My designated diaper bag has greatly evolved since I first had StarCakes 3.5 years ago. When I was pregnant I had this Skip Hop diaper bag on my baby registry. I loved that it had so many pockets, was neutral colored and came with snack containers. It made it easy for me to find whatever I was looking for because everything had its own place. Plus, being a first time mom, I thought I needed to bring everything with me whenever I went out with the baby.
As StarCakes got older and his needs changed, I started using this Skip Hop Bee backpack. I would put extra diapers and wipes in the front pocket, a water bottle in the side pocket and my wallet, keys, a change of clothes and snacks in the main compartment. I liked carrying around this bag because it was a lot smaller than the diaper bag, but wearing it was uncomfortable. Eventually, I just started using my regular purse, a smaller version of this convertible hobo bag, as my “diaper bag.”
However, when we went to Maui for vacation I needed to be intentional about what bag I brought with me now that I had two kids. In came the Fjallraven Kanken Daypack. I bought this during Amazon Prime Day with the intention of breaking it in it during our trip to Maui. The product description said it was made of “a highly durable, abrasion and water resistant fabric that softens with age.” I was sold with the water resistant part since it was scheduled to rain during our stay in Maui. Initially when I saw the bag I thought it was too small, but boy was I wrong. I was able to fit all of the items below in this bag.
4 regular diapers, 2 swim diapers
- 1 change of clothes for each kid
- Swim clothes for each kid and adult
- 4 pairs of sunglasses
- Snacks for everyone
- Pacifiers
- Yoga towel
- Deflated floaties
- 2 water bottles
- Sunscreen and aloe vera
- Lovey for each child
- 2 bibs
- My wallet
Because we would often leave the hotel for the whole day, I had to make sure that I was able to bring everything that we needed for our day adventures in Maui. This bag went with us to sandy beaches, a blowhole, a waterfall and a goat farm in the rain! It was easy to wipe off and our belongings stayed dry the entire trip. My only complaint about the bag is that the straps are not padded and somewhat narrow. After wearing the bag for a while, the straps started to dig into my shoulders. I was able to fix that by adding my kid’s car seat strap covers to them. Now when we go on our weekend adventures this is my go-to bag.
In hindsight, I wish I had started out with a backpack rather than a traditional diaper bag. It is just so much easier to carry around a baby while wearing a backpack. With a traditional diaper bag, the bag would often get in the way and I would have to carry my little one on the opposite side of the bag. I also didn’t like the bag banging against my hip as I walked. In addition, when I would baby wear GemCakes, sometimes the strap of the diaper bag would lay across her back or head, making her uncomfortable. With a backpack I never had to worry about the straps touching her. Furthermore, if my diaper bag was especially heavy that day, I noticed that the shoulder the strap was on would hurt after a while. This didn’t happen while wearing a backpack since the weight would be evenly distributed across my back.
So if I had to do it all over again, these are the backpacks that I would definitely consider putting on my baby registry.
1) Skip Hop Duo Diaper Backpack | 2) Petunia Picklebottom Boxy Backpack | 3) Cateep Smart Organizer Baby Backpack | 4) Oh Joy! Backpack diaper bag | 5) Jujube Be Right Back | 6) Storksak Backpack | 7) Ferlin Multi-function Backpack | 8) little unicorn Marindale Backpack | 9) Fjallraven Kanken Daypack
What are you using as your current diaper bag? Do you prefer a traditional bag over a backpack?
apricot / 424 posts
I started with a Michael Kors one that looks like a purse, but immediately got real and realized that it isn’t about looks and it is more about function. I’m still trying to sell that one after using it less than a year. Now I use the Newlie Louise, which is still beautiful but can be used as a backpack as well.
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01580IKNU/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1
Sometimes I use a 31 bag when I’m going to be gone for an entire day and need to pack lots of stuff.
pomegranate / 3401 posts
I love the Kipling Ravier backpack!
guest
I’ve had my Fjallraven backpack for over a year now and love it! Never going back to a shoulder diaper bag. I do find that things get kind of squished towards the bottom of the bag but I think that’s true for all diaper bags.
blogger / persimmon / 1225 posts
These look like great options, pretty sure the next diaper bag I buy will be a backpack!!
apricot / 370 posts
I use a Herschel backpack and it’s great. It fits a ton of stuff, is easy to use while baby wearing and chasing a toddler, looks great, and works for both me and my husband. I love it!
blogger / kiwi / 588 posts
@RonjaL7: Isn’t it great when you find a bag that is both cute and functional?
@Ginabean3: I’m not familiar with that bag – I’ll check it out!
@Mrs. Cookie: Go for it!
@AB810: I’ve seen a lot of Herschel bags on-campus lately, they seem really well made and durable. I like that they look neutral too.
blogger / olive / 53 posts
the Fjallraven Kanken is the only diaper bag I’ve ever used! I love it.
apricot / 288 posts
We use the FisherPrice FastFinder Backpack diaper bag. We have used it for almost 4 years as the only diaper bag we have. It has held up pretty well with only some slight tears in the insulated bottle pocket. And then there was the time I closed the strap in the car door and broke the plastic strap adjuster. I love our backpack, how much it can hold and the fact that I don’t feel bad about pushing it to it’s limits because it was relatively inexpensive ($40 at Target). It can hold so much that I usually have to pay more attention to the weight of the bag than the size of the contents when I’m packing it. Our in-laws also had one and we even suggested it to some friends who bought it as their second diaper bag (when they switched from a cross body bag.
blogger / kiwi / 588 posts
@Mrs. Tornado: It’s awesome isnt’ it? I wish I had found it sooner!
@reyorra: That is a great bargain for a diaper backpack that has lasted as long as it has!