please help with diaper bag selection

[sadie2]

I currently have an Eddie Bauer back pack, and dont like it very much. It basically has only one big area, where EVERYTHING gets smushed into, so you cant find anything. I would like a bag that preferably is a backpack, or atleast can be converted to one, and has the following: (although i would be open to a reg tote bag)....

1) identifiable compartments
2) sippy cup holder
3) seperate place for wallet and moms things
4) large enough for 2 changes of clothes, diapers, wipes, toy, pad

I would prefer not spending over $75.....any help would be greatly appreciated. If you make a suggestion, could you add the website since I am new to this whole diaper bag thing. thanks a lot for your help.

[votre_ami03]

Sadie,

Although mine doesn't have a sippy cup holder, I LOVE my KD messenger bag from Target. I spent $25 on it this summer (not sure if they still have them).

It has one large zippered area on the outside (keep my diaps & pad there), one large un-zip pouch (keep babies clothes & my junk there), 2 small & 1 large zippered pockets on the front, 2 small zippered mesh pockets inside the flap. It has a bottle pocket, although no room for my Avent bottles, I keep my cell phone there & another case that I use for my sunglasses that is attached to the strap. Doesn't look like a diap bag, at all!

Christy & baby Nolan 7/22/03

[cdlamis]

Hi-
I have had at least 10 diaper bags and finally found a backpack diaper bag that I love. And its only $16! It's at Motherhood Maternity.

http://motherhood.com/Product.asp?Product_Id=43681043&category_Name=Diaper+Bags&Category_Id=1043&MasterCategory_Id=1

It has lots of pockets. And a mesh bottle/cup pocket on the other side which you can't see in the picture. The front pocket unzips all the way and has a few pockets in there as well. There is also an open pocket in the back where I keep my wallet/keys. There are 2 pockets on the inside.

I wish I had found this bag earlier or realized that I am a "backpack" kind of mom. I have purchased everything from Coach to Kate Spade, etc and I like this bag the best (for its functionality).

Hope this helps.

Daniella
Mom to Julia 6-13-02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b32dc745c42b

[kfcboston]

Daniella -

Thanks for this post! I'm very seriously considering getting this. But I've heard a big gripe about diaper backpacks is the bag itself being "one big bag", with no dividers or big sections. Am I making sense? Can you tell me if this bag is "one big bag"?

TIA!

Edited for spelling

[cdlamis]

Hi
The interior of the backpack is just one big space with one interior pocket (I said it has 2 but was wrong). That is ok for me since it has so many other pockets/organizers on the outside. There is one large "flap" on the outside that unzips all the way and there are some dividers and a zip pocket in there too. I put all the small stuff that gets easily lost in the front organizer pocket and my stuff in the large open pocket in the back. There are 2 pockets on the outside- one for cell phone and bottle/sippy cup. I keep my small digital camera in the cell phone pocket. So in the main area, I have only the large stuff-diapers, books, changing pad, extra clothes- that's it.

One tip I have is to buy a small drawstring bag and put your diapers and wipes in there to keep it contained and the diapers don't get squished since they are protected by the wipes case. I bought my bag from Victoria's secret- it's actually part of their laundry bag collection.

Hope this helps.

Daniella
Mom to Julia 6-13-02
http://www.shutterfly.com/osi.jsp?i=67b0de21b32dc745c42b