The perfect diaper bag

 

When I was pregnant and saw some of my mommy friends obsessed with getting the perfect diaper bag I just didn’t get it.  I figured all I needed was a bag and that’s it.  Fast forward to today, I can openly say I’ve developed a diaper bag obsession (along with a baby carrier obsession).  In the past 2 years I have bought and tried more diaper bags than my husband should know.

I am a bit OCD or maybe a lot (haha!) so having a big diaper bag where I could just throw all the stuff in was not going to make the cut. I like things organized and my diaper bag is no exception.  Having a bag where I could organize everything was my #1 priority when looking for the perfect diaper bag.  I also wanted something cute, durable and functional.  After all, I’m basically giving up all my purses for this bag that I’m going to use every day. Yes, every day. I don’t want to buy something that will break down in a few months or a year. I wanted something that would last!  Let’s not forget it’s a diaper bag so it has to be easily washed: food, poop and spit are part of my daily interactions.

You might think this is too much to ask of a bag and I thought the same thing until I discovered Ju-Ju-Be! (By the way, I was NOT given any bags by them nor paid for this review.  I am just IN LOVE with how awesome their bags are).  When I first saw them I couldn’t believe it: a bunch of pockets to keep stuff organized, pretty patterns, you can throw it in the washer and it’s durable but it’s pricey. I didn’t want to spend that much money on a diaper bag. Eventually I took the plunge, it was either keep spending money on crappy bags or get a durable one (I’ve had my oldest bag for over a year and it still looks like new, for real!).

My first Ju-Ju-Be bag was a Be All.  I say first because once I tried this amazing bag I ended up buying several different models during the past year. I now have the Be All, B.F.F., Be Right Back, MiniBe, Super Be and Behave.  I also have some of the organizational smaller bags: a few Be Quick and Be Set and a Fuel Cell lunch box that fits perfectly inside the bags.  It might be a little more than I need. Haha! But I’ve used them all at different times.  The good part about Ju-Ju-Be is that their resale value is great so you can pretty much resell them almost for what you paid – this is because they hold up really well and don’t really looked used.

Now I’m going to tell you what I love about each bag and if I had to chose one, which one I would chose. Also, at the end of this post I’ll tell you what I keep in my bags so you can get an idea of how much you can fit in them. If you need a visual of how much you can fit in a bag, go to YouTube.  Also, I recommend you getting the bag from Amazon because they have free shipping and free returns, especially if you don’t live near a store where they sell them.  And, if you’re a mama with twins my recommendation for you is at the end.

All Ju-Ju-Be bags are awesome. You can really organize your stuff with all the pockets inside the bags and they all hold a lot.  They all have “mommy pockets”, which is a section of the diaper bag with different little pockets in it so you carry and organize your personal stuff. It’s made with a special fabric that is stain resistant and can be thrown in the washer! All the changing pads are with memory foam so it’s a nice soft surface for baby and the designs are really cute. However, each bag is different and in summary this is what differentiates them…

 

Be All:

When I first got it I wasn’t too sure it was big enough but let me tell ya! Once you start putting stuff in these bags you will be surprised with all the stuff they can hold.  It comes with a memory foam changing pad and I love all the different pockets it has. I also love that the insulated bottle holders on the side fit my water bottle and my daughter’s sippy.  If you want a messenger type bag this is it!  This bag is perfect for a newborn because it holds so much stuff.  It’s also great if you have a baby and a toddler.

I haven’t used this bag on a daily basis since my daughter turned 6 months but I’m sure once I have a baby again I’ll be using it all the time.

 

 B.F.F.:

At some point my baby started getting mobile and a messenger bag wasn’t ideal all the time because when I would lean over it would smack me.  This is when I decided to try the BFF. This bag has backpack straps and a messenger strap so you can use it either way.  I loved this because I would use it both ways depending on what I was doing. It also fits as much stuff as the Be All although some the pockets have a different layout.  Like the Be All, it comes with a memory foam changing pad and side insulated pockets.  I did get my first Be Quick when I got this bag because I wanted a separate bag to keep the diapers and wipes in but you have enough room to fit those without a Be Quick if you’re on the budget.

This would have been the only bag I’ve ever needed (and I think it’s the only bag most mamas will ever need) but after using it as a backpack for many months I decided to get look into a Ju-Ju-Be backpack. If you like the messenger type of bag and also backpacks this is the bag for you.

 

Be Right Back (BRB):

After many months of using exclusively the B.F.F. my baby turned into a toddler and never stopped moving.  I also noticed I stopped using the messenger strap and was only using it as a backpack The B.F.F. backpack is nice but not comfortable for long wear, plus my husband would always complain when he had to carry it.  This is why I decided to try the BRB. It was much bigger than I thought and had less organizational pockets than the Be All & BFF, which means I ended up getting the Be Quick and Be Set little bags to be more organized (although they are not a must).  This bag also has insulated side pockets and comes with a memory foam changing pad in the back of the backpack. I love this pocket because I also put my diapers, iPad and coloring books in it.

