Recommend me a stylish nappy bag
December 26, 2013 10:55 PM Subscribe
We want to buy a nappy/baby bag but we don't like what we've seen. This may not be possible, but we'd like something for less than $150 aud including shipping, if relevant, and it needs to ship to or be available in Australia. We'd like something fairly modern.
Bonus points for gender neutral (as in, both husband and I can carry it). I've looked in target, big w, ripe maternity, some baby stores and a bunch of regular women's stores that I would normally shop in- cue, witchery. The women's stores were way too expensive and the others either has nothing or were just very ugly. Anything in between? Where do ppl go for this?
(Nb previous questions do exist but are about 5 yrs old)
Bonus points for gender neutral (as in, both husband and I can carry it). I've looked in target, big w, ripe maternity, some baby stores and a bunch of regular women's stores that I would normally shop in- cue, witchery. The women's stores were way too expensive and the others either has nothing or were just very ugly. Anything in between? Where do ppl go for this?
(Nb previous questions do exist but are about 5 yrs old)
Best answer: The Skip Hope Duo is the best diaper bag I've had, and that's after three kids and countless styles and brands of diaper bag. Even my husband will carry it. The strap adjusts easily, the stroller clips are brilliant, and I can get ridiculous amounts of stuff in it.
It looks like Skip Hop is definitely available in Australia. If any of those are convenient, check it out.
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 11:39 PM on December 26, 2013 [2 favorites]
It looks like Skip Hop is definitely available in Australia. If any of those are convenient, check it out.
posted by Lulu's Pink Converse at 11:39 PM on December 26, 2013 [2 favorites]
Dedicated nappy bags are bullshit wastes of money...we all find this out after our first child. A small backpack or messenger bag with a couple of compartments are what you want. Crumpler would be my choice.
If you still truly want glam...knowing you won't use it for longer than a few months....Kate Spade has a nice one. No link, sorry. (I did stupid quantities of internet searching about this very question and nobody confessed how unused they are after a few months. I kept thinking if I just got the right one, it would feel right. Stupidly expensive process..and not practical at all.
Good luck, lovie. It's fun time of life. And expensive.
posted by taff at 12:39 AM on December 27, 2013 [7 favorites]
If you still truly want glam...knowing you won't use it for longer than a few months....Kate Spade has a nice one. No link, sorry. (I did stupid quantities of internet searching about this very question and nobody confessed how unused they are after a few months. I kept thinking if I just got the right one, it would feel right. Stupidly expensive process..and not practical at all.
Good luck, lovie. It's fun time of life. And expensive.
posted by taff at 12:39 AM on December 27, 2013 [7 favorites]
Crud,I didn't mean to contradict Lulu! Shoulda previewed.
If I had to have one again...I'd probably go for the skip hop. But I reckon Crumpler is your friend.
posted by taff at 12:43 AM on December 27, 2013
If I had to have one again...I'd probably go for the skip hop. But I reckon Crumpler is your friend.
posted by taff at 12:43 AM on December 27, 2013
If not crumpler, try Timbuk2. I love mine - I don't use it as a diaper bag, but I was a nanny, am TTC, and can't imagine why I wouldn't. Compartments, sizeable, gender neutral, water resistant...
posted by jrobin276 at 1:07 AM on December 27, 2013
posted by jrobin276 at 1:07 AM on December 27, 2013
Response by poster: I have a Crumpler backpack which I am happy with for normal life-- bikeriding to work-- but it's too bulky for me to take to a cafe and not great for accessibility when one is holding a baby. I don't like their tote/messenger bags-- find them uncomfortable. I'm small-ish with boobs and their tote bags swamp/crush me.
Etsy...I have had a look but the shipping costs made the whole thing seem a bit ridiculous to me (e.g $20 shipping on a $70 bag that I have no idea of the quality of anyway...). Will keep looking there though, thanks for the suggestion.
I like this but it's too expensive ($395). I would love leather but think that it is probably too expensive.
Open to messenger bags in general, any fabric, doesn't have to be a nappy bag but I'm finding so far that the conventional womens' bags that I would buy are too expensive. I would normally buy leather, which really rockets things up.
