Leather Diaper Bags

[hoodlims]

Leather Diaper Bags - Are they a crazy idea? How easy are they to clean/protect? How dirty will they get? I am interested in the leather Storksak Elizabeth bags and part of me thinks I am nuts.

[Vestirse]

Well, there are things you can use to treat leather that can make it more impervious to things like water. I recall one product called AppleGard, but you might want to consult The Purse Forum. (edited to add link for convenience)

I don't think you're insane (because I love bags), but you're probably asking for a lot of work if you want to keep it up in really good condition. Keep in mind that it is a diaper bag - anything with the word "diaper" in it just screams to me that it is not an item for the long term nor one I should have high expectations for in the cleanliness department.

In this case, I do prefer faux leather of the polyurethane variety if you can find it. Sure it's not going to last, but this is a diaper bag we're talking about. Plus it's cheap and really easy to clean. Of course, I just use a large faux leather purse as my diaper bag with a purse organizer inside. So far it seems to be working well, but keep in mind my son is only five weeks old, so it's not like I'm the most experienced!!

[infomama]

For me a leather diaper bag would be out of the question. That being said I really only have one nice leather purse/bag (Coach) and I treat it very gingerly.

[aajamu]

OiOi has some really nice leather bags. The leather is pretty durable (I have one in black so I don't worry about stains). You can usually find a great deal on ebay if you don't mind a tiny scratch or mark or two.

I'm a recent leather bag convert. I use Apple Gard leather conditioner on my bags. I had a HORRIBLE experience with the Apple Gard weather proofing spray, it totally stained one of my Lucky Brand bags. $150 down the drain - total loss, the bag looked horrible (the stains NEVER faded; the test spot was OK oddly enough). I would recommend black or a darker color.

[♥ms.pacman♥]

ok since I am a bag-aholic i just had reply to this thread!! i'm not a mom yet but here's my 2 cents on leather bags..

1) if a leather bag is going to be used as a diaper bag, I would definitely treat it to protect it from stains, watermarks, etc. as Vestirse mentioned, there's Apple Guard, which is a water repellant. I have it and have used it on some of my leather bags, it works well..but i would test a small area first before spraying it all over the bags... leathers are all very different and you don't want to risk ruining/staining a bag. There's also AppleCare leather conditioner (from same company as AppleGuard) , which I've also used. You can get AppleGuard/AppleCare as well as other leather conditioning products here: http://leatherstuff.com/shop/index.php?id=290

2) the one downside to leather bags though is that they tend to be heavy, and can get tiring to lug around after awhile. this is why i love canvas bags (e.g. Louis Vuitton) so much, because they are so lightweight yet quite sturdy. though I guess if you are mostly planning on keeping the bag in a stroller (rather than always carrying it on your shoulder) it should be fine...

[Piglet]

I had a great one with DS2, but it couldn't be washed properly and there was an unfortunate spilled rotten apple juice incident... you get the idea! Needless to say it was not used with DD and I switched back to my other bags.

[aajamu]

ok since I am a bag-aholic i just had reply to this thread!! i'm not a mom yet but here's my 2 cents on leather bags..

1) if a leather bag is going to be used as a diaper bag, I would definitely treat it to protect it from stains, watermarks, etc. as Vestirse mentioned, there's Apple Guard, which is a water repellant. I have it and have used it on some of my leather bags, it works well..but i would test a small area first before spraying it all over the bags... leathers are all very different and you don't want to risk ruining/staining a bag. There's also AppleCare leather conditioner (from same company as AppleGuard) , which I've also used. You can get AppleGuard/AppleCare as well as other leather conditioning products here: http://leatherstuff.com/shop/index.php?id=290

2) the one downside to leather bags though is that they tend to be heavy, and can get tiring to lug around after awhile. this is why i love canvas bags (e.g. Louis Vuitton) so much, because they are so lightweight yet quite sturdy. though I guess if you are mostly planning on keeping the bag in a stroller (rather than always carrying it on your shoulder) it should be fine...

Agree with leather bags being heavier. But they are also a lot more durable and tend to last longer if you take proper care of them. My canvas bags tend to wear out on the bottom - and laminated canvas bags also start to peel with time. Also, if you stain a laminated canvas bag, good luck ever getting that out - leather can be easier to clean.

Also, I have to state (again) that AppleGard weatherproofing spray should be used with extreme caution. I read all about it on The Purse Forum and did the whole sample spot test first. That worked out so I lightly sprayed a brown lambskin bag and it was absolutely RUINED. I was heartbroken and just refuse to use that product again. The conditioner works very well though and I've had a lot of luck with that.

[michellerw]

I actually have two leather Coach briefcase/diaper bags (I know, how weird) that my mom picked up for me at the outlet a few years ago, in the back section where the "real" Coach stuff is.

They have these inserts that can be used as laptop sleeve/wraps or changing pads. I've been using the black one as a briefcase for the last couple of years now, but the brown one will probably be the diaper bag that lives in the car.

[arivecchi]

leather diaper bag?????



(Sorry, couldn't resist )

[pastrygirl]

I easily could have a leather diaper bag without much maintenance. I breastfeed, so there are no drippy bottles or anything. I don't carry drippy/messy snacks. I only carried water in a sippy cup when my son was at that stage, no juice or anything else. My diaper bags have always been spotless, though I've never had a leather one.

Now... watch this baby be a total mess so I will eat my words!