Need advice re: choosing a high-end diaper bag!

[Jen516]

I need some help choosing a nice diaper bag. Most of my friends have Kate Spade or Petunia Picklebottom, but I am not in love with either (don't like the Kate Spade black abyss interior, and don't love the backback style of PP)

I have seen some other nice bags out there from surfing these boards, but I'm not sure which are the best for an infant. What should I be looking for? How big do I want the bag to be? Do I want basic black/messenger style so DH can carry it too?

If you haven't guessed, I am due with my first Nov 5th, which is why I have no clue! Any advice or tips are appreciated!

Thanks!

Jen

Expecting our first -- a BOY! -- 11/5/04

[candybomiller]

Diaper bags are such a personal preference thing.

I think the best thing to do is visit a couple of websites, find some that appeal to you, then ask specific questions about them here. Or read a lot of past messages.

Some popular ones here are fleurville, loom, whimsical wears (custom made!), ... tons of others. timbuk2 for messenger style...

Some good websites to search include
www.kidsnstuff.com
www.missfitzinc.com

I'll post more as I think of them.

[lmariana]

Yay! You've come to the right place! We'll take very good care of you and have you totally hooked on cute diaper bags before you know it. :)

As far as high-end bags go, here are a few of the brands I would recommend:
www.fleurville.com
www.loomlife.com
www.talenereilly.com
www.chesterhandbags.com
www.bumblebags.com

Then you have the high-end department store brands: Coach, Kate Spade, Prada, etc.

I think when you're choosing a diaper bag, the first thing you decide is how you want to carry it...messenger style, on the shoulder, backpack...etc. In the newborn stage, you always end up carrying a ton of stuff, so even though a bag may look huge, it will probably be just right. :) Most people find they want a big bag for carrying everything and a smaller bag for shorter outings. I would also recommend finding a little clutch or cosmetic bag for keeping your mommy things in.

I think the right diaper bag really just depends on your personal tastes. As for me, I think a great diaper bag arsenal is:
Fleurville Mothership (big bag, $150)
Fleurville Alpha 7 (medium bag, converts to backpack, $120)
Fleurville Escape Pod (small tote for running in and out, $50)
Fleurville Wrist Bag (the matching wallet, $14)
...but I'm a huge Fleurville fan, and I like everything to match!

Loom also makes some very classy bags with matching clutches. Definitely praise-worthy! Right now, I'm in love with Chester's bags. They are a little more whimsical with their patterns, which I like.

I guess you will just start by checking out the different brands to see what appeals to you! Let us know what catches your eye!

Mariana
www.heinzandmariana.com
Mother of Gabriel, 08/14/2003

[KarenLB]

Mariana-
What do you think about the oioi diaper bag tote?
Thanks,
Karen

[lmariana]

Hmmm...

I've owned 2 Oi Oi's and returned them both. The first one I bought was the Blue Striped Messenger. I returned it because the strap was way too short to be worn messenger style, and I didn't like that all the fabric was cotton.

My 2nd Oi Oi was the black Travel Diaper bag. It was okay, especially for the $50 sale price, but one of the zippers was defective so I returned it. Diaperbags.com told me that Oi Oi had many problems with their zippers, and they see them a lot.

I haven't seen the Tote in person, but it looks really cute.

Mariana
www.heinzandmariana.com
Mother of Gabriel, 08/14/2003

[Jen516]

Thanks Mariana!

Of the ones you posted, I think I like the look of the Loom Marsupial the best. I also like Fluerville Mothership but I'm not sure about that shiny outside. I'm sure it wipes clean very easily but it reminds me of patent leather! ;)

What are your thoughts on those two bags regarding functionality?

Also, I love Coach bags (and my sister-in-law works there so I could get a discount) but I have been told that they are extremely heavy and are not too functional. Do you know much about them?

Thanks!

Jen

[lmariana]

Actually, the owner and designer of Loom, Johanna Le Fleur, founded Fleurville! She started Loom about one year ago because she wanted to do some different designs.

You'll find the organization of both very similar: 3 internal pockets (one big, one small, and one sized for wipes), two internal bottle pockets, two external bottle pockets, and one large external pockets.

Some differences you'll find are:
* straps- Fleurville's Mothership does not adjust, Alpha 7 does, Loom's does with a buckle
* bottle pockets- Loom's are a little larger and contoured for holding larger bottles and sippies easily, Mothership's have a velcro closure, Alpha 7's are open top and flat
* changing pad- Loom's is small and has a magnetic closure, the Mothership's is large and rolls to close, and the Alpha 7's is medium sized with no padding
* structure- the Loom is more formed, whereas the Fleurville are a little more "squashy"
*closures- Loom has two strong magnetic closures, Mothership has one, Alpha 7 is velcro (I like Loom's closure the best)

Like you said about the fabrics, people either love the Mothership's vinyl layer or hate it! Loom's nylon is really great, repels water and always looks good.

As far as functionality goes, I think they are both very alike, it's just a personal preference as to which styling you prefer! I *think* someone is selling a black Loom on the Bags Swap board, if you're interested. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/babybags

Mariana
www.heinzandmariana.com
Mother of Gabriel, 08/14/2003

[masetane]

I can vouch for the Coach bag. I used to have a diaper bag by them (sold it) and it was sooooo heavy even without anything much in it. It looks great and you can use it after baby but I can't recommend it. (Come think of it, I bought a Mercer tote a few years ago for work and it is the heaviest bag ever - I rarely carry that and now use a Lands End backpack!!) I also discovered that for me, I prefered one strap. I figured this outon the second child. It drove me crazy that one strap stayed on my shoulder but the other slipped off. With 2 little ones now, the last thing I feel like doing is constantly putting the second strap back over.
caroline

[khakismom]

Amen to the one-strap thing, Caroline. I just figured this out too! :)

[JustMare]

Today I just discovered a new Kate Spade Baby Bag called the "Roger" bag. It looks just like a handbag (one strap) but is roomy and has lots of pockets inside (a rarity for KS).

http://www.ebags.com/kate_spade/dot_noel_roger_baby_bag/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=19412


I've noticed that since DS is almost 5mos, I'm downsizing from the large tote. I'm not needing to carry everything-but-the-kitchen-sink. This KS bag is perfect for after an infant stage. Plus, it does not look like a baby bag at all. The sales person was really surprised it was a baby bag.

I'm not fond of the black interior, but since it opens really wide, you can see everything inside.

I really like the Newberry black one, but just can't justify a $315 baby bag. I might be able to finagle the nylon for $190 :)

[khakismom]

Great bag Mare! Thanks for sharing it with us. And the sales lady is right--it doesn't look like a dipe bag at all!

[doubleL]

Ugh!! I'm never going to decide on a new diaper bag. There are so many nice ones out there, but still haven't found The One for me. I like all the pockets on that new Kate Spade bag and the single strap, but prefer the cranberry color and outside pockets on the medium baby bag. Luckily the price tags on these make them prohibitive.

Thanks for sharing!

Lou
~David 5.01
~Elisabeth 6.03

[tangerinetots]

I have used several diaper bags and by far my favorite is Bumble Bags. It has lots of great pockets, doesn't look or feel like a diaper bag, and still looks fabulous after using it for the past year!

Wendy (mother of Marisa, 6 and Jared, 2-1/2)