I'm really wondering if there are some good online or other stores where I can browse for this kind of thing as it is new to me and I don't know what I like in that range, and the places I normally look are too expensive.
posted by jojobobo at 1:20 AM on December 27, 2013
Etsy...I have had a look but the shipping costs made the whole thing seem a bit ridiculous to me (e.g $20 shipping on a $70 bag that I have no idea of the quality of anyway...). Will keep looking there though, thanks for the suggestion.
I like this but it's too expensive ($395). I would love leather but think that it is probably too expensive.
Open to messenger bags in general, any fabric, doesn't have to be a nappy bag but I'm finding so far that the conventional womens' bags that I would buy are too expensive. I would normally buy leather, which really rockets things up.
I'm really wondering if there are some good online or other stores where I can browse for this kind of thing as it is new to me and I don't know what I like in that range, and the places I normally look are too expensive.
posted by jojobobo at 1:20 AM on December 27, 2013
Response by poster: Sorry, another go here is the bag I like. I also really like the Skip Hop Duo but it's not easy to get it in Australia-- the retailers have limited models and they are double the US price.
posted by jojobobo at 1:32 AM on December 27, 2013
posted by jojobobo at 1:32 AM on December 27, 2013
I also really like the Skip Hop Duo but it's not easy to get it in Australia-- the retailers have limited models and they are double the US price.
Really? A few seconds' googling showed up several different retailers that are reasonable (given US shipping will be at least $30, and don't forget the exchange rate is no longer 1-1).
these guys seem to have a lot of varieties available, and it's less than double the US price.
or here's a black one for $54
These guys have every colour under the sun and are only $67 (warning: website is almost comically shitty).
Peters of Kensington have several.
These guys have several different ones available as well.
If you are amenable to that model, honestly there's no shortage of them here in Australia for a reasonable price.
Additionally, like, I don't want to tell you how to feel or anything like that at all - but my experience of having a baby is honestly that: a) Stuff tends to get wrecked pretty regularly, so there's no point spending big bucks, either buy cheap - leather etc will just get wrecked - or buy second-hand (there is so much insanely cheap second hand stuff available) as b) you'll only use it for a few months, and c) honestly, looking good is the least of your worries; you will have spew on you and other stuff, be super tired etc. Function over fashion 100%.
Our experience was that compartments in nappy bag were only useful whilst we were taking milk (or formula) on the road. All we needed was a separate compartment for the milk. Nappies, powder, etc can all go in the main section, if you like. We have had two bags, one very large tote style that had an external pocket, zipped section in the middle like a handbag, and some internal elasticised pockets. It was fine. We might have looked daggy as hell, but it was so far down our list - also tote style was fine as stuff for little babies weighs almost nothing - the bag would never have been 2kg, and often under 1kg.
Once we moved into only one bottle on the road, we bought a cute little butterfly backpack. It's just a typical kids backpack: two sections (front and back), mesh on the sides for a bottle. It's fine too.
Don't forget, when you're out with a baby, you will not be far from a pram, often a car. You will have a lot of other... structures with which to hold/carry things. We found the utility of the nappy bag was keeping food separate from nappy stuff, and being large enough to hold nappy stuff yet fit under the pram.
Best of luck, enjoy yourself!
posted by smoke at 2:28 AM on December 27, 2013 [1 favorite]
Really? A few seconds' googling showed up several different retailers that are reasonable (given US shipping will be at least $30, and don't forget the exchange rate is no longer 1-1).
these guys seem to have a lot of varieties available, and it's less than double the US price.
or here's a black one for $54
These guys have every colour under the sun and are only $67 (warning: website is almost comically shitty).
Peters of Kensington have several.
These guys have several different ones available as well.
If you are amenable to that model, honestly there's no shortage of them here in Australia for a reasonable price.
Additionally, like, I don't want to tell you how to feel or anything like that at all - but my experience of having a baby is honestly that: a) Stuff tends to get wrecked pretty regularly, so there's no point spending big bucks, either buy cheap - leather etc will just get wrecked - or buy second-hand (there is so much insanely cheap second hand stuff available) as b) you'll only use it for a few months, and c) honestly, looking good is the least of your worries; you will have spew on you and other stuff, be super tired etc. Function over fashion 100%.
