Changing Bag

Your changing bag, also known as a diaper bag, is one of the most important baby accessories you will own. It will travel with you everywhere you go, even if you just leave the house for half an hour. The unpredictability of your baby’s bowel movements, stomach upsets and tears will mean that you will always want to be prepared.

Key Features

You will need to spend some time considering the different options of diaper bags available to you. It is very easy to spend a lot of money on a designer bag or one that is way too big for your needs. However, nothing is worse than having a bag that is too small and trying to stuff everything into it. To get the right balance, you should look at:

• Compartments – The range of sizes and weights of things that you’ll need to store in your changing bag will mean that you’ll want a bag with lots of different compartments. For example, you will want to have any food or bottles easily available so find a bag that has straps to hold them in place. Likewise, you will want to keep clean and dirty diapers away from each other as well as having a spare compartment for clean clothes. These can be separated by simple mesh barriers or can be zipped sections inside.

• Shoulder strap – Once you’ve loaded your diaper bag with everything you might possibly need, you’ll find that you’re carrying an extra five or six pounds around with you. This might not sound like much but when you factor in the weight of carrying your baby as well, you will need to find a way to carry it comfortably. A simple padded shoulder strap will not increase the weight too much but will save your shoulder and neck muscles. You can also find bags that are more like backpacks, which will help to spread the weight.

• Waterproof – While you can find diaper bags that are waterproof on the outside, the chances are that you are not going to be out in torrential rain with your baby if you can avoid it. What you do need to make sure is that the inside is made of waterproof material that is easy to clean. In part, this is to cope with any spills of food or milk inside the bag but also it is to help you deal with any mess from dirty diapers or messy clothes. In an ideal world, you will want a changing bag that you can turn inside out to allow you to clean it thoroughly.

Popular Brands

You will find a wide range of price options when you look for your perfect changing bag and it is largely a question of your budget and sense of style that will dictate what your choice. The following are the best for different budget levels:

• Infantino Savvy – This bag comes in a range of bold bright colors and comes with a fold over lid and comfortable leather strap. It has a built in changing mat as well but both the mat and the bag are very small. However, the cost is under $30 and it does the job.

• Poppins – The Poppins range is one of the deeper bags on the market meaning you will fit more in it. This changing bag also comes with some pretty designs and a bunch of external pockets for pens, phones and keys. The inside is full of zipped sections and mesh food holders, however, expect to pay between $100 and $120 for a bag.

• Sugarjack – If you like your designer clothes, then you will want a bag to match. Sugarjack bags look beautiful and could easily be mistaken for a large handbag. Inside they are waterproof and full of pockets and compartments. Expect to pay over $300 for the name.

Allowing someone else to pick out a changing bag for you might be a bit risky, so if you put it on your shower list, you might want to suggest that you make a day of it and join them when they go shopping. The other option is open a guest registry and choose a number of bags from which your giftgiver can choose.

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