way, come with two pads, so you can keep a second layout ready to swap in.
Most windows also have D-rings at the top for charms and keychains, so they hang inside the window rather than swinging loose.
Everyday use versus convention use
The first ITA bags were mostly convention bags. They were all window, and they were made to be seen for one day. That is fun, but it is not much use on a Tuesday commute.
An everyday ITA bag is a real bag first. It needs a padded laptop compartment, pockets that keep things apart, a structure that holds its shape, and fabric that copes with the weather. The window is still there, but it is framed, so the bag looks at home in an office or a lecture theatre. That is why we keep our windows a sensible size on purpose.
Convention days ask for something different: a big display, room for a haul, and quick access at a table. Our 17″ corduroy tote has a 42 cm seamless window for exactly that, and the 16″ 2-Way tote has a 21 × 38 cm window.
Plenty of people use one bag for both. A good everyday ITA bag with a second pin pad gets you most of the way there: a calm layout for the week, a bigger one for the weekend.
Pins, charms and plush
Pins go on the pad. Charms hang from the D-rings in the window, or from rings and loops on the outside of the bag. Plush is the tricky one. Most of our windows suit small, flat plush, with about 2 to 6 cm (0.8 to 2.4 in) of depth depending on how full the bag is. The navy Dual Window is the plush pick, with up to about 7 to 8 cm (2.8 to 3.1 in) in its front window.
Why we make them
Pinbuds started in 2016 because I wanted to carry my pins instead of keeping them in a drawer. Since then we have taken our bags to more than 100 conventions, from SMASH! and Supanova to Oz Comic Con and Animaga, and made more than 10,000 bags. Every design is sketched and sampled in person with our suppliers, then stress tested in the months before a campaign.
If you are choosing your first, start with the bag quiz on our homepage or browse our ITA bags collection.
Frequently asked questions
What does ITA mean in ITA bag?
It comes from the Japanese itai, meaning painful. It is a playful word fans use about their own over-the-top displays, and it is also used for itasha cars.
Can I take my pins out of an ITA bag?
Yes. The pin pad is removable, so you can take it out, change your layout and slide it back in.
Can I use an ITA bag without pins?
Of course. It is a bag first. An empty window looks clean, and you can add pins whenever you like.
What size pins fit in an ITA bag?
Any size that fits the pad. We estimate capacity with 3 cm pins, which is close to a typical enamel pin. See our ITA bag guide for counts per bag.