I love that you can open the backpack completely and lay it open, kind of like a suitcase so you don’t have to take everything from the top to reach your stuff at the bottom. Plus one of the sides has a zippered mesh covering the entire area and this is perfect to keep extra clothes.  I usually put my daughter’s extra clothes, hat, cloth wipes and sweater in there.  I leave the rest of the backpack to carry toys, food and my stuff.

If I were to buy only one bag, this is it. I never thought I would want backpack diaper bag but once your kid in on the go and you’re running around like a maniac you will be happy to have a backpack.  Plus this is big enough to carry stuff for a baby and toddler.

 

MiniBe:

After a while the BRB backpack started feeling a little bit too big, especially when I was out for a few hours at a friend’s house or at the playground.  I decided I needed something smaller and tried the MiniBe.  This is the bag I’m using the most of the time. It is about a medium size backpack. Fits exactly what I need when I’m not gone all day.  I’m not sure I could get away with this bag if I had more than 1 child but I figured once I have 2 I’ll go back to using the BRB and give this one to my daughter as her backpack.  If you want a bag for short trips this is it!

Super Be:

This is the ultimate beach or pool bag! This is all I use it for.  This bag is HUGE and extremely light.  It fits so much it’s ridiculously perfect because when I go to the beach or the pool I have to carry a lot of stuff for my daughter, my husband and myself and with this bag I can even put our towels in there.  I preferred the Super Be over the Mighty Be (very similar bags) because the latter one doesn’t have a zipper.

Behave:

My lovely mom-in-law got me this bag last Christmas and even if I didn’t have a kid I would use it a lot.  I only use this purse on special occasions and when I get all dressed up. I love all the pockets it has and my favorite part is that I can always fit everything my daughter needs (including extra clothes) in it.  If you need a diaper bag that looks like a purse and it’s not big, this is it! Although I don’t think it’s big enough for daily use.

Be Quick, Be Set & Fuel Cell:

These are just little bags to help you keep things more organized and fit perfectly inside the diaper bags..  My favorite is the Be Quick. It’s the biggest one of these bags yet small enough to use as a wristlet. So if you need a small bag to keep in the car and/or carry to the store with diapers, this is it.  I usually keep diapers and wipes in my Be Quick and when I’m using the MiniBe I also put changing pad. My favorite pad is Kushies because it’s very thin but pretty big – perfect for a todddler.

The Be Set is not as necessary as the Be Quick, for me, but I like to keep smaller things in it, especially when I’m using the MineBe or BRB.  I usually add to it the hand sanitizer, bib, cloth wipes, change of clothes and other smaller items I will need for my quick trip.

The Fuel Cell is a great lunch box to carry my daughter’s snack. I love that it helps keep things hot or cold and that is small enough to put inside any of the diaper bags (except the Behave) but big enough to put a good variety of snacks.  This would easily carry snacks for more than one child.  It has a small pocket on top where I keep a set of fork and spoon.  In this picture you can get an idea of how many snacks you can fit.

 

Bottom line:

If money is not an issue, I’d recommend you get one of the first 3 diaper bags I mentioned (Be All, B.F.F. or Be Right Back)  for the newborn stage or if you have more than 1 kid, the MiniBe for short outings and the Super Be for beach/pool days.

If you don’t have a store near you where you can actually see the bags – like it happened to me, I recommend you get them on Amazon because shipping and more important, returns are free!

 

Mamas with twins:

If you have newborn twins you’re going to need a HUGE bag for all those diapers and extra clothes.  I’d recommend a Be Prepared by far or a Super Be.

 

What do I keep in my diaper bag?

I like to be prepared for anything so I usually carry more than I need but believe me, when I don’t carry something it’s always the thing I end up needing.  Haha!

When I’m using one the Be All, B.F.F or B.R.B. I always carry:

• 6 diapers
• A pack of 40 wipes
• hand and face wipes
• Disposal Bags for Diapers (or these)
• 4 Cloth Wipes (or these) – I’ve had these since she was born
• A cloth bib
• 2 Disposable Bibs
• 4 Table Toppers
• hand sanitizer (I also use the spray from Honest Company)
• Badger Baby Sunscreen (I also use the spray from Honest Company)
• Non-toxic cleaning solution
• A change of clothes (when my baby was a newborn I carried 2-3 changes depending on how long we were going to be out)
• A sweater or raincoat (depending on weather)
• PJ’s if we’re going to be out late
• Snacks, lots of snacks
• A sippy
• A water bottle for me
• Sunglasses for me and Babiators for my daughter
• My wallet
• Chapstick
• Hair clips
• Pen
• Several toys or a coloring book with markers
• A reusable shopping bag

Yes, I know I carry a lot of stuff but believe me, I use it all. Maybe not every day but I use it.  And even though I’m carrying all of this, there’s still room in bag! I’m not even sure how it’s possible to fit all of this, have room and not a huge bag…this is why it’s (they are) perfect diaper bags.

 

 What is your favorite diaper bag?

 

 

 

 

 

Disclaimer: I was NOT given these products for review nor do I work for the companies mentioned in this post. They were purchased by me and I just wanted to share my findings with you. What’s written here is 100% my personal opinion.
By buying from the links in this post I will get a very small commission (without this affecting the price you pay for the item) – you can see it as a contribution to help keep my blog running. Thanks!