Help me find the right diaper bag- please!!

[brilliance2]

Hi there! I am new to this board. My baby is 6 weeks old and I would like to leave the house- ha ha!

I am looking for a great diaper bag and have been reading the posts, but I'm, having trouble... (I am bottle feeding)

I see pros and cons with each bag- maybe you can help- this is my first baby!!!

The Fleurville Sling Tote- I saw it in blue. Great stroller attachment- is that important? It had a plastic cover, which I am not sure of and only 1 bottle pocket on the inside- important? I heard that the black does not have the plastic cover. Anyone have the black?

The Caden Lane Aiden Tote- How do you attach to stroller? Is a separate insulated bottle holder important? Only holds one bottle?

The Skip Hop Dash- no insulated bottle holder & people are not happy with the velcro. Great stroller attachment I think...

The Bumble bags- I don't know if my DH would be thrilled to carry a floral bag...

Help please...

Oh, and I have the Maclaren Techno stroller, but he's not big enough yet. Do these bags work on it??

Thanks in advance!!!

Natalie

[carolines mommy]

I have the black ballistic ST and I love it. The black and green are the only fabrics that aren't covered in the vinyl. I personally don't mind the vinyl though because it protects the beautiful fabrics. I think it is necessary to have a way to attach the bag to the stroller although with the ST you can probably just put the shoulder strap over the 2 handles. Being able to just clip the bag on using the stroller attachments is a bonus though!

I breastfeed so I can't really help you with the bottle situation. I guess the 1 bottle pocket may be an issue if you need to keep multiple bottles of formula cool, but if you are using powdered formula and mix it when baby is ready to eat then I don't see it being much of an issue. Plus insulated bottle area is deep enough to stack 2 smaller bottles in it (the one on the bottom without a nipple on it though).

Erika
Mommy to Caroline Nov 03 and Chelsea April 05

[dhano923]

>The Bumble bags- I don't know if my DH would be thrilled to
>carry a floral bag...
>

The Bumble Bags come in other prints besides florals. They are available in stripes and geometric prints as well.

[tmrbwilson1998]

Hi, Natalie! I know exactly how challenging it can be to find that perfect bag...I have a 2yo and a 4-wk old and am still searching!

Here are some questions you should think about before spending the money on a bag:

1) style of bag you prefer (messenger, backpack, tote, etc.) For me, since my little guy is so active and we are out and about a lot, I find that a backpack is best for most days.

2) your priorities in a bag - style vs comfort...

3) material - do you want a vinyl-covered bag to wipe clean or would you rather have a machine-washable bag, etc.

4) your needs - I live in a city where I mainly walk everywhere, so I need a bigger bag to take with me, though if you are in the suburbs and drive to the mall or store, you can keep extras in the car (I love my LE DIA for this) and then carry in with you a smaller bag; if you are using a stroller a lot, you might like one that easily attaches to the stroller, though I have converted any of my bags, baby bags or not, to hang on all of our past strollers

5)will you get one bigger, all-day bag and one smaller quick-trip bag? will DH be using the same bag (I think you said he would)? and if you will be using the same bag, will you be happy with a GN one, or will you still want a fun, girly bag as well?

If you think about these, we may be able to recommend some perfect bags for your specific needs :)

~Tina

[brilliance2]

Thanks ladies-

I guess I have a decision to make!!!

Natalie

[Rach3975]

I can't help too much with most of your choices, but I'll weigh in on the stroller attachment and bottle pockets. Many bags that don't technically attach to strollers will do so if you hang swivel hooks or carabiners from the stroller handles. Personally, I find that even with my Skip Hop bag, I usually either carry it or stick it in the stroller basket. On the other hand, if you live in a more urban area and will be out and about for long periods with only the stroller, stroller attachment might be very important.

Bottle pockets--whether they need to be insulated depends on your feeding choices. Most of the people I know who bottle fed carried a bottle of room temperature water and a separate small container of powdered formula that they added at feeding time. In that case, an insulated bottle pocket doesn't matter much. On the rare occasions that I need something to stay cold for several hours (only happens now that DS is on all table food), I carry a separate insulated bottle case with room for an ice pack. They're available at Babies R Us.

[SteelerFan]

I have the ST in Blue Choc And Gold Blossom--I like that it can attach to my P3--the one bottle pocket wasn't an issue, I also used an insulated bottle cover and it fits right in. I learned to use powdered formula though--just brought one bottle full of water and an extra empty bottle to use later. The bag is nice, great interior organization. I don't like using them with the strap though as it makes the top of the bag look weird.

Caden Lane-Aiden--ok, not to knock anyone that has this, but I personally did not like it at all! ;(

Bumble bag--LOVE this bag--I have the Pink Paisley but the Circus print is gorgeous, too. It does not have any interior bottle holders, though. You can stuff a bottle into the outside holder or just use the insulated bottle holder and put it inside.

I have the SH Dash, but I haven't used it yet. It looks really cute, though. I figured I'd use it when it's kind of rainy outside.

Have you looked into the Timi and Leslie bags--I LOVE these bags--a touch smaller than the Mothership, has great interior organization and interior bottle holder--love this bag!

Speaking of the Motherships--have you looked into these? I'd wait for the newer design to come out, though--loads of vinyl issues on the corners of the bag on the old ones.

You can check out some great bags at www.wildchildpdx.com or even Browns on 5th and Babystyle!

Good Luck and welcome to the world of diaper bags!!!

Amy

[The Review Mommy]

>Oh, and I have the Maclaren Techno stroller, but he's not big
>enough yet. Do these bags work on it??

Natalie,

Why did you say that your DS isn't big enough for your Mac? Did you know that it’s suitable from birth? If you feel like he needs more support you can use a padded insert like the snuzzler. My friend has a preemie and she just rolls up two receiving blankets and puts them on each side of her DS. It supports his whole body. The Techno doesn't lay down flat but has a slight incline just like a regular infant car seat does.

HTH!

-Rebekah
another Techno owner!:)

[ellies mom]

When I decided I "needed" a new bag, my final choice was between the Sling Tote and Dash. I ended up choosing the ST because I personally like the tote way of carrying it for the times I don't have the stroller. We have the SH Duo now,and I've never liked carrying it. I also choose the ST because I wanted a pretty bag and while I really liked the pink Dash, it would show dirt from living in the back of my car. The ability to hang off the strollers is huge for me. I hate carrying a diaper bag and I like to have everything at my fingertips. Plus both our main strollers have small baskets.

Like I said we have the Duo, so I don't have to worry about DH carrying the bag. The ST will be all about me. If I did not have the Duo, I would have probably gotten the Dash instead (wasn't out when we got Duo) so that DH would carry it. He did not like our first bag and literally would not carry it.

[dmesa]

I just recently purchased the Ameribag Healthy back baby bag and love it. It is not super fancy in appearance but has five million pockets and a bottle pocket inside and outside. The diaper pad is a generous size and I like that the shoulder strap has a rubber grip so it does not fall. I have an Inglesina Swift which is similar to the Mac stroller and I can hang it on the handles no problem.

good luck!

[dmesa]

I just recently purchased the Ameribag Healthy back baby bag and love it. It is not super fancy in appearance but has five million pockets and a bottle pocket inside and outside. The diaper pad is a generous size and I like that the shoulder strap has a rubber grip so it does not fall. I have an Inglesina Swift which is similar to the Mac stroller and I can hang it on the handles no problem.

good luck!