Please convince me that I DON'T need a Mothership

[JLiebCamm]

I have been coveting the pink stripe one for months and I need to get off the fence about getting one because my babies aren't getting any younger. I can tell you that I don't LOVE any of my diaper bags but at the same time don't think that they're too small for me. I recently bought the Hanna Andersson one on clearance and think it fits all my gear well, even though it's not stylish. So for those of you who have been there, done that, make my wallet happy and tell me that the Mothership isn't a necessary addotion to my stash!

[kelly ann]

Jessica-

Don't buy a mothership...buy the sling tote! I returned my mothership and bought the sling tote and I love it.

Have you considered the sling tote?

[JLiebCamm]

Kelly, you're no help! I'm trying to stop myself from buying a diaper bag that costs over $100! The sling tote is VERY CUTE though. But now I need to be convinced that I don't need it either.

[jenfed1]

I had a sling tote and swapped it for a mothership...here's my take on them. I LOVE the look of the ST and love that I could attach it to my stroller...that's a really nice feature. And for the most part, the size is okay. But the fact that it doesn't have outside bottle pockets made it a tad too small for me. I now have a MS and I really like it...more than I thought I would. I have a newborn and almost 4 yr old and it holds everything and anything I need to bring with me. I felt the ST was busting out when I packed it up.

So I guess the question is, are you a light packer or a heavy packer? :)

[NYSarah]

Jessica --
don't buy a mothership without trying it in person. I was given one and I found it so uncomfortable and awkward on. (I am tall, though). I also wasn't all that impressed with it considering the price. I offered it to a friend who's smaller but she thought it was way too bulky for her. So it's been in my closet unused since before DD was even born! If I wasn't so lazy I'd drag it out and put it on ebay already and use the money for something fun like a wardrobe of keccis :D

[jasabo]

Ohhhh, the pink stripe MS...I wanted one of those so badly. I still think they're gorgeous. Instead, though, I got a Lime Bingo MS during a great sale - not quite as pretty as the pink stripe, IMO, but still cute.

Anyway, I sold mine after a few months b/c I found it too bulky and cumbersome. I'm pretty tall - 5'8 and thought it wouldn't be too bad, but I never got used to it. Also, I couldn't carry it messenger style b/c the strap wasn't long enough for me to fit across my chest and it was very bulky.

Also, the vinyl got a lot of scuff marks and scratches on it, just from basic use.

The Alpha 7 is still my favorite Fleurville bag. I had a Sling Tote and sold it too. The organization was great, but I prefer messenger style and you couldn't just drape it over your stroller like you can with messengers - you had to mess with those clips, which I didn't like.

Anyway, IMO, there are better bags then the MS. The Dash is great, though definitely NOT as cute as the pink stripe :(

Lisa - mom to 2 yr old twin boys

[almostamom]

Hope this helps: I just sold my mothership on ebay because it just didn't work for me - and I don't mind a big bag. It was bulky, I didn't like the configuration of the pockets, and the vinyl made it way too hot for me to carry around in the summer. Seriously, check it out in person first, and then, if you must have one, try ebay -- there are lots of them there.

Good luck,
~Linda~
DS 11/04

[ILoveLT]

I bought and returned a Mothership because I did not like the way the side pockets were so tight when I tried to put my hand in them. Plus, I prefer bags with zippers so my things would be secured. Also, it was very big and bulky, not for hanging off a stroller, IMO.

Rita

[writeleigh]

I bought and then sold my Mothership fairly quickly. Like some others have said, I found it uncomfortable to carry (must be the way I am built LOL). The big, padded strap was way to bulky for me. I did not like the messengar flap top either - I don't really like messenger-style bags. I ended up with a Sling Tote, which I love. I use a Chelsey Henry weekender when I need to pack more.

[caridura]

Well....this won't help you much, but here goes...

I just got a ST in Pink Stripe and LOVE it! For me, it's better than the MS and the A7. I love all the pockets. I filled it up with my normal items and it's still very light and not near as bulky as my A7 is with the SAME items!

If you don't get the MS and still 'need' a bag, I'd highly recommend a ST. ;)

[ctychick]

I have the MS in the now retired fall cordory stripe - the boy version of the pink stripe. I'm ashamed to say that I was going for fashion over function! I also have a Skip Hop Duo and after using that, I never went back to the MS for daily use. The only reason I didn't sell the MS is because it is a fabulous bag for travel, kind of like the perfect baby overnighter. It is super roomy inside - there are secure areas for 4 bottles, lots of space for diapers, burpclothes, change of clothes and some toys. I don't have to dig around for anything when I need it. So for flights, I'm keeping the MS. But it's not a great daily bag.

[Melanie]

Check out your local target for a $17 knock-off. If you still are loving it after a few months and coveting the MS then you could really justify the big ticket.

[ellies mom]

That is a good idea. I was thinking about suggesting the Target bag but I didn't get a close look at the inside to see if is is set up well so I wasn't sure I wanted to reccommend it. I didn't think of using it as a test subject. Now where is the Target sling tote? The mothership knockoff is way to big for me.

[DeborahM]

I have the mothership, sling tote, SH Dash, and SK Expo. While I'm only 5'3", I didn't think the mothership was too big, and I really needed the space to tote around stuff for 2 kids. My biggest peeve was the wide strap which made it a little hard to carry.

These days I use the sling tote more (better organization for 2 in diapers and easier to hang on my double stroller IMO), however, I can put more stuff in the MS. I'd suggest finding one you can try out IRL to see if it will hold everything you carry. If you live near a Norstroms, they now carry the Fleurville bags.

Deborah
Mom to Thomas (6/02) and Rachel (7/04)

http://www.gynosaur.com/assets/ribbons/ribbon_gold_12m.gif[/img] ([img)
13 months and counting

[dowlinal]

Definitely try the MS out in person. I wanted one for months and finally splurged last fall. I got the brown cordoroy one and while I still love how it look, it just does not work for me. I wanted it soooo badly and tried to find a way to make it work, but after a few tries I had to give up. When I bought it I justified the price because I thought that I could sell it if it didn't work for me but even though I only used the bag a handful of times I cannot get rid of it bag even for a ridiculously low price. So frustrating!!

[caridura]

Have you tried eBay? They seem to be selling well there.

[JLiebCamm]

I just needed to hear some bad reviews of it to help ease my craving (even though I still want one). Unfortunately, I love in the middle of nowhere and don't have the opportunity to try the MS IRL. I'll have to check out the knock-off at Target.