about us

founded by three friends and entrepreneurs who share a passion for running and the great outdoors, ciao totes designs versatile gear built for every facet of an active life. our goal is simple: to make getting outside and moving the easiest decision of your day.

we are a canadian company (based in quebec city) specializing in the design of outdoor gear.

mission et valeur

notre mission est de concevoir des équipements polyvalents et durables pour celles et ceux qui sont toujours en mouvement, entre la ville, le sport et les sorties non planifiées. on crée du gear pensé pour les journées chargées, les plans de dernière minute et les week-ends improvisés. des produits solides, de haute qualité et bien pensés, qui s’intègrent autant à la routine qu’à l’aventure.

notre vision : faire en sorte que sortir bouger soit la décision la plus simple de ta journée.

2022 2023 2024 2025

2022

how it all started with ciao totes

back then, we were three students at université laval, studying accounting, finance, and marketing, with a simple idea in mind: to create the tote bag that students would actually want to use every day on campus.

a practical, durable, and well-thought-out bag capable of keeping up with the pace of busy days.

2023

creating the outdoor blanket

the idea was born after a mountain bike ride on a summer evening that was just a bit too chilly. while chatting, we asked ourselves what the true soul of ciao totes was. the answer quickly became clear: to accompany people in their activities and make the moments that follow even more comfortable.

as outdoor enthusiasts, we thought: why not create a blanket designed for the après-ski, après-bike, and après-trail moments? those moments matter just as much as the activity itself.

with this outdoor blanket, we are expanding ciao totes' playground by offering a versatile, durable, and functional product designed to move with you—no matter where the day (or night) takes us.

2024

creating the dry peak

for the first time, we decided to bet big on product development. coming mostly from finance and marketing backgrounds, we knew we needed to surround ourselves with the right people to go further. so, we decided to hire a product design student from the université de montréal to work on a dry bag designed in the true spirit of ciao totes.

we were tired of dry bags designed solely for water sports: impractical for daily life, aesthetically unappealing, and often made from polluting materials. our goal was clear: to rethink the dry bag so it integrates naturally into an active lifestyle, bridging the gap between work, sports, and impromptu outings.

2025

a pivotal year for ciao totes

in may, étienne and xavier made the leap to full-time to support the company's growth, which was seriously starting to cut into our sleep. to support this new phase, we moved into a warehouse better suited to our needs, allowing us to gain efficiency and flexibility daily.

2025 also marks the launch of our custom tote platform, designed to offer businesses, organizations, and events simple access to durable, well-designed products that stay true to the ciao totes dna.

what is ciao totes?

ciao is an italian word used to say "goodbye" or "see you next time." it’s a friendly way to say bye to someone.

totes is a double play for us: it’s short for tote bags, but it’s also english slang for "totally" or "everything."

by combining the two, ciao totes becomes our own way of saying goodbye to the ordinary, like a nod to heading out on an adventure, whether on a bike, skis, or anywhere else.