A Tale of Five Diaper Bags and Review

Hello Friends!

Since having a baby seven months ago that is pretty much what my life has revolved around- and as it should be. But what else comes along with having a baby? Needing a lot of stuff, everywhere, and with you all of the time.  

I recently travelled with said babe and although it was a relatively short trip it was eye opening in regards to the very deficient diaper bag that I had chosen. 

Everything ended up in a huge jumble, I could not find anything in it. And every cracker I had packed turned to dust by the time the baby needed it.  It only has 2 inner compartments. This got me thinking. I had not considered all diaper bag options! I am an anglophile and I love Cath Kidson,  of course this should have been the British diaper bag of my dreams. (found pre-loved on ebay)

Alas NO.

So I began my quest, asking friends, looking at other mom's choices, and trying to read reviews. I wanted it ALL...style and function.

An old work colleague and friend with impeccable taste had mentioned Dagne Dover. The price tag was not for me- BUT when then I saw this ultra modern minimalistic bag in use with a mom from music class I had diaper bag envy.  She probably had lived in Brooklyn at some point. Maybe I NEED this bag??? It looked like a good size, and had compartments. But in the end, I couldn't get over the neoprene fabric that it is made out of. I just could not see myself using it, even if I had- had the extra cash for it. But it is probably a good option for lots of folks. I did see one review say that it got stained just from water. Hmmm.

It is an attractive, hip, functional bag!

Next- I thought-I'll go totally utilitarian for the next trip. A girlfriend mentioned the Skip Hop travel backpack. Maybe?

It is reasonably priced and looked very, very organized. Honestly when I received it from Amazon and was kinda unimpressed. It looked useful but so. darn. ugly. 

Well it matched my wrist brace... I am sure that this is a great bag for someone out there. Just not me. Thank you Amazon for having easy returns.

Next up I was curious about the Freshly Picked vegan leather backpack. I had not seen one IRL and liked the look of it but just wasn't sure. This is also a pricey purchase so I hemmed and hawed and ended up finding an affordable used one on Ebay. It has big scuff marks I was able to cover with acrylic paint.

This is where I fixed the scuff marks. Not bad color matching if I do say so myself!

Everything fit in pretty neatly with extra room.

OMG I love this bag! The vegan leather makes it light weight, I like the color. So many pockets etc! the front zip pocket is perfect for wipes. Cause you need those constantly. The only drawback was that it did not come with a changing pad. Its funny though, I hardly use them. I am worried that they are too slippery and I use a muslin blanket instead.

I will for sure be using this bag for the next plane ride, it wont get too dirty being stowed under the seat and it is so big. Plus the backpack factor is GREAT for traveling hands free. And I just love the look of it. It doesn't scream diaper bag. Maybe it is very 2014 of me to like this brand but I DO.

And finally after spending hours on Pinterest at 3 am I was convinced that I wanted a FRENCH looking diaper bag. They are sort of quilted, sweet traditional looking type bags. Oh so many tiny floral cotton quilted bags from Europe that I drooled over. I probably would have ordered one if I could have. The closest thing that I found in the US is the Pehr bag. It was pricey too, but I was able to find it used on Mericari.

 

Everything fit in well. Lots of great pockets and compartments. This bag does not come with a changing pad either.

Feeling very French in this photo...

Here is a small sampling of the cute European bags that I found online.

These French bags were so inspiring to me I even thought about creating my own! I found some perfect patterns that would be a good starting point in my stash.

Then I thought realistically about my life, my little freelance work that I barely have time for, and other creative commitments. Without childcare, who am I kidding? This self made diaper bag dream will have to wait!

In the meantime I am happy with my secondhand choices. The Freshly Picked Backpack is great for long day trips and plane rides. The Frenchiness of the Pehr Diaper bag and the convenience of all of the many inner compartments will have me using this for shorter outings.

In conclusion, friends-it is not the diaper bag that makes the mom, but the mom that makes the diaper bag. It is a very personal choice, but doesn't represent who you are as a person!! Insert cry/ laugh emoji.

Whoever you are, practical, super hip and modern or into the Euro look- whatever works best for you is what matters. I couldn't find helpful info like this when I was looking at reviews. They were very bland and didn't answer the questions that I had.

Bonjour Mon Amis! xx

Um Hello Hello, I have a late in the game update!

Now that the babe is 17 months, I have travelled more and generally gone everywhere with her- I have decided that practical wins over style! I used the slightly pre- loved Freshly Picked bag for a few months.

I loved it but the vegan leather started pealing very badly. So that was unusable.

Then I started to use the Pehr bag, I really like it but it is very heavy, chunky and clunky. I made do with it for awhile, and finally out of frustration got a inexpensive diaper back pack on Amazon.

I cant say style wise it is my fav but it is so light, stays organized and isn't so huge! 

The exact one that I purchased is now out of stock but this very similar one has great reviews!

I didn't like the label on the front so I removed it with my seam ripper and added a cute Justine Gilbuena patch that I happened to have. 

So function prevailed over cuteness. No need to spend crazy money on a diaper bag! ha ha. Live and learn! Thankfully I am one and done with this little one so hopefully this will be the final diaper bag in my journey. Cheers friends!! xx