Our experience was that compartments in nappy bag were only useful whilst we were taking milk (or formula) on the road. All we needed was a separate compartment for the milk. Nappies, powder, etc can all go in the main section, if you like. We have had two bags, one very large tote style that had an external pocket, zipped section in the middle like a handbag, and some internal elasticised pockets. It was fine. We might have looked daggy as hell, but it was so far down our list - also tote style was fine as stuff for little babies weighs almost nothing - the bag would never have been 2kg, and often under 1kg.
Once we moved into only one bottle on the road, we bought a cute little butterfly backpack. It's just a typical kids backpack: two sections (front and back), mesh on the sides for a bottle. It's fine too.
Don't forget, when you're out with a baby, you will not be far from a pram, often a car. You will have a lot of other... structures with which to hold/carry things. We found the utility of the nappy bag was keeping food separate from nappy stuff, and being large enough to hold nappy stuff yet fit under the pram.
Best of luck, enjoy yourself!
posted by smoke at 2:28 AM on December 27, 2013 [1 favorite]
We bought a Dad Gear messenger-bag style bag. It's great for long trips (we're traveling right now and it's my preschooler's luggage); but we found it overly bulky for day-to-day. We also used a front carrier most of the time we were out, and side-slung styles were really awkward.
In practice we used our black Rick Steves daypack. Not designed as a diaper bag, but it's very light, very washable, has pockets, and was not embarrassing for anyone to wear. I'm not sure about availability in Aus but I'd look in the luggage sections instead of the baby sections.
posted by tchemgrrl at 4:04 AM on December 27, 2013
In practice we used our black Rick Steves daypack. Not designed as a diaper bag, but it's very light, very washable, has pockets, and was not embarrassing for anyone to wear. I'm not sure about availability in Aus but I'd look in the luggage sections instead of the baby sections.
posted by tchemgrrl at 4:04 AM on December 27, 2013
Maybe Asos? It will be just a normal bag that you can throw a travel changing pad and whatever else into, and not really a bag for years and years of use, but decently stylish, affordable, and free shipping to AU.
Amazon has the Skip Hop Versa for approx $63AUD, and shipping is $10USD.
Also, Ebay.
posted by melissasaurus at 4:50 AM on December 27, 2013
Amazon has the Skip Hop Versa for approx $63AUD, and shipping is $10USD.
Also, Ebay.
posted by melissasaurus at 4:50 AM on December 27, 2013
Rickshaw Bagworks do a Baby Bag Kit to pair with their messengers.
posted by veids at 6:00 AM on December 27, 2013
posted by veids at 6:00 AM on December 27, 2013
If you like pattern, Orla Kiely has some good sales going right now. I really like the size of her diaper bags, not too big, and the laminated cotton is pretty practical for life with kids.
posted by rebeccabeagle at 8:46 AM on December 27, 2013
posted by rebeccabeagle at 8:46 AM on December 27, 2013
So Young has their Charlie Diaper Bag which has been raised as one of the unisex options in my circle of friends. I had a Skip Hop Duo in black and it was totally reliable.
posted by machine at 10:25 AM on December 27, 2013
posted by machine at 10:25 AM on December 27, 2013
Response by poster: None of those retailers have the Skip
Hop Duo in grey, but thanks anyway. I will keep looking.
posted by jojobobo at 5:41 PM on December 27, 2013
Hop Duo in grey, but thanks anyway. I will keep looking.
posted by jojobobo at 5:41 PM on December 27, 2013
Best answer: I'm going to suggest something a little different, check out the yojiki swag bag. It's Australian made and is a 'Padded swag, Convertible diaper bag, Removable cooler bag and Padded change mat made out of washable fabrics.' Basically it consists of several bags, change mats etc that rolls up into a swag that attaches to your pram, or by its handle over your shoulder. If you like you can just use the carry bag and inserts by themselves. I have one, I've never seen anything else like it before and it's very very versatile. It's definitely unisex and the swag itself is quite convenient as a nice soft place to lay baby down. Will set you back about $100.
posted by Jubey at 9:43 PM on December 27, 2013
posted by Jubey at 9:43 PM on December 27, 2013
Sorry, couldn't get the link to work. Just google it. It's quite a different concept.
posted by Jubey at 9:44 PM on December 27, 2013
posted by Jubey at 9:44 PM on December 27, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by Jubey at 11:08 PM on December 26, 2013